Shortly after the official Fedora 45 launch, Bazzite 45 has launched, with a rebase to Fedora 45, Gnome 51.1, and KDE Plasma 6.8.2. The new Bazzite version lists updated OGC Linux kernels—7.2.15 for AMD and Intel, and 6.18.60 for NVIDIA users—and additional hardware support, including for the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20, but also for more peripherals, including the Logitech TrueForce racing wheel hardware. The Mesa driver version has also been updated to 26.2.6, InputPlumber has been updated, and CoolerController has been moved to the official docker container, while XWaylandVideoBridge has been removed in the name of stability and squashing KDE bugs. The rest of the actual updates are minor back-end changes, save one.

As per the announcement post on the Universal Blue Discourse page, as of Bazzite 45, Bazzite has become accepted by Epic Games as a signing key provider, and the development team behind Bazzite has added a Linux EAC V2 readiness checker to Bazzite 45. The checker automatically updates the latest Linux EAC V2 requirements and compares the requirements to the current kernel and BIOS configurations—specifically kernel and module signing, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, measured boot, IOMMU, kernel lockdown, kexec, and BPF LSM. If there are any incompatibilities, the user will be notified by the readiness checker.

Acer and Intel showed off the Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld, powered by the new Intel Arc G3 APUs, at Computex in June 2026, and while it was speculated that the new handhelds would not be cheap, given the specs and expected performance, it seems less and less likely that there will be even a single Acer Predator Atlas 8 priced at under $1,000.

Acer recently updated its Predator Atlas 8 product page in the UK in order to allow users to "register their interest," and the OEM handily included prices for the various different Atlas 8 models on the page, giving us an idea of what to expect for the rest of the world as well. The cheapest version of Acer's Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld will cost £999.99, which converts to $1,346, although it's likely that pricing will be lower in the US. The Acer Predator Atlas 8 is slated to release "this autumn," suggesting a release window sometime between September and December.

Update Oct 31st: Acer has officially listed the Predator Atlas 8 for $1,299.99 at Best Buy, and the only available configuration at the time of update is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme-powered variant with a 512 GB SSD and 24 GB of memory—a variant not previously listed on Acer's product page and likely introduced to bring the price down, given the ever-increasing cost of SSDs. It's unclear when the Arc G3 versions with less memory will be available.

The launch of Valve's Steam Deck ignited a renewed interest in both Linux gaming and handheld x86 gaming PCs, and that push has resulted in accelerated development for projects like Bazzite. In a recent post, Bazzite developer, Andy East, aka Andy10115 online, has announced preliminary hardware support for both the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 and the Acer Predator Atlas handhelds in Bazzite.

The developer notes in the update, which also serves as a call for testers, that the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 that there is already full support for the display and back buttons—replete with VRR and HDR on the former and full button remapping on the latter—as well as working sleep/wake support. Support for RGB lighting customization is not yet implemented, but should arrive soon with Open Gaming Collective components. Similarly, fan control is still missing, but can be implemented with the usual Decky plugins, and an official OGUI plugin is in development.

It is day zero at IFA 2026 in Berlin, and the TechPowerUp crew is on the ground checking out what companies are offering. Today, we stopped by the Acer booth to explore the company's latest Predator Atlas 7 gaming handheld device, powered by Intel's Arc G3 series of processors. The new Atlas 7 is a smaller sibling of the Atlas 8, which was already announced at Computex 2026, but with a slight tweak in size. It features a 7-inch 1080p IPS display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, supports VRR, and includes a tempered glass screen protector. The system is powered by either an Intel Arc G3 or Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor, which includes Intel Arc B370 and Arc B390 integrated graphics, respectively.

For memory, the system offers up to 24 GB of LPDDR5X running at 7,467 MT/s, and storage expansion allows for up to a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in the 2280 form factor. Acer has optimized this smaller device to ensure the cooling remains effective, featuring one Predator AeroBlade metal fan and one plastic fan for Vortex Flow cooling. Audio is delivered by two 2 W speakers, while the entire system runs on an 80 Wh 4-cell battery.

Acer today announced the Predator Atlas 7, a new addition to the Predator handheld portfolio that brings the same flagship performance of the recently launched 8-inch model into a more compact 7-inch form factor. Acer is also unveiling Project DualPlay Mini, an innovation concept that functions as both a high-powered gaming handheld and a mobile productivity device, blurring the line between designs for gaming and working. Both devices are featured in Acer's next@acer global press conference in Berlin, Germany.

Predator Atlas 7
Designed for mobile-first gamers who want flagship Predator experiences in a more compact, portable form factor, Predator Atlas 7 (PA07-I51) is powered by up to an Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor and up to Intel Arc B390 graphics for breakthrough gaming handheld performance. Paired with a subscription to XBOX Game Pass, the device allows for immediate high-powered gameplay right out of the box across hundreds of titles and brings the full benefits of Windows 11 gaming experiences.