While the Steam Deck is clearly leading the market for portable PCs right now, there are still a fair number of competitors. The ASUS ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go are popular choices, but the Intel-based MSI Claw is a worthy rival that, thanks to its chipset, differs from the rest. If you’ve been looking for a handheld on a budget, you can now save $270 on this beast of a machine – but only while stocks last.
There are plenty of options filling up the best handheld consoles list, and none are as impactful as Valve’s offering. However, that doesn’t negate how impressive some of the Steam Deck alternatives are, and the MSI Claw’s unique Intel-based chipset makes it a standout amongst the crowd of AMD-based consoles.
Admittedly, the MSI Claw had a fair amount of issues when it launched. A high price, performance problems, and battery life woes had it fighting an uphill battle from the start. However, thanks to a variety of driver and BIOS updates, the handheld is now a worthy competitor – forget the war between Steam Deck OLED and ASUS ROG Ally X, the MSI Claw is entering the arena.
While there are several versions of the Claw, the one on sale houses the Intel Core Ultra 5-135H chipset, plus a 7-inch 1080p display and a 120Hz refresh rate to boot. It may be the weaker version on offer here, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive, and it still plays the best Steam Deck games with few issues. Considering most handhelds go for over $500, getting one for less than that is a great deal.
If you’re looking to enter the world of handheld PCs, you can grab the MSI Claw with a massive $270 off the standard retail price, dropping it down to just $439.99 at Amazon. Those in the UK don’t have as great of an offer right now, but you can still get the MSI Claw for just £519 as opposed to the usual £699 price tag from Amazon. The devices are still in stock in both regions, but those stateside will have to be quick, as there are only a few left in stock, and it seems like they’re selling pretty quickly.
Whether you’re looking to play the best action games on PC or dive into some excellent single-player games for an adventure of a lifetime, this MSI Claw deal is one you won’t want to miss. Alternatively, you could always find out what we know about the possibility of a Steam Deck 2 if you’re hopeful that Valve’s handheld will get an upgraded model in the near future.