Nintendo's anticipated Switch 2 reveal already has some XL competition

(Image credit: Acer)

published 6 January 2025

Quick Summary

Acer has revealed the Nitro Blaze 11 handheld as part of its CES 2025 announcements. The 11-inch handheld PC console brings extra-large competition to the rumoured Nintendo Switch 2 – which, while not yet official, is expected to don an 8-inch display.

It could be that 2025 is set to be a major year for handheld gaming. Last year we got the PlayStation Portal to complement the PlayStation 5 Pro, while many handheld gaming PCs have also arrived to market.

And while it's largely expected that Nintendo will take the reins of 2025's handheld gaming console market with the much-rumoured Switch 2 – which I really can't wait for, especially after these leaks – and lead it into superstardom, it's Acer who's arrived at the CES 2025 show with a reveal to give's Nintendo's would-be console some XL competition.

By which, I mean literally: Acer's second-generation handheld comes as the Nitro Blaze 11, which, as you've probably guessed, means it features an 11-inch display. Well, a 10.95-inch one if I'm being pedantic. Now, that's larger than the rumoured 8-inch panel of Nintendo's supposed incoming offering.

I know, I know, a handheld gaming PC isn't a direct Nintendo competitor – for the simple fact that Nintendo's first-party games on the Switch give the maker such a distinctive selling point which you'll find nowhere else. But that's not to say Acer's handheld doesn't have some serious selling points of its own.

It's not the first Blaze ever – the debut, revealed in September 2024, delivered a 7-inch display. This second-gen model, while 11-inch at its largest, also comes in a smaller 8-inch variant if that's more to your tastes – but I'm all about the bigger version (which I hope to see at CES 2025 – do check out the live blog live from the show).

Powered by AMD's Ryzen 8840HS series processors, 16GB RAM, and AMD Radeon 780M graphics, the Acer Nitro Blaze 8 and Blaze 11 have ample power under the hood to play titles while on the go – and at up to 144Hz thanks to those displays' refresh rates. That hardware is year-old rather than latest standard, but that'll all be in the gain of undercutting the competition by price.

Exactly how much these handheld consoles will be isn't yet known, however, with pricing currently under wraps – and just as much can be said of Nintendo, whose rumoured console is nothing more than an assumption at this point in time.

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Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.