games / Reviews
QRD Spark N5 Controller (PS4) Review
Image Credit: QRD
Loading...If you put long-time use in a controller, no doubt you’ve ran into the dreaded stick drift at one point or another.
To combat the drift, many third-party developers started implementing Hall Effect joysticks, which use magnets and electrical conductors to measure distance, instead of physical contact with sensors. However, many of these controllers come with a higher cost.
Today, we’re taking a look at the QRD Spark N5 controller for the PS4/PS5, a controller coming in at under $50 with Hall Effect joysticks, some RGB lighting and other nice features. Read on to see how it handled long term usage.
From out of the box, the controller can be paired via Bluetooth to PlayStations, PC or even Android devices, making it a nice versatile controller. The controller also has a set of 8 RGB colors that rotate through by the buttons and joysticks, giving it a nice colorful pop.
However, I did wish there was a bit more of a grip on the edges of the controller. The Spark N5 itself is smooth, but the plastic feels a bit cheaper than other controllers. It did hold up well, but either a bit of texture on the sides of the controller or an additional grip overlay would be a good addition in the future.
Another area that may need a bit of focus later on are the upper buttons, both the shoulder and triggers. While the leading controllers give good feedback when you push down on these buttons, the Spark N5 didn’t have much feedback at all. The buttons still worked fine, just a bit of resistance on them would be nice.
As for the Hall Effect joysticks, they seemed to work well overall. I never noticed any stick drift either through marathon sessions or through long-term use, which is great for gamers needing constant accuracy.
Additionally, the macro buttons that can be programmed on the back handle nicely as well, and are a good touch reminiscent to the ones on the Xbox Elite controllers.
The battery life ended up being a positive for the controller as well, clocking in between eight to nine hours before needing a full charge. Charging took around 3 hours which wasn’t a bad time either.
