Computex 2025 is now in the process of companies and manufacturers set to show upcoming desktop and laptop hardware -and MSI has just set the tone for the rest of the biggest tech event.
After several rumors of a potential new AMD-powered handheld, MSI has officially announced the new MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM Handheld game -pc. As speculated, it will use AMD’s latest Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU as MSI moves away from Intel’s core Ultra 7 258V used in Claw 8 AI+.
It’s definitely a big surprise despite the previous leaks, and there are some important takeaways to do – from its new design down to its potential performance features. Here is everything you need to look forward to with the Claw A8 Handheld Gaming -PC.
1. It will be driven by AMDS Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU
While AMD’s latest handheld processor, Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is included in the prototype version of Lenovo Legion Go 2 (and allegedly the rumor Xbox Handheld), the new MSI Claw A8 will join it by doing so – and can even launch before that.
However, the highlight is that Ryzen Z2 Extreme is expected to be Team Red’s most powerful handheld Z2 chip yet, and an upgrade from the original Ryzen Z1 Extreme (used in Asus Rog Ally and Lenovo Legion Go). It has 8 CPU core and 16 GPU kernels, a significant jump from the previous 12 GPU kernels on the Z1 Extreme.
We haven’t seen any handheld games -PC that officially uses Ryzen Z2 Extreme yet, besides the Legion Go Prototype -and its specifications suggest it will compete against Intel’s core Ultra 7 258V used in MSI Claw 8 AI+, so it will be exciting to see which device (between Claw 8 AI+ and Claw A8) comes out on top.
2. Claw A8 may be a slightly cheaper alternative to the new Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition
Since the prices have not yet been announced, there is no clarity about the new MSI Claw A8’s award. However, it may be the slightly cheaper alternative to the new Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition; It uses Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Intels Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4 (which makes sense as there is no Intel chip here).
It will also have up to 24 GB LPDDR5 RAM support instead of the Claw 8 AI+’s 32 GB RAM, which means there can be two different configurations of the Claw A8 to choose from.
We should have more clarity on pricing under Computex 2025, but the price difference can mostly come from Ryzen Z2 Extreme’s performance versus the core Ultra 7 258V.
3. It has a new design for hand comfort and a new green color scheme
As you can see in the pictures, it looks like the MSI Claw A8 will have another design to give more hand comfort. The handles appear to be curved inward, similar to the ASUS ROG Ally’s, and this can go a long way in providing extra comfort for the long hours of play.
I am glad to see that MSI has kept the 8-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) screen with Claw A8 as it is the ideal amount of screen space to make the most of the portable game. It will also be interesting to see how the Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor tackles the resolution and see how it is doing against its counterpart’s processor.
So far, it seems that we have the same snow -white color scheme from the polar Tempest Claw 8 AI+ on the Claw A8, along with a brand new green color to choose from. There is currently no confirmation of a release date, price or availability, but you can expect to see additional details under Computex 2025.
