MSI’s new Claw gaming handheld is officially being revealed at CES 2024 today. We got a first look at the new debut last week as the form-factor leaked, and now all of the details on this Intel-powered handheld arrive.
MSI might not be innovating all too much as far as the design of the new Claw handheld goes, but now we know for sure that it’s at least doing things different as far as the internals go. The new gaming handheld is going official today as MSI shows off a host of new gear for the Las Vegas trade show, and in the process giving us all the info on performance of its newest device.
The MSI Claw comes powered by Intel’s newest chips that were announced last month and have been rolling out to all the new reveals across CES 2024 this week. The new Meteor Lake processors used here are specifically start with the Core Ultra 5 on the base 512GB model and go all the way up to a Core Ultra 7 155H chipset. There’s going to be three models available at launch, all of which start at $699.
If the Intel chips at the center of the experience weren’t already enough to make you take a second look at the MSI Claw compared to the Steam Deck or ASUA ROG Ally, then some of the other adjustments here should. Going with team Intel means that there’s the company’s XeSS upscaling technology for compatible titles — or as MSI puts it, it means the handheld can play AAA games effortlessly.
Battery life is another big area where the Claw stands out from the gaming handhelds that have come before it. It has a larger 53Wh capacity, which in its own right is one of the larger batteries in its weight class. In reality, that means you’re looking at around 2 hours of gaming per session, with updated cooling helping keep the system from thermal throttling even under more intense loads.
Other fun tidbits about the MSI Claw is that it rocks a 7-inch 120Hz IPS 1080p display with 500 nits of brightness. There’s a pair of Hall Effect joysticks to battle any joystick drift that could otherwise arise from future use, too. You’ll find a Thunderbolt 4 port up top, too.
We should see the MSI Claw launch sometime in the first half of the year, but an exact date has yet to be given by the company.
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