Key Takeaways
- MSI Claw is a new handheld gaming PC competing in the market, with three variants ranging from $699 to $799.
- The high-end model features Intel’s latest Meteor Lake CPUs and impressive specs, including a 7-inch FHD display and up to 16GB RAM.
- MSI Claw boasts a larger battery and claims to have up to 50% more battery life than its competitors, making it a strong contender in the handheld PC gaming scene.
The handheld PC gaming scene is heating up quickly. The Steam Deck got things started in 2022. Since then, we’ve seen the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and the Logitech G Cloud. MSI is throwing its hat into the ring with the MSI Claw, which the company announced at CES 2024.
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MSI Claw: Price and release date window
MSI has three variants of the Claw that range from $699 to $799 and should launch sometime in the first half of 2024, according to the company. The official spec sheet only lists the specs for the top-end $799 model. MSI will likely share details on the other configurations closer to launch.
MSI
MSI Claw: Specs and features
The MSI Claw is the first handheld gaming PC to feature Intel’s Meteor Lake CPUs, with the high-end model set to include an Intel Core Ultra 7. Here is the full spec sheet:
- CPU – Up to an Intel Core Ultra 7
- OS – Windows 11 Home
- Display – 7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz IPS touch screen
- Graphics – Intel Arc Graphics
- Memory – Up to 16GB of LPDDR5-6400 RAM
- Storage – Up to 1TB
- Connectivity – Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
- Audio – Two 2W speakers and a 3.5mm combo jack
- Battery – 53Whr
- Dimensions – 294 x 117 x 21.2mm
- Weight – 675 grams
Some other goodies included in the mix are a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a microSD card reader, and two macro buttons behind the grips. The front of the display also features an MSI Center M button for quick access to customizations.
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MSI
MSI Claw: Design and hardware
The MSI Claw looks similar to other PC handhelds. You have the typical two-joystick layout with ABXY buttons on the right and a d-pad on the left. All the ports, along with the volume rocker and power button, are along the top spine, while the bottom is mostly empty. The left and right joysticks have RGB lighting that you can almost certainly customize via MSI Center.
The back and part of the top of the device is basically one big vent that helps the Claw stay cool. MSI’s cooling system, which the company calls Hyperflow, brings air in, redirects part of it to the internal components, and then uses the rest to cool the CPU and GPU before venting the hot air out of the top. The back venting has red accents, which look cool.
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MSI
MSI Claw: Battery life and performance
We won’t know pure performance numbers until benchmarks come out. However, we know that Meteor Lake compares favorably against the prior generation, so performance should be pretty good. The bigger question is Intel’s integrated Arc graphics. Even if the Arc platform is better than it was in the past, some gamers may scoff at the lack of higher-end graphics.
With that said, the Claw should still play games pretty well, even if they’re not at the highest possible settings. Indeed, the Core Ultra 7 is no joke and CPU-bound games should be handled adequately by Intel’s latest offerings. Again, benchmarks will tell the full story.
In terms of battery life, MSI boasts that the Claw will get up to 50% more battery life than competing handhelds. For starters, it includes an industry-leading 53Whr battery. Additionally, Meteor Lake CPUs come in a big.LITTLE configuration, so the CPU’s efficiency cores will help draw out as much battery life as possible. It should do pretty well with battery life, but further testing will be needed.
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Should you try MSI Claw when it releases?
MSI has positioned itself rather well within the echelon of handheld gaming PCs. It has a larger battery than all of its major competitors, along with the most recent CPU from Intel. That’s good news because it’s also more expensive than all of its competitors. Thus, if MSI has a winner here, it’ll have to do better than everybody else. It certainly seems primed to do just that.
MSI Claw
MSI Claw is a handheld gaming device powered by Intel Core Ultra processors that promies a smooth and immersive gameplay experience even on AAA titles.
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