Device comparison

MSI Claw A1M vs. Valve Steam Deck OLED

Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.

Compare

With

MSI Claw A1M
Steam Deck OLED

Shown to scale from each device’s real-world dimensions.

Quick verdict

Best value
Steam Deck OLED
Better screen
MSI Claw A1M
More portable
Steam Deck OLED
Newer model
MSI Claw A1M

Main differences

  • MSI Claw A1M has similar emulation coverage to Valve Steam Deck OLED.
  • Valve Steam Deck OLED is about $150 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • MSI Claw A1M is roughly 1% smaller and 5% lighter.
  • MSI Claw A1M has a 120 Hz IPS screen, versus 90 Hz OLED on Valve Steam Deck OLED.
  • MSI Claw A1M runs Windows 11; Valve Steam Deck OLED runs SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc.
  • MSI Claw A1M is highlighted for PS2, Wii, GameCube, PSP; Valve Steam Deck OLED is highlighted for Wii U, 3DS, PS2, Wii.

MSI

MSI Claw A1M

Details
Price
$699
OS
Windows 11
Released
Mar 2024
Up to
Switch
Screen
7.0 inch IPS
Weight
675 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

Valve

Steam Deck OLED

Details
Price
$549
OS
SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc
Released
Nov 2023
Up to
Switch
Screen
7.4 inch OLED
Weight
640 grams

No reviews yet

6 collectors · 5 sessions

Most played

MSI Claw A1M

No one has logged play time on the MSI Claw A1M yet — the other device just has a head start.

Own one? Add it to your shelf

Most played on Steam Deck OLED

  1. 1
    Romestead

    Romestead

    1 player · 2 sessions

  2. 2
    Coral Island

    Coral Island

    1 player · 1 session

  3. 3
    Bella Wants Blood

    Bella Wants Blood

    1 player · 2 sessions

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecMSI Claw A1MSteam Deck OLED
Price$699$549
OSWindows 11SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc
Screen7.0 inch7.4 inch
Aspect ratio16:916:10
Resolution1920 x 10801280 x 800
Refresh rate120 Hz90 Hz
PanelIPSOLED
ChipsetIntel Core Ultra 5 135H,AMD Sephiroth
CPUIntel Meteor LakeAMD Zen 2
GPUIntel ArcAMD RDNA 2
StorageInternal 512 GB / 1 TB (NVMe?), External MicroSDInternal 512 GB / 1 TB NVMe SSD, External MicroSD
Battery53 Wh50 Wh
Weight675 grams640 grams
Dimensions294 mm x 117 mm x 21.2 mm298 mm x 117 mm x 49 mm
Hall effect sticksYesNo

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemMSI Claw A1MSteam Deck OLED
Classic systems
Game Boy
NES
Genesis
GBA
SNES
PS1
Mid-generation systems
DS
N64
Dreamcast
PSP
Saturn
Sixth-generation systems
GameCube
Wii
PS2
Modern systems
3DS
Switch
Wii U
PS3

Emulation source notes

  • MSI Claw A1M DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • MSI Claw A1M PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Switch: Nintendo Switch: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • MSI Claw A1M Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck OLED Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the MSI Claw A1M and the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
MSI Claw A1M has similar emulation coverage to Valve Steam Deck OLED. Valve Steam Deck OLED is about $150 cheaper based on catalog pricing. MSI Claw A1M is roughly 1% smaller and 5% lighter. MSI Claw A1M has a 120 Hz IPS screen, versus 90 Hz OLED on Valve Steam Deck OLED. MSI Claw A1M runs Windows 11; Valve Steam Deck OLED runs SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc. MSI Claw A1M is highlighted for PS2, Wii, GameCube, PSP; Valve Steam Deck OLED is highlighted for Wii U, 3DS, PS2, Wii.
Which is cheaper, the MSI Claw A1M or the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
The Valve Steam Deck OLED is the cheaper of the two at around $549, roughly $150 less than the MSI Claw A1M based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the MSI Claw A1M or the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
The MSI Claw A1M is the newer model, released in 2024.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the MSI Claw A1M or the Valve Steam Deck OLED?
The Valve Steam Deck OLED is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 6 collectors tracking it.

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