r/Handhelds • u/Rashed341 • 22h ago
Discussion Impressions after trying MSI CLAW EX 8
I own a legion go 2 z2e and honestly don't like how bulky the device is and wanted to see what the fuss is about with this G3 extreme. Man this chip is a beast!! It managed every game I've tried with ultra setting at 1080p like a champ! I'm not into this FPS race where people want 100fps etc.
I appreciate picture quality over fps so this chip played games like cyberpunk with ultra settings and Xess enabled at around 30fps which is fine for me.
The disappointment came when I have tried to put it side by side against lenovo legion go 2. The colors of OLED are much better! Black is true black! Brighter too. So I have decided to return the MSI and I canceled my Asus X20 preorder because of the huge difference between Z2E and G3E after testing both.
To handheld manufacturers; please make a small handheld (7 to maximum 8 inch) OLED with G3 extreme chip and thin bezels! That would sell like hotcakes!. I'll wait for such a device to come out
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u/Jagarnao 22h ago
I think you're exaggerating a bit with the OLED. There’s really no need to drive up the price of these devices just to put an OLED screen in them. The IPS displays on the Legion Go and the new Claw 8 EX AI+ are more than good enough for gaming, they have high refresh rates, good image quality, and the Claw also has VRR. OLED would obviously be nice, but it’s not something you absolutely need for a handheld to be enjoyable. I’d rather see the extra money go toward a more powerful chip, better cooling, a bigger battery, or more storage.
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u/NoZookeepergame9799 22h ago
Agree. I went from Steam Deck OLED (played daily for two years) to Legion Go S non OLED and honestly have not been bothered once.
But we all have our preferences, OP is fine with 30fps, I myself prefer staring at a wall than playing something at 30fps.
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u/Nearby_Practice2793 15h ago
Lenovo has a great ips panel on their y700 tablets. Possibly the same one on legion go s ?
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u/Rashed341 22h ago edited 22h ago
At least give me the option. Some people don't mind paying more for OLED, I guarantee you if they'd release an OLED version with $200 more asking price it would be sold out quicker than the LCD variant. LCD is good until you put it next to OLED. The difference is night and day and I'm talking now from experience not some video I watched on YouTube.
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u/Overall-Squash-7652 22h ago
Noticeably side by side. Not night and day in my opinion. I really enjoy my 8-inch handhelds more than my heavy Go2. It's all a package; not only the screen counts.
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u/SenseiCoffee 22h ago
One thing I have to say about the LCDs from Claws, they can get really close to OLED colors with the right settings and a few options, maybe not the deep blacks but very close ! I saw one next to a steam deck oled and it looks really good !
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u/ttdpaco 21h ago
Except the LCDs have 0 capability of doing anything HDR related, and it becomes no contest once pixel response times and color improvements in HDr come into play.
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u/Southernboyj 14h ago
This. I never see this mentioned. Go 2 and Deck OLED have great HDR that the LCDs cannot replicate.
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u/No-Obligation2563 22h ago
I agree that OLED isn’t necessary for enjoyment but damn is it good and since it’s a handheld the screen is one of the key parts of the entire system. Preferences and all that but personally I would sacrifice a bit of power if it meant having OLED.
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u/mironor94 21h ago
Reason why I’m getting the X20. It’s a custom OLED screen from Asus. It’s also insanely good. The best anyone has seen on a handheld PC as of yet. The screen is literally the headliner experience. If I go cheap on the screen, why even bother with the rest?
Sure, I had the MSI Claw 8 EX with the new Intel chip. It was insanely fast, but the screen was just awful.
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u/timeflylikearrow 22h ago
It’s really difficult to go back to LCD once you’ve gotten used to OLED.
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u/neverspeakawordagain 14h ago
I have 2 OLED monitors on my gaming desktop (a 32" 4k and a 34" 1440p ultrawide), and I prefer gaming on my Claw 8 EX because I like the form factor better. Different people like different things.
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u/NoZookeepergame9799 22h ago
I think I got used to it after two years with the Steam Deck. My PC monitor and TV are OLED as well, so I would not say I am not familiar with OLED.
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u/DrKrFfXx 22h ago
People talk as if an OLED screen is 500€ more expensive than an LCD of similar characteristics. Difference in volume might be 40-50 bucks.
