Device comparison

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ vs. Valve Steam Deck OLED

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

Compare

With

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Steam Deck OLED

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

Quick verdict

Best value
Steam Deck OLED
Better screen
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
More portable
Steam Deck OLED
Newer model
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Main differences

  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to Valve Steam Deck OLED.
  • Valve Steam Deck OLED is about $1,251 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • Valve Steam Deck OLED is roughly 9% smaller and 18% lighter.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 90 Hz OLED on Valve Steam Deck OLED.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; Valve Steam Deck OLED runs SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc.
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; Valve Steam Deck OLED is highlighted for Wii U, 3DS, PS2, Wii.

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

Valve

Steam Deck OLED

Details
Price
$549
OS
SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc
Released
Nov 2023
Up to
Switch
Screen
7.4 inch OLED
Weight
640 grams

No reviews yet

3 collectors · 2 sessions

Most played

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

No logged games yet.

Most played on Steam Deck OLED

  1. 1
    Romestead

    Romestead

    1 player · 2 sessions

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecMSI Claw 8 EX AI+Steam Deck OLED
Price$1,800$549
OSWindows 11SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc
Screen8.0 inch7.4 inch
Resolution1920 x 12001280 x 800
Refresh rate120 Hz90 Hz
PanelIPS TouchscreenOLED
ChipsetIntel Arc G3 ExtremeAMD Sephiroth
CPUIntel Panther LakeAMD Zen 2
GPUIntel Arc B390AMD RDNA 2
RAM32 GB LPDDR5X16 GB LPDDR5
StorageInternal 1 TB 2280 SSD, External MicroSDInternal 512 GB / 1 TB NVMe SSD, External MicroSD
Battery80 Wh50 Wh
Weight785 grams640 grams
Dimensions296 mm x 130 mm x 25 - 48 mm298 mm x 117 mm x 50 mm
Hall effect sticksYesNo

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemMSI Claw 8 EX AI+Steam Deck OLED
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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED PS1: Sony Playstation: 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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
  • Steam Deck OLED 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 Valve Steam Deck OLED?
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has similar emulation coverage to Valve Steam Deck OLED. Valve Steam Deck OLED is about $1,251 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Valve Steam Deck OLED is roughly 9% smaller and 18% lighter. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a 120 Hz IPS Touchscreen screen, versus 90 Hz OLED on Valve Steam Deck OLED. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ runs Windows 11; Valve Steam Deck OLED runs SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, 3DS; Valve Steam Deck OLED is highlighted for Wii U, 3DS, PS2, Wii.
Which is cheaper, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ or the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
The Valve Steam Deck OLED is the cheaper of the two at around $549, roughly $1,251 less than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ or the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the newer model, released in 2026.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ or the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
The Valve Steam Deck OLED is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 3 collectors tracking it.

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