How to Choose Between MSI Claw and Steam Deck
The gaming portable PC market continues to expand with the latest portable devices being introduced by MSI, a well-known and trusted name in the PC market. With a more powerful set of specs and Windows 11 OS, the MSI Claw is a solid portable PC, but is more power enough to unseat the Steam Deck as one of the best portable gaming PCs? Here’s what you need to know.
Design and characteristics
When put side by side, Steam Deck and MSI Claw have a lot in common. Both feature large 7-inch displays in the center of the body (7.4-inch Steam Deck OLED display). They both also feature the same ambidextrous controller system, although they look slightly different as the Steam Deck joysticks and buttons are positioned differently. Steam Deck is also the only one of the two to offer touchpads on the controllers, making it easy to simulate mouse movements with just the flick of a finger.
However, things start to deviate a little from there. For example, the MSI Claw has much more pointed corners, while the Steam Deck remains rounded at the edges. Depending on which style you prefer, one may be more comfortable than the other. Personally, I prefer the more rounded look of the Steam Deck, and it never felt uncomfortable to hold, even when I was playing for hours. However, those sharp corners of the Claw can dig into your hands a bit if you hold the console tightly.
In terms of specs, I already mentioned that the MSI Claw has more impressive specs, taking into account the ASUS ROG Ally . Despite these improved features, the Steam Deck offers easier access to games thanks to the more optimized Linux-based SteamOS system. Here’s a full rundown of each portable device’s specs.
MSI Claw Features:
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Intel-based Ultra Core processor
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Processor: Intel Core CU7 155H-Intel Arc, Intel Core CU5 135H-Intel Arc
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GPU: Intel Arc Graphics
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RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5
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DISPLAY: 7-inch LED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
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SD CARD SLOT: Yes
Steam Deck Features:
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AMD APU (upgraded 6nm APU on Steam Deck OLED)
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Processor: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5 GHz (up to 448 gigaflops FP32)
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GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CU, 1.0 – 1.6 GHz (up to 1.6 Tflops FP32)
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RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5
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DISPLAY: 7.4-inch HDR OLED with 1280 x 800 resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits HDR peak brightness (Steam Deck OLED); 7″ LCD display with 1280 x 800 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate)
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SD CARD SLOT: Yes
As you can see, both devices have some key differences, the most notable being the higher refresh rate of the MSI Claw, as well as a much more powerful Intel processor. The AMD APU included with the Steam Deck is older and doesn’t offer as much power, but it does have some advantages that we’ll get into shortly. The original Steam Deck LCD display isn’t much different from the updated Steam Deck OLED display (the display is the biggest upgrade), but you can check out the full list of Steam Deck OLED display upgrades if you want to take a closer look.
When you look at things from a technical and hardware perspective, there is almost no reason to choose Steam Deck over MSI Claw. But as we all know, what is written down on paper is not always the full story.
Ease of play
To truly get the most out of your portable gaming PC, you’ll need something that’s easy to operate and navigate. In this regard, the MSI Claw and Steam Deck couldn’t be more different. Of course, if you decide to do any modding or emulation, you’ll need to become more familiar with Linux. But if you just want to install and play Steam games, Steam Deck offers the easiest selection and play options.
That’s because SteamOS is built from the ground up to make getting up and playing a game as easy as possible. And he does it very well. On the other hand, MSI Claw, since it uses Windows instead of SteamOS, requires you to wade through the clunkiness of Microsoft’s beloved operating system. It’s not necessarily the most difficult task, but it does require more clicks and swipes to load games and launch them.
However, these extra steps come with a bonus: Because Claw runs on Windows, it’s compatible with a lot more games, including some that aren’t sold on the Steam marketplace. This means that games like Fortnite , Genshin Impact , and any other games not released on Steam are much easier to download and play on the MSI Claw. You can still play them on the deck, but it takes a lot more work to take care of it.
Additionally, Steam Deck has a variety of performance profiles freely available online that will help you optimize your games for the Deck, and many of them even start running with “Steam Deck” settings that will help you get maximum performance without sacrificing. great visual quality. Not all games have reached this point yet, but this is the advantage the Deck has over Claw. However, a more powerful CPU and Claw GPU will certainly provide better performance and graphics quality in most games. Ultimately, it’s about choosing the operating system you prefer to work on. If you just want the fastest, smoothest option that will get you into gaming as quickly as possible, Steam Deck is a clear winner.
Price
When it comes to price, the Steam Deck and MSI Claw aren’t all that different. The Steam Deck OLED retails for $549 for the 512GB storage option, but there’s also a 1TB storage option that you can purchase for $649 if you feel like you need the extra space. On the other hand, the MSI Claw starts at $699.99 for the model with an Intel Core CU5 135H processor and 512GB of internal memory, but goes up to $799.99 for the top model equipped with an Intel Core CU7 155H processor with 1TB of internal memory. There’s also a mid-range variant with CU7, which has just 512GB of storage and costs $749.99.
Both the Steam Deck and MSI Claw offer a solid PC gaming experience, and both feature expandable storage via SD cards to help you carry more games with you. If you want the most powerful of the two and don’t mind paying a little more, the MSI Claw is a solid choice that will pay off in the long run. But if you just want the easiest-to-use portable gaming PC on the market, the Steam Deck remains my clear recommendation.