MSI has officially entered the portable handheld gaming device market by announcing its contender, the new MSI Claw at CES 2024. What is it and how does it compare to household names like the Asus ROG Ally and Valve Steam Deck?
Stick Its Claws Out
The MSI Claw is the company's official entry into the portable handheld gaming device market. After seeing how popular and well-received the ROG Ally and Steam Deck are, MSI wants to have a slice of that pie as well.
Now, what is it exactly? Unlike the ROG Ally (its closest rival) which uses all-AMD internals, the MSI Claw is equipped with Intel's Meteor Lake chip, specifically the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H or the Core Ultra 7 155H, depending on the model. The graphics processing unit is powered by Intel Arc. Since Intel joined the GPU market, it seems that it is slowly gaining traction in this space. Sure, it is not as good as what AMD and NVIDIA are offering, but for the most part, it is no slouch. It remains to be seen how the integrated Intel Arc GPU fares against the ROG Ally's "Phoenix" GPU, powered by AMD's RDNA 3.0 architecture.
Other notable specs include:
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RAM: 16GB LPDDR5-6400
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Screen: 7-inch IPS display, 1080p, 120 Hz Refresh Rate
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Storage: Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, with a MicroSD Slot for additional storage
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Networking: Intel's Killer Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
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Ports: 3.5mm audio jack, Thunderbolt 4
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OS: Windows 11
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Battery: 53 Whr
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Dimensions: 294 x 117 x 21.2 mm/11.57 x 4.6 x 0.83 inches
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Weight: 675 grams
Because it is a portable gaming handheld device, MSI wants to ensure that players can do gaming for longer periods of time while on the go. That is why the company equips the MSI Claw with a 53 Whr battery that is capable of running for at least two hours under full load. This still needs to be tested, of course, but if it is true, then it is a definite competitor against the ROG Ally.
The only problem with the MSI Claw is that it is slightly heavier at 675 grams compared to the ROG Ally's 608 grams.
In terms of ergonomics, the MSI Claw is a bit bulky, especially due to the slight bulge where the fingers rest at the back. However, that is what makes it easier to hold for an extended period of time. When compared to its main rivals, the ergonomics of the MSI Claw sits at the middle; slightly bigger than the ROG Ally but not too bulky like the Steam Deck.
Another standout feature of MSI's portable handheld gaming device is that the main buttons (XABY) are all illuminated by RGB lighting!
Read Also: Steam Deck Competitors Are Still Lurking
Release Date
MSI is offering the "Claw" in two flavors. The base model is priced at $699 and is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 5 chip, 16GB RAM, and 512 GB of SSD storage. On the other hand, the beefier version comes with the Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of Storage for $749. Interested owners can also spend a bit more to get the 1TB SSD variant for $799.
The MSI Claw is expected to launch sometime in February.
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