Intel Reportedly Splits Its Handheld Strategy As A Tiny 4-Xe3 Panther Lake Chip Targets The Budget Buyers Arc G3 Ignored

wccftech | Aug. 16, 2026, 10:20 a.m. | Original

Intel might not be done with the current Arc G3 series for the gaming handhelds, and might come up with more SKUs for entry-level devices.

Intel Reportedly Prepares a Panther Lake 4+0+4+4 SoC for Gaming Handhelds, Which Could Power Entry-Level Devices

The Arc G3 series is Intel's most powerful SoC lineup for gaming handhelds, but that doesn't mean Intel is only focusing on the flagship chips. The company has already launched multiple SKU lineups in the Panther Lake series, and even though they aren't directly made for gaming handhelds, Intel prepares similar variants for handheld devices.

This is how we have the Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme SoCs, which deliver a 14-core configuration coupled with 10- and 12-Xe3 core-based integrated graphics, known by the names Arc B370 and Arc B390, respectively. These are quite powerful processors for gaming without a discrete GPU and have already been adopted by several handheld vendors for their newest models.

However, as per @jaykihn0, Intel is reportedly preparing another SKU for gaming handhelds from the Panther Lake series. It's not official yet, but given the user's track record, it seems that Intel is aiming for entry-level handhelds now. As per the user, Intel is preparing a Panther Lake variant for handhelds with a "4+0+4+4" configuration, which means Four Performance cores, zero Efficient cores, four LP-E cores, and four Xe3 GPU cores.

This is similar to the configuration we have on Panther Lake processors like Core Ultra 5 325/335 and Core Ultra 7 355/365. So, instead of competing with Strix Point- and Strix Halo-based handhelds all the time, Intel might be giving the entry-level segment a new life with its new SoCs. Considering the current state of the market, it makes sense, since Arc G3/Extreme-based handhelds easily cost way over $1,000.

Even though the major factor for driving the prices up remain the memory and storage, with a new 8-core SKU, we might see a sub-$1000 or sub-$800 gaming handheld soon.

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