With the improvement of chip performance, the handheld is no longer a special device for "mini games", but has become a portable embodiment of game consoles/game laptops, allowing people to use fragmented time to experience the charm of high-quality masterpieces, and become one of the best gaming tools for fast-paced life. "I can play some small and medium-sized indie games and even triple-A masterpieces in my spare time, and I can also take them out to play, and get together with friends to play games online, so I can really play anytime, anywhere, and whenever I want. "Those games that can lie down, lie on their stomachs, and play Steam games with friends at any time suddenly become fun~!
In recent years, various manufacturers have launched PC handhelds to compete for this market segment. Compared with the traditional handheld, the PC handheld has rich Windows game resources, better compatibility, more convenient to install game mods or various emulators, and at the same time, it can also meet the needs of PC use, which can be used as a "set-top box" for audio-visual entertainment, and can also be used as a productivity tool for office.
However, there is no perfect PC handheld at the moment, and gamers are often faced with heavy, uncomfortable grip and low-quality graphics, overheating, and short battery life, so people are expecting a "all-rounder" PC handheld with strong overall performance.
At the beginning of 2024, MSI, the leading PC manufacturer, brought you the Claw handheld game console, which is not only its first PC handheld, but also the industry's first Intel Core Ultra handheld.
If you want to have a more balanced and reliable hardware configuration (controller, cooling, network card, screen and other hardware are exceptionally good), want to try the performance of the Core Ultra in the handheld, or want to have an AI PC with CPU + GPU + NPU triple AI computing power at the same time, then the MSI Claw handheld gaming console may be the product that meets your expectations.
Test product hardware parameters:
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7155H
Peripherals: Hall joystick + Hall trigger, ergonomic design
Lighting effect: RGB joystick + RGB XYAB button
Screen: 7" 100% sRGB FHD 120Hz touchscreen with 500 nits of brightness
Heat Dissipation: MSI HyperFlow cooling system, dual fans and 2 heat pipes
存储：1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD，16GB DDR5
Privacy and security: Fingerprint recognition switch, safe and fast login
Battery: 53Whr large battery
Audio-visual experience: Hi-Res Audio + Nahimic sound software
拓展：雷电4+Micro SD卡槽
Network card: Wi-Fi 7 wireless network card
A long-lasting handheld
The overall design of the MSI Claw handheld gaming console combines industrial aesthetics with grip comfort. The body size is a bit more compact than the SteamDeck, while accommodating the same 7-inch screen, and the narrower left and right side screen bezels will also look more refined.
A 360-degree RGB light strip on the front joystick, as well as RGB buttons, punctuate the all-black handheld, providing a bit of cyber technology.
Personally, I think this RGB strip is a good size, and it is a soft diffuse light, so it won't interfere when playing games, and it usually looks really cool.
If you want to keep it low-key, you can also turn it on and off yourself in the settings.
The weight of the whole machine of 671g is balanced with a balanced weight, which still makes people want to hold it in their hands and play with it.
The MSI Claw handheld console also comes with an official package of peripherals, including a carrying case, keychain, and tempered film, which can be purchased separately if needed.
You can carry it out with a carrying case, and the full filling can better protect the handheld.
I think the MSI Claw handheld game console has a very good grip, and it is a handheld that will not get tired after playing for 2-3 hours at a time.
Specifically, the ends of the fuselage have a common controller shape, with a protruding ergonomically designed curved grip that can be grasped naturally by four fingers, and the confidence that the MSI Claw handheld game console will not fall when the keys are operated.
The front is wedge-shaped like the SteamDeck, with a moderate curve that fits firmly in the palm of my hand.
So I can hold it in a relaxed position, and it's comfortable to hold and helps to maintain the comfort of playing for a long time.
XBOX controller layout, the joystick and button layout of the controller part is very familiar to players, and the layout of the two joysticks and the "X, Y, A, B" buttons has long been widely praised by players:
The left stick is usually the one for movement in games, and the position on the left side above the fuselage is a very wise decision, such as when I do forward maneuvers (the most commonly used moves), which are more intuitive for humans and have a natural, relaxed upright position with my thumb.
The right joystick is usually operated by the angle of view, and the layout is located in the center of the right side to the left, and the upper right is next to the "X,Y,A,B" buttons, which is convenient for me to perform fine operations - push the joystick at the thumb joint for the perspective operation, and at the same time the thumb tip can press the "X,Y,A,B" buttons (SteamDeck's symmetrical hinge + parallel key layout is difficult to achieve).
