MSI Claw Review: Swing and a Miss

The Claw is MSI's first foray into handheld PCs, and while they shot for the moon, their aim was more than a little off. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly of this device and demonstrate why it can't compete with other handhelds on the market -- even against those that are significantly cheaper.

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Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
02:09 how we got here
03:20 things I've learned about the Claw
06:14 the good things
10:31 the bad things
17:51 the ugly things
23:14 comparison with Deck and Ally
31:59 PC gaming and value summary
33:24 summary and conclusion

Theme song written by Jim Gray of Our Ghosts:

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This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only.

#MSI #MSIclaw #handheldPC #SteamDeck #ROGally #pcgaming

[itchimo]

I appreciate the fact that you waited before doing the review. You were being more than fair with MSI/INTEL. I don't want to pay to be a beta tester for a inferior product.

[jinx]

not many reviewers actually spend time with a product and live with it in order to give a true objective review and i think thats why retro game corps is up there with the best if not THE best reviewer. Dude could be reviewing washing machines and i would still entirely trust the review because they are not rushed and are the results of weeks of living with the product. Thanks for putting that time in to make these reviews as honest as possible and i hope the channel just exponentially grows.

[shinyplaid]

34:48 “The only reason I’m keeping it is because I’m past my return window.” is a pretty scathing review all by itself. 😂

[meolive]

The fact that the Steam Deck with its now 2 year old hardware (except for the OLED screen) can still compete and in many cases outperform more expensive and more recent handhelds is pretty amazing.

[jtdx_]

Tried one in-store and was shocked to see the hefty price tag. They need to price it similar to the Steam Deck to even get some consumers to consider

[Daidoart]

Finally a Claw review from my favorite YouTube channel

[Syssnck]

You're putting more time and care into your reviews than MSI put into this handheld device. Thank you so much for this review and it's such a shame, that the Claw doesn't deliver.

[Madblaster]

21:10 I would have locked the Ally to 60FPS like the SD. Could have been closer to 2 hours and I'm sure if you lower the TDP you can still get 60 FPS and increase the battery life more.

[JavierHerrerag]

Retro game Corps is my fav channel. Period. Love this man's reviews!

[FostersHomeFG]

Damn! Russ didn't tell me I needed a Snack and Drink. =(
Luckily I'm eating lunch =)

[EricCarter]

I was waiting and anticipating this video for so long and actually didn't know if you were going to review this device. I'm glad you did, this was a fantastic and thorough review!

[KristopherCost]

Excellent review! I appreciate you taking the bullet for us with this handheld.

[TOAST]

This one is for people that say Russ is too nice of a reviewer... Great work as always btw

[tebo]

The claw is a lost cause. Let's move on to the next device. Great review by the way

[mattb]

Good review and analysis! I am more than happy with my Steam Deck. Valve already really set the bar insanely high!

The fact that the MSI Claw has constant stuttering in many games (amongst the other issues) at its current price is completely unacceptable. Hopefully MSI will be able to work out a lot of these issues, but I'm surprised many of these issues weren't already addressed and corrected before it even hit the market!

[KrazyShark]

Man this review just made me realize how much of a beast the Steam Deck is. 750$ for the MSI Claw... the stutters are unacceptable, this really feels like a prototype. This is why I'm always on guard whenever there's a "Me-too" product from other brands, even well known ones cause I know the lack of polish that the "original" does not have will always make the product suck. When I bought my HP PC tablet many years ago that supposedly was just like a Microsoft Surface, the UI and overall experience was just so bad that it still leaves me with a bitter taste to this day.

[FORZALEGEND]

Massive respect for you waiting to review the device. Wasn't there day one like other reviewer's after a quick buck.

[trbdann]

I am now starved and parching because I was not prompted to grab a snack and drink.

[positivepig]

absolutely love you're channel, and i'm honestly refreshed to see you didn't bullshit on the title with some clickbait bullshit of 'will they won't they?' so just judging on knowing what it generally is and that i usually agree with you and that it looks like this isn't up my alley i can actually skip the vid for the most part and get on with my day. great work great work great work x3. keep me updated on all the minutiae when u can, damnit!

[randomcommenterurl]

Although I’ll never buy it, I’m glad it exists. AMD is already stagnating with the 8000 series not bringing much to the table. With competition there will be more incentive for progress