These days, there’s no shortage of handheld PCs for gaming, but Acer is making a splash with its new Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11. These devices boast some of the largest screens in their category, with the Blaze 8 sporting an 8.8-inch display and the Blaze 11 offering a 10.95-inch option. Both devices feature a 2560 x 1600 resolution, with the Blaze 8 running at an impressive 144 Hz and its larger sibling at 120 Hz. That’s a lot of pixels and refresh to handle, setting the stage for a potentially immersive gaming experience.
However, those stunning high-resolution IPS screens will undoubtedly challenge the current tech, especially for more demanding AAA titles. When it comes to what’s under the hood, Acer hasn’t introduced any new innovations. Both devices pack the same AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU, which is quite similar to the 780M found in Asus’ ROG Ally powered by the Z1 Extreme chip. This means you’ll likely rely a fair bit on AMD’s upscaling technology to keep things running smoothly.
Acer has equipped both handhelds with a 55 Whr battery. This is an improvement over the original Ally’s 40 Whr and the Steam Deck OLED’s 50 Whr, yet it falls short compared to the Ally X’s 80 Whr battery life. The devices come with 16GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. Both models feature touchscreens that hit a maximum brightness of 500 nits. Interestingly, Acer also highlights the CPU’s 39 AI TOPS, though it’s unclear how impactful that will be. Given these specs, I wouldn’t set my expectations too high for standout performance in frame rates or battery longevity. Nonetheless, the size alone sets them apart from the competition.
Surprisingly, the larger Blaze 11 offers detachable controllers, akin to Lenovo’s Legion Go, albeit likely without a built-in mouse sensor. The controllers don’t seem to include dedicated cursor controls, so expect to do plenty of tapping and swiping across the Windows 11 Home operating system, especially when not using Acer’s Game Space software.
Speaking of size, the increased dimensions naturally add some heft to these handhelds. The Nitro Blaze weighs in at a manageable 1.59 pounds, whereas the Blaze 11 is a heftier 2.31 pounds. Even though the Blaze 11 initially appeared daunting in Acer’s promotional photos, handling it in person feels far less cumbersome. It’s not something you’d casually toss into a backpack, but neither are most gaming laptops. My main worry, however, is battery life given the large, power-hungry screen. Since this device is more likely to be used on a couch rather than on the go, staying close to a USB-C charger might be your best bet.
Acer plans to launch the Nitro Blaze 8 and 11 in the second quarter. Pricing reflects their screen sizes, with the 8-inch model starting at $899 and the larger 11-inch version at $1,099.
