This ongoing era of handheld PCs is so exciting right now. Whether you're a retro enthusiast picking up an Anbernic or Ayaneo console, or want some portable triple-A goodness with a ROG Xbox Ally, there's something for everyone. But Acer is preparing to make moves with a new rival of its own. Rumors suggest that the Acer Predator Atlas 8 will be the tech giant's next major release, and it could come out of the box with fresh Intel hardware.
Hot off the heels of rumors of a new Asus handheld, Acer is seemingly locking things in for a big reveal at Computex 2026. This annual tech convention held in Taiwan is always full of surprises, and it'd make sense to see the Predator Atlas 8 make a statement on stage. But what do we actually expect from it? According to a report from VideoCardz, the Predator Atlast 8's form factor is similar to that of the ROG Ally and MSI Claw. That means you can expect at least 8' of display real estate to play games on.
It gets very exciting when we peer under the hood. Acer's forthcoming portable console is allegedly using Intel's ARC G3 and G3 Extreme chipsets. Both are from a fresh Intel series, featuring a 14-core configuration. In action, they should be pretty similar for the most part - except for their clock speeds. The main difference is in the Extreme chip, as it should function similarly to the Ryzen Z2 series found in the ROG Ally X and Xbox Ally models. We're expecting Acer to release official details shortly.
As you know, it isn't Acer's first foray into portable gaming handhelds. The Nitro Blaze range has yet to hit the market, but you can read our Acer Nitro Blaze 7 hands-on preview to get our initial thoughts. We're still waiting on the Blaze 8 and 11 to get proper coverage. You can't even see them listed anywhere to pre-order.
The Predator range is potentially a premium platform for those looking for extra hardware power. I'm still rocking the ROG Ally Z1E, finding it to be a perfectly capable alternative to the Steam Deck or Asus's more powerful options. It's so versatile, my 007 First Light review comes directly from playing on the ROG Ally's dependable hardware.
If you own a ROG Ally, I highly recommend checking out this JSAUX battery mod and BazziteOS, two changes that I'm thoroughly happy about.