MSI Claw: release, price and performance

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With the MSI Claw, a handheld was introduced that could compete with the Steam Deck. MeinMMO presents you with all the known information about the new gaming handheld.

What is the MSI Claw? The MSI Claw was officially presented at CES 2024. After ASUS and Lenovo, this is the third major hardware manufacturer to introduce a handheld, if you exclude smaller developers such as OneXPlayer or Aya Neo. You can also find the best gaming handhelds that you can currently buy on MeinMMO.

MeinMMO presents you with all the important information about the new gaming handheld and explains what you should know.

MSI Claw: Release

When will the MSI Claw be released? An official release date is not yet known. The handheld should be available in stores in 2024. The Spanish retailer PCcomponentes has already listed the handheld and gives April 1, 2024 as the release date. However, MSI has not confirmed the date.

MSI Claw: price and pre-order

How much does the MSI Claw cost? There are three different models for the MSI Claw: Similar to the Steam Deck, how much you have to pay in the end depends on the features:

  • In Germany you can order the cheapest version for 849.00 euros.
  • You can buy the most expensive version for 949.99 euros.
  • There is currently no third option available from German dealers.

    • Can you pre-order the MSI Claw? Yes, you can already pre-order the device in several shops:

  • Either directly in the MSI Shop from MSI, where the model is currently available for 849.00 euros.
  • Or alternatively at Notebooksbilliger. The 949.00 model is available here.

    • MSI Claw: The specs at a glance

    What hardware is in the MSI Claw? MSI has introduced three different models of the MSI Claw. The second and third variants only differ slightly from each other:

  • The starting model for 849 euros comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5-135H with 512 GB SSD. There is also 16 GB of RAM and a full HD display with VRR support.
  • The middle model comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7-155H and 512 GB SSD. There is also 16 GB of RAM and a Full HD display with VRR support. However, the model does not currently exist in Germany.
  • The third model for 949.99 euros offers the same specifications as the middle model, but has a 1 TB SSD installed instead of 512 GB.

    • MSI Claw: Performance

    How fast is the MSI Claw? The first YouTubers and experts were already able to take a look at the new gaming handheld at CES 2024. The performance is surprisingly good, which is mainly due to the upscaling technology “XeSS”. This means that the games on the handheld run very smoothly.

    However, some YouTubers, such as Linus Tech Tips, criticize that the battery life is not really good. This would then have to be shown in a long-term test. Linus has already been able to disassemble the MSI Claw. We have embedded his video here for you:

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    MSI Claw compared with ROG Ally and Steam Deck

    MSI Claw vs Rog Ally: The first testers report that the MSI Claw feels lighter and more ergonomic than the ASUS model. That’s not surprising, because the ROG Ally “only” weighs 608 grams, while the MSI Claw officially weighs 675 grams.

    In particular, MSI’s own software feels significantly better than the “Armory Crate” from ASUS. The MSI Claw is also more playful than the ROG Ally. The size and type of display are identical on both devices.

    MSI Claw vs Steam Deck: The Steam Deck is slightly lighter than the MSI Claw (640 vs 675 grams). The main difference is that the MSI Claw uses Intel, while the Steam Deck uses an APU from AMD.

    You can read our test of the Lenovo Legion Go in the following article on MeinMMO:

    more on the subject

    I tested perhaps the best gaming handheld – Is the Lenovo Legion Go really better than the Steam Deck?

    by Benedikt Schlotmann

    MSI Claw vs Rog Ally, Steam Deck and Legion Go

    MSI ClawLenovo Legion GoSteam DeckASUS ROG AllyprocessorIntel Core Ultra 5 135H or Intel Core Ultra 7 155HAMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme6 nm AMD APUAMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme or Ryzen Z1GPUIntel Arc GraphicsAMD Radeon, 2.5 GHz, 780M (30 watts)RDNA 2, 1.6 GHz (4-15 watts)AMD RDNA 3, 2.5 GHz, (9-30 watts)random access memory16GB16GB16GB16GBdisplay7 inch, IPS8.8 inch, IPS7.4 inch, LCD or OLED7 inch, IPSStorage space512GB or 1TB64GB or 1TB256GB – 1TB512GBWeight675 grams854 grams640 grams604 gramsPriceFrom 849 euros (512 GB)From 799 euros (512 GB)From 369 euros (64 GB)From 599 euros

    Other alternatives to the Steam Deck: MeinMMO has listed the best alternatives to the Steam Deck for you in the following article. This might be particularly interesting for those of you who either didn’t want to pre-order the Steam Deck or are looking for an alternative, powerful gaming console:

    Steam Deck: These are the 8 most exciting alternatives in 2024

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