The strengths of the MSI Claw in detail:
Performance: I was pleased with the performance of the MSI Claw in the test: even the beta of Throne and Liberty ran fairly smoothly on the device. However, when you connect the MSI Claw to a large monitor, the performance noticeably drops. Without a connected charger, it is also over after a short time. My colleague Linhh from GameStar Tech was not so impressed with the MSI Claw and its performance in his test.
Sound: The built-in ports for sound are surprisingly good, and it is really fun to game with them. The ports are powerful and loud, not tinny like those on a gaming laptop.
Design: I really like the sleek design of the MSI Claw, but I am also a gamer who likes RGB.
Regular updates: During my testing period, the MSI Claw received updates or new drivers every few days. This can be a bit annoying at first, but it shows that the developers continue to support their handheld. On the other hand, it gives a bit of the feeling of being an “early adopter”.
Thumbsticks: The thumbsticks feel precise and very accurate.
The weaknesses of the MSI Claw in detail
The ergonomics: Personally, I got used to the somewhat angular design and ergonomics of the MSI Claw after two weeks of gaming, although I found the edges at the bottom particularly uncomfortable.
My wife was also able to hold the device and was never really satisfied with the ergonomics. According to her, the Steam Deck feels more natural in the hands, and the buttons on the Steam Deck are better positioned for her small hands.
Battery life: In my opinion, the biggest weakness is the weak battery life. A single update or a download via Steam can drain 10% of the battery in just 10 minutes if you do not have the device plugged in. Additionally, the RGB lighting consumes power, which is why I eventually turned it off completely.
As soon as you start a more demanding game, the battery drops drastically. With Wuthering Wave or even Everspace 2, it was over after 45 to 50 minutes. With this battery life, I can barely make it to the city center. After that, I either need a power outlet or a power bank in my backpack.
D-pad and shoulder buttons: The D-pad on my model is very stiff and does not feel great. The shoulder buttons feel too soft and spongy.
Volume: The cooling system of the MSI Claw does a good job, as the temperatures remain reasonably okay. However, the cooling is very loud and reminds me of my old PS4. Without headphones, the MSI Claw is unbearably loud.
Crashes: Occasionally, and only with certain games, the MSI Claw simply crashes. Even with recent updates, these problems persist. Sometimes, games like Atlas: Fallen can be launched without issues but then crash in the menu or after a few minutes.
Vibration features: Yes, the MSI Claw offers vibration in the controllers. However, it feels anything but good, and besides the RGB lighting, it was the feature I almost immediately turned off. Furthermore, vibration is a true battery killer.
Minor software issues: Occasionally, I had slight problems waking up the Claw when the display turned off. I still do not know why the Claw, in some cases, could not be woken up with a button press. In one instance, only a restart worked. I have mentioned the issue to MSI, and they want to look into it more closely.
Conclusion: The Steam Deck remains my favorite
For whom is the handheld recommended? If you want to install all your games, including Epic, Ubisoft Connect, and so on, on a handheld, then Windows handhelds are a good option. The performance is good, and the sound is too. The regular updates show the way in the right direction.
For whom is the handheld unsuitable? If you already own a gaming handheld like the Steam Deck or the ROG Ally, then the MSI Claw does not really offer anything new.
The biggest problem in my view for the MSI Claw is the new ROG Ally X: it costs a bit less than MSI’s top model (929 euros vs 899 euros) but offers a significantly better battery life. From this perspective, there is hardly any reason to support the MSI Claw. If I wanted to spend 900 euros on a handheld, I would either go for the Steam Deck OLED or the ROG Ally X.
Other gaming handhelds: You can find all the interesting gaming handhelds that you can currently buy and that are worth recommending in the following list directly on MeinMMO: The best gaming handhelds you should know about
- 1
- 2
