Device comparison

Retroid Pocket 2+ vs. QRD Vortex F5

Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.

Compare

With

Retroid Pocket 2+
QRD Vortex F5

Shown to scale from each device’s real-world dimensions.

Quick verdict

Best value
Retroid Pocket 2+
More portable
Retroid Pocket 2+
Newer model
QRD Vortex F5

Main differences

  • QRD Vortex F5 has similar emulation coverage to Retroid Pocket 2+.
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ is about $25 cheaper based on catalog pricing.
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ is roughly 47% smaller and 41% lighter.
  • QRD Vortex F5 runs Linux; Retroid Pocket 2+ runs Android 11.
  • QRD Vortex F5 is highlighted for Game Boy, NES, Genesis, GBA; Retroid Pocket 2+ is highlighted for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA.

Retroid

Retroid Pocket 2+

Details
Price
$65
OS
Android 11
Released
Dec 2021
Up to
Dreamcast
Screen
3.5 inch IPS
Weight
196 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

QRD

QRD Vortex F5

Details
Price
$90
OS
Linux
Released
Feb 2025
Up to
Dreamcast
Screen
5.5 inch IPS
Weight
330 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecRetroid Pocket 2+QRD Vortex F5
Price$65$90
OSAndroid 11Linux
Screen3.5 inch5.5 inch
Aspect ratio4:316:9
Resolution640 x 4801280 x 720
ChipsetUNISOC Tiger T310RockChip RK3566
CPUCortex-A75 / Cortex-A55Cortex-A55
GPUPowerVR GE8300Mali-G52 2EE
RAM2 GB LPDDR4X1 GB LPDDR4X
StorageInternal 32 GB eMMC,Internal 8 GB eMMC, External MicroSD
Battery4000 mAh5000 mAh
Weight196 grams330 grams
Dimensions150 mm x 81 mm x 17-30 mm223 mm x 103 mm x 35 mm
Hall effect sticksNoYes
Touch screenYesNo

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemRetroid Pocket 2+QRD Vortex F5
Classic systems
Game Boy
NES
Genesis
GBA
SNES
PS1
Mid-generation systems
DS
N64
Dreamcast
PSP
Saturn
Sixth-generation systems
GameCube
Wii
PS2
Modern systems
3DS
Switch
Wii U
PS3

Emulation source notes

  • Retroid Pocket 2+ DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip This device does not have a touchscreen, so you won't be able to play DS games that rely heavily on the touchscreen
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • QRD Vortex F5 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable 3DS will only work on Android, not Linux
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 N64: Nintendo 64: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • QRD Vortex F5 PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable PS2 will only work on Android, not Linux
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • QRD Vortex F5 PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Wii: Nintendo Wii: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • QRD Vortex F5 Wii: Nintendo Wii: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • QRD Vortex F5 Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Saturn: Sega Saturn: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • QRD Vortex F5 Saturn: Sega Saturn: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • QRD Vortex F5 Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • QRD Vortex F5 GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
  • Retroid Pocket 2+ Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • QRD Vortex F5 Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the Retroid Pocket 2+ and the QRD Vortex F5?
QRD Vortex F5 has similar emulation coverage to Retroid Pocket 2+. Retroid Pocket 2+ is about $25 cheaper based on catalog pricing. Retroid Pocket 2+ is roughly 47% smaller and 41% lighter. QRD Vortex F5 runs Linux; Retroid Pocket 2+ runs Android 11. QRD Vortex F5 is highlighted for Game Boy, NES, Genesis, GBA; Retroid Pocket 2+ is highlighted for NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA.
Which is cheaper, the Retroid Pocket 2+ or the QRD Vortex F5?
The Retroid Pocket 2+ is the cheaper of the two at around $65, roughly $25 less than the QRD Vortex F5 based on catalog pricing.
Which is newer, the Retroid Pocket 2+ or the QRD Vortex F5?
The QRD Vortex F5 is the newer model, released in 2025.

Compare Retroid Pocket 2+ with