MSI took advantage of the CES 2024 show in Las Vegas to announce its first portable console, the MSI Claw, which features the Intel Core Ultra architecture.
Very established in the portable PC market for gaming, with its Titan, Stealth and Raider ranges, MSI is now embarking on the adventure of portable consoles with the MSI Claw running Windows 11.
After Asus and its Rog Ally, we expected that another manufacturer of PC components and peripherals would offer its own portable gaming machine. And clearly, MSI intends to correct the main criticisms made against its competitors.
One of the first portable consoles with Intel Core Ultra processor
AMD remains largely over-represented in consoles, whether they reside in your living room or whether they are portable (PS5, Xbox Series, Steam Deck, Rog Ally, etc.). But following Intel’s latest announcements regarding its Meteor Lake architecture, it seems that this could gradually change.
Starting with the MSI Claw, which within its APU can integrate an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor coupled with an Intel Arc graphics card. For the rest, the console will be able to offer up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 memory (twice more than its competitors) and configurable NVMe storage of up to 1 TB.
We can’t wait to see what a portable console with such an architecture has in store and whether Intel’s progress in the field of energy efficiency, and therefore performance per watt, will pay off in this thriving market. . And if the console runs on Windows 11, it will also offer its own Android emulator via the MSI App Player application, to also play mobile games on your Claw.
The MSI Claw will offer a 7-inch screen in Full HD definition (1920 x 1080) that can go up to 120 Hz refresh rate. Small disappointment, this is an IPS panel, certainly bright (500 nits peak), but neither Oled nor HDR, like the recent Steam Deck OLED. However, we can hope for an LCD screen of the same quality as the Asus ROG Ally, which easily surpassed that of the first Steam Deck.
AI for performance and autonomy
The year 2024 will be that of AI for PCs, but also consoles. MSI notably communicated on the main faults of its competitors in the field: overheating, autonomy and the ecosystem lacking coherence.
The MSI Claw will integrate the AI Engine, new technology from the manufacturer which will be able to intelligently take care of the thermal management of the console, to promote its cooling, but also its autonomy while gaming. We remain here within the marketing promise, we will obviously judge on piece once the device in hand.
MSI Claw will also offer a 53 WHr battery, slightly larger than that of the Steam Deck OLED (50 WHr) and even more than that of the Asus ROG Ally (40 WHr). This will result in a much heavier weight of 675 g, compared to 640 for the Steam Deck OLED. With this battery and the efficiency of the Intel Core Ultra architecture, MSI promises 30% greater autonomy than its competitors on the most demanding games.
MSI Claw A1M technical sheet
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 Intel Core Ultra 7 (16c, 22t up to 4.8 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel Arc Graphics (8 Xe cores at 2.25 GHz) |
| Memory | Up to 32 GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 1 x M.2 2230 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD |
| Screen | 7″ Full HD (1920 x 1080), LCD panel (IPS), 120 Hz, 500 nits |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) |
| System | Windows 11, Android (emulation) |
| Battery | 53 WHr |
| Dimensions | 294 (L) x 117 (W) x 21.2 (H) mm |
| Weight | 675g |
On the rest of the technical sheet, the MSI Claw will integrate the Wi-Fi 7 standard (good point for cloud gaming) as well as Thunderbolt 4 support in order to connect a dock to the console, but also peripherals such as an SSD or even an eGPU. This port will also be DisplayPort compatible to display console content on an external screen.
MSI has not yet announced a release date or price for the MSI Claw, but it should arrive during the first quarter at a price much higher than the Steam Deck and ROG Ally according to our information.