In the world Of the Transformers toys, there is a concept known as “redecorations.”This is when the manufacturer takes the mold to a figure but uses A different color plastic or paint and calls it a new figure. While testing the MSI Claw, a gaming handheld from a PC manufacturer, all I could think was that it looked like a new version of the Asus ROG Ally.
That’s not great because I rated the Ally pretty poorly (although Asus’ new ROG Ally X fared slightly better). So we’re left with what feels like a new version of a poor product, but other factors make the Claw even worse. It took a while for our test unit to arrive at our door, but in June, just a few months after the Claw launched, MSI announced two new successors It’s expected to arrive this fall. Interestingly, despite the poor reception at launch and the onslaught of sequels looming, the Claw is still on sale. So here’s a public service announcement: don’t buy it.
Obsolete hardware
Where the MSI Claw differs from the original ROG Ally is minimal. It uses an Intel processor instead of AMD on the Ally, it has a 53 watt-hour battery instead of 40 Wh, and the power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor is on the left instead of the right. Yes, there are a couple more minor hardware differences, but the similarities are much more prominent. The button layout is nearly identical, right down to the two customizable rear paddles. It has the same 7-inch 1080p, 120Hz display, the same 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, and the same 512GB solid-state drive.
Photography: Eric Ravenscraft
You can get a slightly upgraded model with a 1 terabyte SSD and an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (which is the model I tested), but with the recent release of the ROG Ally X, you probably shouldn’t. The Claw’s replacement, the MSI Claw 8 AI+It has better specifications and is not far behind.
Frankly, I could end the review here. Hardware iterations may move quickly, but it’s rare to see a company announce a successor to a product three months after the original’s release. There’s no good reason to buy the MSI Claw instead of waiting for the next model. But we should still talk about how this model performs as a reference. And, well, the bar is already pretty low.
A square
At this point, when I open up a new Windows-based handheld gaming console, I know I’m in for a long period of wrestling with the interface to get even the most basic things to work. I don’t like judging on a curve (the sort of UI issues that get overlooked on devices like this would be inexcusable on, say, the Nintendo Switch or even the Steam Deck), but even with my expectations set, I found myself constantly frustrated.
Photography: Eric Ravenscraft