R36S, Review: pocket retro console with 3.5″ screen

Today we have on our review table the R36S retro console. A very economical, compact console with Linux system.

The R36S stands out for its Game Boy inspired design, with a 3.5″ IPS screen in 4:3 format. As engine we have the Rockchip RK3326 SoC, a Quad Core with Cortex-A35 cores that allows us to run quite a lot of emulators and has ArkOS operating system. A ROCKNIX (former JELOS) compatible machine that can emulate simple PC games and other machines thanks to Portmaster.

Let’s see how this console works and how it compares to the competition in the sector.

R36S Details

Description

The R36S console is available in colored transparent or white and its touch is correct. This format does not stand out for its ergonomics and has a 3.5″ IPS screen with 480p resolution. In the front area we find a speaker that gives us basic audio, the best option is to use headphones. A micro SD card is included with the OS and can also be purchased with an additional card with games.

As for controls on the front we have crosshairs, two analog sticks and four buttons with Switch scheme. The rear buttons L1 and R1 and triggers L2 and R2, are simple and quite uncomfortable to press.

On the left side we have SDS TF1 slot for OS, power and reset. On the right side we have TF2 for games and volume control. At the bottom we have audio jack and two USB-C, one for charging and one OTG.

• • SD cards: TF1 slot for OS with 16GB / TF2 slot with large card for games.
  • Backup: Before modifying anything on the console, create a backup of the original SD card.
  • NOTE: The default cards that come with the consoles are very bad and may stop working. We recommend other quality microSD cards like Samsung or Sandisk with large capacity.

Screen

The 3.5″ IPS 480p screen has sufficient brightness for normal indoor use, the quality of colors, angles and contrast is correct. The screen is ideal for emulating 4:3 games on 16 bit systems.

• Light output: Manual brightness / Good contrast / Display without light leakage.

Controls

As for the precision of the controls, we have two small analogs, but they work adequately. On the other hand, the crosshead is a weak point that could be better. The front buttons are adequate, the triggers are quite uncomfortable to press, especially the inner ones. The volume controls are in the correct position, we have in addition to start and select the FN key for the system.

System and performance

Environment and user experience

We start the R36S console and go through an automatic initial configuration phase. We see that it comes with the Linux ArkOS system running Emulationstation which by default works quite well.

Power and performance

In terms of power, the small R36S has a Rockchip RK3326 Quad Core chip. This SoC integrates 4 Cortex-A35 CPUs at 1.5 GHz and in the graphics section integrates a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU which is in the low range today. An SoC manufactured in 28 nm keeps without thermal problems, but playing for a long time to heavy games can get hot to have no ventilation.

• Performance: Rockchip RK3326 is a little below the Allwinner A133, its direct competitor.
• Power: We can squeeze the system a little more in Settings > Advanced > Ruler > Performance

Battery and temperature

The R36S retro console has a simple 2900 mAh battery, as we have checked the autonomy in a normal use in emulators can last about 2 hours depending on the brightness. As we can see, the thermals are good, but it is a factor that depends on the game we run.

• Battery: Use in heavy 3D games 2 hours / Simple 2D games 3 hours.
• Charging: 8W maximum, somewhat slow.

Emulators and Streaming

Emulator Testing

The R36S console has hardware that allows you to play simple PSP titles correctly, even Dreamcast titles. But for the best experience, the ideal is to emulate 16bit in 4:3 format games. If we want some more performance we can try the ROCKNIX + Portmaster OS that allows us to load simple PC games compiled for ARM processors, but with certain limitations due to the square screen.

Test table

Game streaming

In the steaming games section it is possible to use Moonligth systems that we can find in the ROCKNIX system by default. To connect we need an external Wifi adapter, depending on our needs we can opt for one quality or another, we will also require a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable.

Conclusions and Buy Links

Opinion

The R36S retro console undoubtedly stands out for its reasonable price. In addition, it offers Linux system that allows us to install alternative Linux systems such as ROCKNIX and the option to run Portmaster. In this console we have as engine the SoC Quad Core Rockchip RK3326 that offers a decent performance for simple emulators and even PSP with undemanding games.

The ergonomics of the Game Boy format is quite peculiar and can get tired quickly, depending on our nostalgia. We have a speaker that gives a very simple sound and to have wireless connectivity we will need an external Bluetooth Wifi adapter. The controls are acceptable, but the crosshead and triggers are the weakest in this aspect.

After testing the R36S we will say that it offers a decent cheap and compact console for the price. If we have a little more budget it is better to look at other options.

Where to buy

Rating