The MSI Claw A8 May Be the First Next-Gen Handheld Gaming PC

Handheld gaming PCs person dilatory been increasing successful prominence since the Steam Deck exploded onto the marketplace backmost successful 2022, but for the past 2 years, the astir almighty handhelds person been utilizing the aforesaid Z1 Extreme chipset. The MSI Claw A8, announced astatine Computex 2025, looks to beryllium the archetypal handheld utilizing the Z2 Extreme announced astatine CES 2025.

The MSI Claw A8 is akin to the precocious released Claw 8 AI, but a mates of the specs person been changed. MSI has lowered the maximum magnitude of RAM down from 32GB to 24GB of LPDDR5X, clocked astatine 8,000MHz. The show besides present supports VRR (variable refresh rate). So, portion some displays are 120Hz FullHD panels, the A8 volition acquisition surface tearing little often.

Of course, the biggest quality is moving from the Intel Core Ultra 7 285V to the AMD Z2 Extreme. This is simply a gaming APU with 8 Zen 5 CPU cores and 16 RDNA 3.5 graphics cores. That GPU has much Compute Units than the 12 successful the Z1 Extreme, but besides ups the architecture fractional a generation.

MSI has besides announced an updated mentation of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ with a caller colorway and a bigger 2TB SSD. That handheld is inactive powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 285V.

The MSI Claw A8 should beryllium retired aboriginal this year, but MSI hasn't shared a circumstantial motorboat window, oregon adjacent a terms for it. However, fixed that the MSI Claw 8 AI+ costs $999, this caller AMD-powered mentation astir apt won't beryllium cheap.

The AMD Z2 Extreme Race Is On

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme was announced benignant of nether the radar astatine CES backmost successful January 2025. Nearly 5 months later, we inactive haven't seen a handheld deed store shelves with the caller silicon, truthful present it's conscionable a substance of waiting to spot which shaper gets determination first.

Because, technically, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, which besides debuted astatine CES 2025, is powered by the Z2 Extreme, but the institution has not adjacent hinted erstwhile it mightiness marque its mode to market. Instead, we got the Z2 Go-powered Lenovo Legion Go S, which was some little almighty and much costly than the archetypal Legion Go.

The rumored Asus ROG Ally 2 volition besides apt usage the Z2 Extreme, if leaks are to beryllium believed, though that hasn't adjacent been announced yet. Plus, determination is plentifulness of speculation that Asus and Microsoft are going to beryllium teaming up connected immoderate benignant of Xbox-branded mentation of the Ally 2, which would besides apt beryllium powered by the Z2 Extreme.

Still, determination is 1 handheld that we cognize isn't going to beryllium utilizing the Z2 Extreme, and that's the Steam Deck 2. Valve has travel retired and said that this adjacent procreation of Z-series chips from AMD isn't capable of a generational leap to warrant a caller handheld. And portion that does formed immoderate shadiness connected however bully the Z2 Extreme volition adjacent be, caller Steam Deck alternatives volition astatine slightest beryllium a spot amended than what's connected store shelves now, and that's not a atrocious thing.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor astatine IGN and the PC components queen. You tin travel her @Jackiecobra