We know that MSI is attempting to take on the likes of the Steam Deck with its own device called The Claw. There were also leaks suggesting how much the handheld would cost, and now prices have been confirmed by the tech company.
As noted by Videocardz, MSI has listed three variants of its upcoming mobile gaming PC on its website. As you can see, they’re not exactly the cheapest. You’ll be having to fork over $699.99 for the lower end model, while the two more expensive ones will cost $749.99 and $799.99, respectively.
If you opt for the first, you’ll get a Claw device that’s powered by the Intel Core Ultra-5 processor. The midrange model will have the Ultra-7, as will the priciest one, but that will have 1TB of storage instead of 512GB.
A potential USP
Also, MSI’s device will be utilizing the Intel Arc graphics chip technology, something which the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go don’t have (these all use AMD). Whether this will be a unique selling point for The Claw is anyone’s guess at this stage.
As far as specs go, it’s going to give the Deck a run for its money, offering up slightly more advanced hardware, including a better screen and supposed stronger battery life. However, with that extra juice comes the price tag to match.
The other thing to say about The Claw is it uses Windows 11. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but the good thing about the Deck is that it’s gaming ready, linking users up to their Steam account from the first boot-up. That could be a win in Valve’s favor, but MSI and other competitors could also get the edge by offering more powerful handhelds.
