Acer's Massive 11-Inch Handheld Exposed at CES 2025

Acer Unveils Giant 11-Inch Nitro Blaze 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. Paired with its smaller sibling, the Nitro Blaze 8, and the new Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, Acer is making a bold statement in the mobile gaming market.

Both Blaze models boast impressive specs: a WQXGA touchscreen display (up to 144Hz refresh rate), an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M graphics, 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 with purchase. The key difference? Screen size; the Blaze 8 features an 8.8-inch display.

However, the Nitro Blaze 11's substantial 1050g weight is a notable consideration. This contrasts sharply with lighter competitors like the Steam Deck (approx. 640g) and Nintendo Switch (approx. 297g). While the Blaze 8 is still hefty at 720g, it's more comparable to other high-performance handhelds such as the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally.

Pricing and Availability: Expect all three devices (Blaze 11, Blaze 8, and the controller) to launch in Q2 2025, priced at $1099, $899, and $69.99 respectively.

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 handheld gaming. AMD's promotional materials initially suggested future iterations of popular handhelds (including the Steam Deck) would incorporate this new technology.

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

This doesn't rule out a future Steam Deck 2, but Valve indicates a significant, next-generation upgrade is needed before its release.