MSI is the latest company to jump into the burgeoning portable PC gaming market, with the MSI Claw revealed and getting plenty of buzz this year. But now we finally have an official release date for the handheld.
According to a price list from Newegg, the Claw will launch on March 8, 2024 in the US in three variants: the $749 model will launch that day, and the $699 and $799 models will launch a week later on the 15th. of March. be equipped with the Core Ultra 7 155H or Core Ultra 5 135H processors. Some versions also have 512GB or 1TB storage options.
The MSI Claw is the first of the laptop PCs to use the Intel Core Ultra series. The Core Ultra 7 155H has 16 CPU cores and the Intel Arc graphics have 8 Xe-Core. The Core Ultra 5 135H comes with 14 CPU cores and 7 Xe-Cores.
The MSI Claw could be in trouble
It is quite strange that the release date and pre-orders for the MSI Claw have been revealed so close to launch. It's a huge waste of valuable promotional time during which the pre-order period could have been used to better promote the handheld in the first place.
On top of that, while the specs of the MSI Claw are extremely impressive, it all comes with a hefty price tag that could impact its future sales. Because of the components it includes, the cheapest model available is still incredibly expensive at $699, which is higher than its competition's price.
Another problem is that its construction is quite similar to both the Steam Deck and the Levono Legion Go, making it difficult to sell any kind of unique quality. Especially since it is more expensive than other options, which would hardly convince anyone to invest when it is perceived to be more or less the same system.
This means that Claw is at a distinct disadvantage in terms of knowledge, aesthetics, and cost, which could seriously hurt its long-term success. It would be a shame, too, as it's clearly the most ambitious PC gaming handheld yet. Hopefully, it can find its place in the market and prove my doubts wrong, but we'll just have to wait and see.
