MSI has officially launched its handheld gaming console MSI Claw. It is now available from the MSI website starting at $699. The device was initially announced at CES 2024 in January. MSI Claw is the first handheld gaming console that comes with Intel’s Core Ultra processors and runs Windows.
MSI Claw features a 7-inch full-HD IPS touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display panel boasts 500 nits of peak brightness. It packs an Intel Core Ultra 7-155H processor and has an Intel Arc graphics chip with eight Xe-cores. The device has 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD storage. It also has a microSD card slot that can be used to expand storage. For effective heat management, the handheld boasts a Cooler Boost HyperFlow technology.
The device has RGB ABXY buttons and thumbsticks, a D-pad, triggers, and bumpers. It also features HD haptics and a fingerprint scanner. For connectivity, the console includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, a Thunderbolt 4-enabled USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm combo jack. It also has dual speakers.
MSI Claw packs a 6-cell, 53WHr battery and supports 65W USB PD 3.0 charging support.
We have already seen the early gaming benchmark results of the device. It couldn’t beat the Ryzen Z1 Extreme that we get in the Asus ROG Ally. However, the benchmarking was done on a pre-release version of the device. The company could have improved it before making it available to the general public.
Here are the pricing details of all models:
- $699: Core Ultra 5 / 512GB SSD
- $749: Core Ultra 7 / 512GB SSD
- $799: Core Ultra 7 / 1TB SSD
MSI Claw will compete against Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and the Lenovo Legion Go.
Unfortunately, there is no information regarding the availability of this device in India. We know that India is not a good market for handheld gaming consoles. So, we shouldn’t expect the release of this device in the country. It is worth noting that ROG Ally is available in India at Rs. 69,990.
