The New Steam Deck Alternative From Acer Is Comically Massive

There have been some interesting innovations in the portable gaming space since Steam Deck burst onto the scene in 2022. The latest contender to make its mark in this segment – and the one about to make its mark – is the Acer Nitro Blaze 11. This giant gaming console features a laptop-sized 11-inch display and weighs just over a kilogram, dwarfing its competitors in size. weight and courage. While the saying “bigger is better” is generally true, is that really true when the device in question is a handheld gaming console?

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Acer Nitro Blaze 11 is not the first pocket computer from the Taiwanese computer equipment manufacturer. Earlier in 2024, the company unveiled the much smaller and sensibly sized Nitro Blaze 7. While that product hasn’t officially made its way into consumer hands yet, Acer used CES 2025 to add a mid-range 8-inch offering (Acer Nitro Blaze 8) and top-end models Acer Nitro Blaze 11 in the line of portable consoles.

At 10.95 inches across, the Nitro Blaze 11’s IPS LCD panel is one of the largest on a portable gaming console. This becomes apparent when compared to competitors such as the Steam Deck, which only has a 7.4-inch screen. It weighs a whopping 1050 grams, which is almost as heavy as a small laptop. Competitors like it Steam deck, Asus ROG allyAnd Lenovo Legion Go all hover below the 700 gram mark. Even the 720g Nitro Blaze 8 feels light in comparison.

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Even though the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 is physically larger than its 7-inch and 8-inch siblings, it has identical hardware specs. The Windows 11 machine is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor with eight cores and 16 threads, offering up to 24MB of cache and a maximum clock speed of up to 5.1GHz. There’s also some artificial intelligence in the AMD Ryzen AI suite, capable of delivering up to 39 AI TOPS. In terms of graphics, the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 is equipped with an AMD Radeon 780M GPU clocked at up to 2.7 GHz.

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Keeping gaming demands in mind, the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 comes with 16GB LPDDR5X SDRAM and accommodates up to 2TB of onboard storage using M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD. The machine is also well equipped with connectivity, thanks to two USB-C ports (one of which is USB 4 compatible). Interestingly, Acer has also added a legacy USB Type-A port along with a microSD card slot. Wireless connectivity includes full support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. For audio, the Nitro Blaze 11 comes with a microphone port and a 3.5mm audio jack. The controllers that adorn both sides of the Nitro Blaze 11 are removable and add to its overall size.

All hardware is powered by a 55Wh lithium-polymer battery, which surprisingly has the same capacity as the much smaller 8-inch model. Acer, perhaps realizing that the device’s larger display will result in higher battery drain, is including a 100W charger with the device rather than the smaller 64W charger that comes with the 8-inch model.

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Acer says it aims to bring the Acer Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11 handhelds to the North American market by the second quarter of 2025. Prices for the 8-inch variant will start at $899, and the Nitro Blaze 11 will have a hefty price tag. more expensive – $1099. These prices make the device significantly more expensive than most competitors.

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By comparison, prices for the entry-level 256GB Steam Deck LCD start at $349 and go up to $649 for the OLED model. The Asus ROG Ally starts at $499, with the latest 2024 ROG Ally X going up to $799. There’s also the Lenovo Legion GO, which starts at $699. It goes without saying that Acer truly believes that potential buyers wouldn’t mind shelling out a few extra dollars for a larger display. To sweeten the deal, Acer will offer customers a three-month subscription to PC Game Pass, giving them priority access to games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Big Circle, Ara: History Untold and games from EA Play.

So, is the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 the ideal portable gaming console? For some, its massive screen and top-notch specs will be a dream come true. For others, its size, weight and premium price may be the deciding factor. Either way, Acer’s latest creation has made it clear: in the world of portable gaming, going big is definitely an option.

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