Acer revealed its Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11 gaming handhelds at CES 2025. At the time, the announcement created a lot of excitement among handheld gaming fans. These Windows based devices were expected to give players a bigger screen and strong performance in a portable size. However, almost one year later, the handhelds are still not available to buy.

The situation became clearer after a recent report from Windows Central. According to the report, Acer has decided to pause its gaming handheld plans for now. A company representative shared that the Nitro Blaze devices are still planned for the US market, but the launch timing is not fixed. In simple words, Acer has not cancelled the handhelds, but the release date is still unknown.

Acer also explained the reason behind the delay. The company pointed to the current US tariff situation and said it is focusing more on its main products. Because of this, the Nitro Blaze handhelds have taken a back seat. This explains why Acer did not show the devices again at CES 2026.

Originally, the Nitro Blaze 8 and 11 were expected to launch in the second quarter of 2025. Missing that window could hurt their chances in a fast moving market. Gaming handhelds are improving quickly, and new models are offering better hardware with more memory and newer processors.

The handheld devices were planned with 16 GB of RAM, which is still fine for many games, especially at lower screen resolutions. However, newer and more expensive handhelds now offer 32 GB of RAM or even more. This makes them more future ready for modern games.

Another concern is the processor. Acer planned to use the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS chip. While it is still a capable processor, newer chips are already on the way. By the time the Nitro Blaze handhelds finally launch, the hardware may feel slightly old unless Acer decides to update the internals.

Even with these challenges, there is still a positive side. Acer has not given up on the Blaze lineup. The company keeping the devices on its roadmap shows that the idea is still alive. If Acer takes this extra time to improve performance and update key parts, the Nitro Blaze handhelds could still make a strong return.

A hopeful future still possible for Acer Nitro Blaze

For now, fans will have to wait and see what Acer decides next. If the company plays its cards right, the Nitro Blaze gaming handheld could still find its place in the growing handheld gaming market.