MSI Claw gaming handheld with Intel Core Ultra 5 becomes available for pre-order

The MSI Claw didn’t break cover only as the first gaming handheld from the company but also as the first device with the newest Intel Meteor Lake processors. Showcased at CES 2024, it offers two CPU options: the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and Core Ultra 7 155H.

Among all the configurations, the base variant of the gaming handheld is now available for pre-order at MSI’s official website for $699, and it is expected to start shipping on March 12, 2024. There’s no clear word on when the other two variants will be available to pre-order in the US, but as the shipping date is close, they should be available on the official website soon.

On that note, we were expecting a pre-order discount given that the Lenovo Legion Go with a more capable AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme starts at the same price. It even goes on sale from time to time, which brings the starting price tag even lower (curr. $649.99 on Amazon). Asus ROG Ally with the same processor also drops below the $700 mark with frequent deals (curr. $689.99 on Amazon).

Of course, we have yet to see proper launch reviews and benchmarks of the MSI Claw, so it’s still too early to say whether the gaming handheld is a bad value at $699. As for the other specs, all the models feature a 7-inch IPS screen with FHD resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate. Also, all the configurations pack 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM running at 6400 MHz. You can learn more from the complete spec sheet and our hands-on video attached below.