Technology would possibly look like it is always shifting ahead on a curve, but it surely’s typically cyclical. Flip telephones, prompt cameras, and document gamers have all made a comeback. Now it is the gaming handheld’s flip. While Nintendo has all the time had a handheld available in the market, Windows-based transportable gaming units appear to have taken off previously couple of years, with main producers speeding to deliver their merchandise to market.
MSI is a kind of producers. The Taiwanese agency unveiled the MSI Claw A1M, its Intel-powered handheld gaming PC, within the sea of AMD-powered handheld gaming PCs at CES 2024. The system was formally launched in India in March, days after its world launch, however preliminary availability was suspect. Now, the Claw is on the market within the Indian market in three variants — a base mannequin operating on Intel Core Ultra 5 processor and packing 512GB of SSD storage, a middle-tier mannequin with Core Ultra 7 chipset and the identical storage capability and a top-end Core Ultra 7-powered mannequin with 1TB of SSD storage.
The Core Ultra 5 mannequin of the MSI Claw A1M launched in India at Rs. 88,990, whereas the Core Ultra 7 fashions had been priced at Rs. 96,990 and Rs. 99,990 for the 512GB and 1TB storage variants, respectively. MSI has since revised the pricing for the hand-held, slashing it down significantly to Rs. 59,990 for the bottom variant, with the 2 Core Ultra 7 variants coming in at Rs. 66,990 and Rs. 69,990.
But is the Meteor Lake-powered MSI Claw A1M a worthy competitor to merchandise from Asus and Lenovo that run on the AMD Ryzen Z1 sequence of processors constructed particularly for gaming handhelds? I spent an prolonged time frame testing out the MSI Claw A1M, and whereas there are some things the hand-held does properly, there’s loads that misses the mark. As a Windows-based gaming handheld, the competitors with the ROG Ally and the Legion Go, but it surely typically feels prefer it’s going in opposition to its flaws.
The MSI Claw is way larger and beefier than the Nintendo Switch
MSI Claw A1M Design: The proper match
- Dimensions – 294mm (width) x 117mm (depth) x 21.2mm (top)
- Weight – 675g
- Colour – Black
If you picked up the Claw and ignored the MSI branding on the back and front, you would be forgiven for mistaking it for the Asus ROG Ally. The Claw A1M arrived on the heels of the Ally, and you may’t assist however really feel that MSI took a number of notes. I did not have the unique ROG Ally at hand to check, however the Claw sports activities a strikingly comparable look to the ROG Ally X, particularly because the refreshed handheld from Asus now is available in black.
The MSI Claw bears a putting resemblance to the ROG Ally
The Claw A1M is snug to carry regardless of weighing a bit on the heavier facet at 675g. My arms by no means uninterested in holding it up, even once I performed on it straight for a few hours. The all-black plastic building offers it a sturdy really feel, and the grips’ angular curves settle into your palms fairly naturally. The handheld’s ergonomic design and environment friendly structure be sure that you are by no means sweating and stretching to achieve a button, even when you’ve got brief thumbs like me.
The handheld, nonetheless, lacks a design aptitude — one thing to make it stand out. The ABXY buttons aren’t color coded both, leaving the RGB lights to do the heavy lifting by way of bettering the general boring look of the Claw. The ABXY face buttons and the Hall-Effect analogue sticks really feel clicky and responsive, however the D-pad and the bumpers are a bit floaty and do not give satisfying suggestions. The 4 fast motion buttons hugging both facet of the show that deliver up View, Menu, MSI Center M software program and Quick Settings overlay additionally lack pronounced suggestions.
The MSI Claw sports activities vents on its bottom
MSI Claw A1M Display: Gets the job completed
- Size – 7-inch “IPS-level” contact show
- Resolution – Full-HD (1,920×1,080 pixels)
- Refresh Rate – 120Hz
The Claw’s 7-inch touch-enabled panel is a spotlight. While this display screen measurement is a bit small for some Windows-based duties (in the event you intend to make use of the hand-held PC as a PC), it is greater than satisfactory for gaming — particularly smaller indie titles and platformers. The show additionally goes as much as 500 nits of peak brightness — sufficient for if you’re outside however not if you’re beneath direct daylight. You additionally would possibly need to preserve the brightness on the decrease facet when indoors and through nighttime to preserve battery.
The display screen is crisp and has good colors and responsive contact features. I discovered myself navigating the Windows maze with a mix of the left analog stick as cursor management in Desktop Mode (we’ll get the 2 management modes later) and a touchscreen for fundamental enter. The draw back, nonetheless, is that the display screen picks up fingerprints relatively rapidly, and a protector is advisable to assist keep away from scratches and smudges.
