Intel has cleared up some questions over the availability of Arc-powered gaming laptops, but if you were hoping for a specific time frame, you'll be let down.
Earlier this week, the Intel Twitter account told a user that the laptops will be "available for purchase by the end of the second quarter of 2022." Previously, they were supposed to be available at the end of Q1, which has already ended.
The account later corrected that statement, saying that the exact timing is unknown.
"Apologies for the confusion, we had incorrect information," wrote Intel. "Samsung systems with Intel Arc graphics are available now in Korea and will scale to other regions. Additional OEMs in other regions will have systems in the coming weeks."
We were hoping for more specific information than just "in coming weeks" considering that Arc 3 laptops were originally supposed to be out now. With them being out now in Korea, I guess that release window was technically correct. Based on the replies to that tweet, though, some folks really were really hoping that the Q1 release was for the rest of the world as well.
Whenever they launch here, we're interested in seeing how well the low-end Arc 3 GPUs do—Intel is promising good performance for 1080p gaming. We welcome more competition, especially for low to mid-range gaming laptops.
As far as the Arc A-Series desktop GPU that's slated for release this summer, Intel hasn't released any new information, so we're still waiting for a more specific release window and info on the pricing.
Apologies for the confusion, we had incorrect information. Samsung systems with Intel Arc graphics are available now in Korea and will scale to other regions. Additional OEMs in other regions will have systems in the coming weeks.April 8, 2022
