AYANEO Pocket S 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
AYANEO Pocket S
Better screen
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
More portable
AYANEO Pocket S
Newer model
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Main differences

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket S.
  • AYANEO Pocket S is about $1,201 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • AYANEO Pocket S is roughly 53% smaller and 55% lighter.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on AYANEO Pocket S.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket S runs Android 13.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket S is highlighted for PS2, Wii, GameCube, PSP.

AYANEO

AYANEO Pocket S

Details
Price
$599.00
OS
Android 13
Released
May 2024
Up to
Switch
Screen
6.0 inch IPS
Weight
350 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

We’re not tracking prices for this one yet.

No reviews yet

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecAYANEO Pocket SMSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Price$599.00$1,800.00
OSAndroid 13Windows 11
Screen6.0 inch8.0 inch
Aspect ratio16:916:10
Resolution2560 x 14401920 x 1200
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz
PanelIPSIPS Touchscreen
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2Intel Arc G3 Extreme
CPUQualcomm Kryo (8-core, 1+4+3)Intel Panther Lake
GPUQualcomm Adreno A32Intel Arc B390
RAM12 GB / 16 GB LPDDR5X32 GB LPDDR5X
StorageInternal 128 GB UFS 3.1 or 512 GB / 1 TB UFS 4.0, External MicroSDInternal 1 TB 2280 SSD, External MicroSD
Battery6000 mAh80 Wh
Weight350 grams785 grams
Dimensions213.9 mm x 85 mm x 14 mm296 - 321 mm x 130 mm x 25 - 48 mm

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemAYANEO Pocket SMSI 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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
  • AYANEO Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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
  • AYANEO Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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
  • AYANEO Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 Pocket S 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 and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket S. AYANEO Pocket S is about $1,201 cheaper based on catalog pricing. AYANEO Pocket S is roughly 53% smaller and 55% lighter. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz IPS on AYANEO Pocket S. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket S runs Android 13. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket S is highlighted for PS2, Wii, GameCube, PSP.
Which is cheaper, the AYANEO Pocket S or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The AYANEO Pocket S is the cheaper of the two at around $599.00, roughly $1,201.00 less than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the AYANEO Pocket S or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the newer model, released in 2026.

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