The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 brings a gorgeous OLED screen and improved ergonomics, but the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ delivers a massive leap in raw performance and battery life. Is MSI’s sheer power worth the extra $500?
Thanks to RAMageddon, the Windows gaming handheld market has officially entered its ultra-premium era. If you’re looking to upgrade from your Steam Deck to something with real horsepower, the newly launched Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 ($1,299) and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ ($1,799) are likely at the top of your list.
Both devices cost more than some actual gaming laptops, but they target two very different types of gamers. Asus is banking on that stunning 1080p OLED display and refined ergonomics, while MSI is flexing the raw power and extreme battery efficiency of its Intel Arc G3 Extreme architecture and 32GB of RAM.
But with a massive $500 price gap between them, which one actually deserves your money? I’ve stress tested both handhelds while traveling across the globe to find out.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 |
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ |
|---|---|---|
Dimensions |
11.8 x 4.8 x 2 inches |
11.6 x 5.1 x 1.9 inches |
Weight |
1.67 pounds |
1.7 pounds |
CPU |
AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme |
Intel Arc G3 Extreme |
RAM |
24GB LPDDR5x |
32GB LPDDR5x |
Storage |
1TB PCIe Gen 4 |
1TB PCIe Gen 4 |
Display |
7.4-inch FHD, 16:9, 120Hz refresh rate OLED panel |
8-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 48-120Hz variable refresh rate IPS display |
Ports |
1x USB 4 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, 1x microSD card reader slot |
1x Micro SD, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm audio jack |
Wireless connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 |
WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6 |
Price |
$1,299 |
$1,799 |
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Price and value
Let’s address the elephant in the room: neither of these are cheap.
The ROG Xbox Ally X20 has received a $300 markup from the previous Ally X, which Asus attempts to justify with its translucent design, OLED screen, rubberized grips and re-engineered buttons. The internals remain the same.
MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+ pushes the boundary of portable pricing even further — launching at $1,799. For that extra $500, you are getting a bigger 1920x1200-pixel display (only IPS though), that Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip and 32GB of RAM (over 24GB in the X20).
Winner: Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20. While $1,299 is steep, it’s less than $1,799.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Design and display
Asus has taken a massive leap ahead in the visual department. The ROG Xbox Ally X20 is armed with a beautiful 1080p OLED display that’s bright and vivid, and makes games explode off the screen in a flash flood of color.
And this is the most comfortable handheld you can use with its smaller size making it easier to reach buttons, rubberized grips reducing hand fatigue, tactile improvements to the buttons and bumpers, and that rotatable D-Pad for either 4-way control for platformers or 8-way for fighting games. Asus has really thought of everything here.
That’s not to say MSI hasn’t with the Claw 8 EX AI+ — the company was pretty clear in telling me its form factor is inspired by the Xbox controller too. It feels nice in the hand, and that 8-inch 1200p display is bigger. But it’s IPS, lacks HDR, and the bigger size may not be for everyone.
Winner: Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20. The OLED screen and superior physical ergonomics give it the win here.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Gaming performance
This is where the tables flip and MSI really starts to show its teeth. Quite frankly, the Claw 8 EX AI+ absolutely bullies the Ally X20 in demanding titles, both at the full wattage and when dialed back to half the power too.
Game |
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 (AMD Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme 35W) |
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ (Intel Arc G3 Extreme 35W) |
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ (Intel Arc G3 Extreme 17W) |
|---|---|---|---|
Black Myth: Wukong (1080p Cinematic) |
11 FPS |
14 FPS |
10 FPS |
Cyberpunk 2077 (720p High) |
11.87 FPS |
27.01 FPS |
11.27 FPS |
Red Dead Redemption 2 (1080p Medium) |
23 FPS |
63.8 FPS |
48.8 FPS |
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p High) |
31 FPS |
66 FPS |
31 FPS |
Take Red Dead Redemption 2 on Medium settings at 1080p. The X20 manages 22.8 FPS at 35W. The Claw at the same power hits 63.8 FPS. Even when you restrict it to just 17W, it still pumps out 48.8 FPS — more than double the performance at a fraction of the power.
The real differentiator is the raw grunt of that Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip surpassing the AMD Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme, the raised roof of RAM to 32GB (probably causing that jump in price), and the XeSS upscaling capabilities embarrassing AMD’s current version of FSR on handhelds.
For example, Cyberpunk 2077 can run at a respectable 30-40 FPS if you tweak the settings on the Ally X20 and use FSR, but in our lab benchmarking, it chugs at an unplayable 11.8 FPS natively. The Claw, meanwhile, hit 36.2 FPS at 35W, but with XeSS upscaling and multi-frame generation set to 4X, that goes to a staggering 171.5 FPS.
Winner: MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. There’s no better way to say this — MSI just dominates here.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Battery life
Raw power usually drains a battery fast, but Intel clearly didn’t get that memo. MSI has seemingly worked magic with this chip in the Claw 8 EX AI+
Device |
Gaming battery life test result (hh:mm) |
|---|---|
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 (AMD Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme) |
02:47 |
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ (Intel Arc G3 Extreme) |
04:10 |
In our gaming battery rundown test, the ROG Xbox Ally X20 came just shy of three hours, which is fine — one of the stronger numbers when you look at past machines. But the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ blew past it at over four hours.
That’s a difference between your device dying mid-flight and actually finishing your gaming session. And considering the MSI can throttle down to 17W and still out-perform the Asus in many titles, its endurance is unmatched.
Winner: MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. An extra hour and 20 minutes is huge.
Verdict: Which should you buy?
So awkwardly, this is a tie. But that also highlights two very distinct audiences here in deciding who wins.
If you're an immersion junkie: Looking for the best screen and ergonomics, and you mostly play less pressuring AAA titles and indies? The ROG Ally X20 is the better buy. You save $500, get one of the best OLED screens ever put on a handheld, and holding it feels superb.
If you’re a performance purist: Want to play AAA titles smoothly wherever you are? The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ earns its exorbitant price tag. Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme delivers performance that Asus simply cannot touch. Add in a massive 4+ hour gaming battery life, and the MSI Claw proves that sometimes, paying a premium actually buys you a true generational leap in handheld gaming.
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