For the past few days, we have been seeing major leaks for the MSI Claw, which included the use of an Intel Core processor to power it. It has been extremely encouraging to see, but like others, I have been hungry for more details, like the battery size and screen details. Well, with CES 2024 finally here, we have some more answers, and they look very encouraging. From battery size to Wifi 7 support, here are the new details about MSI’s upcoming handheld that we now know about.
A quick thank you to Deck Wizard for providing the tip and information regarding the Claw.
With the extra power of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, there was going to be a need for extra power going in to accommodate, and it seems MSI knows this quite well. The MSI Claw is going to feature a 53Wh battery, which is huge compared to both the Legion Go (49Wh) and ROG Ally (40Wh). It is even bigger than the Steam Deck’s 50Wh battery, which is fantastic. This definitely makes me curious about the weight of the device, but I am very excited to see this battery size in a hopefully affordable package.
The screen of the device is going to be semi-similar to other devices we have been seeing. It will be a 7-inch IPS panel with 500nits brightness, a support touch screen, and a native 1920×1080 resolution. Interestingly, the screen will also have a 120Hz refresh rate, which will be amazing for playing games at 40 FPS, making them feel much smoother. There are no mentions of HDR or VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support, so I assume it won’t be there.
We don’t have any screenshots of this menu so to speak, but we do have a name for MSI’s quick settings menu. MSI Center M will contain a list of quick settings and macros to utilize whenever you want to. I assume this will include overlays, TDP limits, FPS limits, and other commands like going back to the desktop, force closing applications, and more.
Speaking of macros, the Claw will have a Macro Key function, which will allow you to create your own with full key recording. I assume these macros will either be used from the MSI Center M menu, or there may be some programmable buttons.
As for the design, the Claw looks to have one back button on each side of the device. It will also utilize Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, which are amazing and more precise compared to their analog counterparts. It also looks like there will be RGB buttons and joystick rings, and while I don’t necessarily care for it, I do like having options.
The Claw will be outfitted with the Cooler Boost HyperFlow, which has two fans and two pipes to keep the device at optimal temperatures. This will be intriguing to see how well it works considering there is more power being used with the processor. We also have Thunderbolt 4 and WiFi 7 support coming in, so if you are a fan of streaming or using an eGPU to boost your experience, you will be very happy here.
And that’s all the information we have so far! Unfortunately, we aren’t actually at CES this year, but considering we are expanding to more handheld tech, we will be looking forward to the possibility of going next year! Here is a photo of the details that were provided at CES:
As for the MSI Claw, I am more optimistic than before. Having an Intel processor like this means more power is needed, and seeing the device having a larger battery will definitely make up for it. I also love Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, and the 120Hz refresh rate is a welcome addition. I would like to see how well the Arc graphics will handle the newest games and how MSI Center M will look and work, but overall, if the price is around the $700 mark, this may be an easy recommendation over its competitors.
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