Device comparison

AYANEO Pocket ACE vs. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

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

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Pocket ACE
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

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

Quick verdict

Best value
Pocket ACE
Better screen
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
More portable
Pocket ACE
Newer model
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Main differences

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket ACE.
  • AYANEO Pocket ACE is about $1,286 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • AYANEO Pocket ACE is roughly 62% smaller and 61% lighter.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on AYANEO Pocket ACE.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket ACE runs Android 13.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket ACE is highlighted for N64, PS1, GBA, SNES.

AYANEO

Pocket ACE

Details
Price
$514
OS
Android 13
Released
Apr 2025
Up to
Switch
Screen
4.5 inch IPS
Weight
310 grams

No reviews yet

1 collector

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

SpecPocket ACEMSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Price$514$1,800
OSAndroid 13Windows 11
Screen4.5 inch8.0 inch
Aspect ratio3:216:10
Resolution1620 x 10801920 x 1200
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz
PanelIPSIPS Touchscreen
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2Intel Arc G3 Extreme
CPUQualcomm Kryo Prime UltraIntel Panther Lake
GPUQualcomm Adreno A32Intel Arc B390
RAM8 GB / 12 GB / 16 GB LPDDR5X32 GB LPDDR5X
StorageInternal 128 GB (UFS 3.1) / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB UFS 4.0, External MicroSDInternal 1 TB 2280 SSD, External MicroSD
Battery6000 mAh80 Wh
Weight310 grams785 grams
Dimensions176 mm x 82.5 mm x 18.4 mm296 mm x 130 mm x 25 - 48 mm

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemPocket ACEMSI 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

  • Pocket ACE DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip This device does not have a touchscreen, so you won't be able to play DS games that rely heavily on the touchscreen
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE PS3: Sony Playstation 3: RPCS3 was recently ported to ARM (2024/12/9), so please leave a comment if you know how well this device can handle PS3
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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
  • Pocket ACE 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 Pocket ACE and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket ACE. AYANEO Pocket ACE is about $1,286 cheaper based on catalog pricing. AYANEO Pocket ACE is roughly 62% smaller and 61% lighter. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on AYANEO Pocket ACE. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket ACE runs Android 13. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket ACE is highlighted for N64, PS1, GBA, SNES.
Which is cheaper, the AYANEO Pocket ACE or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The AYANEO Pocket ACE is the cheaper of the two at around $514, roughly $1,286 less than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the AYANEO Pocket ACE or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the newer model, released in 2026.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the AYANEO Pocket ACE or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The AYANEO Pocket ACE is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 1 collector tracking it.

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