Intel Core/Arc G3 series coming

Intel is preparing a Core G3 series aimed at gaming handhelds. The series has not been named by Intel, but the company did confirm it will have new dedicated series for such devices. Intel has not shared specifications, a launch schedule, or performance data. Several companies are mentioned in the official presentation, including Acer, MSI, ONEXPLAYER, GPD, and Microsoft. Perhaps the latter means there’s an Xbox handheld in the works, or simply that Microsoft is heavily involved here from the software side.

A previous report from us mentioned a dedicated Intel handheld chip. The earlier details were limited. The chip was said to pair an Arc B380 iGPU with 12 Xe3 cores. The naming difference versus B390 is linked to lower clock speeds. Sources also claim the project is referred to internally as Arc G3. The same sources describe the chip as mid-range.

Source: Intel

The G3 chip is said to use a 12-core CPU layout. The configuration is 2 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 4 LP-cores. That points to Panther Lake rather than Wildcat Lake. Sources also mention an Arc B360 variant. Details on its Xe3 core count are not known.

This puts Intel into a large handheld market where Core G3 would compete with AMD’s Ryzen Z2 lineup. But I’m not sure if this is a good comparison, at least not for Intel. In a recent PCWorld interview, Intel called AMD chips “ ancient silicon .” The latest AMD handheld parts are closer to 19 months old, such as Strix Point. At CES 2026, there wasn’t any new gaming handheld from AMD, except for Legion Go 2 based on Steam OS. There was also no mention of a Ryzen Z3 series.

With two iGPU options listed, B380 and B360, there should be two chip variants as well. Intel has not said when the Core G3 series will be announced, and no release timing was shared. Still, this was one of CES 2026’s key announcements, and we will share updates as soon as we learn more.

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