Intel plans to expand its focus on gaming hardware by developing a new chip and platform designed for portable gaming devices, positioning the company for a potential entry into the handheld gaming market.
Platform Announcement At CES
The platform will combine hardware and software, Intel vice president and general manager of PC products Daniel Rogers said during a presentation at CES on Monday. It will be based on Intel’s Core Series 3 processors, known as Panther Lake, which the company announced last year and is now rolling out across a range of personal computers.
Dedicated Chip For Handheld Devices
According to reporting from IGN, later confirmed by TechCrunch, the platform will include a processor built specifically for handheld gaming devices. Intel has not yet disclosed specifications for the chip or details on how the platform will be implemented by device makers.
Panther Lake And The 18A Process
Panther Lake processors mark Intel’s first chips manufactured using its 18A process. The company said production of the 18A process began in 2025, making Panther Lake a key milestone in Intel’s manufacturing roadmap.
Intel’s Gaming Hardware Background
Intel has a long history in gaming hardware, having supplied processors for gaming PCs since the 1990s. The company increased its focus on gaming in 2022 with the launch of Intel Arc graphics processing units, which represented its return to the discrete GPU market.
Competition In The Gaming Processor Market
A move into handheld gaming hardware would place Intel in a segment currently led by AMD. During its CES keynote on Monday, AMD announced a new processor for gaming PCs, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, and introduced additional ray tracing and graphics technologies aimed at gamers.
Next Steps And Timeline
Rogers said Intel plans to share more information about its handheld gaming products later this year, but did not provide a specific timeline or release date.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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