Intel jumps into handheld gaming with new platform and Panther Lake chips
At CES 2026, Intel announced its first-ever handheld gaming platform, stepping into a space mostly ruled by AMD.
The highlight is a brand-new chip designed just for portable gaming devices.
Intel vice president and general manager of PC products Daniel Rogers shared that more details about its new products for handheld gaming devices will drop later this year—so keep an eye out if you're into gaming on the go.
What else is new: Panther Lake chips and Core Ultra series 3
The heart of this move is the Panther Lake chip lineup, built using Intel's advanced 18A process (first rolled out in 2025).
This shows Intel's growing focus on gamers since their Arc GPUs launched in 2022.
They also introduced Core Ultra Series 3 mobile processors—think high performance, integrated Arc graphics, and up to 27 hours of battery life.
Pre-orders start January 6, with worldwide release from January 27.