MSI Claw's Pre-Order Price is Live, And It's a Serious Gut Punch
MSI's highly anticipated Claw handheld gaming PC has revealed its top-tier pre-order price: a staggering $1,799, leaving many in the gaming community questioning its market viability.
Remember when the MSI Claw was announced, promising a formidable Intel-powered contender in the surging handheld gaming PC market? We envisioned a fresh challenger, ready to duke it out with the likes of Valve's Steam Deck and ASUS's ROG Ally. Well, the pre-order price for the highest-end configuration has just dropped, and it's not a gentle tap on the shoulder; it's a full-on haymaker to the wallet.
Brace yourselves: the top-tier MSI Claw is set to retail for an eye-watering $1,799.
Let that sink in for a moment. $1,799. For a handheld gaming PC. While we expected a premium for cutting-edge tech, this price point has vaulted the Claw out of the competitive arena and into a league of its own – a league where it might just be playing against itself.
The Price of Ambition?
The MSI Claw, particularly its flagship model, packs some impressive hardware: an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. On paper, it's a beast, leveraging Intel's new Meteor Lake architecture with integrated Arc graphics and XeSS upscaling. The promise is solid performance, a vibrant screen, and a comfortable ergonomic design. But at nearly two grand, the question isn't just "can it run Cyberpunk 2077?" but "can it run Cyberpunk 2077 twice as well as the competition?" (Spoiler: probably not).
Let's put this into perspective. A top-spec ASUS ROG Ally, which is already considered a premium device, sits around the $699 mark. Valve's Steam Deck OLED, a fan favorite, can be had for $549 to $649. Even the Lenovo Legion Go, with its larger screen and detachable controllers, launched at $699. For the price of one high-end MSI Claw, you could buy an ROG Ally and a Steam Deck OLED, and still have enough leftover for a stack of new games.
A Niche Too Niche?
So, who is this device for? Enthusiasts craving the absolute bleeding edge of handheld performance, regardless of cost? Or is this a miscalculation on MSI's part, a price tag that positions the Claw as a curiosity rather than a serious market contender? Historically, the handheld market thrives on accessibility and value. Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, even the more powerful ROG Ally – they all hit sweet spots that make high-fidelity gaming on the go a tangible reality for millions.
The Claw's price tag fundamentally undermines that accessibility. While Intel's foray into the handheld space is exciting, and MSI's build quality is generally well-regarded, the value proposition here seems entirely out of whack. It's difficult to justify such a premium when existing devices offer excellent gaming experiences for a fraction of the cost, even if they don't boast an Ultra 9 chip.
This isn't to say the Claw won't find any buyers. There's always a segment of the market willing to pay top dollar for the fastest, latest, or most unique hardware. However, for the vast majority of gamers eyeing an on-the-go PC, the MSI Claw's price point makes it an almost instant non-starter. MSI has a truly uphill battle to convince the gaming community that this kind of premium is worth the significant investment. The battle for your handheld dollar just got a whole lot more expensive, and surprisingly, less competitive for MSI.
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