MSI Claw: First rumours of new refresh cite AMD Ryzen Z2 upgrades

MSI has been showcasing new versions of its Claw gaming handhelds at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week, among other new devices. For reference, the company initially released the Claw 8 AI+ A2VM in the US at the end of November alongside the smaller Claw 7 AI+ A2VM (curr. $799.99 on Amazon). However, a global launch has been scheduled for later this quarter.

Ultimately, both models arrived less than a year after MSI began selling the Claw 7 A1M. Nonetheless, talk of the company entertaining an AMD Ryzen refresh has already emerged online. Specifically, MSI is rumoured to be developing Ryzen Z2-based handhelds, although it is unclear if this includes the more powerful Ryzen Z2 Extreme that AMD also announced this week. 

Likewise, there are no details about whether this refresh would be exclusive to a particular Claw model or offered across both MSI's 7-inch and 8-inch sizes. Moreover, there is no word yet on a release date for this proposed AMD Ryzen Z2 offering.

Seemingly, the rumour originated from CodeCommando, who has a reputation for accurately revealing upcoming AMD and MSI releases ahead of schedule. With that being said, we would recommend employing a healthy amount of scepticism for now, particularly given MSI's past commitments to using Intel processors in its gaming handheld division.