Device comparison

AYANEO Air vs. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.

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With

AYANEO Air
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Shown to scale from each device’s real-world dimensions.

Quick verdict

Best value
AYANEO Air
Better screen
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
More portable
AYANEO Air
Newer model
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Main differences

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Air.
  • AYANEO Air is about $1,301 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • AYANEO Air is roughly 48% smaller and 48% lighter.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz OLED on AYANEO Air.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Air runs Windows 11 / SteamOS / AYANEO OS (Linux).
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Air is highlighted for 3DS, PS2, Wii, GameCube.

AYANEO

AYANEO Air

Details
Price
$499
OS
Windows 11 / SteamOS / AYANEO OS (Linux)
Released
Aug 2022
Up to
Switch
Screen
5.5 inch OLED
Weight
410 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

MSI

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Details
Price
$1,800
OS
Windows 11
Released
Jun 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
8.0 inch IPS Touchscreen
Weight
785 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecAYANEO AirMSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Price$499$1,800
OSWindows 11 / SteamOS / AYANEO OS (Linux)Windows 11
Screen5.5 inch8.0 inch
Aspect ratio16:916:10
Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1200
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz
PanelOLEDIPS Touchscreen
ChipsetAMD Ryzen 5 5560UIntel Arc G3 Extreme
CPUAMD Zen 3Intel Panther Lake
GPUAMD Radeon RX Vega 7Intel Arc B390
RAM8 GB / 16 GB LPDDR4X32 GB LPDDR5X
StorageExternal MicroSD, Internal Replaceable M.2 2280 SSD (128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB)Internal 1 TB 2280 SSD, External MicroSD
Battery7350 mAh (28Wh)80 Wh
Weight410 grams785 grams
Dimensions224 mm x 89.5 mm x 17 - 26.7 mm (Air Youth)296 mm x 130 mm x 25 - 48 mm
Hall effect sticksNoYes

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemAYANEO AirMSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Classic systems
Game Boy
NES
Genesis
GBA
SNES
PS1
Mid-generation systems
DS
N64
Dreamcast
PSP
Saturn
Sixth-generation systems
GameCube
Wii
PS2
Modern systems
3DS
Switch
Wii U
PS3

Emulation source notes

  • AYANEO Air DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Switch: Nintendo Switch: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Air Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the AYANEO Air and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Air. AYANEO Air is about $1,301 cheaper based on catalog pricing. AYANEO Air is roughly 48% smaller and 48% lighter. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz OLED on AYANEO Air. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Air runs Windows 11 / SteamOS / AYANEO OS (Linux). MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Air is highlighted for 3DS, PS2, Wii, GameCube.
Which is cheaper, the AYANEO Air or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The AYANEO Air is the cheaper of the two at around $499, roughly $1,301 less than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the AYANEO Air or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the newer model, released in 2026.

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