Acer Unveils Giant 11-Inch Nitro Blaze Gaming Handheld at CES 2025
Acer redefined "portable gaming" at CES 2025 with the launch of the Nitro Blaze 11, a colossal 10.95-inch handheld gaming device. Its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and the Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller also debuted.
Nitro Blaze 11: A 10.95-Inch Beast
Both Blaze models boast impressive specs: a WQXGA touchscreen (up to 144Hz), an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor paired with an AMD Radeon 780M GPU, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a 2TB SSD. Acer promises "cutting-edge performance" and "immersive visuals" in a foldable, portable form factor. A three-month PC Game Pass subscription is included. The key difference? Screen size—the Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch display.
However, the Blaze 11's substantial 1050g weight is noteworthy. This contrasts sharply with the Steam Deck OLED (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). While the Blaze 8 at 720g is comparable to other PC handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally, the Blaze 11's heft might be a consideration for some.
All three devices are slated for release 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 out on AMD's latest Ryzen Z2 processors designed for gaming handhelds. AMD's promotional material initially suggested future iterations of devices like the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally would incorporate this new technology.
However, Valve swiftly clarified that a "Z2 Steam Deck is not, and will not be, happening," according to a Bluesky post by Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais. He suggested the slide was a general representation of the Z2's applicability to handheld gaming, not a specific product announcement.
This doesn't rule out a future Steam Deck 2, though Valve emphasizes it requires a significant, next-generation upgrade before its release.
