Acer has entered the handheld gaming market with the Nitro Blaze 7. It’s a gaming handheld PC that runs Windows 11, but it has a new Acer Game Space app that supports games from multiple platforms. This is the new competitor to the Steam Deck.
The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processor, Radeon 780M integrated graphics, and a 7-inch Full HD IPS touch panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate. Compared to Valve’s Steam Deck, the Nitro Blaze 7 has a higher-resolution display and a faster refresh rate. Its AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processor provides more powerful performance compared to the Steam Deck’s AMD Zen 2 APU. However, Steam Deck offers more customization options through its open-source operating system (SteamOS), and it can be connected to a larger display or keyboard and mouse. So, if you want to turn on a handheld and just play games at a high quality and speed, Nitro Blaze 7 is a good idea, but SteamDeck may still be a much more customizable experience.
One of the standout features of the Nitro Blaze 7 is the Acer Game Space app. Acer didn’t go into detail, but it will apparently integrate mainstream gaming platforms into a single library interface, perhaps like GOG Galaxy. Even still, it comes with three months of PC Game Pass, so for the first three months, any owners are guaranteed to have thousands of games as long as they have an internet connection and a Microsoft account.
The Nitro Blaze 7 is designed to be portable and lightweight, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. It has Wi-Fi 6E support for fast and reliable internet connections, as well as a USB4 Type-C port with fast charging and a MicroSD card reader to expand storage capacity. It’s still designed primarily for gaming, but you can use it as a traditional PC in a pinch.
Acer didn’t confirm pricing or availability before publication, but it should show up on the Acer online store and third-party retailers.
Source: Acer
