With the Steam Deck from Valve, ROG Ally from ASUS, Legion Go from Lenovo, and AYANEO AIR 1S, PC gaming handhelds have quickly become a viable and popular platform for day-to-day gaming. What all of these devices have in common (outside of A, B, X, and Y button layouts) is underlying AMD CPU hardware with mobile AMD Radeon graphics.
Formally unveiled at CES 2024, the new MSI Claw bucks the recent trend of PC gaming handhelds sporting AMD Ryzen 'Phoenix' technology by becoming the world's first PC gaming handheld powered by an Intel Core Ultra Processor - up to Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. With models coming soon, starting from $699 USD.
With Intel's new Meteor Lake architecture, the new Intel Core Ultra series and the MSI Claw include Arc Graphics hardware, 8 Xe Cores, and AI-powered XeSS technology for upscaling and boosting performance and efficiency. MSI is confident that it delivers enough grunt for fast AAA 1080p 'medium settings' gaming while revealing the full (and impressive) MSI Claw specs.
This includes a 120Hz Full-HD display with touch-screen, variable refresh rate capabilities, and a vibrant 500-nit peak brightness. MSI has been making some stellar PC displays and monitors in recent years, so we wouldn't be surprised if the MSI Claw's display ends up being one of the very best on a PC gaming handheld. There's also a 53Wh battery, larger than the 40Wh battery in the ROG Ally.
Cooling-wise, it's got MSI Cooler Boost Hyperflow technology with dual fans and heat pipes, and the new MSI Center M UI offers easy access to features, settings, and different power modes.
Here are the full specs for the MSI Claw.
- Model Name: MSI Claw A1M
- Processor: Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Chipset: Integrated SoC
- Memory: LPDDR5 onboard, 16GB, dual channel
- Display: 7" FHD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz Refresh Rate, Touch Screen, 120 Hz Refresh Rate, 100% sRGB(Typical), 500nits(Typical), IPS-Level panel
- Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics
- Storage Slot: 1 x NVMe M.2 2230 SSD PCIe Gen 4 x4
- Sensor: 6-Axis IMU Vibration Motor
- Communication: Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750, Bluetooth v5.4
- Audio: 2 × 2W Speakers, 1 × Audio combo jack, Hi-Res Audio ready
- I/O Ports: 1 x Thunderbolt 4 / DP/ USB Type-C (w/ PD 3.0 Charging), 1 x microSD Card Reader, 1 x Audio combo jack, 1x Power button with Finger Print Sensor
- Battery/Adapter: 6-Cell, Li-Polymer, 53Whr / 65W USB Type-C PD 3.0
- Dimensions: 294 (W) x 117(D) x 21.2(H) mm
- Weight: 675 g
- Color: Black