Key Takeaways
1. MSI launched its first gaming handheld, the Claw A8 BZ2EM, powered by AMD Ryzen, at Computex 2025, with a global release still pending.
2. The Claw A8 is gradually expanding its availability, recently launching in Cambodia, Taiwan, and now Europe (Austria, Germany, Slovakia).
3. The pricing for the Claw A8 is set at €975 and €978.90, making it cheaper than the Claw 8 AI+, which is priced at $999.
4. The Claw A8 features an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset with eight Zen 5 CPU cores and a Radeon 890M iGPU, competing with the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V in performance.
5. The Claw A8 includes an M.2 2280 SSD slot, which is not available in the 8-inch version, and comes with 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
MSI has officially introduced its first gaming handheld powered by AMD Ryzen back in May at Computex 2025, prior to Asus showcasing its upcoming ROG Ally gadgets. Nevertheless, the firm has yet to announce when the Claw A8 BZ2EM or Claw 8 Ryzen Edition will be available globally. Instead, the company has been gradually expanding the device’s availability to new markets after its initial launch in China at the beginning of July.
Recent Market Expansions
To give some background, the Claw A8 made its debut in Cambodia and Taiwan just over a week ago. Now, it has arrived in Europe, starting with Austria, Germany, and Slovakia. Currently, neither Alza nor Smarty.sk have shared any information on when the Claw A8 will start shipping. However, customers can pre-order the new gaming handheld from both retailers, available in Neon Green and Polar Tempest color choices.
Pricing Details
In the meantime, the retailers have noted that the Claw A8 is priced a bit lower than the Claw 8 AI+ (currently $999 on Amazon), even though they share similar specifications. Specifically, Alza and Smarty.sk have set the price for MSI’s latest gaming device at €975 and €978.90, respectively, both including 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Key Features
The primary difference between the Claw A8 and Claw 8 AI+ lies in its AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, which integrates eight Zen 5 CPU cores along with a Radeon 890M iGPU. Early tests suggest that the Ryzen Z2 Extreme performs comparably to the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V found in the Claw 8 AI+, though it underperforms at lower wattages. Additionally, the new MSI Claw offers an M.2 2280 SSD slot, which is absent in its 8-inch version. Here are the complete specifications for the Claw A8:
In the meantime, the retailers have noted that the Claw A8 is priced a bit lower than the Claw 8 AI+ (currently $999 on Amazon), even though they share similar specifications. Specifically, Alza and Smarty.sk have set the price for MSI’s latest gaming device at €975 and €978.90, respectively, both including 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Distinctive Features
The primary difference between the Claw A8 and Claw 8 AI+ lies in its AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, which integrates eight Zen 5 CPU cores along with a Radeon 890M iGPU. Early tests suggest that the Ryzen Z2 Extreme performs comparably to the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V found in the Claw 8 AI+, though it underperforms at lower wattages. Additionally, the new MSI Claw offers an M.2 2280 SSD slot, which is absent in its 8-inch version. Here are the complete specifications for the Claw A8:
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