MSI Claw A8 review: Ryzen Z2 Extreme dominates, but at what cost?

It’s been a long time, MSI. Ever since testing the first claw, the question has been loud and clear from me: “when will you make an AMD version?” Intel’s cool and all, and the recent updates to Arc graphics have made the Claw 8+ AI a seriously capable gaming machine.

But finally, the MSI Claw A8 sporting Ryzen Z2 Extreme is here, and I’m mightily impressed by the performance, stamina, and the attention to detail on the ergonomics to make this a premium way to play.

Is it something I’d say is worth upgrading to from a Z1 Extreme handheld if you have one? No — you’ve got more than enough with that system, and the incoming Xbox Full Screen Experience update should bring better performance as I saw with the ROG Xbox Ally. Speaking of, this is still full-fat Windows 11 out of the box, which continues to be awkward to use.

But when it comes to those who are enthusiasts looking to get into PC gaming on-the-go, this is a strong option with Hall Effect joysticks, a nice design that feels great to grip and play for hours on end, and a buttery smooth display… So what’s the problem?

Well, put simply, the price is rather bonkers for handheld gaming. We know it’ll cost £849 in the U.K. and around €999 in Europe, but MSRP for the U.S. is currently under wraps (rumors are pointing to $899 or maybe even $999).

Some may say it earns that cost with blistering performance, a large display, big battery cell and a great feel in the hand. But given the minor gains over Z1 Extreme, the fact you could get a Steam Deck OLED for half the price, and strong gaming laptops for the same cost, we’re through the looking glass.

If you can afford it, and if you’re a keen PC gamer with ultraportable requirements, this is a mighty option. But think twice before you buy, as there are better value for money options.

MSI Claw A8: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a Windows gaming handheld — the first to launch sporting the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
• Who is it for? This is for gaming enthusiasts who want to take their PC library with them, while not having the space for anything bulky like a gaming laptop
• What does it cost? You can pick one up for £849. The U.S. price is yet to be disclosed.
• What do we like? MSI’s move to AMD has paid off big here — performance is more consistently impressive over the Intel-armed MSI Claw 8 AI+. On top of that, you’re getting the same great display, same large battery that lasts a little longer too, and improved ergonomics with hall effect sticks for comfortable control over hours.
• What don’t we like? It’s Windows 11 again, but that should be fixed in time with the Xbox Full Screen Experience update. But ultimately, the main issue here is that price. We don’t know the MSRP in USD yet, but signs are pointing to $1,000 and that’s a big price for a gaming handheld.

MSI Claw A8: Specs

MSI Claw A8: The ups

MSI has really done its homework here — listening to what people do and don’t like about the current crop of gaming handhelds, and really applying it here in the Claw A8.

Upping the performance

Any time I’ve dabbled with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, I’ve been impressed with the power gains. In the MSI Claw A8 paired with 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM to eliminate any memory obstacles, AAA titles absolutely purr on this handheld.

The company claims up to a 30% performance improvement, and while that is true when at the maximum 33W power profile, 17W does garner roughly 20-25% uplifts, and faster frame rates than the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V in the Claw 8 AI+.

Of course, just like any PC gaming, a little bit of tinkering is needed to put any AAA game you’re playing in the right frame for your gameplay needs. Example: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 with FSR at 1080p tuned to a series of high and medium settings can garner a rock-solid 60 FPS — all keeping cool under sustained load with the new Cooler Boost HyperFlow thermal management inside.

And that 80Whr cell inside the Claw A8 is capable of decently long gaming sessions — a little less than the Ryzen Z1 Extreme with a same-size battery in the ROG Ally X, but not to the point that I’m griping about it.

MSI does tout an Endurance Mode, which provided your gaming intent is more Indie, you can take advantage of. I was able to get Silksong running at 60 FPS at medium brightness for a touch over three hours.

All-in-all, this is the most powerful gaming handheld I’ve dealt with. It’s power may be somewhat masked by the bloated Windows 11 running in the background, but you’re not going to have a bad time here.

