u/PickleFlickPF

I’ve been spending some more time with the MSI Claw A1M recently and wanted to put together a proper Windows 11 baseline test.

For this one, I wanted to keep things as close as possible to what a normal user might experience after setting the device up. So I installed Windows 11, let Windows Update do its thing, installed MSI Center M, updated the drivers through there, and then left everything else alone.

No custom TDP changes, no extra optimisation, no manual performance tweaks, and no changing power profiles. The device was left on the default AI Engine profile, and all games were tested at 1080p.

The idea was simply to answer the question: can you just install Windows 11, update the device, and start playing?

Games tested:

Alien Isolation
Cyberpunk 2077
Forza Horizon 6
House Flipper Remastered
Pragmata

I’ve put the video together here:
https://youtu.be/230LeXBYp_0

I thought this might be useful for anyone who owns the A1M, is thinking about picking one up, or wants to see what the standard Windows 11 experience is like before changing any settings.

I’ve been testing Fedora/Linux gaming on the MSI Claw A1M recently, and one of the things I really wanted to get working properly was Battle.net.

The Claw has actually surprised me quite a bit under Linux so far. I originally started testing different Linux setups out of curiosity, but the more I used Fedora on the Claw, the more I wanted to see how far I could push it as a proper handheld gaming setup.

Battle.net was one of those launchers I expected to be a bit awkward, but I managed to get it running through Faugus Launcher, with Diablo IV working afterwards.

I put together a video showing the full process here:
https://youtu.be/vw1eLjoyL9c

The video goes through setting up Faugus Launcher on Fedora, getting Battle.net installed, launching it properly, and then testing Diablo IV afterwards.

Hopefully this helps anyone else who is experimenting with Fedora or Linux gaming on the MSI Claw A1M. I know the Claw does not always get as much attention as some of the other handhelds, so I thought it was worth documenting what actually works.

I’ve been testing different Linux options on the MSI Claw A1M, and this time I tried Fedora because I wanted to see how a more mainstream distro would behave on the Claw rather than only testing handheld/gaming-focused ones.

Honestly, it went better than I expected.

The install itself was pretty straightforward. Touchscreen worked, Wi-Fi worked, sound worked, and the on-screen keyboard was active. Steam was also easy enough to install through RPM Fusion, and I was able to add my separate Steam games drive.

The main thing I had to sort out was the controls. The built-in controller started more like a desktop input mode, so I installed HHD / Handheld Daemon, and after that the Claw felt much more usable as a handheld.

Game testing was mixed. Alien Isolation and House Flipper Remastered were some of the better results, Forza Horizon 6 had some menu artifacts but felt better in gameplay than I expected, Cyberpunk 2077 crashed, and Pragmata loaded to a black screen.

So Fedora definitely is not perfect on the A1M, but as a mainstream Linux distro, it was surprisingly usable.

I put the install process, HHD setup, Steam setup, and gameplay results together here:
https://youtu.be/unFBxP2lhks

Has anyone else tried Fedora on the Claw, or are most people sticking with SteamOS / CachyOS / Bazzite?

I’ve just finished testing SteamOS 3.8.10 on my MSI Claw A1M and thought I’d share the results for anyone else thinking about trying it.

The installation itself was straightforward. I used the SteamOS recovery image, booted from USB, selected “Wipe Device and Install SteamOS,” and the setup completed without any major issues.

Out of the box, the hardware support was actually pretty good. The built-in controller worked straight away, the touchscreen worked, audio was working, and Wi-Fi was working too. Download speeds also seemed quicker than what I experienced while testing CachyOS, which was a nice surprise.

For testing, I compared SteamOS 3.8.10 against my previous SteamOS 3.8.5 results, and also used CachyOS as a reference point where I had results available.

Games tested:

• Alien Isolation
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Forza Horizon 6
• House Flipper Remastered
• Pragmata

My overall takeaway is that SteamOS 3.8.10 feels like a small step forward in some areas, but not a clean win.

Alien Isolation had higher peak frame rates than SteamOS 3.8.5, but it also had noticeable jitter that made it feel less smooth than the FPS numbers suggested. CachyOS was still much stronger for raw performance in that game.

Cyberpunk 2077 still wasn’t really playable. SteamOS 3.8.10 seemed to last a bit longer before crashing compared with 3.8.5, but the performance was still far too low.

Forza Horizon 6 was interesting because the FPS was similar to 3.8.5, but the controls felt more sluggish on 3.8.10. So even though the numbers were close, it didn’t feel like an upgrade.

House Flipper Remastered was one of the better results. It showed a small improvement over 3.8.5 and felt like one of the more positive examples of SteamOS 3.8.10 moving in the right direction.

Pragmata still didn’t work properly. It launched, but ended up stuck on a black screen again.

So right now, I’d say SteamOS 3.8.10 is improving, but on the MSI Claw A1M it still feels like one step forward and two steps back. The handheld experience is clean and console-like, and the setup is easier than something like CachyOS, but CachyOS still looks stronger when raw gaming performance is the priority.

