AYANEO Pocket S Mini vs. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Specs, emulation, community reviews, ownership and play history, side by side.

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Quick verdict

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

Main differences

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket S Mini.
  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini is about $1,401 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini is roughly 66% smaller and 61% lighter.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz LCD on AYANEO Pocket S Mini.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket S Mini runs Android 14.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket S Mini is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Saturn, Dreamcast.

AYANEO

Pocket S Mini

Details
Price
$399.00
OS
Android 14
Released
Jan 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
4.2 inch LCD
Weight
305 grams

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MSI

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Details
Price
$1,800.00
OS
Windows 11
Released
Jun 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
8.0 inch IPS Touchscreen
Weight
785 grams

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Specs

BetterWorse

SpecPocket S MiniMSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Price$399.00$1,800.00
OSAndroid 14Windows 11
Screen4.2 inch8.0 inch
Aspect ratio4:316:10
Resolution1280 x 9601920 x 1200
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz
PanelLCDIPS Touchscreen
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2Intel Arc G3 Extreme
CPUQualcomm Kryo Prime UltraIntel Panther Lake
GPUQualcomm Adreno A32Intel Arc B390
RAM8 / 12 / 16 GB32 GB LPDDR5X
StorageInternal 128 GB UFS 3.1 / 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 4.0, External MicroSDInternal 1 TB 2280 SSD, External MicroSD
Battery4700 mAh80 Wh
Weight305 grams785 grams
Dimensions167.1 mm x 77.85 mm x 18.5 mm296 - 321 mm x 130 mm x 25 - 48 mm

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemPocket S MiniMSI 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini 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 S Mini and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket S Mini. AYANEO Pocket S Mini is about $1,401 cheaper based on catalog pricing. AYANEO Pocket S Mini is roughly 66% smaller and 61% lighter. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz LCD on AYANEO Pocket S Mini. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket S Mini runs Android 14. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket S Mini is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Saturn, Dreamcast.
Which is cheaper, the AYANEO Pocket S Mini or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The AYANEO Pocket S Mini is the cheaper of the two at around $399.00, roughly $1,401.00 less than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the AYANEO Pocket S Mini or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the newer model, released in 2026.

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