Intel is preparing a major push into the gaming handheld segment with its new Panther Lake system-on-chip (SoCs), confirmed during CES 2026. Unlike previous Intel lineups, such as Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake, which were occasionally used in handhelds, Panther Lake is designed specifically for portable gaming. The company appears to be focusing on optimizing core performance while reducing unnecessary features to ensure better efficiency and higher gaming output.
The Panther Lake SoCs are expected to maintain a higher count of Xe3 cores and a solid number of CPU cores, while potentially excluding neural processing units (NPU). This approach allows the chips to focus fully on gaming performance. Earlier Intel handhelds, including devices like the MSI Claw powered by Lunar Lake, offered acceptable performance but did not match the breadth of AMD’s Z-series SoCs in portable gaming. Panther Lake is intended to change that balance.
AMD’s handheld SoCs have not seen significant updates this year. The Gorgon Point “Ryzen AI 400” family will remain largely unchanged until the next generation Medusa Point SoCs are introduced. This opens a window for Intel to compete against Sony’s upcoming PS6 handheld, codenamed Canis. Reports indicate that Panther Lake handhelds may deliver similar performance to the PS6 handheld, although they could require higher power consumption. For example, a 30W Intel handheld may match the output of a 15W PS6 device, reflecting Sony’s optimization for its own operating system and first-party games.
Intel is expected to collaborate with Microsoft and hardware partners to fine-tune both performance and power efficiency. As software and firmware improvements are applied, performance scaling at lower power levels is likely to improve. Intel’s Panther Lake gaming handhelds are anticipated to arrive around mid-2026, offering a new alternative in the portable gaming market. The move positions Intel as a strong competitor in the handheld space and could influence the design of future gaming devices.
