Acer Unveils a Surprisingly Jumbo Gaming Handheld!

Acer introduced two new gaming devices at CES 2025. The organization evidently believes that larger is always superior, as it is stretching the physical boundaries of gaming handhelds with a massive 10.95-inch screen.

Dubbed the Nitro Blaze 11, the gadget is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor — a CPU initially developed for laptops — along with an integrated AMD Radeon 780M graphics chip. It features 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and can be upgraded to include up to 2TB of internal memory.

However, what distinguishes this gadget is its size. It weighs over 1kg (2.3 pounds) — it’s not just comparable to the 11-inch iPad Air, but it’s about as heavy as two iPad Airs placed one on top of the other.

Thankfully, the controllers situated on the sides of the gadget are removable, similar to the Nintendo Switch or the Lenovo Legion Go. This way, you end up with a tablet paired with an external controller, which appears to be a more practical arrangement.

This gaming device operates on Windows 11, complemented by Acer’s proprietary gaming hub, and boasts a 55Wh battery. There are two USB-C ports (including one with USB 4 support), a USB Type-A port, and a microSD slot. The display allows for resolutions reaching up to 2560×1600 with a 120Hz refresh rate.

In addition, Acer is launching a more compact gaming device, the Nitro Blaze 8, featuring an 8.8-inch 144Hz display. Besides the device’s size, the technical specifications of this smaller model are exactly the same, although the controllers cannot be detached.

Both models are set to be released at some point in the second quarter of 2025, with prices of $1,099 (Nitro Blaze 11) and $899 (Nitro Blaze 8).