Asus has just launched its newest handheld gaming PC, the ROG Ally X, as a premium upgrade to the (still readily available) ROG Ally. But how does it compare to another one of the big hitters in the market, the MSI Claw?
Although we haven’t tried the Ally X portable gaming machine for ourselves just yet, we’ve compared its specs to the MSI Claw which was announced at CES 2024. We have spent some time with the MSI Claw, however, even if we have yet to conclusively rate MSI’s handheld PC.
That said, here’s how the two gaming handhelds compare on paper.
Both have similar designs
Both share a similar design, especially now the ROG Ally X has an all-black finish much like the MSI Claw. Naturally as handheld devices, both promise to prioritise comfort for longer periods of gaming, with the Ally X featuring “more substantial handgrips with a carefully contoured curvature” and the MSI Claw “designed to fit the natural contours of your grip.”
The two handhelds are even near-identical in their weight, with the newer ROG Ally X weight 678g and the MSI Claw weight 675g.
Both also include RGB lighting and a fingerprint sensor for added security.
The MSI Claw runs on Intel’s latest laptop processor
Impressively the MSI Claw runs on the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and is actually the first gaming handheld to be powered by this. In our early verdict, our reviewer did note that as the MSI Claw uses integrated Intel Arc graphics, you shouldn’t expect “a high-end gaming performance.” Even so, he also noted that it was able to run Assassin’s Creed Mirage “perfectly well” with “no obvious slowdowns or frame rate drops”.
In comparison, the ROG Ally X runs on the gaming chip AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme and uses AMD Radeon Graphics.
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is fitted with Asus’ ROG Intelligent Cooling which keeps the device cool regardless of how you’re holding it. Similarly, the MSI Claw also features its “revolutionary” intraflow thermal design which redirects parts of the airflow to keep all components.
As we are yet to conclusively review either of the handheld devices we can’t verify if one is faster or more capable than the other.
The ROG Ally X has a Corning Gorilla Glass DXC coating
The ROG Ally X has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus display with a DXC coating. Not only does the Gorilla Glass increase hardness by over 40% to improve scratch resistance, but the coating helps reduce surface reflections to make it easier for users to see what’s on screen even in bright or outdoor lighting.
Aside from that, both displays are actually fairly similar with a 7-inch Full HD panel, 500-nit peak brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate too.
The MSI has access to the Google Play Store
Both the MSI Claw and ROG Ally X run on Windows 11 operating systems which means you’ll have access to most PC stores and apps including Steam, Game Pass and Epic Games Store. The MSI Claw even has access to the Google Play Store which gives you access to all the games available on Android smartphones.
The two also have different interfaces, with the ROG Ally X using the newly optimised Armoury Crate SE interface and the MSI Claw using MSI Centre M. The ROG Ally X includes a customisable game library, offers easy navigation, BIOS and driver updates while the MSI’s interface was designed specifically for handheld devices and offers quick settings, macro-keys settings and a control mode.
The ROG Ally X has a better battery life
The MSI Claw promises to be a huge improvement with its battery life, offering 53Wh which MSI claims is “best-in-class battery life” with power that supposedly lasts “50% longer compared to market average”.
The ROG Ally X however does better and boasts a massive 80Wh battery which is not only 27Wh more than the MSI Claw but even double that of its predecessor ROG Ally. As we haven’t tested either the ROG Ally X or the MSI Claw’s battery capacity ourselves, we’ll have to wait to see if these claims hold up.
What we do know is the ROG Ally’s 40Wh battery struggled to play triple-A console games for more than 90 minutes, so the ROG Ally X should in theory last for around three hours.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
