Key Takeaways
Smart-pistol identity
A-22B Chao is a Smart pistol, not a melee weapon. Its defining feature is guided ammunition that can track targets after the weapon acquires a lock.
Cyberware requirement
Its Smart functionality depends on compatible Smart Link cyberware. Without that support, it does not provide the full targeting behavior that distinguishes the weapon class.
Practical strength
The Chao suits players who want assisted targeting while moving, taking cover, or engaging several enemies. Its value comes from target acquisition and projectile guidance rather than a unique melee moveset.
Important limitation
Smart targeting is less direct than conventional pistol aiming and depends on maintaining a valid lock. That makes the Chao a poor fit for players who prefer precise manual headshots or weapons without cyberware dependencies.
Comparison point
Compared with a conventional pistol, the A-22B Chao exchanges manual aiming control for Smart weapon guidance; compare them by targeting requirements and handling, not by raw damage alone.
Overview
The A-22B Chao is a standard Smart Pistol in , not a melee weapon. Its defining role is guided handgun fire for players using the post-2.0 smart-weapon system.
Manufactured by Kang Tao, the A-22B Chao occupies the ordinary end of Cyberpunk 2077’s Smart Weapon roster rather than serving as an Iconic or story-exclusive weapon. Its identity comes from the Smart category: when the relevant targeting system is available, the pistol can support guided shots instead of relying solely on conventional aim and projectile placement.
That makes the Chao a practical sidearm for a player who wants Smart Weapon functionality without committing to a distinctive Iconic effect. It belongs alongside other Smart pistols, but it should not be evaluated as a melee weapon or described through blade, blunt, stamina, or close-range moveset rules. Its meaningful comparisons are other pistols that use the same technology and occupy a similar progression role.
The weapon is most relevant to a Smart Weapon setup built around target acquisition and guided handgun attacks. Its performance is still governed by the current post-2.0 weapon framework, including the weapon’s tier and the player’s available cyberware and perk support. Those factors should be kept separate from the Chao’s base identity; a higher-tier copy or a build-enhanced result is not a universal property of every A-22B Chao.
As a standard firearm, the Chao is primarily a progression and equipment-choice option rather than a major narrative object. The base weapon, its current tier, and any later upgrade or modification state should be recorded separately on the full page. This overview therefore distinguishes the weapon’s Smart Pistol role from the changing numbers supplied by the game’s loot and upgrade systems, while keeping the page within the current Cyberpunk 2077 rules rather than pre-2.0 weapon behavior.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Pistol |
| Subtype | Pistol |
| Technology | Smart |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Base game / free update |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar pistols
| Attribute |  A-22B Chao | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Pistol | Pistol | Pistol | Pistol | Pistol |
| Technology | Smart | Smart | Power | Power | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Iconic | — | Yes | — | — | — |
How to Obtain
- 01A-22B Chao is a standard Smart pistol rather than a melee weapon. Obtain it by checking regular Weapon Vendors in Night City and purchasing it when the weapon appears in their inventory; its tier and availability depend on the post-2.0 progression system.
- 02It may also appear as ordinary weapon loot during play, but no fixed pickup, named mission reward, boss drop, guaranteed location, or vendor location is established here. There is no verified Iconic, Phantom Liberty, NG+, or one-per-playthrough acquisition gate for the standard A-22B Chao.
Mechanics and Handling
A-22B Chao is a Smart pistol, not a melee weapon. Its handling therefore belongs under Cyberpunk 2077’s firearm rules: Smart targeting, ammunition, magazine behaviour, reload timing, and firearm-specific perk interactions are relevant, while melee attack chains, blocking, parrying, stamina-based swings, and blade or blunt classification are not. This section should be regenerated with the firearm subtype and a tier-qualified stat context rather than published as melee mechanics.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- A-22B Chao is a Smart pistol rather than a melee weapon; its main advantage is target-seeking fire when used with the Smart Link system.
- Smart targeting reduces the need for pixel-perfect manual aim, making the pistol practical against moving enemies and during mobile firefights.
- Its pistol form leaves the user free to keep distance while benefiting from Cyberpunk 2077’s Smart-weapon targeting mechanics.
Weaknesses
- It cannot fill a melee weapon’s role: it does not provide close-range blade or blunt attacks, melee stagger pressure, or melee-specific perk interactions.
- The Chao’s signature targeting behaviour depends on Smart-weapon support. Without the relevant cyberware and a valid lock, its main distinction is reduced or unavailable.
- Smart targeting does not remove positioning concerns; cover, target acquisition and the weapon’s ranged engagement limits still affect whether its shots are useful.
Best uses
- Use it as an accessible ranged sidearm for a Smart Weapons build, especially when sustained manual aiming is inconvenient.
- Keep it for mobile encounters where enemies move laterally or the player is simultaneously repositioning, since target-seeking fire can reduce aiming workload.
- Choose a conventional melee weapon instead when the build or encounter demands close-quarters pressure, melee perks, or attacks that do not depend on target acquisition.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute |  HJKE-11 Yukimura |  Genjiroh |  Skippy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class and technology | Closest ordinary same-class comparison | Same weapon class and smart-targeting role | Same class, with a more unusual smart-weapon identity |
| Comparison relevance | Useful baseline for evaluating the Chao's weapon-specific behaviour without mixing technology categories | A meaningful alternative for players comparing iconic smart-pistol effects rather than raw firearm categories | Its AI-driven behaviour makes it a less conventional alternative to the Chao |
| Distinctive consideration | — | — | — |
