At this stage, it is uncommon for a significant technology industry event to conclude without a new selection of handheld devices – and while the Nintendo Switch 2 may still merely be a glint in Nintendo’s vision, the market for PC gaming handhelds is flourishing.
The newest enterprise to join this specific gravy train is Acer, unveiling its economical Nitro gaming brand with the introduction of the Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11, officially presented at CES 2025 this week. Acer is somewhat tardy to the handheld PC celebration, with Valve’s Steam Deck effectively launching the trend back in 2022 and other producers already stepping into their second generation, such as Lenovo with the Lenovo Legion Go S, which was also disclosed at this year’s CES.
I’ve been maintaining hope for an Acer inclusion into the handheld PC legendary category for a considerable time now, partly due to my appreciation for Acer’s hardware; I’ve been a long-time admirer of the Swift laptop series, and the Predator and Nitro gaming brands have a solid reputation for providing impressive performance at fair prices. However, after observing what Acer had on display at CES, I’m not entirely persuaded…
A colossal handheld
Now, we were already aware Acer had a handheld in development, but that was the Nitro Blaze 8 – the Blaze 11 was a CES revelation. The Blaze 8 (which, honestly, should be titled the Blaze 9 since it boasts an 8.8-inch display) resembles Acer’s interpretation of the classic gaming handheld recipe, with specifications that are generally comparable to rivals like the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally X.
But the Blaze 11? It features an enormous 10.95-inch 1600p display and will set you back $1,099 (approximately £1,000 / AU$1,740) – a hefty entrance fee for a product in a market where the $500 price point appears to be the sweet spot.
An 11-inch display on a handheld is, quite frankly, a bit outrageous. Just examine that promotional image above: does that truly appear comfortable for use? How cumbersome is it in the hands? Transitioning from something like a Steam Deck or the lightweight Switch Lite to this bulky device is definitely going to necessitate some adaptation. And despite its enormous display, the Nitro Blaze 11 only includes a 55Whr battery (potentially to mitigate the overall weight a bit), as opposed to the 80Whr battery found in the ROG Ally X.
How big is excessive?
11 inches is… quite substantial. (You in the back, cease your chuckling.) That’s nearly the screen size of the laptop I’m utilizing to compose this review (a 13-inch HP Spectre x360), and I don’t need to physically hold that on both sides to operate it.
I will assert this in Acer’s favor: akin to the Nintendo Switch or Lenovo Legion Go, the Blaze 11 comes equipped with detachable controllers (which I will refrain from referring to as ‘joy-cons’) that fit into place on either side of the primary unit, which itself features a kickstand to allow you to utilize it as a sort of portable gaming screen. While this is a functionality I’ve generally scoffed at in the past – I’ve literally never utilized my own first-gen Switch in this setup – I’ll acknowledge that it makes more sense with a larger display. As illustrated in Acer’s promotional images, the Blaze 11 also includes a separate connector that can convert those two not-joy-cons (apologies) into a single gamepad for an enhanced experience.
Nonetheless, with such an expansive display and such a high price tag, I must seriously question the practicality of the Blaze 11 compared to simply purchasing a conventional gaming laptop. I’ll hold off my complete judgment until I have the opportunity to thoroughly review this peculiar, hefty device myself; but for now, I must say that this might be the most unusual design decision I’ve witnessed Acer make in quite some time.