MSI Claw is a rumored Steam Deck rival with a twist β it will use an Intel CPU, and that could be a key advantage
MSI apparently has a gaming handheld in the same vein as the many Steam Deck rivals that have appeared in recent times, and it will be launching at CES 2024 soon.
Content creator CameronRitz shared an alleged image of the incoming MSI handheld on
More information for the MSi βCLAWβ β’ 32 GB LPDDR5X ram (2x what is in the Ally, Legion Go and Deck) β’ Intel 16 Core Meteor Lake APU (6 P-Cores, 8 E-cores, 2 LP-cores) β’ 8January 5, 2024
Unlike existing big-name portable gaming PCs (Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and so on) that use AMD silicon, MSI is the first to use an Intel CPU. (The first high-profile supplier, mind you, as there are obscure Chinese offerings unveiled late last year, for example an Emdoor handheld with a Meteor Lake chip, although this isn't out yet.)
MSI is said to give the Claw a Meteor Lake engine with 16 cores (6 performance, 8 efficiency and 2 low-power cores), and the APU sports integrated graphics with 8 Xe Cores. It also puts a heavy burden on system memory with a mighty 32 GB of LPDDR5X RAM.
Initially, CameronRitz was unsure of the authenticity of the leaked press image, but later said it has now been verified, before adding the rumored specs into the mix.
So it looks like this device is actually happening, considering that MSI has been dropping heavy hints about 'getting to grips' with a new kind of device that will be unveiled at CES 2024, and Intel has that too.
Analysis: A mighty swipe from a Dragon Claw?
What we don't have yet is a rumored price for the MSI Claw, but we won't have to wait long to find out as CES 2024 is just around the corner. (Is it just us or does the name MSI Claw make it sound like something that will eventually result in severe hand cramps, giving you claw-like appendages? We're not sure if we'll be massively sold on the name if it turns out to be this, but hey, it's not like ROG Ally is particularly catchy either).
The big twist as mentioned is the use of an Intel instead of an AMD APU, but from what we've seen Meteor Lake seems like a good choice and promising on the integrated graphics front (very promising in fact). What could be key here, however, is Intel's drivers, and where the performance weaknesses for some games still lie with the Arc – although Team Blue has made great strides in improving its graphics driver with each release this past year, pretty much.
As noted, while there are some lesser-known brands with plans for Intel-powered gaming handhelds, a team like MSI has a much better chance of coming up with a compelling Steam Deck rival (presumably Windows-powered) that makes good use of makes of Meteor. More silicon.
As the leaker notes, the MSI Claw looks quite similar to the ROG Ally, which isn't necessarily a bad thing – and CameronRitz notes that the screen is from the same supplier as the Asus handheld.
Roll on CES 2024, because those fond of Windows gaming handhelds could see a real competitor here, with that Meteor Lake performance backed by a chunky 32GB of system RAM. The battery life that the Claw achieves with an Intel APU will also be eagerly awaited, although we can't expect miracles.