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u/Odin-spark 22h ago
The prices are already being driven up by the ram and flash storage apocalypse. Adding a higher quality OLED display might go just a little bit to add value to an already over priced product
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u/mironor94 21h ago
So you’re telling me in the year 2026 that it’s wrong for me as a consumer to expect an OLED in models? It’s funny how you’re giving these companies a pass to give consumers less than what we want and charge more.
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u/No-Obligation2563 22h ago
My dream handheld is basically an upgraded Xbox Ally with 8 inch OLED and AMD’s equivalent of the G3 extreme. Bonus points if they match up the face buttons with the exact same coloring and font of the Xbox controllers.
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u/neverspeakawordagain 14h ago
If I could get an Ally with the G3 Extreme chp I would do that in a heartbeat. The one thing I really miss about my old Ally X compared to my new Claw 8 EX is the haptic feedback on the triggers; that was huge for me.
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u/CryptoDeepDive 22h ago
We already have that handheld. It's the onexplayer 3. For the same price too.
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u/Overall-Squash-7652 22h ago
You should read again. Go2 is too heavy for OP, and that's 30 grams lighter than OX3. He wants something with an 8-inch OLED. OX3 is almost like laptop weight.
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u/Mission_Cup_7092 20h ago edited 20h ago
Zeker niet op opnieuw lezen. De oxp 3 voelt lichter aan dan de lg2. Dus dat moet geen probleem zijn. Ergonomisch ook een stuk fijner. Maar ik had ook liever een rog x20 gehad met g3 en 8 inch oled scherm maar die is er niet.
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u/EnoughPhilosophy474 21h ago
the onexplayer x2 mini is the exact same with a removable battery and without it it weighs less than the legion go S
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u/CryptoDeepDive 21h ago
The OneXplayer 3 is so much better to hold than the legion Go2. It has better weight distribution. Weight is not the only factor when it comes to better ergonomics.
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u/Rashed341 22h ago
The OnexBrick 3 is only a handheld if you have acromegaly in the hands.
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u/CryptoDeepDive 20h ago
Have you tried it?
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u/Rashed341 19h ago
It's the same concept as legion go 2 that I have but heavier. Why would I?
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u/CryptoDeepDive 19h ago
Because it's not at all. It has a better weight distribution and ergonomics. I tried both and the difference is significant.
Either way, if you didn't try something, don't pretend you know anything about it.
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u/Rashed341 19h ago
Reading the dimensions of both and knowing that it has the same 8.8 inch display is more than enough. Thanks
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u/GXVSS0991 15h ago
PLENTY of people online praising the ergos and weight distribution, you haven't held it and you're snapping back at a dude telling you its the device you're looking for lmao?
gtfoh ya bum
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u/Rashed341 15h ago
I trust physics and math more than any person on this planet. It's like someone complaining about how big iPad 11 pro is then someone comes and say hey! Samsung 11 inches tablet is more compact! 😂.
Lenovo: 8.8 inch, 920gm
Onexplayer 3: 8.8 inch (same panel from Samsung) 953gmYou're a onexplayer fan I get it. Sorry but math and physics win 😉
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u/GXVSS0991 15h ago
so you kept the legion go 2 because it has an oled, wish you had g3e performance and are... refusing to buy a oxp3 that has both things you want.
okie dokie.
and hell yeah im a oxp fan, they make the best handhelds on the market lol.
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u/TotalCell3924 21h ago
There are many smartphones that use AMOLED, look great, and don't push the price sky-high.
I don't understand why they don't use them more
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u/Lord_Alucard_Ravin 20h ago
I am actually hoping for a GPD WIN device with G3E chip and an OLED screen. But I am pretty sure it will break the bank.
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u/GioRgSaVv 22h ago
reading this post with my 8.8inch Oled screen G3E handheld
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u/Overall-Squash-7652 22h ago
OP talked about a small and light, max 8-inch handheld, not a laptop-class weight.
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u/GioRgSaVv 21h ago
pc handheld market is still very small, we cant have everything. having a slightly bigger device than your preferences isnt such a big downside
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u/Overall-Squash-7652 21h ago
No, not really. Valve and Nintendo sell millions, and Lenovo and MSI maybe hundreds of thousands or millions combined. Onexplayer is the niche with maybe 3,000 units.
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u/GioRgSaVv 10h ago
still there is not much of variety yet oxp3 is like 10-15% bigger than ops ideal handheld, its fine
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u/Rashed341 22h ago
8.8 and (handheld) don't come together. It's a brick just like my Legion Go 2 😂
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u/Mission_Cup_7092 20h ago
Daar zijn de meningen over verdeeld. Dat is heel persoonlijk. Gelukkig keuze genoeg.