I put the full install process, hardware checks, gameplay tests, and comparisons together here for anyone who wants to see the results in action:

https://youtu.be/tD99zwKtDsE

Has anyone else tested SteamOS 3.8.10 on the Claw yet? I’d be interested to know if you’re seeing the same jitter or sluggish controls, or if your experience has been different.

I've just finished testing CachyOS on my MSI Claw A1M and thought I'd share some first impressions.

Out of the box, the touchscreen and fingerprint reader both worked without any additional setup, which was a nice surprise.

For the handheld experience, I removed InputPlumber and switched to Handheld Daemon (HHD), and I also installed Plasma Keyboard for touchscreen navigation. After those tweaks, the Claw felt much more usable as a Linux handheld.

I tested several games ranging from older titles to newer releases, and the results were a mixture of pleasant surprises and a few compatibility issues.

Overall, I came away more impressed than I expected to be. Not everything worked perfectly, but the operating system itself felt stable and there were definitely some highlights during testing.

I've put together a video covering the setup process, the tweaks I made, the game testing, and my final verdict for anyone interested in seeing how CachyOS performs on the MSI Claw A1M:

https://youtu.be/Ki62OuXCYhw

Has anyone else here tried CachyOS on the Claw? I'd be interested to hear what your experience has been and whether you've found any tweaks that improve compatibility.

I've been curious about SteamOS on the MSI Claw A1M for a while, so I decided to install it and see how it performed compared to my usual Windows 11 setup.

The installation process was surprisingly straightforward and SteamOS itself felt polished. Controls, audio, networking and the overall user experience all worked as expected.

I then tested a handful of games including:

• Alien Isolation
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Forza Horizon 6
• House Flipper Remastered
• Pragmata

While some games worked reasonably well, I also encountered lower performance, crashes and compatibility issues during testing.

I've put together a video covering the installation experience, game testing and my overall thoughts on SteamOS running on the MSI Claw A1M if anyone is interested:

https://youtu.be/R6Qu5OwtVy8

I'd also be interested to hear from anyone else running SteamOS, Bazzite or another Linux-based gaming OS on the Claw and how your experience compares.

I've been spending some time testing Path of Exile 2 on my MSI Claw A1M and thought I'd share a few observations in case it helps anyone else.

I tested a range of settings including:

• 1080p Medium
• 1080p High
• 900p Medium
• 900p High
• Custom Settings
• Custom Settings + XeSS Performance

One thing that surprised me was how little visual difference I personally noticed between Medium and High settings on the Claw's display.

Because of that, I ended up preferring a custom setup with:

• Texture Quality: Medium
• Everything Else: Lowest
• Global Illumination: Off

For me, this provided the best balance between visuals and performance during actual gameplay.

I also noticed a few occasional dips, but I experienced similar lag spikes on my main PC as well, so it's difficult to say whether every dip was graphics-related or if some were server-side.

Has anyone else been playing Path of Exile 2 on the MSI Claw? I'd be interested to hear what settings you've settled on.

I've also put together a video showing the gameplay footage, settings comparisons and performance testing if anyone would like to see the results in action:

🎥 https://youtu.be/R2R-VmiIr6w

After a few months with the MSI Claw A1M, these are the five changes that made the biggest difference for me:

• Enabled Performance Mode in the BIOS
• Disabled Core Isolation
• Increased the TDP to 35W
• Disabled CPU Boost using ThrottleStop
• Increased Virtual Memory in Windows

The biggest improvement came from combining several of these changes rather than relying on just one.

I'm curious what settings other MSI Claw owners have changed that made a noticeable difference?

I put together a video showing exactly how I changed each setting if anyone finds it useful:

https://youtu.be/OtN_sI692lU

How far has everyone pushed Echo of Hatred this season?

I finally got my second Trace of Echo drop and decided to see how far I could push my Ball Lightning Sorcerer.

Ended up clearing Tier 115 and recorded the entire run.

Since Trace of Echo isn’t exactly something I come across often, I figured it was worth capturing while I had the chance.

I’d be interested to hear what builds everyone else is running and how far you’ve managed to get.

Full run here:

https://youtu.be/DehIQMveJCQ

I spent some time testing Nintendo emulation on my MSI Claw A1M and thought I'd share the results.

Games tested:

🏎️ Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

⚡ Pokémon Legends: Z-A

🍄 Super Mario Odyssey

🌌 Super Mario Galaxy

⭐ Super Mario Galaxy 2

A few things that stood out:

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Odyssey ran particularly well.
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A was the most demanding title I tested.
• The MSI Claw handled most of the games surprisingly well overall.

I recorded gameplay with a performance overlay showing FPS, frame times, CPU usage and GPU usage so people can see exactly how each game performed.

For anyone interested in seeing the full results, here's the showcase video:

https://youtu.be/0BH7TTkgT_4

I'm curious what games everyone else has been emulating on the MSI Claw lately.

I've just finished testing Tiny11, stock Windows 11, and an optimized Windows 11 setup on my MSI Claw A1M using Diablo IV.

