Recently, we ran a poll to see which handheld our readers are most looking forward to. Predictably, many gamers are happy to wait for the Steam Deck 2, and new benchmarks for the Ryzen Z2 Extreme suggest they might have the right idea. We’ve already seen a few Ryzen Z2 Extreme tests – this is the processor that will be powering the upcoming ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X – and so far, it hasn’t impressed too much.

The launch of the MSI Claw A8 has given handheld gamers their first taste of Z2E performance. New tests comparing the new A8 to the older Intel Core Ultra 7 258V model and Z1 Extreme ROG Ally X show how they size up so far. Z2 Extreme isn’t miles ahead of its predecessor, and new benchmarks show it often falls behind the older Intel alternative, too.

Z2 Extreme compared to Z1 Extreme and Core Ultra 258V

Time to review the benchmarks; all credit goes to YouTuber ETA Prime for their new handheld comparison video. Comparing two MSI Claw models, as well as the existing ROG Ally X, we can see that the Core Ultra chip performs exceptionally well and might prove to be faster than the Xbox ROG Ally X when it launches this holiday season.

For gaming, we can see that the Core Ultra 258V is still the better handheld processor. Notably, the Z2 Extreme does perform much better than the Z1E at lower power (TDP) settings, closely matching the 258V when operating at 17W and even surpassing it in the case of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. But it’s far from the generational leap you may have expected.

Obviously, we don’t know exactly how the ROG Xbox Ally X performs yet, and we’ll have to wait to see how drivers impact performance, but given it has almost identical specs to the Claw A8, this is a solid guide right now.

The table above focuses on gaming performance, but if you want to see more synthetic tests, we recommend checking out the full video below. It’s also worth noting that the Claw 8 AI+ does feature 8GB more RAM, running ~500MHz faster, but we don’t expect this to drastically affect the benchmarks.

Valve has already confirmed it is waiting for a generational leap before releasing the Steam Deck 2, and while we hoped the Z2E would provide that, these benchmarks shut that idea down. The new Z2 Extreme also misses out on FSR 4 support, which would have been a big selling point if AMD could have made it work, but it wasn’t to be. If the next Steam Deck is indeed built on RDNA 4 architecture, then handheld gamers will have a true upgrade with top-tier upscaling support.

About the Author

Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.