MSI has officially confirmed the August 4–10 release window for its highly anticipated Claw 8 handheld gaming PC in Germany, priced at €999. But the bigger surprise? Early firmware updates are already delivering battery life optimizations and performance tweaks to reviewers and testers—weeks before the device hits shelves.
According to hardware watchdog VideoCardz, MSI rolled out its first firmware patch (version E1T42IMS) this week, targeting two critical pain points of handheld gaming:
- Battery efficiency: Runtime extended by up to 12% in balanced performance mode.
- Performance stability: Smoother frame rates in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring via optimized CPU/GPU voltage tuning.
- The update also resolves early Bluetooth/Wi-Fi bugs reported during preview testing.
🔗 Source: MSI Claw A8 firmware details and German launch dates
MSI’s social media team doubled down on the hype today, teasing the Ryzen Z2 Extreme-powered Claw 8 as “the most aggressively optimized handheld yet” while confirming pre-orders will go live globally in early August.
� MSI’s official tweet:
"The CLAW 8 is coming. Tuned for endurance. Ready for battle."
The Claw 8’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip—a 8-core/16-thread Zen 4 beast with RDNA 3.5 graphics—now appears to leverage its architectural edge over Intel-based rivals. Early benchmarks show ~18% faster 1080p gaming versus the original Claw (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H), while sustaining 45W TDP without throttling.
Why Gamers Should Care
- Battery life: Early tests hint at 2–2.5 hours in AAA titles (up from 1.8 hours pre-update).
- Display: The 8-inch 120Hz VRR screen remains a standout feature.
- Ergonomics: Hall Effect joysticks and redesigned grips address complaints about the first-gen model.
Pre-order link:
MSI Claw 8 (Ryzen Edition) on Amazon
The Bigger Picture
MSI’s swift firmware response suggests lessons learned from the rocky launch of its Intel-based Claw. With ASUS ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go dominating headlines, the Ryzen-powered Claw 8 could be MSI’s redemption arc—if real-world battery life holds up.
Stay tuned for our hands-on review in August.
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