The Claw: What MSI has to offer in the New Windows-based Gaming System Form Factor (MSI) – Predictions from Hands-on at CES 2024

The new Windows-based handheld, called the Claw, is expected to be unveiled byMSI at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show. The Claw can be specced with an up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, thanks to the new Intel Core Ultra processor, announced last month. At CES 2024, MSI tells us it plans to ship three models ranging from $699 to $799 when it arrives in the first half of the year — with the base tier shipping with an Core Ultra 5 and 512GB of storage.

Although Valve didn’t invent the handheld gaming PC form factor, its release of the Steam Deck in early 2022 has been followed by a wave of releases from major manufacturers. We’ve seen Asus release the ROG Ally, Lenovo came out with the Legion Go, and even Logitech got involved with the streaming-focused G Cloud.

Despite its name, which makes me think of any number of uncomfortable hand positions, MSI says that the Claw has been optimized for comfort over long gaming sessions. The original steam deck is 343mm wide by 134mm tall and 21.2mm thick, it is a tad heavier than the 675g version. MSI says it’s equipped with tactile buttons and Hall effect triggers, which, with any luck, should prove durable in the long run. It has Hall Effect Joysticks in hopes of avoiding future drift.

Other specs include 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe M.2 storage — the $799 model comes with that amount. There is a power button, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a slot for expanding storage space on top of the device. The handheld also has macro buttons that you can record various functions to, and there’s RGB illumination around each of its thumbsticks — much like Asus’ ROG Ally.

If the recent influx of gaming handhelds has taught us anything, it’s that the handheld gaming PC form factor is filled with endless tradeoffs between power, battery life, portability, specs, and of course, price. We’ll need to wait to find out whether MSI has found the right balance.

I just got hands-on at CES 2024, and I can confidently tell you that as of right now, it’s impossible to say whether it’s any good — that depends on performance and battery life, which are not final. There are engineering samples here at the Consumer Electronics Show, ones that feel like they would need months of tuning before a first-half 2024 launch.

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The user interface feels like it was cut from the same cloth and requires creature comforts that weren’t available until recently, like the ability to map an XBOX button and anti-deadzone.

Importantly though, you get a 53Wh battery, which is larger than the ROG Ally’s 40Wh pack and in line with Lenovo and the Steam Deck OLED. And it’s got Hall effect joysticks like the Legion Go.

The Ally’s best feature is variable refresh rate, which can make the entire experience more smooth, according toMSI.

Smooth is something I am still not seeing from the Intel Core Ultra chip. There are lots of frame spikes in the engineering samples, which are powered by the Intel Core Ultra. The chip has a higher than expected 24W27-29W TDP and is said to be more efficient than the chips from Advanced Micro Devices. Again, engineering samples. Likely months before launch!) The fans do seem relatively quiet under load, though it’s tough to tell in a crowded room.

It certainly isn’t competitive with the Steam Deck at lower wattage quite yet. I set it to the “Super Battery Saver” 15W mode, like with the deck, and it struggled in a benchmark even at 720p and lowest settings. I saw an average of just 24fps amid huge frame drops.

Oh, almost forgot, this handheld has artificial intelligence: you can turn on AI noise canceling, and there’s an allegedly AI-powered performance mode that uses the Intel chip’s NPU to dynamically adjust the screen backlight and chip power, says a rep. I saw chip wattage range between 24W and 27W in Mirage when I turned it on, so it did seem to be doing something.

The battery should last us at least two hours from demanding games and 4 hours from lighter fare if we only choose to play more than five hours of video. That’s definitely not more than I expect from the Deck OLED, but it hasn’t been a guarantee for Windows handhelds. One rep claims they are already getting two hours of Forza 5, and that they would see an hour from the Ally.

I saw the battery fall 25 percent during 30 minutes of testing. If I kept going, the math states that I could have managed two hours.