The gaming-handheld scene is alive and well, judging by the big-name manufacturers that are joining the fray.
The latest to enter the market is Taiwanese PC company MSI, which just launched the MSI Claw at the 2024 CES (formerly Consumer Electronics Show) event in Las Vegas, Nevada. With a starting price of $699 (roughly P39,163 in Philippine pesos) when it hits the market in the first half of 2024, the device sets itself up for a fight between Valve’s more affordable Steam Deck OLED and the similarly priced ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go.
MSI’s PC DNA is present here; the MSI Claw debuts as the world’s first gaming handheld equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors. The Core Ultra is supposed to deliver exceptional performance courtesy of its new silicon design, AI capabilities, and a groundbreaking Intel ARC GPU that boasts up to eight Xe cores and can offer smooth gameplay at 1080p resolution and medium settings, thanks to Intel’s XeSS super-sampling technology. But take note that it’s still an unproven chip.
MSI Claw – The most all-around gaming handheld with the best user experience.https://t.co/IkGv71u7yp pic.twitter.com/iBR0QDe0Gt
— MSI Gaming (@msigaming) January 8, 2024
MSI Claw introduction video
The MSI Claw is designed quite like the ROG Ally. The two units come with a 7-inch touchscreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Their controllers are similar to the Xbox’s, too, with the joysticks placed diagonally (the right one under the A, B, X, and Y buttons). Except that the newly announced handheld gaming PC has larger, more comfortable grips and a bigger, 53Wh battery compared with the ASUS’ device’s 40Wh, allowing it to give you a claimed two-hour battery life under full workload.
MSI’s Claw and the Legion Go are alike as well, in that the former uses Hall joysticks, which are more durable and not prone to the joystick-drift issue that plagues modern mainstream controllers.
MSI Claw specs
- 7-inch IPS touch display, FHD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, sRGB, 500 nits brightness
- ABXY face buttons, Hall shoulder triggers, Hall LR joysticks, D-pad
- Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 1) processor
- 28W TDP
- Intel Arc octa-core GPU (2.25GHz)
- 16GB LPDDR5-6400 RAM
- Up to 1TB SSD storage
- Mic/headphone combo jack
- microSD card slot
- Fingerprint reader
- 2W stereo speakers
- 6-cell 53Wh battery
- 65-watt PD charging
- Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Share this Post
Learn About This Author
