R36S Review — Is It Worth Buying? (Honest 2025 Review)
★★★★★ 4.2 / 5 — After extensive testing, the R36S handheld game console earns our recommendation as the best budget retro handheld under $100 AUD. It's not perfect, but for what you pay, it delivers an incredible retro gaming experience.
📑 In This Review
⚡ Quick Verdict
The R36S punches well above its weight for under $80 AUD. It plays 8-bit and 16-bit games flawlessly, handles most PS1 and N64 titles with ease, and has a surprisingly sharp IPS display. The dual analogue sticks, comfortable form factor, and pocket-friendly size make it a joy to use. If you're looking for an affordable way to relive retro classics, the R36S is the one to buy.
🎮 What is the R36S?
The R36S is a budget retro handheld game console powered by the Rockchip RK3326 processor. It runs a Linux-based operating system (ArkOS) with EmulationStation as its frontend, giving you access to thousands of retro games across 20+ gaming platforms — from the NES and Game Boy to PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64.
At $79 AUD, it's one of the most affordable ways to play classic games on the go. The R36S comes pre-loaded with games and is ready to play right out of the box.
🏗️ Design & Build Quality
The R36S follows a vertical Game Boy-style form factor that feels natural in your hands. It's compact enough to slip into your pocket (about the size of a smartphone) and light enough for extended gaming sessions.
Available in multiple colours including transparent black, purple, blue, white, and red, the R36S has a satisfying polycarbonate shell with a slight texture that prevents it from slipping out of your hands.
The build quality is solid for the price — buttons feel clicky and responsive, the analogue sticks are smooth, and the D-pad has good tactile feedback. It doesn't have the premium feel of a $200+ handheld, but for under $80, it's impressive.
📺 Display Quality
This is where the R36S really shines. The 3.5-inch IPS display with 640×480 resolution is crisp, vibrant, and has excellent viewing angles. For retro games that were designed for lower resolutions, this screen is more than sufficient — pixel art looks fantastic.
Brightness is good for indoor use and acceptable outdoors in the shade, though direct sunlight does wash it out somewhat. Colour reproduction is surprisingly accurate, making classic games look exactly as you remember them.
🚀 Gaming Performance
The RK3326 chip with Mali-G31 GPU handles retro gaming like a champion. Here's how different systems perform:
| System | Performance |
|---|---|
| NES / Game Boy / Master System | ★★★★★ Perfect |
| SNES / Mega Drive / Game Boy Advance | ★★★★★ Perfect |
| PlayStation 1 | ★★★★★ Near-perfect |
| Nintendo 64 | ★★★★★ Good (most games) |
| Nintendo DS | ★★★★★ Good |
| PSP | ★★★★★ Mixed (lighter titles) |
| Dreamcast | ★★★★★ Playable with tweaks |
For 8-bit and 16-bit games (NES, SNES, Game Boy, Mega Drive), performance is flawless at full speed. PS1 games run beautifully — Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Final Fantasy, and Tekken 3 all play without issues.
N64 is where you'll see the occasional hiccup. Most games are playable, but graphically intensive titles like GoldenEye may need some tweaking. PSP and Dreamcast are hit-or-miss — simpler games work fine, but demanding 3D titles can struggle.
🔋 Battery Life
The R36S packs a 3,200mAh battery that delivers 5-7 hours of continuous gaming depending on the system being emulated. 8-bit and 16-bit games last closer to 7 hours, while PS1 and N64 games drain the battery faster at around 5 hours.
Charging is via USB-C and takes approximately 2 hours from empty. The battery life is solid for commutes, travel, and casual gaming sessions.
🕹️ Controls & Ergonomics
The R36S features a full button layout including:
- D-pad with excellent tactile feedback
- Dual analogue sticks (essential for N64 and PS1)
- A/B/X/Y face buttons
- L1, L2, R1, R2 shoulder buttons
- Start, Select, and Menu buttons
The D-pad is one of the best in this price range — tight and precise, perfect for 2D platformers and fighting games. The analogue sticks are smaller than a PlayStation controller but functional enough for N64 and PS1 3D games.
For longer gaming sessions (1-2 hours+), the vertical form factor feels comfortable, though your hands may fatigue slightly compared to wider horizontal handhelds. For most people, this won't be an issue.
