Intel has officially announced the next generation of handheld gaming PCs with its new Arc G-Series processors. Designed specifically for portable gaming devices, the new chips aim to deliver PC-level gaming performance while maintaining strong battery life. The company says the processors are built for next-generation handheld systems and will begin appearing in devices from major hardware partners in the coming months.

One of the first products confirmed to use the new hardware is Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 handheld. Intel also revealed that upcoming devices from MSI and OneXPlayer will adopt the Arc G-Series platform as well.

The new lineup includes the Intel Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme processors, both based on Intel’s Panther Lake architecture. Unlike traditional laptop chips that are adapted for handheld use, Intel says these processors were designed with portable gaming in mind. The company has focused on balancing performance, efficiency, and battery life to create a better handheld gaming experience.

Intel is positioning the Arc G-Series as a direct competitor to AMD-powered handhelds such as the Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally X. To help achieve that, the processors feature a hybrid design with 14 CPU cores. These include two high-performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and four low-power efficiency cores that handle lighter tasks while reducing power consumption.

Graphics are another major focus. The standard Arc G3 comes with Intel Arc B370 graphics, while the more powerful Arc G3 Extreme includes Arc B390 graphics based on Intel’s latest Xe3 architecture. Features such as real-time ray tracing and XeSS 3 support are included, allowing games to look better while maintaining smooth frame rates.

XeSS 3 combines AI upscaling, frame generation, and latency reduction technologies to improve gaming performance. Intel believes this will help handheld devices deliver higher frame rates without placing excessive strain on the hardware.

Intel says the first Arc G-Series handhelds will begin launching from OEM partners starting in June 2026, with broader availability rolling out throughout the year. Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 is expected to arrive later in 2026, though pricing has not yet been revealed.

With handheld gaming continuing to grow rapidly, Intel clearly sees an opportunity to challenge AMD’s dominance in the market. Whether Arc G-Series can deliver on its promises remains to be seen, but the company is finally bringing dedicated handheld gaming processors to consumers, and that could make the competition far more interesting in the months ahead.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.