2024-03-12 16:40:57
Transforming your gaming PC into a portable console is quite simply MSI’s promise with its new portable console: the MSI Claw. A machine with an ergonomic and durable design that has several tricks up its sleeve to make video gaming enjoyable wherever you are.
Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid
Gamers who are constantly on the move can already count on MSI laptops to have fun wherever they want. But as with all laptops, they have disadvantages: they are often heavy and they are not really suitable for gaming in transport or on a sofa.
To meet the needs of gamers who can’t sit still, MSI was inspired by the world of portable consoles, to which the manufacturer added its know-how to design its first “portable PC console”. Presented during CES 2024, the MSI Claw is presented as a high-end portable console offering an experience similar to that of a gaming PC while being more ergonomic and practical. It is available today from major French retailers.
A design that serves players
Designed to offer a new way for gamers to enjoy their hobby, the MSI Claw does not seek to disrupt their habits. This therefore requires an intelligently designed and, above all, easy to use design. On this side, the challenge is easily met since the MSI Claw has a large central screen, framed by two handles for the buttons and triggers.
An easy-to-use console.
Once in hand, the console immediately lets players’ instincts speak thanks to very natural placement of buttons, joysticks and triggers. We do not destabilize their muscle memory, forged after years of practice. MSI has studied the market well, since the triggers and joysticks of its console use Hall effect technology, based on magnets, in order to prevent stick drift (a false contact which produces an unwanted action on the screen). Finally, two “palette” shortcut keys are located on the back of the console to access a series of menus with one click.
No risk of stick drift with the joysticks of the MSI Claw // Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid
The MSI Claw’s chassis is littered with cutouts, and it’s for good reason. Here again, MSI’s know-how is expressed in this area since these vents ensure effective cooling of the console. The Frandroid editorial team noted during its test that the MSI Claw benefits from an excellent cooling system. Better, the console is silent in game, with a fan that can barely be heard even at full power. Your eardrums and your partner will appreciate it when it comes to play in bed.
Cooling at the heart of design // Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid
The other strength of the MSI Claw’s design comes from its dimensions. If a gaming laptop PC can weigh up to 3 kg, the MSI console only weighs 675 grams on the scale. Not content with slipping easily into a backpack, it doesn’t tire your arms and hands, even after a few hours of play.
A PC in your hands
Just like the ergonomics of its design, a portable console must shine through its ability to run games (this is even the main interest). For the visual aspect, the MSI Claw is adorned with a 7-inch IPS LCD screen. Thanks to good calibration, the MSI console is capable of displaying a Full HD image (1920 x 1080 pixels) with good brightness and careful colorimetry. All without loss of fluidity, courtesy of a refresh rate peaking at 120 Hz.
A particularly well calibrated LCD screen // Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid
Always with the aim of offering an efficient gaming experience, the MSI Claw runs under Windows 11. PC gamers are therefore on familiar ground, with an interface that they master. Above all, this operating system poses no barrier to the installation of PC games, whether they are on a third-party store or on Microsoft GamePass. Players can therefore connect their game accounts in just a few seconds and find all their favorite titles.
An instinctive interface // Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid
To keep everything running, the MSI Claw has an Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 chip, depending on the model, with storage of up to 1 TB and 16 GB of RAM. The graphics part is managed by an Intel Arc chip. A technical sheet that manages to run all recent games in good graphic conditions. Players are therefore not limited to indie titles like Balatro or Dave the Diver and can launch the latest games of the moment, such as Helldivers 2 or even the future DLC of Elden Ring.
One of the strengths of the MSI Claw is its endurance. MSI offers, in fact, the portable console with the largest battery on the market: 53 Wh. An accumulator that allows the MSI Claw to last a full 2 hours before requiring a charge. A good point which allows you to start a game on public transport, then continue it in a waiting room, for example, without having to worry about finding a socket.
A controlled quality-price ratio
More portable than a laptop PC, the MSI Claw manages to offer a gaming experience similar to certain gaming computers while being more pleasant to use on a daily basis.
For its arrival on the market, the MSI Claw is available in 3 versions. The version with Intel Core Ultra 5 chip and 512 GB of storage is thus sold for 799 euros. For the version with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and identical memory, the bill rises to 749 euros. Finally, the MSI Claw with Intel Core Ultra 7 and 1 TB of storage has a price of 799 euros.
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