Portable PC gaming handhelds are quietly becoming one of the most anticipated tech innovations for 2024, and MSI is determined to dominate the competition. With the imminent arrival of The Claw, set to be officially unveiled at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, gaming enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the specific variants and hardware details.
While artificial intelligence, as represented by ChatGPT, won the Best Tech Innovation of 2023 award, it is the rise of handheld gaming devices that has captured the hearts of gamers. Valve’s Steam Deck and other competitors that have entered the market have piqued the interest of consumers, promising immersive gaming experiences on-the-go.
As CES 2024 approaches, numerous manufacturers are preparing to dazzle attendees with their latest technological marvels. One brand making a slight departure from its usual offerings is MSI, known for manufacturing motherboards. MSI has set its sights on the young market of portable gaming consoles, adding a gaming handheld of its own to its product lineup.
MSI had already teased its plans to announce a portable console at CES 2024, leaving gamers eager for more details. Unfortunately for MSI, an internal mishap within its Chinese marketing division led to accidental leaks, providing some insights into the upcoming device. The leaks, discovered and shared on Twitter by user @wxnod and covered by VideoCardz, hinted at certain components that gamers can expect.
One of the most exciting revelations is MSI’s choice of processor. The Claw is rumored to feature the brand new Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, a mobile CPU with a whopping 16 cores and 22 threads. This represents a significant leap in core count compared to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, the processor used in the popular ASUS ROG Ally. Even Valve’s Steam Deck relies on a custom-built AMD APU, making MSI the first major player to adopt Intel chips for a portable gaming handheld.
Intel has been striving to establish itself as a key competitor in the graphics processing arena, going head-to-head with NVIDIA and AMD. With their Arc range of desktop cards, Intel has made substantial progress, and this success will soon extend to integrated graphics in laptops designed for creators and gamers. The upcoming laptops, equipped with Intel Arc graphics, will benefit from the in-house Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) upscaling technology developed by Intel. Similar to AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), XeSS allows devices to render graphics at lower resolutions, improving performance and battery life while maintaining visual fidelity.
By leveraging the power of Intel Arc iGPUs and the optimizations made by the Intel Arc development team, MSI aims to deliver exceptional performance on the Claw handheld. If they succeed in achieving a level of performance comparable to the ASUS ROG Ally, coupled with the Claw’s increased CPU core and thread counts, we could witness the most powerful PC gaming handheld to date.
However, it remains to be seen if MSI can dethrone the current champion, Valve’s Steam Deck. Valve’s extensive Steam games library and advancements in compatibility through the Proton compatibility layer have solidified its position as the go-to option for handheld gaming convenience. A Windows-powered handheld like the Claw, focusing on raw performance potential, will need to prove itself against these worthy competitors to claim a spot at the top.
We eagerly await CES 2024 in Las Vegas, where our trusted editors, Daniel Rubino and Rebecca Spear, will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the latest technology on display, including MSI’s Claw. If MSI showcases the Claw for live demonstrations, rest assured that we will bring you exclusive insights and an honest evaluation of its potential as a competitive handheld gaming device.
In conclusion, the upcoming release of MSI’s Claw gaming handheld has sparked excitement among gamers worldwide. Boasting an impressive processor and leveraging Intel’s Arc graphics technology, the Claw could potentially dethrone its competitors and become the most powerful PC gaming handheld available. However, it remains to be seen how it will fare against Valve’s dominant Steam Deck. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from CES 2024 and provide in-depth analysis of the Claw’s capabilities.