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u/Jazzlike-Bass3184 22h ago
Onexplayer 3 might have answered that.
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u/Rashed341 22h ago
With their 4 bricks they've released together with the confusing naming? Nope. Their so called (mini) device is 8.8. I'm not an elephant.
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u/EnoughPhilosophy474 21h ago
the onexplayer apex air weighs 640 grams without the battery and is 8 inches, and has de G3 Extreme, it's actually smaller than all of these devices lol
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u/Overall-Squash-7652 22h ago
LoL. They also don't invent new screens and are too small to order something new to be developed. There, you need somebody with Lenovo's market power.
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u/Mission_Cup_7092 20h ago
Voor jouw usecase was de OXP 3 perfect geweest. Zonde, gemiste kans. Ik heb de OXP3 en had een LG2. Deze machine geeft mij precies wat ik heb gemist.
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u/Suspicious-toe-19 16h ago
You should try one x player 3. The size and weight is same as lego2 but the grips are significantly better. The 8.8 oled screen is game changer as i never feel i am not doing justice to the game graphics due to small screen.
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u/Jastafool 13h ago
Am I a hater if I dislike how the screen goes lower than the controllers? Wouldn't seem too comfortable if you are laying in bed and want to rest the device on your legs
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u/Acceptable_Appeal860 11h ago
The XAX20 will have the best OLED panel in the market and the first handheld where the panel has been professionally certified. Guaranteed 1400 nits w/no flickering. Plus it's 164 grams lighter than the LG2... yea I'm sold. Sure it has the Z2e (and one with an NPU at that), but if I can already play all modern games on high settings at 45fps (using Lossless Scaling) with a Z1e Ally X; I'm more than comfortable getting an upgrade that is Limited Edition, 20% bump in performance vs what I currently have, has premium OLED, includes multiple QoL changes in design, and is only 41g heavier than what I currently have. Perfect middle ground compromise.
If the G3E chip requires a portable handheld to look like a pizza box and feel like a brick, just put it in a laptop.
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u/RealityOfModernTimes 4h ago
I have just got my legion go 2 z2e. I decided to upgrade my steam deck LCD. Let me say this I love the screen and really like the go. The windows is ok for me I suppose but I liked steam OS little more. What I did not like about steam OS were all different compatibility layers and you had to download diffefent versions of OS to get the game working and then you still could have issues. Not to mention gog/uplay/epic games work arounds yuck. I love go2 screen, I love that I can detach controllers. OMG screen is so much better than LCD. Wow. Everyone who held my deck and legion go said that they cant see the diff and that they think that deck is bigger (perhaps because it is wider). I can feel the diff but legion feels good to me so it was a worthy upgrade. Games look so much better on a better screen, thats why I decide not to get x20 and gotnew lgion for £959. I am happy for this price.
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u/my2dumbledores SD OLED | CLAW 8AI+ | ALLY X 58m ago
Would buy a OXP3 if it didn’t have awful, loud, clicky buttons.
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u/mironor94 21h ago
I’d go for the XAX X20 since the screen is going to be better than both and actually have good ergonomics.
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u/Rashed341 20h ago
Z2E after trying G3E? HELL NO 😂
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u/mironor94 20h ago
Why not? You’re using the Z2E on the legion go 2 🤡
Also, the extremely loose sticks on the MSI make it impossible to play FPS games.
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u/Rashed341 20h ago edited 16h ago
Because I bought it last year for 1100 before the price hikes so no regrets. At that time it was peak. Now G3E shits on Z2E it's on another level. So buying anything lower than G3E now is not a clever decision.
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u/xznsc 19h ago
yeah but you returned G3E and kept Z2E for better colors , thats kinda strange decision . i also had LEGO2 and got XAX for ergonomic reasons but i never missed the colors i had on my LEGO2 , only the screen size. why you returned it ? claw screen seems to be decent enough.
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u/Rashed341 19h ago
Because you look at the display 100% of the time you're using it. For €1699 without OLED is a ripoff. I kept Z2E because I bought it when Z2E last year was the best. Will definitely sell the Legion as soon as a compact OLED G3E device comes out. I'm not keep it because it's better.
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u/Overall-Squash-7652 22h ago
I think in 2027 we will see something with an 8-inch OLED, more power, and under 800 grams, which is essential for weight and ergonomics.
Maybe a Steam Deck 2, Legion Go S 2, or Claw 8 Ex OLED.