QRD Vortex F5
QRD · Released Feb 2025 ·
The QRD Vortex F5 is a 5.5" IPS handheld from QRD powered by the RockChip RK3566. It launched at around $90.
Pros
- +Can be connected to external displays
- +Large 5000 mAh battery
- +The ergonomic grips make extended play more comfortable
- +Hall Effect analog sticks are more durable and precise
Cons
- −Letterboxing (black bars) on classic retro systems
- −No Wi-Fi (no RetroAchievements, box art scraping, file transfer etc...)
- −Bulky form factor
- −Unstable emulation on more demanding systems
What can it play?
Emulation performance by platform, based on real-world testing.
Full specifications
Hardware
- Chipset (SoC)
- RockChip RK3566
- CPU
- Cortex-A55, 4 cores, 1.8 GHz
- GPU
- Mali-G52 2EE, 850 MHz
- RAM
- 1 GB LPDDR4X
- Storage
- 8GB eMMC
- Weight
- 330 g
- Dimensions
- 223 x 103 x 35 mm
- Cooling
- Active (fan)
Display
- Size
- 5.5″
- Resolution
- 1280 x 720
- Panel
- IPS
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Touchscreen
- No
Battery & Connectivity
- Battery
- 5000 mAh
- Real-world life
- ~0 hours
- Wi-Fi
- None
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth
- Ports
- USB-C, Video out, 3.5mm headphone, microSD
- Expandable storage
- Yes (microSD)
Controls
- Analog sticks
- 2
- D-pad
- Yes
- Face buttons
- Yes
- Analog triggers
- No
- Gyroscope
- No
- Hall effect sticks
- Yes
Software & custom firmware
Ships with: Linux
Also plays natively: Linux
No third-party custom firmware tracked for this device.
Our verdict
The QRD Vortex F5 is a 5.5" IPS handheld from QRD powered by the RockChip RK3566. It launched at around $90. It carries 1 GB of RAM and runs Linux. Highlights include: Can be connected to external displays; Large 5000 mAh battery; The ergonomic grips make extended play more comfortable; Hall Effect analog sticks are more durable and precise. Trade-offs to note: Letterboxing (black bars) on classic retro systems; No Wi-Fi (no RetroAchievements, box art scraping, file transfer etc...); Bulky form factor.