The Acer Nitro Blaze Link is being pitched as a streaming-first handheld similar to Sony’s PlayStation Portal, but instead it’s designed specifically with PC gaming in mind. You might remember the $350 Logitech G Cloud, in which case you’ll have a better idea of what Acer’s device is trying to accomplish. It is a lightweight, 7-inch handheld that supports Wi-Fi 6. Acer expects users to use streaming software like Sunshine and Moonlight, which is used in device-to-device streaming services like the Razer Cortex. Additionally, Nitro Blaze Link runs Linux, specifically the Debian distro. It only has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, so it’s practically useless for anything besides streaming.
Linux limitations mean it may also not be compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch. Acer isn’t marketing the Nitro Blaze Link as a true handheld PC like its upcoming Predator Atlas 8. That being said, expect it to cost much less than any other handheld PC built primarily for playing games. Acer says we will see it in the fourth quarter of this year, although it has not yet given any information about the price.
In fact, Acer isn’t disclosing pricing details for any of its other gaming devices that you’ll need to get the Nitro Blaze Link working. Like other gaming laptops this year, such as the 2026 Alienware 16 Area-51, the new Acer Predator Helios 18 comes equipped with Intel’s latest Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor. The 290Hx Plus features Intel’s updated Aero Lake chip which boosts gaming performance to a modest extent. You can also pack this laptop with an Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU.
You can already guess that this laptop prioritizes performance. To see your game in the best light, the Predator Helios 18 features an 18-inch Mini LED display that supports two resolutions and refresh rates. You can play it at 4K and 120Hz or 1080p at a full 240Hz. Like last year’s laptop, the keyboard includes a swappable key system called MagKey 3.0. This means that if you want mechanical switches for extra “bulk” on your WASD keys, you don’t have to go out and buy a separate, expensive laptop.
Of the Acer laptops I got my hands on ahead of Computex 2026, perhaps my biggest surprise was the company’s new TravelMate P6 14 AI. It’s a black torpedo of a laptop that feels like a stealth bomber in my hands. The 14-inch laptop is made of a carbon fiber chassis that somehow weighs just 2.2 pounds. It’s packing up to an Intel Core Ultra X7 368H CPU, so it’s technically capable of gaming at around 1080p resolution thanks to Intel’s Arc B390 integrated GPU.
The TravelMate P6 14 AI also features an OLED display with a maximum resolution of 2,880 x 1,800, so it’s no slouch in terms of looks despite its size. Again, Acer has not revealed the price of any of its upcoming products. This is worrying, as the TravelMate should be available in North America by August. If you want a gaming-capable PC, you’ll have to spend a lot of money to get it.
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