Upcoming $2,200 handheld powered by AMD Strix Halo delivers 86 FPS in Returnal at 1080p using just 42 W
The GPD Win 5 is probably one of the most anticipated gaming handhelds of 2025. And rightly so. It features one of the most powerful APU series on the market, the AMD Ryzen AI Max, and its design will likely remind you of the popular PlayStation Vita.
But how close is the hype around the GPD Win 5 to the real thing? To answer that, YouTuber The Phawx recently put the device through its paces, giving us an early look at the upcoming AMD Strix Halo gaming handheld’s design and performance.
The GPD Win 5 variant tested by the YouTuber was the top-spec model, powered by an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 64 GB of memory and a 4 TB SSD, with a retail price of $2,268. They also mentioned plans to test the lower-spec base model, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, which carries a retail price of $1,599, very soon.
Performance and power scaling
In their testing, The Phawx demonstrated just how much of a leap Strix Halo represents over AMD’s previous best, the Strix Point Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. Even when both systems were locked to a similar total power draw of around 42 W, the GPD Win 5 consistently pulled ahead in GPU-heavy titles. Take God of War: Ragnarok for example. The HX 370-powered handheld delivered about 69 FPS, while the Win 5 managed a steadier 80 FPS under the same wattage.
In Space Marine 2, both platforms stayed close. The HX 370 averaged around 78 FPS, while the Win 5 climbed to 90 FPS. This is one of the few cases where the gap narrowed, as the game isn’t fully GPU-bound, but Strix Halo still scaled better when pushed harder. The biggest performance difference came in Returnal. Here the HX 370 struggled at just 43 FPS, while the Win 5 powered through at 86 FPS, literally double the performance.
At lower power targets like 15 W, the HX 370 can hold its own, but diminishing returns start to appear as early as 18 W, whereas Strix Halo scales cleanly up to around 45 W before levelling off, as per The Phawx.
Design, controls, and ergonomics
Ergonomics and design-wise, the GPD Win 5 reminded The Phawx of the PS Vita. They described the controls as a mix of influences, combining the precision of the Vita’s legendary D-pad with Xbox-style face buttons and PSP-like bumpers.
According to them, the thumbsticks are concave and textured, with programming that makes them far more precise than what handhelds usually offer. They added that the triggers feel closer to an Xbox Series controller, while the bumpers click with the sharp feedback of a PSP. In their view, this combination makes the Win 5’s control scheme one of the best available on a handheld today.
The Phawx also spent time discussing the external battery design. While they initially expected it to feel awkward, they said it actually improves the weight distribution when attached, making the device feel balanced and less tiring to hold. With the battery removed, they noted that the Win 5 feels “comically light,” but their preference was to keep the pack on at all times.
They further explained that an external battery has a practical advantage, it’s easier to replace and to keep spares on hand compared to sealed designs on rival devices.
Overall, early impressions of the GPD Win 5 are positive. For more details, the YouTuber provides an in-depth look in their video, which I’d recommend checking out, the link is included below.
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