I expected Tiny11 to be the clear winner because it felt lighter and did seem to reduce stuttering compared to a fresh Windows 11 install.

However, I ran into a couple of unexpected issues, including problems with MSI Center M and controller support, which made it less practical as a handheld gaming OS.

What surprised me most was that after applying a few optimizations to Windows 11, the gaming experience felt very close to Tiny11 while keeping full functionality.

Has anyone else here tried Tiny11 on their MSI Claw? I'd be interested to hear whether your experience was similar.

I documented the full testing and results here:
https://youtu.be/02E4UzdWptI

Hey all, I finally got round to popping together a video showing the performance of Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight on the lovely MSI Claw A1M.

The testing was done using various scenarios using medium graphics accross the board, but one config may surprised you as it did me.

Anyhoot the video is of course on my YouTube channel so heres the link to the video: https://youtu.be/Lp8GTZF5TE4

Now I am not asking for anyone to subscribe but if you enjoy it then please consider it or at least consider liking the video so it can get out into the wild a little bit 😄

Hey everyone!

I’m currently running a Steam key giveaway over on my YouTube channel, PickleFlick, and there will be 8 winners in total.

The games included are:

• 2x Wordle
• 2x Manual Samuel
• 2x Last Room
• 1x Serial Cleaner
• 1x Settlement Survival

How to enter:

1. Subscribe to the channel
2. Like the giveaway video
3. Comment which game you’re most interested in

📅 The giveaway closes on the 27th of May 2026.

The winners will be selected using a random comment picker, so everyone has a fair and equal chance of winning.

If you win, you’ll need to reply with your Steam profile name so the key can be delivered to you.

🎥 Giveaway Video:
https://youtu.be/KNL6gNV46N0

Good luck everyone, and thanks for checking it out! 🎮

Hey agents,

To celebrate the upcoming launch of 007: First Light, I’m giving away 1x Worldwide Steam Key over on my YouTube channel, PickleFlick.

🌍 The giveaway is open worldwide.

📅 Entries close on 12th June 2026
🎲 Winner will be selected using a random comment picker shortly after the giveaway ends.

If you’d like to enter, check out the giveaway video here:
https://youtu.be/A5HFwayDmho

Good luck everyone 🍸

Hey everyone, hope you are all well.

Well I have been a busy boy, I have now popped together a video breakdown of how Forza Horizon 6 runs from Low-High on the MSI Claw A1M.

It is of course over on my YouTube channel so if you are interested then please pop over for a look as I for one was very surprised at the performance of how it runs.

If you do decide to watch it and you enjoy it please consider leaving a like or subbing or both 😄

Anyhoot here is the link, just incase: https://youtu.be/RiFk7p9IaHU

Its been a work in progress for a few month, from building the setup to getting all the little additional bits and bobs, and I am well chuffed witrh it :)

Please lemme know what you think, and don't mark me down if your not a Liverpool fan :)

Hey everyone, hope you are all doing good.

So for anyone who is interested, I have again popped together a video showing the performance of Forza Horizon 6 o nthe A1M, and to be fair I was actually quite surprised, and I am extremely happy that I can play this pretty nicely with out having to rely on my main rig.

If you want to check the video out it is over on my YouTube channel, again I am not going to ask anyone to subscribe if you don't wish to, I just put these together so people can see the kind of performance they can get outta the Claw A1M 😄

Well here is the video link and please enjoy: https://youtu.be/FTbQi_vTqY8

Hey all :)

I think I have an unhealthy love for the MSI Claw A1M and I am on a mission to get as much information out there as possible.

So sorry if I am filling this feed too much. Anyhoot I have put a video together of this very capable machine showcasing 5 games that I absolutely love, they are:

Forza Horizon 5 (soon to be 6 I'm sure)

Dead As Disco

Euro Truck Simulator 2 (Don't judge me)

Marvels Spiderman 2

And of course Cyberpunk 2077.

The video shows the performance of these games running on the Claw A1M, so if you are interested then please check out the video on my channel and enjoy:

https://youtu.be/xrIG5jynGx8

You of course are under no obligation to subscribe but I will be making many more videos covering the Claw, I am currently putting together a video sharing my thoughts on it.

And wish that I wish everyone well :)

Hay all,

Hope everyone is well.

Now I have been seeing people commenting on how they are experiencing problems when it comes to Spiderman 2 on their MSI Claw A1M.

Whether it be crashing, running horribly and sometimes not even launching, well I believe I have fixed that.

Now I am sure alike alot of you out there, this is one the games that I really wanted to get working well on the Claw, so after around 3 days of testing I have managed to get it running with no crashes and running very smoothly.

So to share my results I have put together a fairy in depth YouTube video showing you all the settings bit-by-bit and explaining how these setting are important for the MSI Claw.

Now you are of course under no obligation to subscribe (of course it would be nice if you decided to) or anythingf like that, I just wanted to share what I have found to hopefully help others out there get this and other games running on the MSI Claw, so I will now pop the link, enjoy:

https://youtu.be/HogM6xVnFq8