A steep Best Buy discount makes MSI’s much-criticised Claw A1M a more compelling budget alternative to pricier Steam Deck OLED models, despite its middling performance.
The MSI Claw A1M is suddenly looking like a more sensible buy than its reputation suggests, at least while Best Buy is clearing it at $562.99, down from $749.99. Tom’s Hardware says the discount leaves the handheld far cheaper than the Steam Deck OLED models now sold through Valve, which start at a much higher price, and that gap matters in a market where component costs have pushed many portable gaming PCs beyond easy reach.
That price cut makes the older Claw easier to judge on value rather than on launch-day disappointment. Best Buy lists the machine with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of LPDDR5x memory and a 1TB SSD, all behind a 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate. For a handheld at this level, the storage is especially useful: it gives buyers far more room for larger PC games than many rivals at similar or lower prices.
Performance is still a qualification, not a triumph. The Core Ultra 7 155H belongs to Intel’s Meteor Lake generation, and the Claw’s eight Xe graphics cores are not class-leading. Even so, the chip should handle lighter games well and can lean on upscaling technologies such as XeSS in more demanding titles. That makes the device a more realistic fit for indie libraries, emulation and selective mainstream gaming than for chasing the highest settings.
The case for the Claw strengthens further when set against newer handhelds. PC Gamer notes that MSI’s later models, including the Claw 8 AI+ A2VM and Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM, sit far above this clearance price, while the broader handheld market has been squeezed by inflated memory costs. GamesRadar has also argued that the original Claw is hard to justify at its old $749.99 asking price, but that criticism changes once the discount is applied. Best Buy customer reviews, which currently average 3.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, suggest the device’s ergonomics and general responsiveness have found some supporters, with battery life described as acceptable. There is also growing software flexibility: PC Gamer has reported that SteamOS support is improving for Intel-based handhelds, including the MSI Claw, which could make the device more interesting for buyers willing to experiment beyond Windows 11.
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