MSI has unveiled the Claw: a Windows handheld with an Intel chip
MSI llast week uploaded a short teaser on Instagram showing a PC handheld. The suspense didn’t last long: the handheld was leaked less than 24 hours later
Today, the company officially unveiled the new Steam Deck challenger at CES 2024: the MSI Claw.
This is the most important information
The MSI Claw is a PC handheld with Windows and thus competes directly with the Asus Rog Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go. Unlike these two, the Claw is equipped with an Intel chip.
Performance: The integrated Intel Arc graphics with 8 Xe cores should be able to shine in AAA games at 1080P resolution and medium settings. Initial benchmarks show that the processor has roughly the same performance as the Ryzen 7 7840U, which is almost identical to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme found in the Legion Go and Rog Ally.
The colleagues from (Notebookcheck) have awarded the two chips the same score of 41.9 points.
The technical data of the processor:
- Name: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
- Clock: 3.8 to 4.8 GHz
- Core count: 16 / 22
- Threads: 6 x 4.8 GHz P cores, 8 x 3.8 GHz E cores, 2 x 2.5 GHz E cores
- TDP: 28 watts
- Manufacturing technology: 7 nm
- GPU: Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU with XeSS technology
In addition, there is 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM and an NVMe M.2 2230 SSD with a maximum of 1 terabyte. The memory can also be expanded via a microSD card slot.
Case and design: From the front, the MSI Claw looks like a black version of the Asus ROG Ally. In contrast to the latter, however, it has deeper handles. On the front are the buttons, which are arranged in the Xbox layout
The joysticks and the ABXY buttons have RGB lighting. The former use reverb effect technology to prevent drifting. There are two freely assignable buttons on the back. A vibration motor is also on board – what is missing is a touchpad.
At 675 grams, the MSI Claw is slightly heavier than the Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED, but lighter than the Legion Go:
- Lenovo Legion Go: 854 grams (with controller)
- MSI Claw: 675 grams
- Steam Deck OLED: 640 grams
- Asus ROG Ally: 608 grams
Battery: MSI relies on a particularly large 53 Wh battery. This puts them ahead of Steam Deck OLED, Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go:
- MSI Claw: 53 Wh
- Steam Deck OLED: 50 Wh
- Lenovo Legion Go: 49.2 Wh
- Asus ROG Ally: 40 Wh
MSI states that 2 hours at full load should be possible with the handheld. An employee told (The Verge) that the Claw lasted two hours in Forza 5, while the ROG Ally only lasted one.
The TDP can be set to a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 40 watts. There should also be an AI-supported power profile that can dynamically adjust the TDP and screen brightness. The NPU of the Intel Core 7 155H is used for this. Tests will have to show how good the battery life really is. Once the battery is empty, it can be recharged with the supplied 65 watt USB-C power supply unit.
Screen: The touch screen measures 7 inches diagonally, has a full HD resolution and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. YouTuber Dave2D was able to compare the Claw’s screen with that of the ROG Ally in an initial hands-on and he assumes that they both have the same screen.
Cooling: The Claw has two coolers with two heatpipes on the back. MSI calls the cooling system “HyperFlow”. The airflow in the case is designed to ensure that all system components are cooled reliably. The Claw has particularly generous fan openings for this purpose
Other features: The Claw supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Stereo speakers and a headset connection are available. External graphics cards can be connected thanks to Thunderbolt 4. Windows 11 Home is pre-installed as the operating system, with MSI Center M as the game launcher.
Price and availability: The MSI Claw will be released in the first half of 2024 and cost 699 US dollars. Here in Europe, the price will probably be 799 euros
This is what the expert says: As a handheld fan, the announcement of the MSI Claw is not only good news for me – regardless of how good it actually turns out to be – but also confirmation that handheld gaming is back in fashion and is here to stay.
With MSI, Lenovo and Asus, three major hardware manufacturers are now offering an alternative to the Steam Deck – and each of them brings something different to the table:
Steam Deck OLED: Easy to use, affordable price, OLED screen.
Lenovo Legion Go: Detachable controllers, 144 Hz, 9-inch display.
Asus ROG Ally: Low weight and quiet operation.
MSI Claw: Large battery and AI functions thanks to NPU.
I’m curious to see how good the battery life of the MSI Claw will really be. This is simply a problem that these portable PC handhelds currently have. Two hours at full load doesn’t sound particularly impressive at first, but you have to consider that the competition can’t manage much more – with AAA games.
The lower TDP limit of 15 watts is a bit of a shame. The competition offers particularly economical title modes with less than 10 watts. On the other hand, the Claw can boost up to 40 watts! This is a good sign for the built-in cooling system.
Fun-Fact: I find it almost ironic that MSI has chosen the name “Claw”. Back in the PSP days, that was my primary method of playing Monster Hunter Unite. Because the PSP only had one analog stick, you had to use the directional pad for the camera with your left index finger. This grip was called the “claw”. Fortunately, with the MSI Claw, this grip will not be necessary.
What do you think of the MSI Claw? Will you be getting the handheld? Which features particularly appeal to you and which do you miss? What do you think of the fact that an Intel chip has been installed? Or do you ultimately not care as long as the performance is good and your games run smoothly? Let us know what you think about this new PC handheld in the comments!
