MSI Claw Handheld Images and Specifications Leak

MSI’s competing with ASUS, Lenovo, and Valve with a new Intel-powered PC gaming handheld

Yesterday, MSI started to tease a new PC gaming handheld. After this tease, it didn’t take long for more information to leak onto the web. Now we know that the handheld is called the MSI Claw, and that the handheld will be Intel-powered.

The first image of MSI’s Claw Handheld was released by @wxnod on Twitter/X. This image confirms that the handheld is a Windows-powered device and not a SteamOS machine like Valve’s Steam Deck. Valve’s Steam Deck features two track pads, whereas MSI’s handheld does not, just like other Windows-based PC gaming handhelds.

Geekbench results for the upcoming MSI Claw handheld have also surface, confirming that the device will feature an Intel Meteor Lake processor. This specific model features an Intel Ultra 7 155H processor. This CPU contains 16 total CPU cores, six of which are P-cores and ten of which are E-cores. Intel’s Ultra 7 155H processor also features eight Xe GPU cores. The handheld in the benchmark below also features 32GB of memory, which is more than any other PC gaming handheld.

Intel’s Meteor Lake processors features an integrated GPU that is more powerful and power-efficient than its predecessors. Intel has previously claimed that their new iGPUs are two times as power-efficient as before. This is what has made an Intel-powered PC gaming handheld like the MSI Claw possible. Without Meteor Lake, AMD’s Ryzen Z1 series of CPUs would be the only viable option for this kind of device.

(MSI Claw Geekbench data – Via @Olrak29_)

The MSI Claw will be competing directly with devices like ASUS’ ROG Ally and Lenovo’s Legion GO. It will also be competing with Valve’s Steam Deck systems, albeit indirectly due to their differing OS’.

With its huge CPU core count and 32GB of memory, we expect today’s leaked MSI Claw model to be a high-end version of MSI’s handheld. We will likely see a lower-end version that features a lower price point and 16GB of system memory, and possibly a lower cost processor as well.

OC3D will be visiting MSI at CES 2024, and we hope to learn more about the Claw when we are there.

You can join the discussion on MSI’s Claw PC Gaming Handheld on the OC3D Forums.