Prime Highlight
- Intel announced it is developing a dedicated hardware and software platform for handheld gaming devices, marking its entry into the fast-growing portable gaming market.
- The new platform will run on Intel Core Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors and is aimed at helping manufacturers build powerful, compact gaming systems.
Key Facts
- Panther Lake processors are Intel’s first chips manufactured using its advanced 18A process, which entered production in 2025.
- Intel plans to introduce a dedicated chip specifically designed for handheld gaming consoles, with more details expected later this year.
Background
Intel has revealed plans to build a new platform for handheld gaming devices, taking a big step into the fast-growing portable gaming market. The company said the platform will include both hardware and software and will run on its upcoming Intel Core Series 3 processors, also known as Panther Lake.
The announcement came from Daniel Rogers, Intel’s vice president and general manager of PC products, during the company’s presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Rogers said Intel is working on a dedicated chip designed specifically for handheld gaming systems. Reports by IGN, later confirmed by TechCrunch, said this chip will power future portable consoles and gaming devices.
The Panther Lake processors are Intel’s first chips made using its advanced 18A manufacturing process, which entered production in 2025. Intel has already started rolling out these processors across a range of personal computers, and the company now plans to extend the technology into compact gaming hardware.
Intel has a long history in gaming. Since the 1990s, it has developed processors for gaming PCs and reinforced its gaming strategy in 2022 with the release of Intel Arc GPUs. However, moving into the handheld gaming segment marks a new phase for the chipmaker.
The portable gaming market is currently led by AMD, which also used CES this year to announce its new Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor and several upgrades in ray tracing and graphics technology. AMD chips power many of today’s handheld consoles, giving it a strong position in the segment.
Rogers said Intel will share more information about its handheld gaming platform later this year. The company believes the new platform will help device makers build powerful yet compact gaming systems, opening new growth opportunities in the gaming hardware space.
