Battlefield 6 on the MSI Claw 8 AI+: Best Settings, Real-World Performance, and Tips

Battlefield 6 has finally landed, and yes—it's absolutely playable on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and comparable handhelds. In testing on the Claw 8 AI+ with Intel graphics and XeSS enabled, the game delivers impressively smooth performance at 800p with sensible settings, even without frame generation.

Quick takeaway

- Resolution: 800p

- Preset: Medium

- Upscaling: XeSS on Quality

- Frame Generation: Optional (off for the core test)

- Performance: Mostly 40–50 FPS in heavy action, brief dips into the low 30s; often exceeds 60 FPS in lighter scenes

Setup

By default, Battlefield 6 puts the game at a Medium preset with TAA. While it looks great, that default can hit performance harder than necessary on a handheld. The key is to control anti-aliasing via the upscaling option rather than the standalone AA setting.

Recommended steps:

1) Set resolution to 800p and use the Medium preset.

2) In Advanced graphics, choose XeSS as the upscaling technique and set it to Quality. This effectively handles anti-aliasing and sharpening, even if the separate AA toggle appears inconsistent.

3) Leave Frame Generation off if you want native responsiveness and still-solid performance. Turn it on if you want extra smoothness and can accept a minor increase in input latency.

4) Run the device at full power for the best efficiency-to-performance balance at these settings.

Performance in practice

- Multiplayer and general gameplay: The MSI Claw 8 AI+ frequently pushes over 60 FPS in lighter engagements. When the action ramps up—large explosions, dense effects, and intense firefights—frame rates typically sit in the 40–50 FPS range, with brief dips into the low 30s during the heaviest moments.

- Campaign: With the default Medium + TAA setup, visuals are gorgeous but performance takes a stronger hit. Switching to XeSS on Quality smooths things out while preserving image clarity.

- Frame Generation: Off by default in this test and still very playable. Enabling it can further smooth frame pacing and perceived responsiveness, especially during big set pieces, at the cost of a small bump in input latency.

Controls matter

While the game is perfectly playable on a controller, a mouse and keyboard dramatically improve precision and better showcase the performance potential on the Claw. If you’re comfortable docking or plugging in peripherals, it’s worth it for competitive play.

What about other handhelds?

With similar settings—800p, Medium, XeSS Quality, frame generation optional—other modern PC handhelds should see broadly comparable results. Expect minor differences depending on each device’s power profile and thermal headroom; tweak shadows, post-processing, and ambient occlusion first if you need extra headroom.

Bottom line

Battlefield 6 runs far better than you might expect on the MSI Claw 8 AI+. At 800p Medium with XeSS Quality, you can enjoy fluid gameplay that usually stays above 40–50 FPS in demanding moments and often exceeds 60 FPS elsewhere—no frame generation required. Turn on frame gen if you want even smoother output, and consider a mouse-and-keyboard setup to get the most out of the experience.

If you’re on the fence, these settings make it easy to jump in now; you can always fine-tune for your preferred balance of visuals and responsiveness as you play.