Acer Unveils Giant 11-Inch Nitro Blaze 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. Alongside its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and the new Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, Acer showcased impressive power in a surprisingly large form factor.

Both Blaze models boast identical high-end specs: a WQXGA touchscreen display with a 144Hz refresh rate, an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor paired with an AMD Radeon 780M GPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and a generous 2TB SSD. Acer promises cutting-edge performance, immersive visuals, and versatile features in a foldable, portable package. Buyers also receive a three-month PC Game Pass subscription. The key difference? Screen size—the Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch display.

However, the Blaze 11's substantial 1050g weight is a significant consideration. This contrasts sharply with lighter competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). While the Blaze 8, at 720g, is closer in weight to other PC handhelds such as the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally, the Blaze 11's heft might be a drawback for some.

All three devices (Blaze 11, Blaze 8, and the controller) are expected to launch in Q2 2025, priced at $1099, $899, and $69.99 respectively.

No Z2 Steam Deck 2, Confirms Valve

While the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 chipset, it missed the opportunity to incorporate AMD's latest Ryzen Z2 processors, designed specifically for high-performance handhelds. Promotional slides from AMD initially suggested that future iterations of devices like the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally would feature this new technology. However, Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais swiftly clarified on Bluesky that a "Z2 Steam Deck is not happening," suggesting the slide was a general representation of the Z2's target market rather than a specific product announcement. This doesn't rule out a future Steam Deck 2, but Valve indicates a significant, next-generation upgrade is required before its release.