MSI - Claw A1M 7" 120Hz FHD 1080P Gaming Handheld-Intel core CU7 155H-Intel Arc-16GB-512GBSSD - Black

Great ergonomics for a handheld, can hold and play this all day. When I'm on the go, the only thing preventing from longer sessions is the battery life. Then again, 4 hours of modern AAA games is more than enough for anybody to be honest. Especially awesome now that I have a newborn, plays everything I want smoothly. Great speakers, hall effect joysticks, literally does everything I want, no hiccups. No game limitations like the steam deck. No hardware issues like the Ally (wifi dropping) or Legion Go (crackling speakers).

The MSI Claw is a very interesting piece of tech. Using Intel’s new Core Ultra processors and running Windows gives it a wide range of compatibility. However, since Intel’s processors are on the newer side, there seems to be a few little wrinkles on the software side. Intel does seem to be moving rapidly to improve its drivers and, in turn, performance. - Hardware – The physical feel and appearance of the Claw are excellent. Its weight feels very balanced, and it is extremely comfortable to hold, even for extended periods. I am one of those that like to rest my hands on a surface while I’m using a handheld, and I’ve found that the Claw is very comfortable for this. The grips feel great, and button placement feels natural as well. It’s also nice that where your hands are resting while using the Claw that they don’t block the speakers. The hall effect thumbsticks feel great too. Control feels precise and there are options to tweak them to suit your needs as well. Face buttons feel good too. Triggers are also a high point for me. The bumpers are not quite as satisfying feeling as the triggers, but they still feel good. The screen is excellent, 1080p resolution, high refresh rates, with good colors and the added benefit of VRR. Touch also works very well in my time using it. - Software – On the software side, there are a few things to be aware of. Like I mentioned before, some of the software is in its early stages, so, like other handhelds, it has a few issues but is rapidly improving. MSI’s control center has had a few updates already in the short time I’ve had the Claw, improving with each release. Graphics drivers and BIOS updates have also been rapidly improving. Each offering more performance and options. In fact, I was going to post a review earlier, but read about an upcoming BIOS release (109) that offered significant improvements, so I waited to get it installed and test some more. To MSI’s credit, the new update did bring significant improvements. They included a new “Overboost” mode along with other improvements that added performance in every game I tested. I imagine that each release of new Intel graphics drivers will offer further improvements as well. But the rapid pace that MSI is releasing BIOS and other updates shows they’re committed to the Claw. The other side of the coin is Windows. I really wanted a handheld that ran Windows natively. Not only are you able to run Steam on it, you get the added benefit of running any other launcher on there as well. For me, the big one being Xbox Game Pass. Having a subscription (which the Claw comes with a trial for), is an excellent way to play and try out games. Being able to play games from any launcher without jumping through a bunch of hoops is a huge plus to me. The downside of that being that some things aren’t quite optimized for the smaller screen, or without an actual mouse. Though the Claw’s thumbsticks do work to move the mouse cursor, and the Claw’s overlay will allow you to initiate the on-screen keyboard at any time. One issue I did have, was during the initial setup of Windows. The keyboard to enter information never showed. This seems to be a known issue, as MSI suggest you just restart the Claw using the power button, and this did allow me to continue setup. The overlay was very useful to me in general though. It includes options for screenshots/recording, switching performance profiles, getting frame information and more. Another benefit of running on Windows though, you also get the opportunity to use MSI’s Android emulator. Making it possible to play Android games on the Claw as well. Many of which support controllers, so it just adds another platform of games that are playable. - Perfomance – Performance can vary greatly between games on the Claw. I believe this is largely due to the lack of maturity of Intel’s Arc graphics. Some games, like the Forza games (Forza Motorsport 2023 and Forza Horizon 5) perform very well on the Claw. In the previous BIOS (106), there was some stuttering present in these games, but the latest BIOS (109) seems to have largely eliminated these issues. I don’t think the stuttering was a lack of performance, it seems related to something else, as it would be fairly consistent, then stutter for a moment. Going from framerates in the mid-30s to the mid-40s with the 109 update. Cyberpunk 2077 is another example of the performance gains. I was also about to get into the 40s with it as well. There’s plenty of room for tweaking to get added performance as well. I’m sure there will be even further gains as Intel and MSI make continued updates as well. I would say this is in line, performance-wise as other handhelds. Though it will vary between games. - Audio – I wanted to take a moment to point out how excellent the speakers are on the Claw. It has the best sounding speakers of any of the handhelds I’ve used. Far surpassing several of them. There is software that enhances the audio as well, imitating surround sound, that is very believable. This is also made even better by the speaker placement, making sure your hands don’t block the speakers as you’re holding the Claw. Pros: Great physical design and comfort, nice buttons and thumbsticks, good screen, excellent audio, rapid improvements to software Cons: Software inconsistency, some performance issues (though seemingly greatly improving), user experience isn’t super friendly just yet (also improving)

