If you’ve been holding off on buying a new gaming handheld, waiting for the next big leap in performance, your patience might be about to pay off. The current crop of devices powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake architecture, like the MSI Claw 8 AI+, has only just hit the market. Yet, the relentless pace of tech innovation means their successors are already taking shape in labs—and they promise to be significantly more powerful.
According to a recent report from VideoCardz, the handhelds we’re getting used to today could soon be replaced by a new wave of devices featuring Intel’s next-generation Panther Lake processors. The real headline-grabber, however, is the specific graphics component Intel is allegedly preparing for these portable powerhouses: a new integrated GPU called the Arc B380.
From Lunar Lake to Panther Lake: The Handheld Evolution
It feels like just yesterday that MSI first teased a Lunar Lake-powered handheld, and now, devices like the Claw 8 AI+ are establishing a new tier of portable PC gaming. They sit alongside other Lunar Lake machines like the OneXPlayer X1 Air, creating a solid foundation for x86 gaming on the go.
But the tech world never stands still. The shift from Lunar Lake to Panther Lake represents more than just a yearly refresh; it's a fundamental architectural step up. This new platform is expected to bring improvements in both CPU and, crucially, integrated GPU performance. The specific focus on a dedicated iGPU for handhelds, the Arc B380, signals that Intel is seriously committed to carving out a larger piece of the gaming handheld market.
Unpacking the Arc B380: What We Think We Know
So, what makes the Arc B380 such an intriguing prospect? While Intel has yet to make an official announcement, the rumor mill, led by notable hardware leakers, has provided some compelling details.
The X account OneRaichu has claimed that this new iGPU will be built on Intel's next-gen Xe3 architecture and will feature 12 execution units backed by a boost clock speed of up to 2.3 GHz. This architectural leap is key. Moving from the Xe2 cores in Lunar Lake to Xe3 in Panther Lake should deliver a substantial boost in gaming efficiency and raw performance.
Further speculation, courtesy of Lonely City Hardware, suggests that the CPU cluster paired with this iGPU could be a sophisticated hybrid design. Imagine a configuration with 4 Performance cores, 4 Efficient cores, and 4 Low Power Efficient cores. This kind of setup would allow a handheld to dynamically allocate power, maximizing both blistering gaming performance and serene battery life for lighter tasks—the holy grail for portable devices.
How Powerful Could It Really Be?
Let’s talk numbers. While the Arc B380 will inevitably sit below a higher-tier model like the Arc B390 (which has already been spotted in prototypes), its potential is staggering. Recent Geekbench 6 OpenCL scores for the Arc B390 give us a clear benchmark. If the B380 is its slightly less powerful sibling, it is still positioned to easily outperform the current top-tier Arc iGPU found in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and other Lunar Lake handhelds.
This means the next wave of devices won't just be incrementally better; they could offer a genuinely noticeable generational jump, allowing for higher frame rates and better detail settings in demanding modern games.
When Can We Expect to See Panther Lake Handhelds?
The timeline is starting to come into focus. With major manufacturers like Samsung expected to unveil Panther Lake laptops at CES 2026 in January, it’s a near-certainty that we will also see the first gaming handheld prototypes from companies like MSI at the very same event.
The handheld PC gaming race is heating up faster than anyone anticipated. While the current Lunar Lake devices are impressive in their own right, the shadow of Panther Lake and its potent Arc B380 iGPU looms large. For gamers, this fierce competition is a dream come true, promising more power and more choice in the palms of our hands very soon.