MSI Claw release date, specs & price – out now!

Everything about the MSI Claw release date, specs, and price explained

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Yet another contender to the Steam Deck, but when is the MSI Claw release date? Well, the good news is that it has now been fully released. It hasn’t been too long since the Steam Deck OLED came out, and before that the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally, but MSI joined the party now after they officially announced the MSI Claw at CES 2024. We’ll be talking about everything we know about this handheld gaming PC including the price & specs.

Luckily, MSI weren’t particularly secretive with the details of this device even ahead of its release, though the exact release date was initially a mystery – that’s of course no longer the case. Upon first glance, the Claw looks quite similar to the Ally, which is quite promising.

Today’s best peripheral deals

---

MSI Claw release date now here

Early retail listings pointed towards availability on April 1st or April 2nd as pre orders went live on some retailers, but we can now reveal that the MSI Claw was released for its ‘first wave’ on March 8th, 2024. The MSI store started shipping the Claw on the 12th and other retailers such as Best Buy and Micro Center start sales on March 15th, according to IGN. If you’re looking to pick up the Claw, check out our dedicated where to buy MSI Claw page.

An interesting side note though: IGN conducted an interview with the System Product Managing Director of MSI, Clifford Chun, to help us get the inside scoop. This claims that the MSI Claw comes out in the second half of 2024, so it’s evident that plans changed and the launch was pushed forwards. They went on to discuss different versions of the Claw as well, with multiple versions already planned in future. These are likely to start development when a better CPU or GPU comes along to warrant a refreshed model.

MSI Claw specs confirmed

As part of MSI’s CES 2024 announcements, they released a detailed list of the specs to really get stuck into. This gaming handheld is the first to feature a new Core Ultra processor and boasts excellent battery life against the competition.

Specification	Details
Screen size	7″
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Refresh rate	120 Hz
Panel type	IPS, touchscreen
Operating System	Windows 11
CPU	Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H
Graphics	Intel Arc graphics
RAM	16GB LPDDR5
Storage	NVMe M.2 SSD, up to 1TB
Connectivity	Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Thunderbolt, USB-C w/ PD 3.0 charging, microSD, audio combo jack,
Dimensions (W x D x H)	294mm x 117mm x 212mm
Weight	675 grams
Battery	53Whr / 65W USB Type-C 3.0 power delivery

One thing in common with the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go is that they all use AMD CPUs with integrated graphics to power them. With the newer Intel Core Ultra series mobile processors, MSI look to provide an energy-efficient alternative to aid a longer battery life – slated for 2 hours under a full workload.

In terms of software, this is another Windows 11 machine (much like the Ally). At the heart of it is MSI Center M, which acts as the main interface for the device. The program allows you to quickly launch games across a number of platforms such as Steam, Epic Games, and so on. It is the central hub for your settings and game library.

MSI Claw price revealed

Looking at the specs, it is quite comparable to the ASUS ROG Ally, and the price does actually reflect that. The MSI Claw will have a few different variants to account for in price. We know that the starting model will cost $699 – the same as ASUS’ handheld. Reports show that there will be a high-end model starting at $749 as well. See below for further details.

Details	Standard model	High-end model
Screen size	7-inch	7-inch
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 135H	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Refresh rate	120Hz	120Hz
RAM	16GB	16GB
Storage	512GB SSD	1TB SSD / 512GB SSD
Price	$699	$799 (1TB) / $749 (512GB)

---

Does the MSI Claw have a variable refresh rate?

There has been some back and forth on this topic, but it seems as if MSI have now confirmed that the Claw will indeed include variable refresh rate (VRR) technology – between 48Hz and 120Hz. VRR is screen technology that allows the display actively match its refresh rate to your in-game performance. With the refresh rate in sync with your frames per second, this helps minimize stuttering and screen tearing. The ASUS ROG Ally is another handheld that features this, with many fans now considering it a must-have for gaming handhelds, especially since it has been the standard for gaming monitors for a long time now.

The Verge first reported that there would be no VRR, but have since rectified this following official word from MSI. You can also set the refresh rate to lock at 48Hz or 60Hz manually, though the automatic refresh rate adjustments which constitutes as VRR is what we’re interested in.

---

MSI Claw release date FAQs

Is the MSI Claw better than Steam Deck?

Based on the specs we know so far about the MSI Claw, it will indeed outperform the Steam Deck. The battery life also looks promising, but you do miss out on the sleek interface of SteamOS.

Does the MSI Claw have an OLED screen?

No, MSI are sticking to an LCD display for the Claw. This seems like a compromise in order to facilitate a 120Hz ‘IPS-Level’ panel instead.