How to Access GPT-5.4 Early on OpenClaw via Dev Channel

Early Access to GPT-5.4

The development (dev) channel for OpenClaw currently provides access to the GPT-5.4 model ahead of its official stable release. This allows users to test the new model before it becomes generally available.

Setup Steps from Source

To access GPT-5.4, you must first ensure you have pnpm installed. Then, switch your OpenClaw installation to the dev channel using the following command:

OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR=~/openclaw openclaw update --channel dev

After running this command, you need to restart your OpenClaw gateway. Once restarted, GPT-5.4 should appear in your available models list.

The source notes that you can switch back to the stable channel once the OpenClaw team updates it with GPT-5.4. This dev channel access is a temporary method for early testing.

Technical Context

OpenClaw is an open-source platform that provides a local gateway for running various AI models. Using development channels is a common practice in software distribution (like with package managers such as npm or apt) to allow users to test upcoming features or versions before they are deemed stable for general use. The OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR environment variable in the command specifies the local directory for the OpenClaw source code, which the update command uses to fetch the latest dev branch code.