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. Joining it is its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and the 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 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, the Blaze 11's substantial 1050g weight might be a concern for some. This contrasts sharply with lighter competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). The Blaze 8, 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 the controller) will be available 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 latest Ryzen Z2 processors designed for gaming handhelds. Although AMD's promotional materials initially suggested otherwise, Valve explicitly denied any plans for a Z2-powered Steam Deck. Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais clarified on Bluesky that the promotional slide was a general representation of the processor's target market, not a specific product announcement. While a Steam Deck 2 remains a possibility, Valve indicates it requires a significant, next-generation upgrade before its release.