September 17, 2024, 8:34 am | Read time: 3 minutes
With a slight delay, Acer is now also jumping on the handheld console bandwagon. The company presented the Nitro Blaze 7 at IFA 2024. What does the device offer?
Following the enormous success of the Nintendo Switch after its release in 2017, numerous other companies have now also released handheld consoles. Prominent examples include the Steam Deck from Valve and the ROG Ally from Asus. The portable consoles score points above all with their flexibility. Apparently, Acer is now also hoping to land success in the increasingly competitive market with its Nitro Blaze 7.
Acer launches handheld Nitro Blaze 7
Before the start of IFA, which incidentally will be 100 years old in 2024, Acer has already made a name for itself with its handheld console. The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 ranks in the middle of the competition in terms of its dimensions. In terms of its hardware specs, however, it definitely stands out from comparable devices.
The full HD IPS display with 144 Hz of the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 is 7 inches in size and, therefore, smaller than the currently popular OLED version of the Steam Deck. In general, the handheld console measures 256 x 113.5 x 22.5 mm. The device is, therefore, quite compact overall and slightly thicker than the MSI Claw, for example. The weight of 670 grams, an important point for handhelds, is in line with the industry average.
The black device with red accents also looks good. Similar to the MSI Claw or the ROG Ally, the joysticks are offset. In addition to the usual directional pad on the left and the four buttons on the right, there are also two buttons on the top and two on the back, as with conventional controllers. There are also additional buttons on the front: one on the bottom left and three on the right, two of which are combined into a double button.
The technical specs of the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 known so far
Acer’s first handheld console comes with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS. It also comes with an impressive 16 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of SSD storage. The handheld offers two USB 4 Type-C ports, a MicroSD card reader, and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack.
With the 50.04 Wh Li-Polymer battery, the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 should have sufficient power. The handheld also offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. As with most of the competition, Windows 11 Home is provided as the operating system. The usual gaming platforms are to be integrated via the Acer Game Space app. Benchmark market data and, above all, release and price are not yet known.
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Comprehensive gaming concept
Acer has a few more gaming products in store for IFA. These include the Nitro XV240 F6, Nitro XV270 F5, and Nitro XV270U F5 monitors. The “Dual Play” project is also causing quite a stir. Acer uses this term to describe a notebook with an integrated controller. This sits under the notebook keyboard instead of the usual touchpad. However, the controller can also be detached from the notebook for gaming and used in the conventional way.
The controller can be removed from its holder using a release button. This also creates space for the two hidden 5-watt loudspeakers. The controller can also be split into two separate joysticks, similar to the concept on the Nintendo Switch. Similar to the Acer Nitro Blaze 7, nothing is yet known about the release and price.