The 2 buttons on the back can be triggered in multiple directions, and the ring finger and middle finger are very convenient to press, adapting to different habits. In addition, you can also set a key macro called a "physical plug-in" to assist the player in "one-click output".
Hall rocker
The handle of the handheld is integrated into the body, and the cost and difficulty of maintenance will increase accordingly.
Because traditional carbon film rockers are prone to drift due to wear and dust accumulation with use, MSI has selected more durable Hall-effect components for its left and right joysticks and LT and RT shoulder buttons, thereby increasing the durability of the handheld.
Many players are starting to worry about the accuracy of the Hall joystick, which actually seems to me to be a bit too much.
I used the Steam Controller Configurator, "Wonder Corsa" and other games to experience, first of all, I would like to give praise to the MSI Claw handheld game console's Hall stick and trigger for the precise and light control feel. Secondly, because I don't have to worry about the "displacement" damage of the handle in the later stage, I don't have too much to worry about when I use the reels to frantically combo all kinds of sassy operations, and the game operation is very smooth.
In addition, the MSI Claw handheld game console comes with the ability to adjust the dead zone range and sensitivity of the Hall joystick, for example, it can reduce the dead zone and increase the sensitivity in games with sensitive operation such as racing, and can appropriately increase the dead zone and reduce the sensitivity in games with less stringent operation, which can reduce misoperation, which is really a must-have for high-quality play.
The controller operation is definitely a highlight of the MSI Claw handheld game console.
As we all know, Windows desktop operation is not friendly to handheld devices. MSI has added optimizations to the system for the operation of joysticks and buttons. When I turn on "Desktop Mode", the left stick moves the cursor, the right stick scrolls up/down, A key left-click, B key right-click, the learning cost is not very high, but it will take a while to get used to. Of course, if you want to use it as a regular PC, I still recommend connecting a wireless keyboard and mouse or a wired keyboard and mouse via a docking station.
Considering that some users may find it inconvenient to operate the Windows system interface with a controller, MSI provides the MSI Center M interface, which can be regarded as the interface of the core system of the MSI Claw handheld game console. This interface is similar to the main system page of consoles such as PS5, containing a catalog of games, as well as shortcuts to functions such as Wi-Fi, scenes, Bluetooth, etc., which are convenient for controller operation.
I strongly recommend that you set the MSI Center M interface or Steam screen mode to auto-start at boot, so that you can quickly launch the game after booting, and realize the maximum value of MSI Claw handheld game console as a handheld computer - after all, spending time and energy in the process of starting the game will greatly discourage me from continuing to play games.
The right button can call up the shortcut settings bar, which can quickly adjust the screen brightness, system volume, power on and off, and turn on hardware monitoring (similar to the hardware monitoring function in MSI Afterburner).
In addition, we can also customize this setting bar to add screen refresh rate adjustment (toggle between 48Hz, 60Hz, 120Hz), screen resolution adjustment (toggle between 720P and 1080P), performance mode adjustment (CPU power consumption can be defined) and other functions to meet the needs of different games (to reduce game lag or extend the battery life of the whole machine, etc.).
The shortcut settings bar is as feature-rich as the super easy to use SteamDeck hotbar, and from my perspective as a PC gamer, I hope the software can refine the interface and enrich features such as limiting the number of frames in the system. Of course, as MSI's first new handheld game console, the Claw handheld game console has a very good degree of completion, and I hope that it will continue to be optimized and upgraded in the future.
It is worth mentioning that the MSI Claw handheld game console also has an artificial intelligence engine function, which can eliminate complicated settings and adjust the system performance, power consumption, sound and lighting effects according to our personal usage habits, which is a feature that I like very much.
Gameplay experience
The most beautiful thing about Windows handheld devices is the widely compatible all-platform gaming experience (XGP hooray!), which can run any PC game, and it is not only convenient to install mods, mods, but also various console emulators.
Frequent handheld users will say that on small screen devices under 7 inches, 30FPS can bring people an extremely smooth gaming experience, as long as the frame rate is stable, there are no obvious frame drops and stuttering. Blockbusters such as Zelda on Switch implement this standard, and even if the frame drops occasionally to around 20 in large scenes, we still enjoy it.
The paper performance of the MSI Claw handheld game console is definitely the top existence in the handheld, how smooth is the actual play, and can people immerse themselves in triple-A games?
We tested a number of popular PC titles with two versions of Intel graphics drivers, DX12 for the graphics interface, XeSS enabled (if games are available), and tested at 1280x720 resolution. Most games run well on MSI Claw handheld game consoles, and Intel will launch drivers to further improve the smoothness of triple-A masterpieces.
