Intel Core Ultra G3 “Panther Lake” Handheld Gaming Chips to Are available Q2 of 2026

When Intel unveiled its “Panther Lake” Core Ultra Series 3 cell processors constructed on the 18A node, the corporate introduced {that a} separate model fine-tuned for handheld gaming consoles is within the works. Called Intel Core Ultra G3 “Panther Lake,” the chip is now scheduled to reach within the second quarter of 2026, based on Golden Pig Upgrade. The firm plans to carry two SKUs to the plenty, which can be referred to as G3 and G3 Extreme, every carrying a 14-core CPU configuration consisting of two P-Cores, eight E-Cores, and 4 extra LPE-Cores. However, the actual star of the present of this SoC would be the Arc built-in graphics, which can arrive with 12 Xe3 cores within the G3 Extreme, or 10 Xe3 cores within the common G3.

For the G3 Extreme, the plan is to run the Arc B380 iGPU with 12 Xe3 cores at 2.3 GHz, which is simply 200 MHz shy of the flagship Core Ultra X9 388H’s Arc B390. Basically, G3 Extreme handhelds can anticipate related gaming efficiency to what we noticed in our overview of the flagship SKU, simply with two P-Cores much less and a barely decrease GPU clock. For the common G3, the CPU configuration retains its functionality, however the GPU drops to a 10-Core Xe3 IP referred to as Arc B360. This built-in graphics drops core counts and GPU increase frequency to 2.2 GHz, which can lead to a major discount in each gaming efficiency and TDP. Intel nonetheless hasn’t revealed plans about TDP configurations, so we have now to attend a bit longer for that.

Interestingly, Intel possible fine-tuned the efficiency and located an ideal stability between the core depend, GPU clock, and the brand new TDP, so the chip turns into appropriate for handheld gaming gadgets with out breaking the battery life and TDP boundaries. Usual handheld designs from Intel, just like the last-generation “Lunar Lake” Core Ultra 9 288V, have a base TDP score of 30 W, with a most turbo energy of 37 W. We can anticipate the brand new G3 and G3 Extreme to slot in that vary, provided that Intel possible has huge suggestions from OEM companions making these techniques and is aware of precisely how a lot is required in that kind issue.