Key Features
Introduction
The MSI Claw is the latest equipment to conjoin the emerging trend of handheld gaming PCs , rent a exchangeable soma to theSteam Deckbut with an Intel Core Ultra chip powering gambling .
It ’s the very first hand-held gaming gadget to make use of the new Intel processors , so there ’s a circle of unrequited head regarding this portable ’s play carrying into action and power efficiency .
While I was n’t able-bodied to head for the hills any thoroughgoing tests , I have at least been able to hands - on with the new MSI Claw during theCES 2024trade show . After playing short sessions of Hades andAssassin ’s Creed Mirageon the portable , here are my first impression .
Price and availability
The MSI Claw is priced at $ 699 , which means it costs the same as theLenovo Legion Goand top shape of theAsus ROG Ally , and just $ 50 more expensive than the Steam Deck OLED .
In term of release date , reports indicate it could become useable as shortly as February 2024 , although there ’s no prescribed confirmation on that .
Design
My first impression of the MSI Claw was that it looks very exchangeable to the Asus ROG Ally . It skylark a 7 - inch Full HD screen , with glow - up ring around the parallel sticks and the Xbox - style clitoris layout . It would have been nice if MSI add a slight bit of personality to differentiate itself from be handhelds , but it ’s hardly a big issue .
The styling is a lot more impressive over on the rear , with the iconic MSI logo slap in the centre , and numerous horizontal cut not only tot up style , but also ensuring maximum airflow for the fans .
I appreciate the stylish font on the top triggers and rear paddles , with such details aid to make up for the rather bland design up front .
The MSI Claw is made up of a plastic material . exchangeable to the ROG Ally , I ca n’t help oneself but guess it feels a little tacky , but it ’s arguably the best option to ascertain it ’s as light as possible . The Claw stumble the scale at 675 yard , making it even heftier than the 608 g ROG Ally .
However , I was surprised to see such a conflict in these public figure , as in praxis , the MSI Claw does n’t feel heavy at all . The weight is equally distributed , create it comfortable to hold , at least during my short hands - on session .
As well as the double analog joystick and 4 Xbox - style buttons , you get two bumpers and two triggers , the latter of which hall effect applied science to lengthen their reliability and lifespan . You ’ll also determine two paddles on the rear which support Macro functionality , which can really come in ready to hand .
The MSI Claw usesUSB - Cfor power delivery and production to an international display , like any other handheld personal computer . A snazzy docking station is available for those glad to spend extra on the accessary . The big businessman button also has an embed fingerprint sensor , allowing you to make utilisation ofWindows Hellofor speedy signboard - ins .
It looks like MSI is using the precise same screen as the ROG Ally . It ’s a 7 - inch Full HD panel , with a 16:9 aspect ratio , 120Hzrefresh rateand 500 - nit peak luminousness . Those are impressive specs for a portable , although it ’s a shame there ’s no OLED engineering science here like with the Steam Deck OLED , which sees higher-ranking contrast and deeper inky blacks .
There are two verbalizer in the MSI Claw , although I sadly was n’t capable to give them a listen due to the loud showfloor . Thanks to Bluetooth and a 3.5 mm jackstones , it ’s easy enough to adorn a duad of headphones too .
Specs and Performance
The MSI Claw is the very first gaming handheld to be power by anIntel Core Ultraprocessor . This chip was built for laptop , so I ’m singular to see how it performs here .
It uses integrate Intel Arc computer graphic , so do n’t go expecting a high - end gaming execution . Although it run Assassin ’s Creed Mirage perfectly well during my hand - on session , with no obvious slowdowns or inning pace drops .
MSI has confirm that the Claw will be making utilise ofIntel XeSS , which uses Army Intelligence - power upscaling engineering to boost the framerate of supported games . As a result , MSI claim the portable is able to run call for games such as Control , Resident Evil Village and Grand Theft Auto 5 .
It ’s difficult to know how the performance compares to the ilk of the Steam Deck , ROG Ally and Legion Go without conduct some benchmark mental test , so you ’ll have to look for my full - length inspection .
The MSI Claw also features 16 GB of LPDDR5 computer storage and 1 TB of storage . A microSD menu expansion slot also enable you to expand the computer storage .
While I ’m sure the Intel Core Ultra chip shot will be fine in condition of public presentation power , I ’m not sure what kind of power efficiency it ’s capable of just yet . The likes of the Asus ROG Ally have performed poorly in this esteem , so hopefully the Claw can meliorate it . The 53Whr capability bombardment should serve , which is larger than the ROG Ally ( 40Whr ) and Steam Deck OLED ( 50Whr ) .
The MSI Claw run on Windows 11 , which mean you have prosperous entree to all of your favourite microcomputer store and apps ( Steam , Epic Games Store , Game Pass , GeForce Nowetc ) . The MSI App Player even grants you access to the Google Play Store , providing approach to all of the plot available on Android smartphones .
However , since Windows 11 was designed for a PC , it ’s not the most intuitive of operating system for this form factor , with simple tasks such as entering word likely test frustrating .
My brief hands - on session did go out me impressed by the MSI Center M software package . The Quick preferences function makes it sluttish to pluck preferences on the fly ball , while you may also register instal games so you may boot them up without having to jump into the Windows desktop .
