MSI Claw A8 finally goes on sale in the US
MSI has started selling the Claw A8 (BZ2EM-070US) in the US through the MSI US store. The listing shows the handheld as in stock.
This is the AMD-based Claw A8 built around the Ryzen Z2 Extreme platform. The US SKU pairs the chip with 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 and a 1TB NVMe SSD. MSI also lists an 8-inch 1920×1200 120Hz touchscreen with VRR support.
The AMD-based Claw followed the same pattern as MSI’s Intel-based handhelds. MSI has never prioritized the US or EU for these launches, and each Claw system has appeared in Asia first. That is despite MSI’s global social accounts discussing and promoting the devices, which is a strange way to market a product.
China retail and pre-orders started showing up in early July 2025, with local reports pointing to a July launch window. Europe followed soon after, with pre-orders surfacing outside China on July 21, 2025, and a Germany launch window later set for August 4 to August 10, 2025.
Source: Newegg
No single public explanation covers the long gap for the US market. Possible reasons include regional allocation, channel strategy, and certification or logistics timing. MSI has not posted a detailed timeline that spells out the delay. They chose, quite literally, the worst time ever.
As of January 2026, the MSI US store lists the Claw A8 BZ2EM-070US at $1,149. At the same time, a US retailer lists the same device at $1,099, but it is not yet in stock and is expected to launch at the end of this month. Newegg, which was among the first to list the Claw A8, no longer confirms that the system will return to the store, and it was never available for purchase there.
MSI is also not listing the Claw A8 on Amazon yet; only the Core Ultra 200V models and the less popular Ultra 100 models are available. The Lunar Lake system, which offers good performance compared to Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is still listed at $1,149, the same price as the A8. The cheapest Lunar Lake handheld is the 7 inch version:
Note: VideoCardz reached out to MSI for a comment, but the company has never replied with a statement.
| MSI CLAW Series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz | Picture | Specs | Status |
| Claw A1M |  | Core Ultra 5 135H / Ultra 7 155H 16GB LPDDR5-6400 7″ 120Hz Display | ✅ Released (2024) |
| Claw 7 AI+ A2VM | | Core Ultra 7 268V 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 7″ 120Hz Display | ✅ Released (2024) |
| Claw 7 Fallout Edition |  | Core Ultra 7 268V 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 7″ 120Hz Display | ❌ Limited Edition |
| Claw 8 AI+ A2VM |  | Core Ultra 7 268V 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 8″ 120Hz Display | ✅ Released (2024) |
| Claw A8 BZ2EM |  | Ryzen Z2 Extreme 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 8″ 120Hz Display | ✅ Released (2025 – Asia/EU) (2026 – US) |
Source: MSI