The Claw’s prime facet comes with a microSD card slot, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack
MSI Claw A1M Software: More Windows PC than console
On the OS facet, the MSI Claw A1M runs Windows 11 Home, with the hand-held struggling acquainted points present in Windows-based handhelds. While Microsoft’s OS affords versatility and adaptability, the working system simply is not constructed to be intuitive on a 7-inch touchscreen. The fixed bottlenecks, bugs, and run-of-the-mill Windows stuff forestall you from simply selecting up the hand-held and taking part in. The endless Windows and Intel driver updates are inclined to make you groan each time they present up, and the hand-held begins feeling like an insatiable beast that must be on a continuing drip of updates to operate.
Some OS-based points additionally appear exacerbated on the MSI Claw A1M. In one occasion, the taskbar stubbornly remained pinned inside the sport window, with quitting and restarting the one measure that labored. In one other occasion, I’d preserve getting notifications for an Intel driver replace regardless of downloading the stated replace earlier. These points, whereas small, are inclined to accumulate and change into obstructive in the best way of getting enjoyable. A handheld gaming system is all about comfort. It’s about selecting it up, taking part in in your sofa or mattress, and never worrying about fixing stuff earlier than you get it up and operating. That’s the place SteamOS on the Steam Deck, which affords a console-like intuitive expertise, wins out over each different Windows-based handheld gaming PC.
The Windows OS and its endless updates can go away you pissed off
Windows-based gaming handhelds include proprietary and customized software program constructed by the producer to streamline the consumer expertise and act as a bridge to console-like intuitiveness. Asus places the Armoury Crate SE software program within the ROG Ally, and Lenovo affords the Legion Space interface on the Legion Go. These double as a central software program hub from the place you may launch your video games throughout totally different providers, tweak system settings, verify for firmware updates, remap controller buttons, entry captured media and extra. While these do not adequately mimic the native OS expertise, they do assist tide over among the frustrations linked with Windows.
The Claw A1M comes with the same software program, known as the MSI Center M. Contrary to make the software program expertise extra palatable, the interface finally ends up marring the expertise additional. When it really works, it really works positive, however the MSI Center M, in my expertise, remained a buggy, unreliable mess. The launcher offered a laggy interface that stored operating into enter points. The Center M software program, which could be introduced up at any level by tapping the Claw key on the left fringe of the show, typically did not register the left analog stick and button enter, leaving me to depend on D-pad and contact enter. Restarting the system fastened the issue each time, but it surely occurred so typically that I virtually stopped utilizing the customized interface altogether, solely stepping into to tweak some settings.
The MSI Center M software program offered a number of points
MSI’s Quick Settings overlay was the worst UI/UX offender on the system. To start with, it typically fails simply to indicate up. I’d press the Quick Settings key a number of instances, just for the overlay to pop up seconds later. And bafflingly, if you faucet on a specific choice inside the overlay to toggle it on or off, the contact enter additionally registers on the window behind it. So, in the event you deliver up the Quick Settings menu inside a recreation to observe efficiency or take a screenshot, you are more likely to find yourself triggering an in-game motion.
Both the MSI Centre M and the Quick Settings interface allow you to swap between the 2 management modes — Desktop and Gamepad. The former is supposed for use exterior of gaming whereas performing Windows-based duties, whereas the latter is your main management mode for enjoying video games, primarily mimicking an Xbox controller. While you may manually change your management mode at any level, ideally, the hand-held ought to detect the duty you are performing and swap to the mode greatest suited to it. And the MSI Claw A1M does that — besides it did it so unreliably and inconsistently that just about by no means had the controls switched to Gamepad mode when getting into a recreation.
The Claw has hassle switching between the best-suited management mode
This would end in controller inputs not working, and manually switching the management mode would not repair the difficulty, both. So, I resorted to twiddling with the in-game menu with the assistance of the touchscreen and the on-screen keyboard to vary enter strategies or simply quit, give up and restart — I discovered myself going with the latter after operating out of persistence sooner or later.
MSI Claw A1M Performance: Not fairly there
- Processor – Up to Intel Core Ultra 7
- RAM – 16GB of LPDDR5-6400
- Storage – Up to 1TB NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4 + M.2 2230 SSD slot for extra storage
- Graphics – Intel Arc graphics
Before speaking about efficiency, I ought to point out that the Core Ultra 7-powered evaluate unit I obtained had already been used and had some software program put in on it. As such, efficiency outcomes may range from that of a retail unit. Performance on the Claw A1M, regardless of a bunch of updates, stays inconsistent.
The chipset works throughout a TDP vary of 20-35W on DC energy (battery) and 20-40W on AC (whereas charging). These PL1 and PL2 (decrease and better energy limits beneath load) values could be manually adjusted in settings, or you may select between a choice of 5 pre-defined energy profiles, or as MSI calls it, “User Scenarios” — Performance, Balanced, Super Battery, Manual and AI Engine — that run throughout a TDP vary of 20-35W when unplugged (which is how I largely performed). Performance is meant to yield the perfect framerates however drains energy rapidly. It’s greatest to make use of this profile whereas taking part in demanding fashionable video games.
