In the world of PC gaming handhelds, the selection is vast, but Acer is stepping up to make a splash with its latest offerings. The Nitro Blaze 8, featuring an 8.8-inch screen, and the Nitro Blaze 11, with its larger 10.95-inch display, are grabbing attention due to their notably large screens for this category of devices. Both models boast a stunning resolution of 2560 x 1600. The Blaze 8 comes in with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, while the Blaze 11 offers 120 Hz, ensuring a crisp and vibrant gaming experience.
However, with these high-spec displays also comes the challenge of demanding performance from the hardware. AAA games might push these devices to their limits and beyond. Under the hood, both Nitro models are powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU, which includes the same 780M GPU found in Asus’ ROG Ally’s Z1 Extreme chip. Gamers should be prepared to rely heavily on AMD’s upscaling technology to maintain smooth gameplay.
Acer has packed both devices with 55 Whr batteries, which is an improvement over the original Ally’s 40 Whr and the Steam Deck OLED’s 50 Whr capacities, but it still falls short of the Ally X’s 80 Whr battery. Each Nitro Blaze comes equipped with 16GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage, and their touchscreens shine brightly at 500 nits. Interestingly, Acer highlights the CPUs’ 39 total AI TOPS, but don’t expect these specs to outshine the competition significantly in the areas of frame rates or battery durability. Nonetheless, the size of these devices gives them a distinct presence.
The Nitro Blaze 11 comes with an interesting feature: removable controllers, making it a bigger sibling to Lenovo’s Legion Go, albeit likely sans the built-in mouse sensor. Unfortunately, the controllers seem to lack dedicated cursor control, so navigating through the Windows 11 OS beyond Acer’s Game Space interface might involve quite a bit of tapping and swiping.
As you might expect, those larger displays also add some heft. The Nitro Blaze 8 weighs in at a manageable 1.59 pounds while the Blaze 11 is a heftier 2.31 pounds. In short, they provide a weighty experience in more ways than one.
During a short hands-on session with these new gadgets, the Blaze 11 didn’t seem as cumbersome as some of Acer’s promotional materials suggest. Yet, it’s not something you’d carry around casually. Much like bigger gaming laptops, it’s more of a home-based device. The real worry lies in the battery life; larger, high-resolution screens draw more power. However, considering the device’s home-bound nature, a power outlet with a USB-C charger is likely to be within reach.
Acer plans to release the Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11 in the second quarter, with prices reflecting their screen sizes. The smaller model will start at $899, while the larger unit will begin at $1,099.
