As announced during CES earlier this year, a new competitor will soon enter the handheld Windows gaming PC ring, the MSI Claw. The MSI Claw runs on an Intel Arc graphics chip and Intel Core Ultra CPU, making it the first Windows gaming handheld from a major company with Intel-based hardware. Similar handhelds, like the Windows-based ROG Ally and Legion Go or the Linux-based Steam Deck, all run on AMD chips.
The MSI Claw starts at $700 and is available for preorder now at multiple online retailers, including Best Buy and Newegg.
$700-$800
The MSI Claw comes in three models, all of which feature an Intel Arc Graphics chip with 8 Xe-cores, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a seven-inch LED IPS touchscreen with 1080p resolution and support for 48-120Hz variable refresh rates. However, CPU power and storage space vary between the models:
- $700 base model with an Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU and 512GB SSD.
- $750 model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU and 512GB SSD
- $800 model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU and 1TBB SSD
You can preorder the MSI Claw now at Best Buy and Newegg, and all orders will ship by April 4. All three MSI Claw models are also available in an exclusive preorder bundle at Newegg that adds a copy of Skull & Bones standard edition and seven days of Ubisoft+. Both retailers are offering a free one-month trial to Game Pass Ultimate with the handheld. Newegg lists the release date as March 15, so you may be able to get your handheld sooner than April 4–but it also seems possible this date could change.
Each model also features Hall Effect joysticks and trigger buttons, a circular D-pad, and eight face buttons. According to MSI, the 53Wh battery lasts for roughly two hours when playing the most intensive games. If you’ve used a handheld PC, you’ll know that battery life varies greatly depending on the game. The Claw features a Thunderbolt 4 USB charging port for fast charging, and you could extend the battery life with a strong enough portable power bank. You can also expand the device’s storage space with the included microSD card slot.
We’re eager to see how the MSI Claw’s Intel-based hardware will compare to its competitors. The handheld gaming PC market is getting crowded, but these new devices are popular for a reason. Playing the latest PC games on the go is a game-changer–plus the portable nature of these devices, in our experience, makes it a lot more likely you’ll actually work through the batch of games you bought in the latest PC game sales.
