Intel has just announced the Arc G3 and G3 Extreme, new Panther Lake-based chips for handheld gaming PCs that promise "seamless gaming experiences on the go." A year or two ago, new handheld chips would have properly tickled my anticipation bone. But with the way 2026 is going, I'm not so sure. Will anyone be able to afford them?
Timing itself drives this point home: Intel's announcement comes right off the back of Valve massively increasing the price of the Steam Deck OLED. Valve's handhelds have traditionally been great value, even as other handhelds have climbed up and up in price. But no longer, as the 1 TB version now costs $949, up from $649.
"These new prices," Valve said, "reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole."
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