Playing Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on High preset, as an illustration, yielded body charges within the vary of 40-45fps. The common body fee dropped to the low 30s in busy areas or action-heavy sequences. At Medium settings, the body charges climbed to the 45-50fps vary, with the common hovering across the 47fps mark. Playing the sport in Low settings didn’t get well a number of frames, with the common body fee settling round 50fps. These numbers had been noticed within the Performance consumer state of affairs with Intel’s XeSS upscaling turned on in settings and the sport operating at 1080p decision.
Switching the consumer state of affairs to Super Battery in a graphically demanding title like Ghost of Tsushima led to the body charges taking a substantial hit. In this energy profile, even on Low graphical current (albeit with 1080p decision), efficiency stayed within the vary of 35-45fps, with dips in busier areas. Changing the preset to High would deliver efficiency firmly within the 30fps vary, with the common hovering across the 33fps mark — sure sections would drag it additional down within the 20s. Playing when plugging within the charger didn’t make a marked distinction in efficiency whereas taking part in in any energy profile.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the MSI Claw
The MSI Claw A1M can run triple-A titles at respectable framerates, however the efficiency remained inconsistent, with stuttering and lagging a daily characteristic. The state of affairs has improved because the handheld’s launch, with MSI pushing updates to enhance efficiency, however points clearly persist. The Claw offers a significantly better account of itself when taking part in much less demanding or older video games. Portal 2, as an illustration, ran with none hiccups at framerates constantly above 100fps — even with all graphical settings on High and the consumer state of affairs set to Super Battery.
Performance on indie platformer Spiritfarer was constantly above 90fps, crossing the 100fps mark on the Performance energy profile. On a barely extra demanding however older title like Dying Light, I received framerates within the 80-90fps vary within the Performance profile with settings turned High. There had been some dips, but it surely by no means went under the 60fps mark. In truth, even once I switched to the Super Battery profile, the sport ran comfortably within the 60-70fps vary with some graphical settings turned to Medium or Low.
There are some things that the Claw will get proper. Audio is carried out properly; the front-firing audio system are loud and crisp however by no means tinny. The haptics are additionally a constructive and, together with the audio, assist deliver a way of immersion whereas taking part in.
The front-firing audio system are loud and crisp, utilising Nahimic audio
MSI Claw A1M Battery: Not sufficient juice
- Capacity – 53Whr
- Charger – 65W PD adapter
While unplugged and totally charged, the Claw A1M would drain totally in lower than an hour taking part in Ghost of Tsushima on a Performance consumer state of affairs. In the Super Battery profile, the hand-held would final over an hour however properly under two hours. Playing demanding video games with the console not plugged in chews by the battery, and also you’re more likely to wrestle to get one full hour of battery life from the system.
The greatest technique to get essentially the most juice out of the hand-held is to stay to older or indie titles with the Claw operating on Super Battery profile at 20W TDP and graphical presets set to Low or Medium. I may stretch that handheld to 2 hours of use whereas taking part in video games like Portal 2 and Assassin’s Creed Chronicles. Since the Claw A1M’s launch, Intel has additionally pushed out driver updates that deliver an Endurance Gaming characteristic inside its Arc Control utility, which guarantees to steadiness body fee and energy consumption to cut back battery drain.
The MSI Claw can deal with older and indie titles fairly properly
MSI Claw A1M Verdict
The MSI Claw A1M feels firmly like a first-generation product that was rushed out when Asus put the ROG Ally in the marketplace. More importantly, MSI’s first-generation handheld suffers from inconsistent efficiency and fails to tell apart itself within the battery life division. Intel simply launched its Lunar Lake processor, and the Claw A1M’s Meteor Lake already appears outdated.
Asus has launched a refreshed model of the Ally, the ROG Ally X, with appreciable upgrades. On the opposite hand, the Lenovo Legion Go (Review) affords extra options with its removable controllers and big 8.8-inch QHD+ show. In the face of such competitors, the MSI Claw A1M can find yourself trying like a pale imitation. And when you add the unique ROG Ally and the Steam Deck OLED to the combo — each presently promoting at a a lot cheaper price level than MSI’s handheld, the Claw turns into a product unattainable to suggest.
It’s telling that MSI itself has introduced its subsequent technology of the Claw handheld operating on Lunar Lake. In truth, MSI is already thinking about Claw 2, Claw 3, and Claw 4. So, if the corporate is already so decidedly over its first-generation product, why ought to the patron stick round?
Pros
- Good show
- Nahimic audio implementation
- Haptics
- Sturdy construct high quality
Cons
- Inconsistent efficiency
- Disappointing battery life
- Generic design
- Windows-based bottlenecks
- Buggy MSI Centre M expertise
Ratings (out of 10)
- Design: 6
- Display: 7
- Software: 4
- Performance: 6
- Battery life: 6
- Value for cash: 5
- Overall: 6
