Summary
Hardware manufacturerMSIhas shown off revamped versions of its Clawhandheld gaming PC, alongside reinforcing its commitment to the handheld market by confirming future iterations of the device. Earlier this year, MSI released theClaw handheld PC after a lot of teasing, but the handheld didn’t quite live up to expectations due to numerous factors.
Unlike most other mainstream handheld gaming PCs that use AMD chipsets, like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, the MSI Claw came equipped withIntel’sCore Ultra chipsets based on the Meteor Lake architecture. Not only did these chips contribute heavily to the Claw’s exorbitantly higher price, but reviews showed that they were also nowhere near as performant in most games when compared head-on to the AMD-powered competition. The Claw’s build quality, ergonomics, display, and audio were praised by reviewers, but the performance woes and premium cost made it tough to recommend over its rivals.
MSI has apparently been listening to the feedback, and seems to have moved very quickly to incorporate it. Less than three months after the Claw’s release, the company announced refreshed versions of the Windows-powered handheld gaming PC at Computex 2024. The MSI Claw 8 AI Plus will be the headliner of the updated Claw lineup, packing an 80Wh battery muchlike the Asus ROG Ally X, a bigger eight-inch display that will still offer 120Hz and VRR support, and most importantly, Intel’s brand-new Lunar Lake chips which are set to debut later this year.
The Updated MSI Claw Will Also Be Offered in a 7-Inch Form Factor
Lunar Lake has been touted to offerup to 50% higher GPU performance over the current Meteor Lake chips while using significantly less power, which could translate to greater low-wattage performance and battery life. MSI didn’t stop there, though, as in aninterview with PCWorld, Claw product management director Clifford Chun revealed that the refreshed model will also be available with a 7-inch screen, but didn’t specify if this version will sport the 80Wh battery. Chun also affirmed MSI’s commitment to handheld gaming PCs, stating that the company is “already planning Claw 2, Claw 3, Claw 4,” and has a “two-year roadmap.”
The updated Claw handhelds are slated to arrive in fall 2024 and will be priced in the same ballpark as the current model according to Chun, suggesting a $700-$800 price point. Chun also teased that MSI may include CPUs from other manufacturers (like AMD) in future Claw iterations, but possibly not until “Claw 3, Claw 4.” Thehandheld gaming PC market has blown upconsiderably in recent years, and it’s encouraging to see MSI this bullish on it. However, current MSI Claw owners could be feeling somewhat short-changed.
