MSI officially announced the Claw A1M handheld with Intel

So, I notice this thing appears to have buttons at the top, probably instead of button/triggers at the back? Would that be pleasant to use?

Meanwhile, the guy says

Quoteour very first handheld, Claw, which redefines the standards in the handheld market.

Sure. So, redefine them upwards or downwards?

Quoting: Relsre

Quoting: elmapuleveryone else will be forced to use windows, unless some companies like system76 or maybe cd project red enter the game

Speaking of, I'd love to see a handheld from System76 / Slimbook / Starlabs / etc. but that's wishful thinking, considering these companies mostly resell rebranded Clevo/Tongfang laptops. Even if they did make their own handheld hardware, they don't have access to SteamOS nor a solid relationship with Valve to even entertain the possibility of future access. 😔

it dont have to be SteamOS, they just have to have an linux distro, especially one focused on gaming (with an big-picture ish interface)
then they wouldnt be competing with valve exactly, but helping the overall ecosystem to grown.
they already have popOS! they just need to make an flavor for an deck-like device.

the issue is that they arent well know among general gamers, just us who already use linux, that is why an company like asus, dell, lenovo, hp etc would be a better deal if we can have then using something like steamOS.

i didnt knew they just rebrand other devices instead of building their own... but in any case, we need an hardware oem, if it isnt going to be one of the linux companies, then peharps some company like CDPR, epic or ubisoft, they dont have experience in the hardware business but neither did valve until a few years ago and they have an brand that gamers recognize, so long as you can install steam on it, gamers might give it a go.

epic is being more agressive in trying to enter the market, but i think CDPR is more likely to relase something like that since they already have an DRM-FREE store , having one client and store for linux seems like the next logical step, but i doubt they will.
those companies are more likely to let valve own the market then complain about monopoly.

speaking of it, i hope in the future console busines become more like mobile and pc, where we have open platforms like android/steamOS and probably we would still have closed ones like ios and something from sony, nintendo and microsoft.
i hope at least one of the big 3 make their console more open, but it probably will be microsoft unfortunatelly.

i think valve foresaw that future, actually we are living it, its just that the big 3 havent changed much , and everyone else is using windows...

Quoting: elmapulit dont have to be SteamOS, they just have to have an linux distro, especially one focused on gaming (with an big-picture ish interface)
then they wouldnt be competing with valve exactly, but helping the overall ecosystem to grown.
they already have popOS! they just need to make an flavor for an deck-like device.

Oh absolutely, I'm not opposed to seeing more handhelds with e.g. ChimeraOS or Bazzite installed. Problem is none of the current options out there are mature or popular enough, at least probably not enough for the hardware companies to take a gamble with preinstalling and consequently providing user support for them on their devices.

A Pop!_OS handheld variant would be nice, but we probably won't see that in the near future -- System76 still have their hands full implementing the Cosmic desktop, and making their first designed-in-house laptop ('Virgo').


Last edited by Relsre on 10 January 2024 at 1:29 am UTC

I think you guys are right that Microsoft may be biding their time, while they let the competition release handhelds, to then release their own Xbox-branded handheld which specializes in streaming GamePass (Xcloud), streaming from your Xbox console, and maybe installing and playing Xbox GamePass games locally. Maybe they'll allow Steam and EGS, or maybe they won't.
It's pretty sad that Asus MSI and the rest can't afford to maintain a Linux distro for their device, or even, pool resources to maintain a shared distro that they all use. But Microsoft does that and it's called Windows, even if it doesn't have a good handheld interface yet.
As for this Claw, I suspect it's going to crash and burn. Previous poster is right, 45W is going to get hot, and loud. No trackpads? It's dead in the water.

Quoting: CatKiller

Quoting: PhiladelphusOut of curiosity, would they actually show up? And not just appear as part of "Windows 11"?

Yes. They all have APUs. "AMD Custom GPU 0405," the APU used in the Deck (although, according to a Discord comment, potentially not the Deck OLED) is used by 0.78% of hardware survey respondents; I've not seen any of the chips used by any of the other handhelds in the list. 0.15% is the share that gets you out of the Other bucket.

Interesting, thanks! I hadn't thought of that.

I'm a little surprised that none of these handheld gaming machines are giving a SteamOS option. Valve is developing it all in the open. There have even been community efforts to package up an installable ISO: https://github.com/HoloISO/holoiso

Would it take some effort? Sure, but most of this hardware is pretty standard stuff anyway, so would work well with the kernel in SteamOS 3.5, and running Windows 11 on these devices takes effort, too.

I've flipped this around and have been using SteamOS on an AMD Ryzen-based laptop that I own. The experience has been great so far. SteamOS, as easily used on the Steam Deck, is a very interesting software project. I would love to see efforts in broadening it's use on other devices and form factors.

No touchpads at all? There are two on Steam Deck. I would need those for sure so Steam Deck remains a King, Queen and a President of handhelds. What Gabe Newell said about Steam Deck 2.0, it will be totally next level in all: the tech it would require doesn't yet exist on planet so Valve waits until the next gen device.

Another weird choice for gaming is Intel. Maybe Intel just paid them without thinking more....

Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: elmapulthat is disapointing, if more vendors keep using windows then soon or later we will strugle to compete.

Not really. That's kind of like saying if we keep on releasing new Linux distros then sooner or later Windows will struggle to compete . . . If none of the Windows clones of Steam Deck actually sell, while the Steam Deck keeps on selling, it's fine.

the issue is that windows is more well know, the other oems might brute force every combination of price /specs/form factors until they manage to grab the atention of the same public that is currently purchasing steamdecks (except for us linux users or super hardcore gamers that actually pay atention to reviewers who said good things about steamOS), and then receive they reward from ms for killing another linux initiative.

or they might harm the reputation of handhelds in general making the public who never had an good experience give up on it and go back to notebooks /nintendo handhelds (that will be a reprise of what happened with netbooks)

valve already said they will lock the hardware specs, having steamOS in different hardware configs but having those made by the other vendors would be the ideal scenario to fight the midlegen competition while steamdeck 2 dont lauch.
alternativelly if valve can keep pushing the price down or the proposal enticing (eg: hall effect sensors for the next steamdeck 1)

i dont know how valve will play this 4D chess against an multi trilion dollar corporation, but i would feel more relief if they werent fighting alone.

Quoting: elmapulthe issue is that windows is more well know, the other oems might brute force every combination of price /specs/form factors until they manage to grab the atention of the same public that is currently purchasing steamdecks (except for us linux users or super hardcore gamers that actually pay atention to reviewers who said good things about steamOS), and then receive they reward from ms for killing another linux initiative.

or they might harm the reputation of handhelds in general making the public who never had an good experience give up on it and go back to notebooks /nintendo handhelds (that will be a reprise of what happened with netbooks)

I mentioned in a comment on a different article the big reason why that won't happen: the Deck is already here, and already great. Valve really knocked it out of the park with the hardware and the PR.

The Deck is what every handheld gets compared to. Journalists only cover the non-Deck devices because they want the drama of a conflict; eventually they'll get bored of covering devices that don't stand up, the non-Deck devices will get no coverage, and the Deck will keep on selling. At some point in the future, should another device come along that's actually as good as the Deck so journalists cover this segment again, the articles are going to be "finally there's something as good as the Deck" and the Deck gets more coverage yet again.

Quotevalve already said they will lock the hardware specs, having steamOS in different hardware configs but having those made by the other vendors would be the ideal scenario to fight the midlegen competition while steamdeck 2 dont lauch.
alternativelly if valve can keep pushing the price down or the proposal enticing (eg: hall effect sensors for the next steamdeck 1)

i dont know how valve will play this 4D chess against an multi trilion dollar corporation, but i would feel more relief if they werent fighting alone.

What Valve really need to do, while they're designing the Deck 2 and waiting for hardware to catch up, is get the Deck available in more countries. Maybe they'll need to take somewhat unfavourable terms with a logistics partner, maybe they'll need to grasp the nettle and build out a logistics network of their own; but they need to get more Decks in more people's hands and build the momentum of the Deck into action by game developers and Steam customers. Ideally they'd also manage to get it into widespread physical retail. The biggest flaw of the Deck is that people that want one can't get one.

Quoting: benmhallI'm a little surprised that none of these handheld gaming machines are giving a SteamOS option. Valve is developing it all in the open. There have even been community efforts to package up an installable ISO: https://github.com/HoloISO/holoiso

Would it take some effort? Sure, but most of this hardware is pretty standard stuff anyway, so would work well with the kernel in SteamOS 3.5, and running Windows 11 on these devices takes effort, too.

I've flipped this around and have been using SteamOS on an AMD Ryzen-based laptop that I own. The experience has been great so far. SteamOS, as easily used on the Steam Deck, is a very interesting software project. I would love to see efforts in broadening it's use on other devices and form factors.

The hardware part is a fun new challenge for hardware vendors, but nothing they can't handle.
The software part is something they've outsourced for their entire existence.
They don't have the required talent hopping around.
They would need to integrate their own controls into their Linux(or bsd) distro, which is hardcore Linux driver development, which is really hostile and expensive territory.

Also they've a basic and grounded proprietary cooperate fear of open platforms.
To quote Extra History(youtube channel): "don't deal with people who want to install Linux on their Playstation." This was a reference to the Ps3 OtherOS reaction.
The Gnu/Linux community has understandably taken a very hardline approach to those harming the platforms they build.
The community is older and better resourced than most of these Vendors and they learned to be vicious.
Go onto the web and look for IANAL, fsf, OtherOS, GPL and SFC.

There're multiple markets build around minimizing open platform risks. From copyleft compliance firms, to adblock detection, to hardware ip security development, to security audit firms.
Microsoft learned the hard way and nowadays plays the game quite well.
Google has spend its entire existence in the danger zone.
Apple uses a hardline approach, which limits their choices and still results in clashes from time to time.
Nintendo seems to have accepted it as a form of rot.
Sony actively fights it, with varying levels of success.
Hardware developers play from a position of strength and still Nividia flinches every major Nouveau update.
Gaming vendors hide behind Microsoft.