💾 Software & Firmware
The R36S comes with ArkOS pre-installed, which uses the EmulationStation frontend. It's a clean, game-console-style interface where your games are organised by system.
Out of the box, the stock firmware works fine, but we strongly recommend updating to the latest firmware for better performance. Check out our R36S Custom Firmware Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Custom firmware options like ROCKNIX and the community-maintained ArkOS bring significant improvements including better emulator performance, simplified settings, and regular updates.
👍👎 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Incredible value under $80 AUD
- Sharp 3.5" IPS display
- Perfect 8-bit to PS1 emulation
- Dual analogue sticks
- Multiple colour options
- Active custom firmware community
- Expandable storage via microSD
- Plug and play — no setup needed
- Pocket-friendly size
- 5-7 hour battery life
❌ Cons
- Stock SD cards are low quality
- PSP/Dreamcast performance is limited
- No built-in Wi-Fi (some versions)
- Stock firmware is outdated
- Analogue sticks are small
- No HDMI output (uses OTG adapter)
📋 Full Specifications
| Processor | Rockchip RK3326, Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A35 @ 1.5GHz |
|---|---|
| GPU | Mali-G31 MP2 |
| RAM | 1GB DDR3L |
| Display | 3.5" IPS, 640×480 resolution |
| Storage | Dual MicroSD slot (TF-OS + TF-Games) |
| Battery | 3,200mAh Li-ion (~5-7 hours) |
| Charging | USB-C, ~2 hours full charge |
| Controls | D-pad, dual analogue sticks, ABXY, L1/L2/R1/R2 |
| Audio | Built-in speaker + 3.5mm headphone jack |
| OS | ArkOS (Linux-based), upgradeable to ROCKNIX |
| Connectivity | USB-C, OTG for TV output, Bluetooth |
| Dimensions | ~14.5 × 6.5 × 1.8 cm |
| Weight | ~150g |
| Supported Systems | 20+ platforms (NES, SNES, GB/GBA, N64, PS1, DS, PSP, etc.) |
🤔 Who Should Buy the R36S?
Perfect For:
- 🎮 Retro gaming enthusiasts who want to replay NES, SNES, Game Boy, and PS1 classics
- 💰 Budget-conscious gamers looking for the best value under $100
- 🎁 Gift buyers — the R36S makes an excellent gift for gamers of any age
- ✈️ Travellers who want a pocket-sized gaming companion
- 🔧 Tinkerers who enjoy customising firmware and emulator settings
Not Ideal For:
- Gamers who primarily want to play PSP or Dreamcast titles (consider a more powerful device)
- People who want built-in Wi-Fi for online features
- Those who prefer a horizontal form factor (consider the R36H instead)
⚔️ R36S vs The Competition
| Feature | R36S | R36H | R36 ULTRA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $79 AUD | $89 AUD | $109 AUD |
| Form Factor | Vertical | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Screen | 3.5" IPS | 3.5" IPS | 4" IPS |
| Chipset | RK3326 | RK3326 | RK3566 |
| PSP/DC | Limited | Limited | Good |
| Wi-Fi | No | No | Yes |
| Best For | 8-bit to PS1 | 8-bit to PS1 | Up to PSP/Saturn |
💬 What Our Customers Say
★★★★★
"Good product. As advertised. Although I did have to install the new updated OS to get it to work properly. But other than that it's good."
★★★★★
"My kids love it. The R36S keeps them busy for hours playing Mario and Pokémon. Much better than giving them my phone!"
★★★★★
"I take this on the train every day. Perfect for my 45-minute commute. PS1 games run smoothly and the battery lasts all week on a single charge."
★★★★★
"Great value for money. I've tried more expensive handhelds and honestly, for NES, SNES and PS1 games, the R36S is all you need. Just make sure to update the firmware."
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🏆 Final Verdict & Score
R36S Review Score
RECOMMENDED The R36S is the best retro handheld you can buy under $100 AUD. If you want to play classic games from NES to PS1, look no further.
🎮 Ready to Start Playing?
Get the R36S handheld console and relive your favourite retro classics today.
Buy R36S — $79 AUD See R36H → See R36 ULTRA →📚 Related
- R36S Custom Firmware Guide — Update your firmware for better performance
- R36S Memory Card — Pre-loaded with thousands of games
- All R36S Products
- R36S Blog — Tips, guides and more