Acer Unveils Gigantic 11-Inch Handheld at CES

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 colossal 10.95-inch handheld gaming device. Accompanying it is its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and the Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

Both Blaze models boast impressive specs: a WQXGA touchscreen display (up to 144Hz refresh rate), an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor paired with an AMD Radeon 780M GPU, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a generous 2TB SSD. This powerful combination promises exceptional performance and immersive visuals in a portable, foldable form factor. A three-month PC Game Pass subscription is included with purchase. The key difference lies solely in screen size: the Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch display.

However, the Nitro Blaze 11's substantial 1050g weight might prove cumbersome for some. This contrasts sharply with lighter competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). While the Blaze 8, at 720g, is heavier than the Switch, it 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.

No Steam Deck 2 with AMD Ryzen Z2, Says Valve

While the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the potent AMD Ryzen 7 chipset, it missed the opportunity to incorporate AMD's latest Ryzen Z2 processors designed for gaming handhelds. Promotional slides from AMD initially suggested that future iterations of handhelds like the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally would feature these chips.

However, Valve swiftly clarified that a "Z2 Steam Deck" is not in development. Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais stated on Bluesky that the slide likely represented the Ryzen Z2's broader applicability to the handheld gaming market, rather than specific device announcements.

This doesn't rule out a future Steam Deck 2, though Valve emphasizes that a significant, next-generation upgrade would be required before its release.