QRD Spark N5 review – left behind

During my first few months of reviewing controllers, I checked out the QRD Stellar T5. It offered one of the best experiences I’ve had with handheld gaming on the Switch, and still holds up today. That’s why I was excited to check out the Spark N5, hoping it would match up to my previous experience with the Stellar T5. Unfortunately, it did not.

Specs

Compatibility: PS3, PS4, PC, mobile. PS5 compatibility via a converter.
Analog sticks: Hall Effect.
Triggers: Hall Effect.
Shoulder Buttons: Mechanical switches.
Face buttons: Membrane.
D-pad: Membrane.
Extra buttons: Two back paddle buttons.
Battery: 800mAh.
RGB: Yes, around the face buttons and sticks.
Headphone Jack

Design and usability

The QRD Spark N5 is all black, with an appearance that would resemble an Xbox controller if it wasn’t for the touchpad front and centre. With the RGB off, it’s a relatively understated offering which I’m personally a fan of.

Letting down the overall aesthetic are the face buttons, which use some weird versions of the PlayStation symbols. They almost remind me of what you’d often see on old third-party PS1 controllers, and it makes the controller look cheaper compared to first-party offerings.

When I actually got my hands on the controller for the first time, I had a few thoughts. First was that the Spark N5, just like its appearance suggests, feels very similar to hold in comparison to modern Xbox controllers. And this would actually be quite comfortable if it wasn’t for the back paddles.

In theory, back paddles allow for extra buttons while also being less prone to accidental presses. But in practice, these really got in the way of general use. The sides would often poke into my fingers during gameplay, and ended up being noticeably distracting in the long run.

However, this was just the start of what eventually became a long list of issues I had with the QRD Spark N5.

Let’s start with some of the basics. The face buttons, on top of having a so-so visual appearance, are decidedly average when it comes to performance too. Not the worst I’ve used, but definitely on the lower end of membrane buttons (and not a match at all for the Stellar T5’s mechanical switches.)

Even worse is the d-pad, which is very mushy and not satisfying to use at all. While it works fine for simple menus, attempting to use the d-pad for fighting games and platformers was rough. There’s no feedback on when you’ve pressed a specific direction, and diagonals are inconsistent.

Moving to the top of the controller, I ran into further problems. I had assumed that the use of mechanical switches would make these feel better than the membrane buttons used elsewhere. But, while they do have a decent click to them, the shoulder buttons have a sort of sticky feel, as if there’s resistance both when being pressed and let go.

I also didn’t enjoy using the triggers. It’s not the shape that’s the problem, as their noticeably curved design is actually relatively comfortable and a good fit for racing games. But they’re very stiff, requiring more force than you’d need on other controllers.

This actually leads into an overall point about the Spark N5. With the face buttons, shoulder buttons, and triggers all having a completely different feel, I never quite got comfortable using it for longer periods of time. You have the slightly-below-average face buttons that are easy to press, the sticky shoulder buttons, and the highly resistive triggers, all combining to make for a weird experience.

PS5 compatibility

While the Spark N5 is intended for use primarily on PS4 (or PC), QRD recently came out with the Blackpill converter. This allows you to make use of the controller on PS5, along with QRD’s Maestro S3 and even official DualShock 4s.

Setup is simple enough, and it didn’t take long before I was able to use the Spark N5 for PS5 titles. There didn’t seem to be any noticeable latency when compared to gameplay on PC and mobile, and I’m definitely a fan of giving owners an option to make use of older controllers on newer hardware.

However, this extra adapter leads into my final big issue with the Spark N5.

Pricing

At the time of writing, the Spark N5 is priced at $48.99/£38.82 on the official QRD store. It’s also available in a bundle with the Blackpill converter for $79.99/£62.61 — you can also buy the converter separately.

This price puts it against stiff competition, especially in the PC and mobile market which are flooded with excellent budget options. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that quality offerings like many of the 8Bitdo Ultimate line blow the Spark N5 out of the water.

And with the extra cost required for PS5 use, I’d also have a hard time recommending the Spark N5 for use on that console as well. Granted, the PS5 third-party controller market is essentially relegated to expensive offerings only, leading to a lack of options overall. But an official DualSense controller is cheaper than the Spark N5 + converter combo, and is generally a better experience even if you lose out on Hall Effect sticks.

QRD Spark N5 Review – Final Thoughts

The QRD Spark N5 is a decidedly average controller that’s been left behind as budget controllers continue to evolve. Have I used worse controllers? Yes. Has QRD made a better controller before? Also yes.

Overall, it’s hard to recommend the Spark N5 over most other alternatives, especially if you have no plans to grab the adaptor to play on PS5. For PC, PS4 and mobile there are countless better options, and Hall Effect sticks aren’t enough to dethrone the DualSense on PS5.

The QRD Spark N5 was reviewed using a sample provided by the manufacturer.