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MSI's new Steam Deck rival is first to have an Intel Core Ultra chip
- MSI is launching its first-ever handheld gaming PC.
- The MSI Claw A1M features a 7-inch 1080p display.
- MSI’s first handheld PC is also the first to have an Intel Core Ultra processor.
With the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, AYN Odin 2, and plenty of others, competition in the handheld PC gaming scene has never been hotter. But a new challenger from MSI is stepping in to make choosing one option over another even harder.
Today, MSI announced it is breaking into the handheld gaming PC market with a device called the MSI Claw A1M. While the Claw is the company’s first attempt at making a handheld gaming PC, that’s not the only first happening here. The Claw is also making its mark as the first of its kind to be powered by a Meteor Lake chip.
Specifically, it will have an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, which will allow it to use Intel’s XeSS technology. This technology uses AI upscaling to increase the frames per second (FPS) on your games.
Other key features Windows 11, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, Intel Arc Graphics, storage slot, speakers, USB-C port, and microSD card reader. Notably, the screen is said to be a 7-inch 120hz 1080p display, which would be better than the Steam Deck OLED’s 1280×800 resolution (resembles 720p). However, MSI did not say if the Claw can be docked like the Steam Deck, which can reach up to 4K resolution at 120Hz or 8K at 60Hz when docked.
In terms of battery, don’t expect anything too impressive. MSI says the Claw’s 53Whr battery can provide around two hours of gameplay when under full workload conditions. In comparison, the Steam Deck OLED has a 50Whr battery that gets anywhere between 3-12 hours.
