The MSI Claw will be one of the first portable gaming PCs to use an Intel Core Ultra CPU and the second to feature a variable refresh rate (VRR) screen. Previously, the Asus ROG Ally was the only handheld with that dynamic gameplay smoothing display technology, which is one of its main benefits, and — after much back and forth — MSI has now triple-confirmed that the Claw will also include a 7-inch, 1080p, 48-120Hz VRR screen.
Earlier today, I said that it would not feature a VRR screen; however, after specifically fact-checking with the manufacturer on Friday, MSI first stated that you could manually adjust it to 48Hz or 60Hz refresh rate if you preferred to go lower than the full 120Hz available.
MSI marketing expert Anne Lee now informs me that product management has clearly stated that’s a 48-120Hz VRR panel, which I confirmed over the phone implies it will vary its refresh rate dynamically and automatically, similar to the Asus ROG Ally. MSI also included a screenshot showing the Variable Refresh Rate setting enabled in Windows.
VRR is a generic term for technologies such as Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, which allow a screen’s refresh rate to match the frame rate produced by your system’s GPU. That means you won’t have choppy gameplay or screen tearing just because your visuals don’t reach 60fps, because the screen can automatically show 59fps, 50fps, or 48fps just well.
Without VRR, it is generally possible to manually set the refresh rate of displays. The Steam Deck allows you to choose arbitrary custom refresh rates of almost any number that the display supports, whereas the Lenovo Legion Go allows you to choose between 60Hz and 144Hz, for example.
However, VRR can be improved. The Asus ROG Ally’s VRR screen comes in helpful, especially when your game runs at 48 to 60fps, which is within its VRR range. A game running at 48fps on the Ally may appear smoother than one running at 59fps on the Lenovo Legion Go, for instance.
It appears that the MSI Claw will follow suit.
