That MSI was developing its own portable video game console was no secret. Finally, within the framework of CES 2024, the company has officially presented the MSI Clawwhich joins a crowded segment of devices that has the Steam Deck, the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go as great exponents.
At first glance, the MSI Claw may not differentiate itself too much compared to its competitors. But what’s truly new is under the hood. We are facing the first console of this type that arrives equipped with processors from the line Intel Core Ultra.
This marks an interesting change of direction compared to its competitors, considering that both Valve, Asus and Lenovo have opted for AMD chips. But that’s not all, since the MSI Claw also comes with a much larger battery.
We are talking about an accumulator 53Wh, against the 50 Wh of the Steam Deck, the 40 Wh of the ROG Ally and the 49.2 Wh of the Legion Go. According to the manufacturer, the MSI Claw’s battery lasts up to 2 hours under extreme workload. While its autonomy is 50% higher compared to the average of other options on the market. It remains to be seen if this is really the case.
Main features of the MSI Claw
In terms of design, the MSI Claw doesn’t feature anything too revolutionary. On the front it includes a screen 7-inch touch IPS with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz refresh rate and 500 nits maximum brightness. While if we focus on the controls, we find the inclusion of two levers, a directional pad, ABXY buttons, triggers and shoulder buttonsas well as a pair of programmable keys on the back.
Of course, what really stands out about the rear part is that it occupies almost its entirety. a ventilation grill. At the top of the MSI Claw, meanwhile, you can see an SD card reader, volume control, a power button with a fingerprint reader and a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack and a USB-C port with support for Thunderbolt 4 and Power Delivery 3.0.
Storage options will depend on the configuration selected by users. The cheapest model will arrive with a 512 GB SSD, while the most expensive version will implement 1 TB of space. The manufacturer’s idea is to launch three versions of the MSI Clawall with 16 GB of RAM.
Specifications table
Screen | 7-inch IPS panel with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) and 120 Hz refresh rate. Maximum brightness of 500 nits. |
Processor | Configurable with up to Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. |
RAM | 16 GB. |
GPU | Intel Arc. |
Storage | Up to 1TB SSD. |
Connectivity and ports | WiFi 7. Bluetooth 5.4. USB-C (Thunderbolt 4 and PD 3.0). SD card reader. |
Audio | 2 2-watt stereo speakers. 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. |
Battery | 53 Wh, compatible with fast charging up to 65 watts via USB-C port. |
Color | Black. |
OS | Windows 11. |
The MSI Claw still does not have a defined release date. The manufacturer mentions that it will be available during the first half of the year. As we previously indicated, there will be three models available, with the most basic starting at $699. The version with higher specifications will be sold in exchange for $799.