Acer Unveils Giant 11-Inch Nitro Blaze Gaming Handheld at CES 2025

Acer redefined "portable gaming" at CES 2025 with the launch of the Nitro Blaze 11, a behemoth of a handheld boasting a massive 10.95-inch display. This giant joins its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and a new Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

Both Blaze models share impressive specs: a WQXGA touchscreen (up to 144Hz), an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor paired with an AMD Radeon 780M GPU, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a generous 2TB SSD. Acer promises "cutting-edge performance and immersive visuals" in a portable, foldable form factor. A three-month PC Game Pass subscription is included with purchase. The key difference? Screen size – the Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch display.

However, size comes at a cost. The Blaze 11 tips the scales at a hefty 1050g, significantly heavier than competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). The Blaze 8, while still substantial at 720g, is more comparable to other PC handhelds such as the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally.

All three devices (Blaze 11, Blaze 8, and controller) will be available in Q2 2025, priced at $1099, $899, and $69.99 respectively.

While the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 chipset, it missed out on AMD's latest Ryzen Z2 processors designed for gaming handhelds. Although AMD's promotional materials initially suggested a Z2-powered Steam Deck, Valve swiftly denied this, clarifying that there are no plans for a Z2 Steam Deck. Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais stated that the slide likely represented the processor's broader applicability to the handheld gaming market. While a Steam Deck 2 remains a possibility, Valve emphasized that it requires a significant, next-generation upgrade before its release.