We recently reported on Acer’s teaser video ahead of IFA 2024, which is currently taking place in Berlin. The brand hinted towards a new gaming handheld, and it turns out that’s exactly what we’re getting. The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 has now been unveiled at the event and it looks like a solid option to take on the likes of the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go.
Previous speculation suggested that Acer was getting ready to launch a Lunar Lake-based device, but it turns out it’s Team Red after all. The Nitro Blaze 7 is based on the AMD Ryzen 8040 series processors with up to a total of 39 AI TOPs, boasting up to 2TBs of storage space and 16GB LPDDR5X memory. Let’s take a closer look at what it has to offer.
Acer Nitro Blaze 7 debuted at IFA 2024
We can now have a closer look at the Nitro Blaze 7 and it seems to shape up as a solid alternative to the devices we mentioned above. The gaming PC handheld market has been hotting up since the launch of the Steam Deck, and the name-appropriate Blaze has a lot of competition up against it. Much like several other Windows 11-based handhelds, the Nitro Blaze 7 features AMD Radeon 780M graphics and a 7″ full HD screen – but this time with a 144Hz refresh rate to offer.
Thankfully, Acer is not leaving anything undisclosed, so you can check out the full list of specs just below. The device also comes with VRR support in the form of AMD FreeSync Premium, something that is much-loved on the ROG Ally. In comparison, the Steam Deck only offers this tech on external monitors – not the device’s own built-in display.
| Product name | Acer Nitro Blaze 7 |
| Model | GN771 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Processors | AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS (8-cores, 16-threads, 24MB cache, up to 5.1 GHz max boost) AMD Ryzen AI, supports up to total 39 AI TOPS |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon 780M (Up to 2.7 GHz, AMD RDNA3 12 CUs) |
| Screen | 7″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display, 144Hz, 500 nits, 10-point touch panel, 7ms response time, 100% sRGB, AMD FreeSync Premium |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X SDRAM, 7500 MT/s (onboard) |
| Storage | Up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 Gen 4 SSD |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB4 (Type-C 40 Gbps), Micro SD Card (SD 4.0) |
| Control and Input | A B X Y buttons, D-Pad, LB/RB Bumpers, LS/RS Sticks, LT/RT Hall effect triggers, Power button with fingerprint reader, volume button, view button, menu button, Acer Game Space button, Pop-up keyboard button, Acer quick menu button, Mode switch button |
| Audio | Speaker: 2 x 1W Microphone: 2 x D-Mic Audio Jack: 3.5mm CTIA |
| Battery | 50.04 Wh Li-Polymer battery |
| Power Supply | 65W Type-C AC Adapter |
| WLAN and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Software | Acer Game Space, PC Game Pass (3 months) |
| Dimensions | 25.6 (W) x 11.35 (D) x 2.25 (H) cm |
| Weight | 670 g |
Overall, the Nitro Blaze 7 looks to be a solid entry to the increasingly saturated gaming handheld market. Whether it makes a mark is of course yet to be seen, but it does have some advantages over its competitors. There are some downsides to think about though such as a 50Wh battery, which is considerably lower than something like the recent ROG Ally X’s 80Whr.
Something else to mention is the Blaze 7’s software. As you’ll notice from the buttons list, there is a dedicated button that takes you to the Acer Game Space app. This application “integrates mainstream gaming platforms” which basically means all your game libraries are in one place and easily accessible – a clever feature for Windows 11 gamers playing via multiple game stores. On that note, the device also ships with 3 months of PC Game Pass.
