PC gaming handhelds are abundant these days, yet Acer is looking to make a splash with their latest offerings, the Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11. These devices make an impression with some of the largest screens in this category—an 8.8-inch display for the Blaze 8 and a spacious 10.95-inch for the Blaze 11. Both Handhelds pack a resolution of 2560 x 1600, with refresh rates that reach 144 Hz on the smaller model and 120 Hz on the larger. That’s a lot of visual power for a portable device!
Driving these crisp and vibrant IPS displays are AMD’s trusty Ryzen 7 8840HS CPUs, the same heart found in Asus’ ROG Ally’s Z1 Extreme chip. Although new silicon innovations would have been exciting, it looks like AMD’s upscaling technology will be working overtime to handle the demands of the latest AAA titles.
On the battery front, both models boast a 55 Whr capacity, surpassing the original Ally’s 40 Whr and matching nicely against the Steam Deck OLED’s 50 Whr, though falling short of the hefty 80 Whr of the Ally X. They’ll come equipped with 16GB of RAM and a generous storage option of up to 2TB. The touchscreens hit 500 nits of brightness, ensuring visibility even under bright conditions. Acer also highlights the CPUs’ 39 AI TOPS, though it’s unclear how heavily this will impact performance. In summary, while these devices may not break new ground with frame rates or battery longevity, they certainly stand out size-wise compared to rivals.
The Blaze 11, in particular, allows for the controllers to be detached, mimicking a supersized take on Lenovo’s Legion Go, albeit without a dedicated mouse sensor. However, don’t expect specific cursor controls—navigating Windows 11 Home OS will likely involve plenty of swiping and tapping when not using Acer’s Game Space interface.
Not surprisingly, the larger displays equate to heftier devices. The Nitro Blaze weighs in at a manageable 1.59 pounds, whereas the Nitro 11 is a more substantial 2.31 pounds. When you handle the Blaze 11, it doesn’t feel as bulky as some marketing images might suggest, though it’s not exactly a pocket-friendly gadget. But, similar to large gaming laptops, you might not be shifting it around too frequently. My primary worry with the Blaze 11 pertains to battery life, as that juicy high-res screen is bound to consume quite a bit of juice. However, given its size, it’s likely to be used mainly at home, close to a USB-C charger.
Acer has penciled in a Q2 release for both the Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11, with prices that reflect their dimensions: $899 for the 8-inch and starting at $1,099 for the 11-inch.
