Acer Un veils Expansive 11-Inch Handheld at CES 2025

Acer Unveils Giant 11-Inch Nitro Blaze Gaming Handheld at CES 2025

Acer redefined portable gaming at CES 2025 with the Nitro Blaze 11, boasting a massive 10.95-inch display. This behemoth, alongside its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and the new Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, dominated the show.

Both Blaze models share impressive specs: a WQXGA touch display (up to 144Hz), an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a 2TB SSD. Acer promises cutting-edge performance, immersive visuals, and three months of PC Game Pass with each purchase. The key difference? Screen size – the Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch display.

However, size comes at a cost. The Blaze 11 tips the scales at a hefty 1050g, significantly heavier than competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). The Blaze 8, at 720g, is more comparable to other high-performance handhelds such as the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally.

All three devices launch in Q2 2025, priced at $1099 for the Blaze 11, $899 for the Blaze 8, and $69.99 for the controller.

No Z2 Steam Deck 2, Confirms Valve

While the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS, it missed out on AMD's latest Ryzen Z2 processors, designed for high-performance handhelds. Promotional slides initially suggested future Z2-powered versions of existing handhelds, including the Steam Deck.

However, Valve swiftly clarified that a "Z2 Steam Deck" is not in development. Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais stated on Bluesky that the slide was likely a general representation of the Z2's target market, not a specific product announcement.

While a Steam Deck 2 remains a possibility, Valve emphasizes that a significant, next-generation upgrade is required before its release.