Nowadays, gamers looking for portable PC options have plenty of choices, but Acer aims to make a significant impression with its new offerings: the Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11. These devices come with some of the largest screens seen in this category, featuring an 8.8-inch display for the Blaze 8 and a 10.95-inch for the Blaze 11. Both models boast crisp 2560 x 1600 resolutions, with the smaller model offering a 144Hz refresh rate and the larger one at 120Hz, delivering an impressive pixel count for your gaming sessions.
These high-resolution, high-refresh IPS screens will certainly challenge the capabilities of existing processors, especially with demanding AAA titles. While you might have hoped for a fresh internals design from Acer, both handhelds are equipped with AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU. This setup is complemented by the same 780M graphics chip found in Asus’ ROG Ally’s Z1 Extreme. So, it looks like you’ll be making good use of AMD’s upscaling technology for the foreseeable future.
According to Acer’s specifications, both devices carry a 55 Whr battery—slightly more than the original Ally’s 40 Whr or the Steam Deck OLED’s 50 Whr, but notably less than the Ally X’s robust 80 Whr. They both pack 16GB of RAM and offer up to 2TB of storage, alongside their Ryzen 7 processors, with touchscreens that shine at 500 nits. Interestingly, Acer has been highlighting the 39 total AI TOPS of the CPUs, though it’s unclear how much this will matter for everyday usage. While they may not lead the pack in terms of frame rates or battery endurance, the Nitro Blaze models definitely stand out due to their size.
The Nitro Blaze 11, featuring detachable controllers, follows the footsteps of Lenovo’s Legion Go in that regard. However, it appears these controllers lack a built-in mouse sensor, and there seems to be no dedicated cursor control, so expect to navigate Windows 11 Home OS—and Acer’s own Game Space software—with a fair amount of tapping and swiping.
Unsurprisingly, these larger displays contribute to a bulkier handheld experience. The Nitro Blaze 8 weighs in at a manageable 1.59 pounds, while the Blaze 11 is heftier at 2.31 pounds.
When I briefly got hands-on with the Blaze 11, it didn’t appear or feel as enormous as Acer’s marketing images suggested. However, it’s not exactly something you’ll want to tote around casually. Then again, isn’t that the nature of larger gaming laptops as well? My primary concern with the Blaze 11 is how its battery life will fare. The larger, high-resolution screen will undoubtedly consume more power. Still, considering its size and the fact that it’s likely used primarily at home, you’ll probably be near a USB-C charger most of the time.
Acer plans to release the Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11 in the second quarter, with prices scaling with screen size. The smaller model will start at $899, while the larger will set you back at least $1,099.
