Intel’s first handheld gaming chip is the Arc G3, and this Acer is using it | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Intel’s first handheld gaming chip is the Arc G3, and this Acer is using itNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsIntel’s first handheld gaming chip is the Arc G3, and this Acer is using itThe Acer Predator Atlas 8 will be one of the first to use it — and there’s reportedly an MSI too.The Acer Predator Atlas 8 will be one of the first to use it — and there’s reportedly an MSI too.by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterMay 28, 2026, 1:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftThere’s a brand-new Intel chip underneath this render. Image: AcerPart OfSteam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolutionsee all updates Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.Intel is barely in the handheld gaming PC space — but that might be about to change. After the embarrassment that was the first MSI Claw and the excellent MSI Claw 8 AI Plus that followed it, Intel announced it would create custom handheld gaming chips. Today, it’s formally announcing them as the Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme.There’s a lot we don’t know about the chips, which are rumored to have two fewer CPU cores than Intel’s Panther Lake laptop chips, but feature a full compliment of Xe3 GPU cores to run games. (We’ve heard we may get more details from Intel shortly, and I’ll add them to this story if so.)But we do already know that they’ll feature in the just-announced Acer Predator Atlas 8 — which just might wind up being Acer’s first handheld after the Acer Nitro Blaze 7, 8, and gigantic 11 went MIA.The Predator Atlas 8, with dedicated Xbox Game Bar and “PredatorSense” buttons. Image: AcerThe new Atlas 8 will come in at least two variants, one with an Intel Arc G3 Extreme and its Arc B390 graphics with 12 Xe3 GPU cores, and one with an Intel Arc G3 and the Arc B370 with 10 Xe3 cores instead. Each is paired with 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM at 7467 MT/s, and cooled by “the first metal fan in a handheld” with 89 blades and a claimed 10 percent airflow increase over the competition.The handheld will weigh around 810 grams (1.79lb) with a large 80Wh battery, or 770 grams (1.7lb) with an above-average 60Wh battery — presumably the higher end model comes with the bigger battery, like competing handhelds do.All the ports are up on top. Image: AcerThe 8-inch screen sounds above average, too. It’s a 1920 x 1200 IPS panel at 16:10 aspect ratio, in a native landscape arrangement, with 500 nits of brightness and 48-120Hz variable refresh rate, covered in Gorilla Glass Victus with Corning’s DXC anti-glare coating with 100 percent sRGB and 77 percent Adobe RGB coverage.You won’t find magnetic Hall effect or TMR joysticks here, just carbon film ones that might eventually drift, but it does have Hall effect triggers with adjustable hair-trigger stops, two back buttons, and a fingerprint sensor in the power button. It’ll come with Windows 11 and Xbox Mode on up to a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD of the full-length M.2 2280 variety. While we haven’t held it yet, the spec sheet shows it’s roughly an inch thick (28.5mm) at its thinnest point and over two inches thick (58.37mm) at the grips.PreviousNext1/5More images in our gallery. Images: AcerAnd being an Intel platform, it comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports (supporting 65W USB-C charging) and Intel’s flavor of Wi-Fi 7, as well as a UHS-II microSD card reader and 3.5mm headset jack.The company’s not talking battery life or price just yet, but it’s planning to launch the Atlas 8 in October.It seems almost certain it won’t be the only Intel Panther Lake handheld. Intel also named MSI, GPD, and OneXPlayer as partners for the new handheld platform, and MSI is rumored to have an “MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus” coming imminently — though retailer leaks suggest it will be quite pricey. Unfortunately, that seems to be the way of all handhelds these days: the Steam Deck got a huge price hike just yesterday.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPC GamingClosePC GamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PC GamingTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMore in: Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolutionThe golden age of handheld gaming is already overSean Hollister6:30 AM UTCValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Jay PetersMay 27Valve launches the Steam Controller without the Steam MachineSean HollisterApr 27Most PopularMost PopularValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceSony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesHere’s how Google is responding to Fitbit users who don’t like the new Health appWin cool gadgets we can’t keep because The Verge has ethicsThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Intel has introduced the Arc G3 as its first handheld gaming chip, signaling an effort to enter the handheld PC gaming market following previous developments, including the MSI Claw. This initiative involves Intel creating custom handheld gaming chips. These new chips, the Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme, are rumored to possess two fewer CPU cores compared to Intel's Panther Lake laptop chips but feature a complete set of Xe3 GPU cores necessary for running games. These developments are expected to affect the handheld gaming PC revolution.

The Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme chips will be integrated into devices such as the Acer Predator Atlas 8, which is anticipated to be among the first handhelds to utilize Intel technology, with reports suggesting MSI is also involved. The Predator Atlas 8 will be available in at least two configurations: one utilizing the Intel Arc G3 and Arc B370 with ten Xe3 cores, and another featuring the Intel Arc G3 Extreme and Arc B390 with twelve Xe3 GPU cores. Both variants are specified to use twenty four gigabytes of LPDDR5x RAM operating at 7467 MT/s. Furthermore, the handheld is designed with advanced cooling, featuring what is claimed to be the first metal fan in a handheld with eighty-nine blades and a ten percent increase in airflow over competitors.

The specifications for the Acer Predator Atlas 8 include an eight inch display with a nineteen twenty by twelve hundred pixel IPS panel in a sixteen to ten aspect ratio, offering five hundred nits of brightness and a variable refresh rate ranging from forty eight to one hundred twenty hertz. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus with Corning’s DXC anti-glare coating, providing one hundred percent sRGB and seventy seven percent Adobe RGB coverage. Input methods on the device feature carbon film joysticks, Hall effect triggers with adjustable hair-trigger stops, two back buttons, and a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button. Storage is provided by a one terabyte PCIe four point zero solid state drive in the m two two two eighty format.

Connectivity features on the handheld include two thunderbolt four ports, which support sixty five watt usb c charging, Intel’s implementation of wi fi seven, a u hs ii micro sd card reader, and a thirty five millimeter headset jack. The company plans to launch the Atlas 8 in October, though details regarding battery life and pricing have not yet been fully disclosed. Intel has partnered with MSI, GPD, and OneXPlayer for this new handheld platform.