R36S Handheld Review: A Super Competitive Price’s Retro Gaming Handheld 

Since its launch last year, the R36s Handheld has been hailed as the most cost-effective retro handheld console due to its ultra-low price. I purchased a 64GB memory card version that doesn’t use the eMMC system. It features a 3.5-inch screen with a 640×480 resolution.

1. Appearance and workmanship of R36s Handheld

When I opened the console’s box, there was the console itself, an A-to-C data cable, a screen protector, and cushioning cotton.

It felt heavy in my hand, not light and airy.

When I peeled off the soft film of the screen, I found that the R36S screen was fully attached. I think this price is extremely affordable.

The first impression of the overall workmanship is very good, with no burr. The cross keys feel a little stiff to press, and I think it will be a bit painful after prolonged use.

The sinking remote sensing feels ok when you press it.

There’s a link OTG jack at the bottom for connecting wireless network cards, game controllers, etc., and there’s a tech port in the middle of the bottom.

The speaker is located on the side of the device. Above it are the power button, reboot button, and TF2 card slot.

On the opposite side is the TF1 card slot, with the OS marking hole indicating the system card.

In addition to the TF card itself, games can also be installed in the system of the body.

We tested the read/write speed of the randomly assigned TF card, with an average read speed of 91.91MB/s and a write speed of 32.9MB/s.

The back of the R36s features four shoulder keys that feel somewhat uncomfortable to press, producing a slight noise.

It has a charging power of 7.5W, and the body battery is 3500mAh (measured at around 2800mAh).

In addition, the body itself is equipped with a battery compartment, allowing players to replace their own batteries.

2. Performance and game compatibility test of R36s Handheld

(1) Hardware

Hardware configuration: equipped with the RK3326 chip and 1GB storage, it can run arcade games, PS1, GBA, and other old platform games without any pressure, and can meet the basic nostalgia needs.

Game compatibility: supports more than 21 emulators, can simulate NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy series, Sega Genesis, PS1, and other classic game platforms.

However, large 3D games running on the PSP, such as God of War and Monster Hunter, are underperforming at just over 10 frames, while 2D games such as Demon City and Metal Head run smoothly.

The color reproduction of the screen is ok, suitable for pixel games.

If you want to pursue HD, you can expand with an external monitor.

(2) Functional features

Customization: The open source system supports system brush and system change, and players can customize the system, such as adjusting key mapping, adding filters, etc., to meet different needs.

Storage expansion: Support TF card expansion (16GB-256GB) to facilitate the storage of games and data, avoiding the problem of insufficient built-in storage.

This will be explained in detail below.

3. About the advantages and disadvantages of R36s Handheld

(1) Let’s start with the advantages of R36s

First, for around $30, you can simulate the PS1, GBA arcade, most of the NDS, a few of the PSP, N64, and some popular ported games. This configuration is very good.

Second, the R36s boasts a screen with excellent display quality, featuring fine details and superior color saturation, brightness, and transparency.

It comes equipped with a 3.5-inch 640×480 resolution LCD full-conform screen in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Some users might argue that this screen is too small – not even reaching 4 inches – and may struggle to handle demanding games.

It depends on the game you’re playing. The R36s are primarily designed for GBA and PS1 consoles.

The visual experience on mobile devices and handheld consoles is actually quite similar.

Of course, everyone’s perception varies.

Third, the fun of flashing.

At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that I purchased the 64GB version rather than the eMMC version. This is because there are many R36s models available. While a small number of versions come with built-in eMMC, most other models store their systems on external storage cards. Even if the system fails, simply replacing it with a new TF card allows continued use without affecting the console itself.

Similar to computers, when a hard drive fails, you can just replace it with a new one.

Plus, modern memory cards are affordable, allowing you to install multiple systems and explore diverse gaming experiences.

However, it’s crucial to note that different storage cards have varying compatibility levels. Always check with customer service beforehand to confirm whether your R36s model is compatible.

In addition, the actual kernel of the system is Linux. Some hardcore players have installed a computer system and connected a keyboard to turn R36S into a small computer. This is also one of the joys of playing a game machine.

(2) After the advantages, let’s talk about the disadvantages.

First, the feel of the keys.

The main buttons for playing the game are still the shoulder keys and dual S keys on the back, while the arrow keys and ABXY keys feel relatively stiff.

Due to the vertical layout, if your palm is large, it lacks sufficient support. Prolonged use can lead to discomfort, especially causing soreness in the thumb.

Second, the system software is not compatible.

R36s, after all, are not a product from any major brand or large company. The unit price of the product has no premium, and it only makes money by selling machines.

Therefore, the software is just an add-on with no deep optimization, leading to a poor gaming experience for many games.

Third, there are still many small problems.

As mentioned above, the price is relatively cheap, so many places are not well optimized.

For example, there is more current sound when playing the game, which is annoying.

I randomly tested 35 games, and FC’s B Plan couldn’t load any of them. The NDS’s Demon City was a total pain to play with the joystick and touchscreen.

As for the NDS, I couldn’t figure out how to properly exit the menu or find the instant save button – I had to resort to pressing the restart button.

The R36S online seems to have DOS game options, but it appears the model I purchased has this feature disabled.

Overall, for a gaming console under $30, I don’t expect too much – if it works, I’ll give it a perfect five-star rating.

Then there’s the battery issue, too. The battery specifications are 3200mAh, but the actual measured capacity is 2800mAh, requiring about 2 hours to fully charge.

It’s recommended to keep the device powered on during charging, as a lit screen increases charging power and speeds up the process.

Battery life depends on what you’re playing, with a battery life of around 2-5 hours.

Fourth, there are many models, and the purchasing channels are messy.

With so many online sales channels, many of us are unsure where to buy authentic products. I usually recommend purchasing from AliExpress’s official store – it offers affordable prices, free shipping, and delivery to many countries worldwide.

To sum up, the R36s is for people who are physically capable and like to mess with machines, because the dopamine pleasure gained from messing with the console is no less than that gained from playing the game.

Of course, if you’re new to the game, take a hard look at our advice:

1. Before you buy, ask the store if the memory is 1GB, so that it is easy to return and exchange. Read the comment section more.

It will be cheaper on Aliexpress, but there is a risk of buying faulty machines and castrated versions. Ask about the return policy.

2. Even if you don’t want to bother, you should learn the basic technology of system image brushing, and know how to simply download a Win32 software.

Because the black card attached to the machine is relatively bad, if you want to play well, you have to bring your own TF card. At least back up the original system and then brush it onto the new card, or copy out the dtb file of the original system, so that you can use it when you brush other systems

3. If you need more software or resources, we recommend contacting PickOnes, we can provide a lot of R36s resources and systems to download.

If you are too lazy to bother, you can only do the first step. That is, the system dtb file should be backed up, so that it can be used when you want to brush the system one day.

Once these three steps are done, you can basically play to your heart’s content.