Intel has high expectations for its Panther Lake architecture in the handheld gaming console market, including devices such as the MSI Claw. However, recent reports suggest that the launch of these processors has been delayed.
While Robert Hallock, Intel vice president, previously confirmed that Panther Lake SoCs designed for handheld devices would arrive this year, new leaks from Golden Pig Upgrade point to a small change in schedule. The chips were originally expected by the end of the first quarter of 2026, but are now said to be delayed until the second quarter of 2026.
This adjustment places the release sometime before June. Although the delay is not major, it means users and manufacturers will need to wait a few extra months to see Panther Lake in real products.
The Move To Xe3
What makes Panther Lake so highly anticipated is its expected graphics performance. Intel is rumored to be preparing at least two main versions aimed at handheld systems. One model would feature a 12-core Xe3 iGPU, while another would come with 10 Xe3 cores.
On the CPU side, the configuration could reach up to 16 cores, divided into 4 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 4 ultra-low-power cores. Early performance tests of the B390 iGPU suggest graphics power similar to the Xbox Series S, which has drawn strong interest from manufacturers such as MSI.
This delay puts Intel in a more difficult position, as AMD continues to strengthen its lead with Zen 5–based APUs, which are already widely used in handheld gaming devices.
That said, if Panther Lake delivers on the promised performance of its Arc Xe3 GPU, Intel could still offer a serious and competitive alternative in the handheld market during 2026.
