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Intel is calling its new Arc G Series processors, announced at Computex, the "next step in handheld gaming." After getting a chance to personally test the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Acer Predator Atlas 8, I'm inclined to believe the hype.
The closed demo, hosted in part by Intel Fellow (and general PC hardware wizard) Tom Petersen, revealed a lot of additional information about the new chips before I got to choose a device and game.
One thing I picked up on immediately is that these new Intel chips should probably be viewed as an Arc GPU with an integrated CPU, rather than a CPU with an integrated GPU. As Petersen pointed out, this is the first time Intel has created graphics-forward Systems-on-Chip (SoC), and they're built specifically for gaming handhelds.
Gaming on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Acer Predator Atlas 8
MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ was my first stop on the tour. It's a gorgeous Void Purple color with an oversized screen that extends just a bit out of the bottom of the device to accommodate the 8-inch screen.
MSI's shoulder buttons, triggers, D-pad, and standard buttons felt very crisp and responsive. Despite being larger than Acer's Predator Atlas 8, the Claw 8 EX AI+ wasn't too heavy and fit into my hands quite well.
One area where Acer has MSI beat is its thumbsticks. Despite most of its inputs feeling less snappy (I found the Acer shoulder buttons to be particularly soft), the joysticks felt a lot tighter with less chance of accidental movement.
Acer's Predator Atlas 8 is also a bit more compact, and it doesn't have the lower overhang for the screen despite also having an 8-inch display.
Audio out of both devices was respectable, and neither handheld made much fan noise despite running a rather demanding game.
I was equally impressed with the 8-inch displays, and I'll have to spend more time with the handhelds to really dial in the differences (if there are any). Both 8-inch screens have a 1920x1200 resolution, a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and tons of brightness.
Crunching the Intel Arc G Series performance numbers
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and Hogwarts Legacy were the games of choice in the demo room. You might not think that a LEGO game is taxing, but with a recommended requirement of an NVIDIA RTX 2070 SUPER/AMD RX 6650 XT/Intel Arc B580, it certainly isn't an easy go.
I can attest; I picked up the game before my flight to Taiwan, and my Steam Deck struggles to maintain even 30 FPS in most areas.
That's anything but the case on these new handhelds. The game ran perfectly, holding strong at 100-120 FPS on both systems. Yes, my Steam Deck is showing its age, but Intel had AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme handhelds available to show the direct difference in performance.
How do Intel's new Arc G3 chips compare to AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme?
AMD has had a stranglehold on the gaming handheld market for some time now, but its Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip is starting to show its age in the face of the new Arc G3 chips.
Petersen had plenty of graphs and charts ready to back up his claims, and I'm sharing them here to give you an idea of what sort of performance is expected.
Compared to the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme in the ROG Xbox Ally X, the Arc G3 Extreme chip averages out to being 42% faster at 1080p, with 2x upscaling enabled and both chips at a 35W TDP.
Dropping the Arc G3 Extreme to 17W and leaving the Ryzen Z2 Extreme at 35W, the Intel chip averages out to twice as much performance per watt in tested games. Even at 12W, the Arc G3 Extreme pulls ahead by an average of 37% in the games Intel tested.
This boosted efficiency is exactly what you want in a mobile device. It's even more impressive considering XeSS isn't as energy efficient as AMD's FSR.
While using the new Arc G3 handhelds, the smoothness was remarkable. Intel's intelligent bias control plays a big role in that feeling, focusing mostly on the GPU so that the CPU doesn't suck up all the power.
E-cores are scheduled first, and P-cores get parked when they drop below 13W, making the overall experience much more reliable and with fewer power spikes.
The new Arc G3 chips have all the big XeSS features you want when you're PC gaming. I'm talking about super resolution, multi-frame generation, and ray tracing. Not to mention handheld extras like boosted efficiency, precompiled shaders, configurable TDP, etc.
Pricing remains an issue
The global gaming handheld market is being stomped on by RAM and storage shortages, and what were originally affordable mobile gaming PCs have become expensive luxury items.
👉 Gaming handhelds are the new netbooks — will they suffer the same tragic fate?
Acer hasn't yet set a price for its new Predator Atlas 8 (expected to launch October 2026), but MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ is supposed to make its debut at $1,500 in June. I hope that number holds out, despite it already being quite high.
In any case, the handheld market is experiencing some serious friction, and that's a shame considering the advancements in performance I saw at Computex. Intel's Arc G3 chips seem to be the real deal, and I look forward to having more time with them once the MSI and Acer hardware launches.
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