I held the next-gen handheld
Intel has faced significant challenges recently, including layoffs, CPU failures that damaged its reputation, and losing market share to competitors like AMD, Apple, and Qualcomm in the laptop segment. However, the company’s new Panther Lake laptop processor, built on its advanced 18A manufacturing process, has proven to be a strong performer.
More notably, Intel’s handheld variant of this architecture—the Arc G3 Extreme chip—is generating excitement in the portable gaming space. The new chip powers the MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus handheld gaming device, which has impressed reviewers. After spending two hours with the device, The Verge’s gaming reviewer concluded that next-generation handhelds have finally arrived. The Arc G3 Extreme’s performance in the Claw 8 EX AI Plus positions Intel as a potential leader in portable gaming processors, a sector increasingly important as handheld gaming continues to grow in popularity. This represents a significant turnaround moment for Intel, showing that despite its recent struggles in traditional computing segments, the company remains competitive—and possibly dominant—in emerging form factors like gaming handhelds.