Acer made a big splash at CES 2025 with the announcement of its surfboard-sized Nitro Blaze 11 gaming handheld, but its targeted second-quarter release came and went long ago. There’s been no word of the chunky 11-inch Blaze or its smaller siblings. I was initially hyped enough to try such an oversized handheld that I turned Asus’ gaming tablet into one.
What happened to Acer’s giant Nitro Blaze 11 gaming handheld?
Acer shook up the handheld space last CES through sheer size alone. Then US tariffs hit.
Acer shook up the handheld space last CES through sheer size alone. Then US tariffs hit.
is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.
So when I met with Acer reps to go over its new offerings for CES 2026, I asked about this absence.
Lisa Emard of Acer America Corporation told The Verge, “When we announced those products it was just ahead of the tariffs situation. We wound up just focusing on our core products, on laptops, because we needed to find manufacturing options outside of China.” Emard added, “We don’t have any imminent plans to offer them.”
The Blaze is back-burnered. Bummer.
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