Massive 11-Inch Gaming Device Unveiled

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

Acer has debuted its largest gaming handheld to date, the Nitro Blaze 11, alongside its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, at CES 2025. Let's delve into the specs and impressive screen size.

The Nitro Blaze 11: An 11-Inch Beast

Acer redefines "portable" with the Nitro Blaze 11, boasting a substantial 10.95-inch display. This behemoth, showcased alongside the Nitro Blaze 8 and the Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, promises cutting-edge performance.

Both Blaze models share powerful internals: WQXGA touch displays (up to 144Hz), an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M GPU, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a 2TB SSD. Expect immersive visuals and versatile features in a foldable, portable package. Buyers receive a three-month PC Game Pass subscription. The key difference? The Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch screen.

However, the Blaze 11's substantial 1050g weight is noteworthy. Compared to the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g), it's considerably heavier. The Blaze 8, at 720g, is more comparable to other portable PC handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally.

All three devices launch in Q2 2025, priced at $1099 USD (Blaze 11), $899 USD (Blaze 8), and $69.99 USD (Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller).

No Z2 Steam Deck 2, Confirms Valve

While the Nitro Blaze series utilizes the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 chipset, it missed the opportunity to incorporate AMD's latest Ryzen Z2 processors designed for gaming handhelds. AMD's promotional materials featuring the Lenovo Legion Go, Asus ROG Ally, and Steam Deck hinted at future Z2-powered iterations.

However, Valve clarified that a Z2 Steam Deck is not in development. Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais stated on Bluesky that the promotional slide likely represented the processor's general applicability to gaming handhelds, not a specific Steam Deck model.

This doesn't rule out a Steam Deck 2; Valve plans one, but it requires a significant, next-generation upgrade.