Acer has made a bold statement at CES 2025 with the unveiling of its latest gaming handheld, the Nitro Blaze 11. This behemoth of a device boasts a staggering 10.95-inch display, making it one of the largest gaming handhelds on the market.

The Nitro Blaze 11 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, originally designed for laptops, paired with a built-in AMD Radeon 780M graphics card. This potent combination is supported by 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 2TB of internal storage, making it a formidable gaming machine.

What truly sets the Nitro Blaze 11 apart, however, is its size. Weighing in at over 1kg (2.3 pounds), it's not only as large as the 11-inch iPad Air but also as heavy as two iPad Airs stacked together. This raises concerns about portability, but Acer has mitigated this issue by making the controllers on the sides of the device detachable, similar to the Nintendo Switch or Lenovo Legion Go.

When detached, the Nitro Blaze 11 transforms into a tablet with an external controller, making it a more reasonable setup for gaming on-the-go. The device runs Windows 11 and features Acer's own gaming hub, providing a seamless gaming experience. A 55Wh battery powers the device, and it comes equipped with two USB-C ports (including one with USB 4 support), a USB Type-A port, and a microSD slot.

The Nitro Blaze 11's display supports resolutions up to 2560×1600 with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring a smooth and immersive gaming experience. For those who find the Nitro Blaze 11 too large, Acer is also releasing a more compact gaming handheld, the Nitro Blaze 8, featuring an 8.8-inch 144Hz display.

The Nitro Blaze 8 shares identical technical specifications with its larger counterpart, except for the non-detachable controllers. Both devices are slated for release in the second quarter of 2025, with the Nitro Blaze 11 priced at $1,099 and the Nitro Blaze 8 at $899.

Acer's bold move into the gaming handheld market raises questions about the viability of such large devices. While the Nitro Blaze 11's specifications are undeniably impressive, its size and weight may be a barrier for some gamers. However, with the detachable controllers and tablet mode, Acer has attempted to strike a balance between power and portability.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how gamers respond to Acer's innovative approach. Will the Nitro Blaze 11 and Nitro Blaze 8 find a niche in the market, or will they be relegated to novelty status? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – Acer has made a statement at CES 2025, and the gaming world is taking notice.