MSI Claw is the First Gaming Handheld With Intel Core Ultra Chips Inside

MSI officially announced its new handheld gaming device at CES after the device leaked last week. The MSI Claw is the first gaming handheld to use Intel’s new Core Ultra CPUs, and it will be competing with Valve’s Steam Deck, the Asus Rog Ally, and the Lenovo Legion Go, which all use AMD chips.

The Core Ultra 7 CPUs inside the MSI Claw come with integrated Arc GPU graphics with up to 8 Xe cores, with support for Intel’s XeSS super-sampling technology. The device comes with 16GB of memory and a 1080p 7-inch IPS display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, and MSI promises “smooth gameplay at 1080p resolution and medium settings.”

It’s too early to tell how the Intel Core Ultra CPUs in the MSI Claw compare to the AMD Z1 chips found in the Asus Rog Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. However, an MSI representative told The Verge that the MSI Claw has a unique AI-powered performance that can dynamically adjust screen luminosity and the wattage of the chip. This feature is powered by the dedicated neural processing unit in Intel’s Core Ultra chips.

The MSI Claw comes with a 53Wh battery that should provide up to 2 hours of battery life under full workload. The device also comes with an advanced thermal design featuring dual fans and heat pipes to keep it cool during gameplay. In addition to Windows games, the MSI App Player on the MSI Claw also provides access to Android mobile games.

The MSI Claw will offer up to 1TB of SSD storage that’s expandable with a microSD card slot. The device also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and it has one USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port for charging and connecting other accessories.

The base version of the gaming handeld with a Core Ultra 5 CPU and 512GB of storage will be priced at $700. The two Core Ultra 7 models with 512GB and 1TB of storage will be priced at $750 and $800, respectively. The MSI Claw will be available for purchase later this spring.