Intel has reportedly delayed its Panther Lake CPUs for gaming handhelds, expected in Q2 2026

Intel was meant to launch its new Panther Lake CPUs for gaming handhelds in the weeks ahead, but an "unexpected delay" has occurred, and now rumor has it we'll be waiting until sometime in Q2 2026.

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Intel's VP and GM, Robert Hallock, confirmed not too long ago that its dedicated Panther Lake SoC for gaming handhelds would be released this year, without being specific on when. Then there was leaker "Golden Pig Upgrade" who said not shortly after Hallock's comments that the new Panther Lake chips for next-gen gaming handhelds will be coming towards the end of Q1, or start of Q2.

There has reportedly been an "unexpected delay" in its launch according to the latest rumors, without being clear again, just "Q2" which could be anytime up until Computex 2026 in late May. Intel's new Panther Lake SoCs for gaming handhelds will feature 16 cores of CPU power, and up to 12 Xe3 GPU cores for integrated graphics, providing a true upgrade over its current-gen handheld offerings.

We should see Intel use a custom SoC that is based on existing Panther Lake processors like the Core Ultra X9 388H or Core Ultra X7 368H, with Golden Pig Upgrade also teasing that we'll see a 10-core Xe3 GPU-based chip, which would lead to Intel most likely using a custom SoC built around the Core Ultra 5 338H processor, which also has a 10-core Xe3 GPU.