MSI Claw A8 packs an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme — the rumors were true

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This handheld is looking quite promising

MSI Claw A8 handheld
(Image credit: MSI /Gadgetpilipinas)

Recently, rumors began to circulate that MSI was releasing another handheld gaming PC with an AMD chip under the hood. It turns out that those rumors were totally true, as the company has unveiled a new 8-inch handheld with the full name MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM.

The new gaming handheld features a powerful AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, an AMD Radeon 890M and as much as 24GB of RAM. This release comes about six months after the Intel-based version of the company's gaming handhelds hit the market.

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MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM Specs

Processor

AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme

GPU

AMD Radeon 890M

RAM

Up to 24GB

Display

8", 1080p, 120Hz, VRR

Storage

1x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4) and 1x microSD card reader

Battery

80Wh

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

Wireless connectivity

299.5 x 126.2 x 24mm (11.79 x 4.97 x 0.94)

Weight

765g

The 80Wh battery is another standout feature. The original Steam Deck featured a 40Wh battery, and the Steam Deck OLED has a 50Wh cell. This should provide much more juice to keep MSI's large handheld running. Of course, we'll need to test it to see how good the battery life is, but it sounds promising.

Unfortunately, while a bunch of information about the new MSI Steam Deck competitor was announced, the pricing and availability were not.

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Dave LeClair
Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

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