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As such, it will likely provide excellent game performance.
It’s somewhat costly, but it is basically a small gaming laptop with controllers attached.
MSI Claw and Steam Deck are a similar weight, but the Steam Deck is thicker.
That being said, many people choose to customize the handheld and make it work with more services.
So, is Steam Deck or MSI Claw better?
That depends on what you intend to use the handheld for.
Once you’re done perusing, we’ll review what these specs mean for you as a consumer.
MSI Claw vs Steam Deck: Price
Let’s begin with the most significant issue the price.
Spending $399 gets you an LCD-screen Steam Deck with 64GB of storage and a carrying case.
MSI Claw and Steam Deck are a similar weight, but the Steam Deck is thicker.
Jumping over to MSI Claw prices might make your wallet weep a little.
The base Intel Core Ultra 5-135H version with a 512GB SSD costs $699.
Lastly, the 1TB SSD version also with an Intel Core Ultra 7-155H has a $799 price point.
There are three Steam Deck LCD versions at different prices as well as two Steam Deck OLED versions.
But that all being said, you shouldn’t choose a handheld based on its price alone.
You must also consider what you want to do with the equipment and which will offer the best experience.
However, there is more than just cost to consider.
MSI Claw running Assassin’s Creed Mirage at CES 2024.
When it comes to performance, the MSI Claw should have a good edge over the Steam Deck.
Now, this chip isn’t just a minimal yearly upgrade.
So, MSI being the very first handheld to utilize one is a big deal.
This Steam Deck has been customized to allow it to play Diablo IV, which isn’t on Steam.
As it is, the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED were designed with affordability in mind.
Steam Deck and MSI Claw are Storage-wise similar in that they offer 516GB and 1TB SSD versions.
The Steam Decks' third 64GB version can also appeal to those on a serious budget.
Colors come through beautifully on the MSI Claw’s 7-inch, 120Hz, IPS touchscreen.
TL;DR PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE WINNER:This is a split winner.
Still, theSteam Deckis designed to perform well with the specs it has.
Additionally, the Steam Deck and MSI Clawoffer 512GB or 1TB storage SSD.
The Steam Deck OLED has a gorgeous screen that displays true black and vibrant colors.
For those who want to really save money, the Steam Deck offers a tiny 64GB SSD.
That said, you don’t need an OLED display to enjoy your games.
From my time with the MSI Claw, the IPS touchscreen offered good coloring and contrast.
MSI Claw features ergonomic grips, haptic feedback, and Hall Effect joysticks.
Enough so I could playAssassin’s Creed Mirageon it without issues.
TL;DR DISPLAY WINNER:We have yet another split.
So, it depends on whether you value picture quality or refresh rate more.
The Steam Deck casing is a bit bulky and can be uncomfortable to hold for long stretches.
This put less pressure on my hands and fingers so I could hold it longer.
The Claw’s buttons and offset joysticks felt good and responded well to my input.
I’m also not a massive fan of the Steam Deck joysticks being at the same height.
MSI Center M allows for setting adjustment and game launching.(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
However, haptic touchpads are one thing the Steam Deck has that the MSI Claw doesn’t.
These can be very useful for navigating game menus or aiming at enemies with more precise control.
However, the Steam Deck does not have Hall Effect joysticks so that they can develop drift issues.
the MSI Center M Quick Settings make it easy to make adjustments mid-game.(Image credit: MSI)
However, MSI Claw has Hall Effect joysticks and triggers to prevent any drift issues from developing.
This gives you more freedom as a player to access games outside of Steam.
So you’ll want to take time to remove unnecessary programs and stop specific software from running at startup.
The MSI Center M’s Quick Settings Editor allows you to determine what shows up in the Quick Settings menu.(Image credit: MSI)
Then, the handheld will run efficiently.
Let’s move on to something I’m well acquainted with.
Steam Deck was explicitly designed to be a rig that played Steam games.
You can adjust the MSI Claw’s RGB lighting via MSI Center M.(Image credit: MSI)
Meanwhile, Steam Deck runs SteamOS and is specifically intended solely for running compatible Steam Deck games.
We’ll update this section after we do our own testing with the new unit.
I’ll update this section after I’ve completed testing on the MSI Claw.
The MSI Center M interface also lets you record macros.(Image credit: MSI)
Meanwhile, we have tested the battery life of the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED.
The original Steam Deck LCD can last between 83 minutes to seven hours, depending on parameters.
To be clear, a one-to-three-hour average isn’t great.
We’ll update this section after conducting some MSI Claw battery testing.
MSI Claw vs Steam Deck: Which should I buy?
So, it would be best to determine what you want most from a gaming handheld.
The Steam Deck interface is clean and offers plenty of settings options.
Anyone looking for a more powerful on-the-go gaming equipment should go for the MSI Claw.
This unit looks sleek, feels great to hold, and should run games smoothly.
you might surf the web, run programs, do homework, and more.
MSI Claw microSD card slot and power button.
Meanwhile, Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED are excellent handhelds available at much more affordable prices.
This is because they were explicitly designed to run games from your Steam Library rather than being full PCs.
It might be more expensive than the ROG Ally, but it will likely offer better performance.
The MSI Claw has more impressive hardware than the Steam Deck including the new Intel Meteor Lake chip.
Valve’s handheld was designed to access users' Steam library of video games.
Its useful trackpads give players more control over PC games that were designed to be used with a mouse.
It’s a good choice for those primarily accessing their PC games via Steam.
The Steam Deck runs compatible Steam Deck games very well, as intended.
