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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TechTranscript
00:00Hey 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, meet the MSI Claw.
00:12Now 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.
00:18What that means is that it actually uses some of the technologies found in Intel's graphics cards in the actual handheld.
00:25For example, XCSS, which is an upscaling technology, not only should it make games look better, but it should also run cooler and longer.
00:32They say it's going to last around two hours of gameplay. One of the games that they tested was Forza 5.
00:37They played it for two hours straight before the battery died, which is pretty impressive.
00:41So, 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.
00:49Again, 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.
01:00So 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.
01:18All right, so as you can see from its design, it's a fairly standard design that you would find on other gaming handhelds.
01:24You have your four face buttons, two analog sticks, D-pad, and four function buttons.
01:29As far as the display is concerned, this has a 7-inch LCD 120Hz display, which is very similar to the Asus ROG Ally.
01:37In my opinion, I think 7 inches is a good size for a gaming handheld.
01:41That means if you lower the resolution to 720p, it won't look very muddy, but if you go to 1080p, it'll look fantastic.
01:47So I'm very happy with the screen size.
01:49Up here at the top, you also have shoulder buttons, as well as some I.O.
01:54So 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.
02:03We have the headphone jack right here and two volume buttons.
02:07And this is stuff we've seen in other handhelds, but I think the port play is fine. Everything's just right up here, easily accessible.
02:13And of course, you see the True Gaming logo for True Gamers.
02:17And over here, you have two back buttons, which I appreciate.
02:20And one thing that MSI says is that this has been designed for more efficient cooling.
02:27So you have vents here at the front. You also have them up top and in the back.
02:32And it actually, like when it not only does it draw air out, but also pulls air in to keep the internals cooled.
02:40So right here, we're looking at the dock for the MSI Claw.
02:43So right here, all you have to do is just click the front. This slides out.
02:47And then you place the handheld right on there, snaps right on.
02:53Very easy. If you're not happy with just having a single USB-C port, you'll find two more right here.
03:01And over on the back, you'll also have two USB-A, Ethernet port, HDMI, and another USB-C.
03:09So that's a lot. So basically, if you want to just play this on your PC or your monitor,
03:15you're going to have plenty of ports if you also want to use a keyboard or mouse or anything.
03:20Okay, so that was our first look at the MSI Claw.
03:22Again, I'm super excited about this product. I love handhelds, you already know.
03:26And I'm really looking forward to really going hands-on with it.
03:30But I want to know what you guys have to think, so make sure you comment down below.
03:33And for more of our CS coverage, make sure you follow Tom's Guide over on all of our socials.
03:37Once again, I was Tony Polanco, and I'll see you next time. Later.