To enable it on supported Claw units, Insiders can head to Settings, then Gaming and Full Screen Experience, set Xbox as the Home app, and choose to enter it at startup. Microsoft reiterates that the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X have it already, and that additional OEMs will receive support “in the coming months.” This MSI rollout is a part of this staged preview, following its debut on Asus hardware.

Bottom line: If Microsoft keeps tightening boot flow and input handling, the Xbox Full Screen Experience could turn Windows handhelds like the Claw into “pick-up-and-play” machines. They would feel less like desktops and more like consoles with better mainstream appeal.

The MSI Claw is the latest attempt by a major PC gaming hardware company to enter the handheld gaming PC market. Following in the footsteps of companies like Lenovo and Asus, MSI’s system will also be making use of Windows 11 as its operating system of choice, but interestingly it makes use of Intel’s Core Ultra chip, as opposed to the AMD chips used by other handheld gaming PC systems.

The full specs of the MSI Claw were revealed back in January during CES 2024. Among other things, the MSI Claw will feature 16GB of dual channel LPDDR5 RAM, a 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and graphics powered by Intel Arc. On the software side of things, the UI for the MSI Claw will be handled by the MSI Center M, while the presence of the MSI App Player will also allow the Claw to support playing Android games.

Owing to Intel’s technology, the MSI Claw features up to 8 Xe cores in its integrated graphics processing hardware. This also allows the handheld to make use of features like XeSS super-sampling, as well as a host of advanced video codecs like AV1, H.265 and VP9.

Other features of the MSI Claw include MSI’s own Cooler Boost Hyperflow technology that makes use of dual fans and heat pipes, and a 53Whr battery, which the company claims offers 2 hours of battery life when the device is under a full workload. The system features a 7-inch 1080p display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

On the software side of things, the MSI Claw runs on Windows 11, and makes use of the MSI Center M UI to offer a more controller-friendly interface, allowing quicker access to key features and settings, as well as a game launcher. Owing to its support of the MSI App Player, the Claw will also support Android games.

Here are the full specs for the MSI Claw:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core Ultra 7
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro
• RAM: 16GB dual channel LPDDR5
• Display: 7-inch, 1920×1080, 120Hz IPS-Level panel
• Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics
• Storage Slot: 1 NVMe M.2 2230 PCIe Gen 4 SSD
• Sensor: 6-Axi IMU Vibration Motor
• Connectivity: Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750, Bluetooth 5.4
• I/O Ports: Thunderbolt 4 / USB Type-C / DP, microSD card slot, audio combo jack
• Battery/Adapter: 6-Cell, Li-Polymer, 53Whr/65W USB Type-C PD 3.0
• Dimension: 294 (W) x 117(D) x 21.2(H) mm
• Weight: 675g

In terms of physical design, the MSI Claw doesn’t seem to differ too much from other handheld gaming PCs in the market. It features a massive display in the center, flanked by buttons and analogue sticks on both sides.

Other leaks have provided some more details about the system’s hardware. According to leaked benchmark results, the MSI Claw reportedly runs on an Intel Meteor Lake chip. The benchmark, uploaded to Geekbench back in December, indicates that the Claw will run on Windows 11, and will feature a 16-core CPU clocked at 3.80GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.78GHz. Topping things off is the fact that the Claw will reportedly feature 32GB of RAM.

Unfortunately, no other details, such as internal storage, or even display resolution and screen size, are currently available.

Interestingly, MSI’s offering is setting itself apart from its competitors, including the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go by making use of an Intel chip rather than one made by AMD.

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— Алексей (@wxnod) January 5, 2024