MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ vs. AYANEO Pocket Vert

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

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Quick verdict

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

Main differences

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket Vert.
  • AYANEO Pocket Vert is about $1,461 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • AYANEO Pocket Vert is roughly 68% smaller and 59% lighter.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz LTPS LCD on AYANEO Pocket Vert.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket Vert runs Android 14.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket Vert is highlighted for Genesis, GBA, Game Boy, NES.

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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AYANEO

Pocket Vert

Details
Price
$339.00
OS
Android 14
Released
Jan 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
3.5 inch LTPS LCD
Weight
318 grams

We’re not tracking prices for this one yet.

No reviews yet

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecMSI Claw 8 EX AI+Pocket Vert
Price$1,800.00$339.00
OSWindows 11Android 14
Screen8.0 inch3.5 inch
Aspect ratio16:1010:9
Resolution1920 x 12001600 x 1440
Refresh rate120 Hz60 Hz
PanelIPS TouchscreenLTPS LCD
ChipsetIntel Arc G3 ExtremeQualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
CPUIntel Panther LakeCortex-X2 / Cortex-A710 / Cortex-A510
GPUIntel Arc B390Qualcomm Adreno 730
RAM32 GB LPDDR5X8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR5
StorageInternal 1 TB 2280 SSD, External MicroSDInternal 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.1, External MicroSD
Battery80 Wh6000 mAh
Weight785 grams318 grams
Dimensions296 - 321 mm x 130 mm x 25 - 48 mm86.4 mm x 143 mm x 20.5 mm
Stick typeHall effectUnknown
Analog triggersYesNo

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemMSI Claw 8 EX AI+Pocket Vert
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

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket Vert DS: Nintendo DS: 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 Vert 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: 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 Vert GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: 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 Vert N64: Nintendo 64: 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 Vert NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: 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
  • Pocket Vert PS1: Sony Playstation: 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 Vert PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket Vert 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+ PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket Vert PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: 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 Vert Wii: Nintendo Wii: 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 Vert SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket Vert Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Cemu for Android has only just released so performance estimates for this handheld are coming soon
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket Vert Saturn: Sega Saturn: 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 Vert 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+ Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket Vert Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: 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 Vert Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: 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 Vert GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: 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
  • Pocket Vert Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and the AYANEO Pocket Vert?
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to AYANEO Pocket Vert. AYANEO Pocket Vert is about $1,461 cheaper based on catalog pricing. AYANEO Pocket Vert is roughly 68% smaller and 59% lighter. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 60 Hz LTPS LCD on AYANEO Pocket Vert. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; AYANEO Pocket Vert runs Android 14. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; AYANEO Pocket Vert is highlighted for Genesis, GBA, Game Boy, NES.
Which is cheaper, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ or the AYANEO Pocket Vert?
The AYANEO Pocket Vert is the cheaper of the two at around $339.00, roughly $1,461.00 less than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ or the AYANEO Pocket Vert?
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the newer model, released in 2026.

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