Ergonomic (and style) improvements

Honestly, I was getting pretty tired of every gaming handheld looking like the same black box in your hands. So the white or green finish here really does make this dynamically stand out from the pack — it actually feels fun to look at, and fun to hold too, as MSI has really done some great work with the ergonomics here.

The hand grips are a lot more blockier now, which did make me nervous at first about those edges digging into my hands, but they do add a little more of a chunk for you to grip onto. Plus the Hall Effect joysticks and triggers have a nice smoothness to them for the gameplay.

There is a fair bit more heft to this at 1.7 pounds, but the weight distribution is evenly balanced across the system, and the thickness of those grips does reduce that pressure on your wrists to keep it held up. But also, those USB-C ports do support AR glasses, and I’ve been having a really good time on long haul flights with the Viture Luma Pro specs.

Great screen and speakers

Much like the Claw 8 AI+, you are getting an 8-inch LCD panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate and a 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution. I will keep demanding OLED, especially at a price like this (more on that later), but as far as gaming handhelds go, this is one of the better screens out there — bright and crispy, and colorful even when you turn that brightness down to extract more battery.

But more surprisingly good has been the speakers. Normally, I would always point you towards buying a pair of wired headphones, because the tweeters are usually rather tinny and they never overwhelm the fan noise without distorting.

But MSI has done something impressive here. If you don’t have a good headset to immerse yourself, the speakers here have impressive definition in gameplay, and can go loud to block out any loud fan noise when in the midst of Cyberpunk 2077.

MSI Claw A8: The downs

One comes with a question mark, and one is a problem that should (hopefully) resolve itself soon — in fact, I’m actually in the process of testing it as we speak.

Enough of Windows 11

MSI Center M does some hard work here to try and keep you away from using Windows 11. But you will have to interact with it, and just like I’ve said many times before, it’s pretty terrible to use on a touchscreen.

When gaming, and when you have titles installed, the home screen MSI offers along with quick settings integrated directly into the Xbox Game Bar is a great way to tweak things and switch titles on the fly.

However, these just feel like band-aids over the ultimate problem that is the albatross of a desktop OS hanging over the neck of this system. Background processes are absolutely dragging this system down in terms of performance and battery life.

Now, a fix is on the way with the Xbox Full Screen Experience. In fact, if you download Windows 11 25H2 (like I just have), you can get access to an early version of this. But I’m not going to review something on the promise of a thing coming down the line. As of right now, it’s just a muddled UI.

Price = yikes

Now, I can’t go ahead and say this is entirely MSI’s fault. Inflation and tariff mania has taken a hold of handheld gaming, and beefier options like this were always going to be the hardest hit.

The Asus ROG Ally X with Z1 Extreme went up to $899, so while the price in USD of the Claw A8 is unknown, I wouldn’t be surprised if the cost could be $999. I mean the Intel version is $999 as well!

This puts it into the same territory where you could get a gaming laptop with vastly more power for the same price (if you’re a frames-per-dollar kinda person). But I’m more looking at this from what you can actually get at lower prices.

Granted, it won’t be this level of performance. However, you can still get a great gaming experience out of the Steam Deck OLED for a far lower price. Either that or go full console and snag the Nintendo Switch 2. At the known price of £849, this is a steeply priced option when you could get cheaper thrills.

MSI Claw A8: Verdict

And that’s the story of the MSI Claw A8. Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re already the kind of person that’s ready to take a big hit on the price. And if you do fall into that audience, and you don’t already have a Z1 Extreme system, this is a great option.

Performance and battery life are good, the ergonomics are great, and this is a great-looking option. But while it is indeed a good option, I have one piece of advice for you: wait.

The ROG Xbox Ally X is just around the corner, and so is the Xbox UI too. And in my time testing this, it’s what handhelds have been waiting for this entire time in terms of unlocking power and stamina.

This could also mean that Ryzen Z1 Extreme systems are back on the table too with this game-changing update, and you could save yourself some pennies. But in the immediate, if you are chasing speeds and feeds, this is the one to buy right now.