It feels better in the hand than I originally assumed it might based on pictures alone.
The joysticks feel less flimsy than theLenovo Legion Goor the original Asus ROG Ally.
They have more weight to them, more like the Steam Deck OLED or ROG Ally X.
The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 has an option for 2 TB of SSD storage, though we still don’t know what that might cost.Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The triggers feel smooth along the curve of the fingers, and they are hall effect.
The sticks, unfortunately, dont include Hall effect sensors.
Theres a handy dedicated keyboard button, so theres no need for a shortcut.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
In hand, the race car decals arent too distracting.
Everything you need for a handheld is there, but thats when things get weird.
There are no back buttons to speak of.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
I asked Acer why they went that route, and reps couldnt exactly say.
I dont use back buttons, but I know plenty of gamers who do.
The built-in Acer Game Space software needs a lot of work.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
There are no immediate options for controlling TDP or fan speeds.
The launcher menu currently only has two tabs: games and launchers.
Thats it for options.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The software will hopefully improve before release.
When is that, exactly?
Still to be determined.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Beyond any of that, Im most concerned about performance.
In everything but name, its the same chip.
Acer had two relatively intensive games running on its demo units.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, it was jumping between 45 and high 50s in some areas.
Now, we should keep in mind these handhelds were running continuously for hours on end.
This wasnt the environment for any kind of true benchmark.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
At the same time, Acer chose these games for its press demos.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
Trumps Gamer Tax Begins.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
