The past couple of years have been quite interesting, especially in the context of handheld gaming systems – years ago, the portable console landscape was mostly dominated by the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita, with a few niche systems scattered here and there. Fast forward to 2023-2024, and we’ve seen a ton of different brands and companies branch out with their own take on handheld gaming systems. You can even say that the launch of the Steam Deck opened the floodgates, in a way.
With that in mind, MSI’s “Claw” handheld is clearly designed and poised to take on the likes of the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion, and ASUS ROG, to name a few. It does pack quite a number of impressive hardware features such as compatibility with Windows 11 software, and more importantly, a ton of PC gaming titles. Originally shown off back in CES 2024 at Las Vegas, MSI hasn’t been exactly clear about when gamers would be able to get their hands on the Claw – that is, until now.
If you live in the United Kingdom, then good news – the MSI Claw is now available for pre-order in the UK, with prices starting at £699 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 + 512GB SSD configuration. This is the highest spec model equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor along with 1TB of storage, and retails for £799 exclusively at Currys in the UK.
MSI says that the Claw is “designed through anthropometry,” although it does feature a design that clearly indicates that this is a device made for gaming. Up front you’ll find a 7-inch IPS touch screen with an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, in addition to a 120 Hz Refresh Rate, 100% sRGB and up to 500 nits of brightness. It’s not awfully bright as on some smartphones these days, but then again that’s not the Claw’s main selling point.
Moving over to performance, MSI hasn’t held back in developing a device that will be able to run most games effortlessly. In addition to the Intel chip onboard, the Claw also comes with with MSI’s exclusive Cooler Boost HyperFlow cooling, and runs on a large 53WHr battery with support for 65W fast charging. It also comes with built-in “Cooler Boost HyperFlow” technology, featuring a design with two fans and two heat pipes inside.
It’s also made to be comfortable for extended gaming periods thanks to the grips on the sides, and it does come with a very gamer-centric look thanks to the design of the keys, the analog sticks, and ABXY buttons which come with built-in RGB light rings to provide a better ambience. Additionally, there are Hall Effect Sensors in both analog sticks and LT/RT triggers, which should be ideal for avoiding drift issues in the long run.
The Claw comes bundled with a free game “Skull and Bones,” Ubisoft+ for free for 7 days, and a free one-month Xbox Game Pass, which gives players access to the Xbox Game library the moment they unbox the Claw, and includes games like Resident Evil 2, Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, and many more.
