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The MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme is yet another gaming PC handheld to hit the market. Taking all of the positives of the previous iteration of the MSI Claw, the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme seems promising on paper, being the first gaming handheld to pack the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, potentially giving gamers a whole new level of performance right in the palm of their hands.
In terms of availability, the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme has been slowly released over the past few months as different regions start to stock the device. The UK is still waiting for its opportunity to purchase, as well as the US, and with the new Asus ROG Xbox Ally hitting the shelves soon, it may be a race to the finish line in terms of the first device featuring AMD’s new chip to be on the shelf.
Not only are my expectations for the device tainted, but I’m worried about the progression of handhelds in general if this level of performance is meant to be seen as an upgrade. Oh dear.
MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme hands-on: Price and availability
The price of the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme varies from region to region and with no stock available in the US or UK just yet, we don’t have a confirmed price.
However, with sales already underway in Germany starting at €999, we can therefore assume it will be at a similar price point in both dollars and pounds, though exchange rates, local taxes and tariffs will likely have an impact.
This is particularly expensive when compared to alternative handheld gaming devices on the market. However, this is currently the only gaming handheld to feature the brand new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, which makes direct price comparison difficult. The previous MSI Claw was £899 / $899 on release, and other alternatives like the Asus ROG Ally X come in at around £799 / $799 with frequent sales and price cuts.
Right now, there’s no confirmed release date for the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme for most of the world, but with it being on shelves in some areas of Europe, we shouldn’t be waiting too long.
MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme hands-on: Design
In terms of design, the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme comes in a fancy new colorway, Neon Green.
Being honest, I found this new color absolutely repugnant, but this is more of a personal taste issue rather than it being a major problem. Despite not being a fan, I can be the bigger person and admit that this new color definitely sets the device apart from the monochrome sea of gaming handhelds which are on the market right now.
You get an 8-inch screen which is just slightly higher in resolution than your standard 1080p at 1920×1200. Pair this with the variable 120Hz refresh rate, and this screen is one of the best options on the gaming handheld market.
The only thing that would improve this display would be if it was OLED. It was gorgeous to look at and would make a great option for both casual and competitive gamers alike – if competitive gamers would ever dare to play ranked on a gaming handheld.
The chassis definitely feels more ‘gamery’ in style when compared to its predecessor, with a more aggressive shape and clear cut edges rather than that smooth and sleek finish which we’re familiar with. Despite this, it was still comfortable to hold.
Coming in at 765g, it’s one of the heavier devices on the market; the Asus ROG Ally X, for example, weighs less than 700g. This is to be expected given the difference in screens, but doesn’t detract from the fact that the handheld feels like it’s slightly weighing you down while you’re playing it, but it didn’t cause any major issues.
MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme hands-on: Specs
In terms of specifications, the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme looks fantastic on paper, however the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme does majorly let it down. While using the device, I found that I wasn’t really getting any better performance when compared to the Z1 Extreme chip found in other (cheaper) gaming handhelds.
It managed good quality graphics in the games I played on the handheld, with solid frame rates which didn’t look or feel choppy. However, since this was just a brief hands-on session I wasn’t able to actually monitor the frame rates while playing, and it really didn’t feel like the device was delivering any significant boost in performance on a surface level.
CPU | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme |
Display | 8-inch FHD+ (1920×1200), 120Hz, VRR, Touchscreen |
Memory | 24GB LPDDR5x-8000 |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
Ports | 2x Type-C, 1x Micro SD Card Reader |
Battery | 80Wh |
Dimensions | 299.5 x 126.2 x 24.0mm |
Weight | 765g |
Aside from this, you also get 24GB of RAM, a major upgrade from some of the previous generation gaming handhelds. Lower RAM in previous handhelds has posed issues in the past, so it’s nice to see MSI learning from the mistakes of their competitors.
You also get a chunky 80Wh battery, the same as the previous iteration of the MSI Claw. While it would have been nice for this to have been improved upon, it seems like this is slowly becoming industry standard.
I wasn’t able to actually monitor the battery level during my hands-on time with the device, but the AMD Ryzen Z2 series of chips come with a promise of better efficiency so we’ll have to wait for a full review to see if this proves to be true.
MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme hands-on: Early verdict
All in all, I feel like I was somewhat underwhelmed with the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme, but that wasn’t down to the device itself but rather the processor from AMD.
The device was comfortable to hold, looked stunning (apart from the new neon green colorway, sorry) and has a promising battery capacity.
However, with a high price point and a processor which wasn’t delivering that boost in performance that I was expecting over its predecessor, it’s hard to recommend picking up the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme based on first impressions alone. Our full review, where we’ll put the MSI Claw A8 Z2 Extreme through our suite of benchmark and real-world tests, should determine if it deserves a place amongst the best gaming handhelds.
