After the leaks, here is the official announcement of a new competitor to the Steam Deck which has arguments to bring down Valve’s portable console / PC hybrid.
The success of the Nintendo Switch has turned heads and for some time now, we have seen machines flourish that blur the line between PC and portable console. The best-known representative of these often imposing hybrids is the Steam Deck. A product that was a hit and was emulated like the Lenovo LEGION Go or the ASUS Rog Ally. Technological toys that are more advanced than a Switch, very clearly, but also more expensive than Nintendo’s latest. If you don’t know what to choose, we’re going to complicate your life with another newly official device.
The MSI Claw to bury the Steam Deck?
It was only a matter of hours, but the MSI Claw is a reality. It is still a portable PC console like the Steam Deck with nevertheless more advanced characteristics for a more powerful machine. As indicated a few days ago, the MSI Claw will rely on Intel hardware for a faster processor and graphics card than the Steam Deck, and integrates the XeSS upscaling technique. The RAM will also jump since it can go up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 depending on the model, twice as much as other machines on the market.
A racing beast with something under the hood? Reading the characteristics and those of the competitors, yes, but there is a catch. The 53 Whr battery promises only 2 hours of play, which may be too short for some. This is also below the minimum proposed by the Steam Deck.
On the other hand, the MSI Claw should better manage its cooling, and therefore the risks of overheating, and performance using MSI Cooler Boost Hyperflow technology. For the rest, the manufacturer praises the merits of ergonomic handles, having RGB on its buttons or even “Hall Effect” joysticks for better precision and durability. With that, the stick drift is over!
Features of the MSI Claw
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 up to Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, 22 threads up to 4.8 Ghz)
- GPU: Intel Arc Graphics (8 Xe-Cores at 2.25 GHz)
- OS: Windows 11 Home or Pro
- Screen: 7-inch IPS LCD FHD 1080p, 120 Hz, 500 nits, touch
- Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5 up to 32 GB
- Storage: 512 GB up to 1 TB
- Battery: 53 Whr for 2 hours of play
- Connectivity: micro SD card reader, fingerprint reader, jack, 1 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 1 M.2 2230 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD slot
- Audio: 2W x2, Hi-Res certification
- Black color
- Dimensions: 29.4 (width) x 11.7 cm (height) x 2.12 cm (thickness)
- Weight: 675g
- Price: $699 to $799
- Release: 2024 to be confirmed