June Wan/ZDNET
The handheld gaming space grew by one as MSI unveiled their Steam Deck competitor, the Claw A1M. The portable gaming console is the first to be built with Intel’s new Core Ultra chipset, which uses advanced AI algorithms and on-chip video codec support for enhanced video quality while streaming games as well as improving performance under heavy workloads. And while some first-look specs are impressive, a few of MSI’s decisions leave me scratching my head.
Also: What do you get for the gamer who has everything?
For the GPU, the Claw A1M uses an Intel Arc card, which is pretty much a beefed-up, standalone version of their readily available integrated Xe graphics chips. Here’s what makes this interesting: The Intel Arc support forum is bursting with complaints of Arc cards causing crashes and glitches, as well as flat-out not working with a whole host of games.
The problem seems to stem from various driver updates being incompatible with various games and launchers, so we’ll have to wait and see if Intel addresses the issue before the Claw launches pre-orders.
June Wan/ZDNET
However, there are a few bright spots: The 7-inch IPS display provides 1080p full HD resolution as well as a 120Hz refresh rate, the Claw A1M has a built-in fingerprint reader for added security, and it supports Wi-Fi 7 for faster, more stable online gaming.
Also: Valve’s Steam Deck turned this 40-year-old dad into a gamer again
So, if the MSI Claw A1M caught your attention, how does it stack up against the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally?
Specs
Steam Deck OLED
Asus ROG Ally
MSI Claw A1M
CPU
AMD Zen 2 4-Core
AMD Ryzen Z1/Z1 Extreme
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
GPU
AMD RDNA 2
AMD RDNA 3
Intel Arc
RAM
16GB DDR5
16GB DDR5
16GB DDR5
Storage
Up to 1TB internal, expandable with microSD
512GB internal, expandable with microSD
Up to 1TB internal, expandable with microSD
Display
7.4-inch OLED, 1280 x 800 90Hz
7-inch IPS LCD 1080p 120Hz
7-inch IPS LCD 1080p 120Hz
Battery
Up to 12 hours
Up to 12 hours
Up to 4 hours
Dimensions
11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches
11.02 x 4.37 x 0.83 inches
11.57 x 4.6 x 0.83 inches
Weight
640g
608g
675g
While the MSI Claw A1M has some promising specs, the known issues surrounding the Intel Arc graphics drivers is going to make it a hard sell in a market that is already dominated by the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.