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 the 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 foldable, portable 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, the Blaze 11's considerable size comes at a cost: it weighs a hefty 1050g. This contrasts sharply with competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). The Blaze 8, at 720g, is still heavier than many but aligns more closely with other PC handhelds such as the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally.
All three devices (Blaze 11, Blaze 8, and the controller) are slated for release in Q2 2025, priced at $1099, $899, and $69.99 respectively.
Interestingly, while the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 chipset, it missed out on AMD's newest Ryzen Z2 processors designed for gaming handhelds. While promotional slides initially suggested a Z2-powered Steam Deck, Valve swiftly clarified that "There is and will be no Z2 Steam Deck." Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais stated the slide likely represented the processor's broader applicability to handheld gaming, not a specific Steam Deck model.
This doesn't rule out a future Steam Deck 2, but Valve emphasizes it requires a significant, next-generation upgrade before its release.
