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The MSI Claw has had a bit of a bad rap since it rolled onto the handheld scene. At launch, the portable PC was criticized for its underwhelming performance, battery life, and egregious $750 MSRP. I've been playing around with the Steam Deck rival for a few weeks, and now that the disappointing launch dust has settled, it feels like a nice time to chat about how it stacks up ahead of Black Friday.
It's safe to say the best gaming handheld contest has more contenders than ever, and MSI Claw could tempt some of you away from Black Friday Steam Deck deals since it's $471.18 at Amazon. Keep in mind it originally cost $749.99, and it only managed to drop to around $550 during the summer. Amazon's current discount certainly counters my personal gripes about the portable gaming PC's price, but I still wouldn't recommend it universally.
Is the MSI Claw a bad handheld? Not exactly, but I can think of several other ways to spend $470 and end up with a better portable experience. I can summarize the whole experience by saying it feels like eating a microwave burger - it technically does the job, but it leaves you yearning for a Big Mac.
Should you buy the MSI Claw?
I could just say buy an Asus ROG Ally or the Steam Deck OLED instead of the MSI Claw and call it a day. However, that's not exactly my style, and I do think the laptop maker's handheld is better than the internet at large would lead you to believe. That's not to say I don't have major beef with its choice of Intel chipset and the performance it provides, but that aside, it's not far off being a proper rival.
Since we're talking about portable PCs, the ability to boost fps in modern games is crucial. This is what ultimately causes the Claw to trip up on the track, as its Intel Core Ultra 7-155H simply falls short to the mighty AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme. That said, I'm actually managing to pull off far better frame rates than what was possible at launch, meaning the gap is narrower than before.
Both the Ally and Claw are targeting 1080p performance using a 120Hz screen, so I naturally tested both at native resolution. I managed to pull off a 34fps average in Cyberpunk 2077 on MSI's machine at 1080p - disappointing, but not that far off the 41fps benchmarks provided by Asus' handheld. Put it this way, I'd be pretty annoyed if I paid $750 for those frame rates, but under $500 is easier to swallow.
I also tried out Hitman 3 at the same resolution on both handhelds and wasn't remotely surprised to find the Ally come out top again. This time, we're looking at 62fps vs 48fps on the Claw, which is an absolute yikes in my book. If I've learned anything about Intel Arc graphics over its short lifespan, it's that performance is unpredictable, and the same applies to the blue team's handheld chip.
Those stats are pretty damning, but the Claw gets a lot of things right outside of frame rate performance figures. Sure, it does look almost like an Asus ROG Ally X - ironic due to it arriving first and not boasting anywhere near the same battery life. However, sometimes sticking to a tried and tested design is the best option, and I honestly think this handheld feels more solid and comfortable than the chunky Lenovo Legion Go.
MSI Center also holds up as a handheld management app compared to LegionSpace and early versions of Armoury Crate. Don't get me wrong, it feels just as cobbled together as most Windows 11 middlemen and doesn't remotely hold up to SteamOS. But, it gets the job done with relatively clear labels and minimal bugs, so kudos, MSI.
On the sound and vision side of things, the Claw impresses just as much as the ROG Ally. I'm fairly convinced both are using the same 120Hz display, and now that I've experienced what the Zotac Zone can bring to the table using an AMOLED screen, my eyes have been somewhat spoiled. What MSI's portable does have on its side, however, is a punchy set of virtual surround speakers that do a good job of masking fan noise.
My TLDR is effectively this - I would recommend keeping a close eye on the MSI Claw Black Friday deals. I don't think $470 is a good enough price cut to properly challenge Valve and Asus, but that could all change if it gets a bit cheaper. Basically, if you can grab it for the same price as the ROG Ally Z1, it'll be a winner.
Another $70 off the MSI Claw could serve as its redemption arc, and I'd honestly love to see the handheld become a price-friendly hero.
Looking for more discounts? Check out Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals for more handheld offers. Alternatively, head over to Black Friday TV deals and Black Friday monitor deals for screen savings.