Quick Glance Pros: Hall effect joysticks Fantastic Nahimic audio Comfortable yet light for man hands Nice quick screen It's Windows for more than games RGB lights Fingerprint unlock for security 11+ foot 65w USB-C power cord Cons: No case Pricer than competition Not fully baked for all games SSD upgrade requires more effort I am liking the Claw so far and its potential to be very good is high. Nahimic audio is a clear winner and it feels great in hand for me, a grown man. It is definitely a work in progress and maybe not quite ready or easy for all game playing device. This machine like most tech items lately, was launched before the whole product is ready for every possible level of customer interaction is finished. No different than it's competitors. Yet, reviewers often fail to mention this when they tell you to buy their favorite handheld that has almost 2 years of updates under the belt. I do own a few of the other mobile gaming devices and they are further along. But don't count the Claw out quite yet. Updates are rolling in, things are improving and the community is helping others get this playing your favorite games. So, out of the box, there is no case included. It took 4+ hours of updates to clear out the list before I even tried to play a game as many say is a must before attempting to play a game (this is good advice). The typical Windows updates and personalization are easy and the MSI M Center live updates are also easy to do and follow. There is even a nice forum link for Claw user base to use in the M Center to help know the latest software to look for. Next you will be downloading your gaming platforms for the games you own or subscribe to, Steam, Ubisoft, Xbox, Epic, EA are already linked. I also needed GOG, but its an easy add. Most buyers of the Claw can get to this point and have the device running at its current level of completion (mid May '24). Now you are ready to game. This will be a hit or possibly miss issue for many. Surprise, not everything works well on the Claw. I still can't see FPS numbers for some reason. With M Center set to Ai Power, I jumped in. Troubleshooting hardware and software settings between device and the platform your game is on might be too much for basic users. I have games from almost every game platform because of sales and freebies. So I installed a favorite game or two from each to test the Claws ability. Most games are playable with default settings like Forza 5 and Bioshock that just played great for me. Yet, Minecraft plays, but stutters and has a sluggish right stick and likely needs more tweaks to play better. Other games I tried like Far Cry 4 start, but I can not map the controls at all (tried in game and M center). So, after the initial story cut scene finishes, I can't use any onboard controls to move anything other than look. Maybe an expert knows what I am missing over my mid-level knowledge, sure it's a simple toggle. But, I think if most of your games are Steam or Microsoft (XBOX) you will have better success than if your games plays off some of the other gaming platforms that might need more tweaks or support to run better. YMMV Overall, when compared to my other mobile device that mostly works after years of updates. The Claw is gonna take a bit more love to compete. I am seeing daily updates and I think MSI and Intel are trying to fix the hiccups and both seem invested in being in the mobile space. The Claw has superior audio with Nahimic. Screen quality and brightness is on par. Love having RGB available for late night games. There is even security with fingerprint unlocking. While MSI skipped the case, they were generous to include a massive 11+ foot long USB-C 65 watt power cord. Which will be required for the average battery life. I feel Windows is so much faster booting and could be more convenient to use. Plus its a fast system and Windows runs my other programs if I need to do a few quick non-gaming tasks. I would say it is still early for the Claw and it does need some tinkering. I will ride with MSI and see this journey out. Games are playable, but sort of selectively at the moment.