MSI Claw handheld console available for pre-order

Are Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and now MSI Claw handheld consoles or simply computers in a more compact form? Of course, they are mostly used for playing games, but at the same time, you can do almost everything on them that you can on a regular computer. MSI Claw is the latest in a series of such devices. At first glance, there is nothing different about it, the differences are more trivial.

For US$699, the MSI Claw is available for pre-order. We could not find it in Slovenia, but it is available from European sellers for €829 (with the Ultra 5 135H chip) and €950 (with the Ultra 7 155H chip). The first shipments will be sent on March 15. The first tests are not on the side of MSI and Intel. For nearly twice the price, the MSI Claw has the same performance as the ROG Ally and Steam Deck. The screen is “only” IPS and not OLED like the Steam Deck, which is another point in favor of the competition.

It has the largest battery (53 Wh), which does not mean that the autonomy will also be the longest in this segment. The screen is 1080p, which is enough for a diagonal of 7 inches, and it will refresh at 120 Hz. Since it is an Intel chip, it will also rely on the Intel Arc graphics core, which is a relatively new architecture and might cause more problems for users at first. There is also mention of an NPU chip for AI functions, although we don't see scenarios where this would often come into play for this type of device.

MSI also promises excellent cooling, which could tip the scales in their favor. 512 GB is plenty of space to start with, although you'll fill it up very quickly, especially if you install games like Baldur's Gate 3, Call of Duty, and the like. There is a 1 TB version available for a few hundred more.