In today’s crowded market of PC gaming handhelds, Acer is making a bold move with its latest offerings—the Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11. Both sport some of the most impressive displays seen on devices of this type so far, measuring 8.8 inches and 10.95 inches, respectively. And what’s more, each one boasts a striking 2560 x 1600 resolution. The Blaze 8 even features a refresh rate of 144 Hz, while the Blaze 11 offers 120 Hz, ensuring a vibrant gaming experience loaded with detail.
These high-resolution, high-refresh-rate IPS screens are sure to challenge even the most robust silicon when it comes to AAA gaming titles. However, if you’re anticipating a new powerhouse under the hood, Acer is sticking with the familiar—both handhelds run on AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU, coupled with the 780M GPU, similar to the Z1 Extreme chip in Asus’ ROG Ally. As it stands, gamers should be prepared to make good use of AMD’s upscaling technology for many games.
A glance at the specs reveals that both models pack a 55 Whr battery. Although this trumps the original Ally’s 40 Whr and the Steam Deck OLED’s 50 Whr, it falls short compared to the Ally X’s commanding 80 Whr capacity. Each device comes equipped with 16GB of RAM, expandable storage of up to 2TB, and touchscreens that reach a brightness level of 500 nits. Interestingly, Acer prominently highlights the CPUs’ 39 AI TOPS, though that might not translate directly into standout performance in either frame rates or battery longevity. Despite these limitations, their size gives them a unique appeal.
The larger Nitro Blaze 11 features detachable controllers, much like Lenovo’s Legion Go, albeit lacking a built-in mouse sensor. Moreover, these controllers do not seem to offer dedicated cursor control. As such, expect to navigate said device using plenty of taps and swipes within the Windows 11 Home OS, alongside exploring Acer’s Game Space.
Naturally, with larger displays comes increased heft. The Nitro Blaze 8 manages to keep things somewhat portable at 1.59 pounds, while the Blaze 11 weighs in at a heftier 2.31 pounds. During a quick hands-on session, the Blaze 11 appeared less overwhelming in scale compared to what its promotional pictures suggest. Nevertheless, it’s not a handheld that you can easily carry around; think of it more like a larger gaming laptop, ideal for home use. Battery life is a concern, particularly because that lavish screen is bound to drain power more rapidly compared to smaller devices. But considering its dimensions, you’re likely enjoying it within reach of a USB-C charger anyway.
Acer is planning to launch the Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11 in Q2, with pricing reflective of their screen sizes. The 8-inch model will start from $899, while the 11-inch version will be priced from $1,099.
