'MSI Claw' Gaming Handheld Review

  • 8 months ago
The MSI Claw (starting at $699) could be the next great gaming handheld. While its 7-inch LCD display and overall design are reminiscent of the Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck, MSI’s machine is the first such handheld to sport a new Intel Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” chip.

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Transcript
00:00 Hey guys, we're here with MSI at CES 2024. The year hasn't even started yet and we already have a brand new competitor to the Steam Deck.
00:07 Meet the MSI Claw.
00:09 Now the most interesting thing about the MSI Claw is the fact that it isn't running on an AMD chip. It's actually running on the new Meteor Lake chip.
00:18 What that means is that it actually uses some of the technologies found in Intel's graphics cards in the actual handheld.
00:25 For example, XCSS, which is an upscaling technology, not only should it make games look better, but it should also run cooler and longer.
00:32 They say it's going to last around 2 hours of gameplay. One of the games that they tested was Forza 5.
00:37 They played it for 2 hours straight before the battery died, which is pretty impressive.
00:41 So, you know, we have to see what this device is like when we actually get it into our lab, but the Meteor Lake chip should actually make a big difference when it comes to performance.
00:49 Again, every other handheld that I've played with has an AMD chip. This is Intel, so yes, curious is the right word I'm going to use for this for now, but I will say I'm cautiously optimistic at best.
01:00 So availability will be February to March timeframes. The Claw starts at $699, Claw Ultra 5 512GB storage, and it goes up to $799 with the Claw Ultra 7 and $799 with the 1TB.
01:18 Alright, so as you can see from its design, it's a fairly standard design that you would find on other gaming handhelds.
01:24 You have your four face buttons, two analog sticks, D-pad, and four function buttons.
01:29 As far as the display is concerned, this has a 7-inch LCD 120Hz display, which is very similar to the Asus ROG Ally.
01:37 In my opinion, I think 7 inches is a good size for a gaming handheld.
01:41 That means if you lower the resolution to 720p, it won't look very muddy, but if you go to 1080p, it'll look fantastic, so I'm very happy with the screen size.
01:48 Up here at the top, you also have shoulder buttons, as well as some I/O.
01:54 So port-wise, we have the power button, which is also a fingerprint reader, microSD slot, Thunderbolt 4 port. You can charge it with fast charging.
02:03 We have the headphone jack right here, and two volume buttons.
02:07 This is stuff we've seen in other handhelds, but I think the port play is fine. Everything is right up here, easily accessible.
02:13 And of course, you see the True Gaming logo for True Gamers.
02:17 Over here, you have two back buttons, which I appreciate.
02:20 One thing that MSI says is that this has been designed for more efficient cooling.
02:27 You have vents here at the front. You also have them up top and in the back.
02:32 It not only draws air out, but also pulls air in to keep the internals cooled.
02:40 Right here, we're looking at the dock for the MSI claw.
02:43 Right here, all you have to do is click the front. This slides out, and then you place the handheld right on there.
02:52 It snaps right on. Very easy.
02:54 If you're not happy with just having a single USB-C port, you'll find two more right here.
03:01 And over on the back, you'll also have two USB-A, Ethernet port, HDMI, and another USB-C.
03:10 That's a lot. This is great.
03:11 Basically, if you want to just play this on your PC or your monitor, you're going to have plenty of ports if you also want to use a keyboard or mouse or anything.
03:20 That was our first look at the MSI claw.
03:22 Again, I'm super excited about this product.
03:25 I love handhelds, you already know.
03:27 I'm really looking forward to really going hands-on with it.
03:30 I want to know what you guys have to think, so make sure you comment down below.
03:33 For more of our CES coverage, make sure you follow Tom's Guide over on all of our socials.
03:37 Once again, I was Tony Polanco, and I'll see you next time. Later.