Acer introduced a new gaming handheld ahead of Computex 2026. Called the Predator Atlas 8, it’s the first handheld under the more premium Predator line (the first one was a Nitro) hence the name being derived from another celestial body. and it’s being powered by Intel.
Specifically, the Predator Atlas 8 features the new Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor designed for handheld devices, promising performance and battery efficiency. The processor includes up to Intel Arc B390 graphics with Intel XESS3 upscaling tech, so it’s up to par with Intel’s most recent GPU but now in a portable form factor. As for the battery, expect an 80Wh battery, which is at the top end compared to competitors in the space (there’s a spec that uses a smaller 60Wh battery). It also comes with a 65W charger, which is par for the course for handheld gaming PCs.
Curiously, Acer is putting in some of their proprietary tech into the Atlas 8. The Predator AeroBlade fans seen in the Predator gaming laptops are slotted into this handheld. Acer claims the Atlas 8’s the first handheld to feature a metal fan, each with 89 blades all at only 0.1mm in thickness. While the Atlas 8 employs a dual-fan cooling system, only one of them is an AeroBlade metal fan, the other is a normal plastic one.
Expect the heaviest of Predator Atlas 8 to be under 810g, pretty chonky for a handheld.
As the “8” in the name implies, the Predator Atlas 8 has an 8-inch 1920×1200 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio) screen with 120Hz refresh rate at 500 nits peak brightness and support for VRR. The cover glass of the screen has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with DXC protection which should not be scratched up easily and can reduce glare. It’s a touch screen, like most portable handheld PCs are.
Ports wise, The Predator Atlas 8 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports so it’s ready to dock and built for an extra display output in mind, plus a 3.5mm audio port. There’s a UHS-II microSD slot for extra storage. And since it’s running Windows 11, expect the newly rechristen Xbox mode (previously Xbox Fullscreen Experience) that first debuted on the Xbox-branded ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X to come out of the box. There’s also the expected PredatorSense, Acer’s own software suite. They are both accessed via dedicated Xbox and PredatorSense buttons.
Curiously, the Predator Atlas 8 comes with Hall-effect triggers, including software features where you can toggle between quick-press inputs and more-refined analog inputs, but not the analog sticks which still uses regular, unreliable carbon film.
The Predator Atlas 8 will be released sometime this October in North America, EMEA and Australia. Acer never released the Nitro Blaze portables in Malaysia, so should they be a local release, the Predator Atlas 8 will be Acer’s first post-Steam Deck handheld gaming PC release.