MSI Claw A8: First AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme gaming handheld gets the jump on new Asus ROG Ally with surprise European release
MSI may have officially unveiled its first AMD Ryzen-based gaming handheld in May during Computex 2025, before Asus presented its next ROG Ally devices. However, it has still not confirmed when the Claw A8 BZ2EM or Claw 8 Ryzen Edition will receive a global release. Instead, the company has been quietly bringing the device to more markets after initially launching it in China at the start of July.
For context, the Claw A8 landed in Cambodia and Taiwan just over a week ago. Now, it has turned up in Europe starting in Austria, Germany and Slovakia. For the time being, neither Alza nor Smarty.sk have confirmed when Claw A8 will begin shipping. Nonetheless, the new gaming handheld can be pre-ordered from both retailers in its Neon Green and Polar Tempest colour options.
In the process, the retailers have indicated that the Claw A8 retails for slightly less than the Claw 8 AI+ (curr. $999 on Amazon) despite featuring similar hardware. Specifically, Alza and Smarty.sk have priced MSI's latest gaming handheld at €975 and €978.90, respectively, each with 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Ultimately, the main distinguishing factor between the Claw A8 and Claw 8 AI+ is its AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, which combines eight Zen 5 CPU cores and a Radeon 890M iGPU. Based on early tests, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme matches the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V inside the Claw 8 AI+ while falling short at low wattages. The new MSI Claw also features an M.2 2280 SSD slot, which its 8-inch counterpart lacks. Full Claw A8 specifications are as follows:
In the process, the retailers have indicated that the Claw A8 retails for slightly less than the Claw 8 AI+ (curr. $999 on Amazon) despite featuring similar hardware. Specifically, Alza and Smarty.sk have priced MSI's latest gaming handheld at €975 and €978.90, respectively, each with 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Ultimately, the main distinguishing factor between the Claw A8 and Claw 8 AI+ is its AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, which combines eight Zen 5 CPU cores and a Radeon 890M iGPU. Based on early tests, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme matches the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V inside the Claw 8 AI+ while falling short at low wattages. The new MSI Claw also features an M.2 2280 SSD slot, which its 8-inch counterpart lacks. Full Claw A8 specifications are as follows:
| MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM | |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 890M |
| RAM | Up to 24 GB LPDDR5x-8000 (dual channel) |
| Display | 8-inch, 1,920 x 1,200, 120 Hz refresh rate, VRR, 100% sRGB, 500 nits |
| Storage | 1x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4) & 1x microSD card reader |
| Battery | 6-cell, Li-Polymer, 80 Wh |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 & Wi-Fi 6E |
| I/O | 2 x USB4 Type-C, 1x 3.5 mm jack, 2x 2 W speakers, 6-axis IMU vibration motor, fingerprint scanner |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Dimensions | 299.5 x 126.2 x 24 mm |
| Weight | 765 g (estimated) |
Source(s)
Alza (1) (2) & SmartSK via VideoCardz
