MSI Claw A8 vs. AYANEO Next 2

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

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Quick verdict

Best value
MSI Claw A8
Better screen
AYANEO Next 2
More portable
MSI Claw A8
Newer model
AYANEO Next 2

Main differences

  • AYANEO Next 2 has similar emulation coverage to MSI Claw A8.
  • MSI Claw A8 is about $1,350 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • MSI Claw A8 is roughly 24% smaller and 46% lighter.
  • AYANEO Next 2 has a 165 Hz OLED Touchscreen screen, versus 120 Hz IPS on MSI Claw A8.
  • AYANEO Next 2 is highlighted for Switch, PS3, PS2, GameCube; MSI Claw A8 is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, GameCube.

MSI

MSI Claw A8

Details
Price
$1,299.00
OS
Windows 11
Released
Aug 2025
Up to
Switch
Screen
8.0 inch IPS
Weight
765 grams

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Usually $1,267.02 · Lowest $1,236.46

No reviews yet

AYANEO

AYANEO Next 2

Details
Price
$2,649.00
OS
Windows 11
Released
Jun 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
9.06 inch OLED Touchscreen
Weight
1426 grams

We’re not tracking prices for this one yet.

No reviews yet

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecMSI Claw A8AYANEO Next 2
Price$1,299.00$2,649.00
Screen8.0 inch9.06 inch
Resolution1920 x 12002400 x 1504
Refresh rate120 Hz165 Hz
PanelIPSOLED Touchscreen
ChipsetAMD Ryzen Z2 ExtremeAMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395
GPUAMD RDNA 3.5AMD Radeon 8060S
RAM24 GB LPDDR5X32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB LPDDR5X
StorageInternal 1 TB M.2 NVMe 4.0 SSD, External MicroSDInternal 1 TB / 2 TB M.2 2280 SSD, Second internal M.2 2230 slot & MicroSD
Battery80 Wh116 Wh
Weight765 grams1426 grams
Dimensions299.5 mm x 126.2 mm x 24.0 mm341.69 mm x 146.24 mm x 26.15 mm
Video outYesNo
Stick typeHall effectTMR

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemMSI Claw A8AYANEO Next 2
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 A8 DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A8 Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • AYANEO Next 2 Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the MSI Claw A8 and the AYANEO Next 2?
AYANEO Next 2 has similar emulation coverage to MSI Claw A8. MSI Claw A8 is about $1,350 cheaper based on catalog pricing. MSI Claw A8 is roughly 24% smaller and 46% lighter. AYANEO Next 2 has a 165 Hz OLED Touchscreen screen, versus 120 Hz IPS on MSI Claw A8. AYANEO Next 2 is highlighted for Switch, PS3, PS2, GameCube; MSI Claw A8 is highlighted for Switch, PS3, Wii U, GameCube.
Which is cheaper, the MSI Claw A8 or the AYANEO Next 2?
The MSI Claw A8 is the cheaper of the two at around $1,299.00, roughly $1,350.00 less than the AYANEO Next 2 based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the MSI Claw A8 or the AYANEO Next 2?
The AYANEO Next 2 is the newer model, released in 2026.

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