Acer's Massive 11-Inch Handheld Exposed at CES 2025

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 pack impressive specs: WQXGA touchscreens with up to 144Hz refresh rates, an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a generous 2TB SSD. Acer promises "cutting-edge performance" and "immersive visuals" in a portable, foldable design. 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 is a notable consideration. This contrasts sharply with the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). While the Blaze 8, at 720g, is comparable to other PC handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally.

Pricing and Availability: 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 (Yet): While the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS, it missed out on AMD's newer Ryzen Z2 processors, designed for high-performance handhelds. While AMD's promotional materials initially suggested future Z2-powered devices, Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed on Bluesky that a "Z2 Steam Deck" is not in development. This doesn't rule out a future Steam Deck 2, but Valve indicates it requires a significant, next-generation upgrade before its release.