The medium quality of "Resident Evil 8" exceeded 110FPS, and the game process was very smooth.
Forza Horizon 5's frame rate and experience are also good, with 720P low image quality running smoothly at 65FPS, and the lowest frame rate can be close to 60FPS, indicating that the game is really well optimized.
What I didn't expect was that most of the scenes in the low-quality Dying Light 2 game were able to break 60FPS, which was smooth.
Usually third-person action games only need to be above 30FPS to be smooth. Measurements have measured that most of Naraka: Bladepoint's single-player scenes can get close to 60 FPS, but when encountering large multiplayer melees, the frame rate will drop to around 40 FPS, so I recommend limiting you to 30 FPS to play such third-person action games.
However, the experience of "The Witcher 3" is very good, and the picture looks very good in medium quality, even in the main city with extremely high performance requirements, the frame rate can far exceed 30FPS.
It is worth mentioning that,Medium image quality"Divine Power Corsa" can maintain 120FPS+ high frame rate operation for a long time,The whole process is quite silky,With 120HzHigh brush screen,The smoothness of the picture and the operability of the game have been greatly improved,Every braking point before entering the corner is better controlled。 I have to say that playing racing with a handheld is really a cool thing, and there will be an illusion of driving a real car with the steering wheel in your hand!
In my opinion, the MSI Claw handheld is a great device for playing all kinds of small and medium-sized indie games in fragmented time - even in power saving mode (20W power consumption), it has more than enough performance. For example, "Diver Dave", which still has some requirements for performance, can stabilize the frame rate at 60FPS, and can be linked to Hall sticks and key macros to fish, which is much more comfortable than sitting in front of the computer and playing with a keyboard and mouse.
Of course, a high-frame, long-term and stable gaming experience is inseparable from the support of excellent heat dissipation. MSI has equipped the Claw with an ambitious dual fan + dual heat pipe cooling system. I tested its heat load with AIDA64 at room temperature 26°C. The results show that the off-powered CPU continues to output 35W, and the host temperature can be controlled at a very safe 80 degrees. When connected to power, it can continue to output 40W, and the performance release is stronger than other PC handhelds on the market.
In terms of battery life, the Claw 53Whr's large battery has a clear advantage over other handhelds, and can support more than 2 hours of triple-A games (other PC handhelds usually use about 1 hour) and more than 5 hours of light gaming, and I used the PCMark 10 office battery life test to achieve 6 hours and 31 minutes, which is a good result for a PC handheld.
Of course, a great gaming experience is also inseparable from a high-quality screen. MSI Claw handheld game console has the best screen quality among PC handhelds, using LCD panel, 7-inch 120Hz, 1920*1080 resolution, which can cope with games such as "Divine Power Corsa" and "Dota 2" that can reach more than 100FPS and low latency.
I also tested the color performance of the display, and the results showed that Claw fully covered the sRGB color gamut, which ensures excellent results for both games and TV content, and the 500 nits screen brightness is enough for playing in bright light environments.
In addition, the Hi-Res Audio and Nahimic sound provided by the MSI Claw handheld game console are also commendable, and when this feature is turned on, the sound of the MSI Claw handheld game console has a surround feeling similar to Dolby Atmos, and because its speaker size is significantly larger than that of mobile phones and other devices, the sound is also very rich, which is much better than the SteamDeck. Even if we don't wear headphones, it provides good gaming and movie immersion.
It is worth mentioning that the MSI Claw handheld game console comes with a Thunderbolt 4 expansion port, which is more practical than other PC handhelds, with the ability to connect external storage devices and 4K monitors, as well as a dedicated graphics docking station (MSI will launch a dedicated docking station in advance), so that the handheld can adapt to more use cases, not only handhelds, but also a full-spec AI PC.
summary
To sum up, MSI Claw handheld game consoles are making great progress in industrial-grade design, flagship hardware configuration, and Windows software ecosystem. Although like all first-generation products, there is still room for improvement in its UI interface, 3A game driver optimization, etc., its overall cost performance, its own factory, its own molds, independent research and development, and the quality certification of the MSI brand have made it stand out as a highly recommended option.
If you're looking for a Windows handheld device that can play triple-A titles and indie games with ease, then the industry's first Claw handheld console with Core Ultra from first-tier manufacturer MSI is worth considering. Two years of national warranty and as many as 500 offline after-sales service centers across the country, there will be no worries, interested partners can search for [Claw handheld game machine] on major e-commerce platforms for details.