Hajra Naz
Intel is preparing a deeper push into gaming hardware with plans for a new platform and a dedicated chip designed specifically for handheld gaming devices.
Speaking at CES, Daniel Rogers, Intel’s vice president and general manager of PC products, revealed that the company is developing a portable gaming platform that will combine both hardware and software. The initiative will be built on Intel’s Core Series 3 processors, codenamed Panther Lake, which were first unveiled last year and are now beginning to roll out across a range of PCs.
According to reporting from IGN, which Intel has since confirmed, the broader platform will include a processor purpose-built for handheld gaming systems. That marks a notable expansion beyond traditional laptops and desktops, positioning Intel to compete more directly in the fast-growing market for portable gaming hardware.
Panther Lake also represents a major manufacturing milestone for Intel. The chips are the company’s first to be produced using its advanced 18A process node, which entered production in 2025. Intel has framed the 18A process as central to its broader effort to regain leadership in chip performance and power efficiency—two factors that are especially critical for battery-powered gaming devices.
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While Intel has long played a central role in PC gaming, its presence has historically been focused on CPUs rather than dedicated gaming platforms. The company has supplied processors for gaming PCs since the 1990s and took a more aggressive step into the space in 2022 with the launch of its Intel Arc GPUs.
Moving into handheld gaming, however, would place Intel into a market currently dominated by AMD. AMD’s custom and semi-custom processors power many of today’s most popular handheld gaming devices, and the company continues to strengthen its position. At CES, AMD announced the Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor for gaming PCs, alongside new ray tracing and graphics technologies aimed at boosting gaming performance.
Intel has not yet disclosed technical specifications, performance targets, or potential hardware partners for its handheld gaming chip. Rogers said the company plans to share additional details about its handheld gaming products later this year, signaling that Intel’s ambitions in portable gaming are still in an early—but increasingly serious—stage.
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If successful, the move could reshape competition in the handheld gaming market and give Intel a new foothold in a category that blends PC-class performance with mobile form factors.
