Acer Expands Gaming Handheld Lineup with 9-Inch and 11-Inch Displays – Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11 Feature AMD 8840HS Processors

There’s a growing variety of handheld PCs on the market, but Acer aims to make waves with its impressive new Nitro Blaze 8, boasting an 8.8-inch screen, and the Nitro Blaze 11, which comes with a 10.95-inch display. Both models feature some of the largest screens currently available in this category of devices. With a sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution, the smaller device offers a refresh rate of 144 Hz, while the larger one provides 120 Hz, ensuring plenty of clarity and smoothness for users.

However, these high-resolution, high-refresh rate displays are likely to test the limits of their hardware, especially with demanding AAA games. Although Acer hasn’t introduced any groundbreaking internal components, both devices are equipped with AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840HS processor. This is the same chip as found in the Z1 Extreme within Asus’ ROG Ally. As a result, be prepared to rely heavily on AMD’s upscaling technology during gameplay.

According to Acer’s specifications, both units have a 55 Whr battery, which surpasses the original Ally’s 40 Whr and the Steam Deck OLED’s 50 Whr, yet falls short of the 80 Whr battery in the Ally X. They also pack 16GB of RAM and can accommodate up to 2TB of storage. Their touchscreens are bright, rated at 500 nits. Interestingly, Acer emphasizes the CPU’s 39 total AI TOPS. Given these specs, don’t expect the new Nitros to lead in frame rates or battery life. Nevertheless, they certainly make a statement with their larger form factor.

The Nitro Blaze 11 stands out with detachable controllers, effectively making it a larger iteration of Lenovo’s Legion Go, though lacking the built-in mouse sensor. The absence of dedicated cursor control means you’ll likely be doing plenty of tapping and swiping on Windows 11 Home OS when not using Acer’s Game Space software.

With larger displays comes extra weight. The Nitro Blaze comes in at 1.59 pounds, while the Nitro Blaze 11 is heavier at 2.31 pounds. During a brief hands-on session, the Blaze 11 didn’t feel as imposing as anticipated based on press images. However, it’s certainly not something you’d casually tote around. This heft is nothing new, akin to having a larger gaming laptop. My biggest concern about the Blaze 11 is its battery life. Its large, high-resolution screen will demand more power than many other devices. But considering its size and the notion that it’s mostly geared for home use, you likely won’t stray far from your USB-C charger.

Acer plans to release the Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11 in Q2, with prices reflecting their screen sizes: the 8-inch model starting at $899, while the 11-inch version will begin at $1,099.