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popularRevOne | Staff posted Yesterday 03:46 PM
popularRevOne | Staff posted Yesterday 03:46 PM

Existing AliExpress Customers: Retro Emulation Handhelds: R36H $28 or R36S $26 + Free U.S. Shipping

$28

$35

20% off
AliExpress
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BOYHOM Local Store |AliExpress
Ships from within the U.S. | Free 90-day returns


Specs (for both):
  • Review [youtu.be] (R36H)
  • 3.5" 640x480 IPS screen (4:3 aspect ratio)
  • Rockchip RK3326 quad-core chipset
  • 1GB DDR3L RAM
  • 2x micro SD card slots (w/ 1x 64GB card included)
  • 2x USB-C ports
  • Dual joysticks
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Battery: 3000mAh (R36H) or 3200mAh (R36S)
  • Linux operating system (ArkOS)
  • Note: No built-in Bluetooth / Wi-Fi (can use a USB Wi-Fi or Bluetooth dongle/adapter if desired, sold separately)
  • Can emulative most titles up to SNES, SEGA Genesis, PS1and Game Boy Advance reliably well.
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About the Poster
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Community Notes
About the Poster
BOYHOM Local Store |AliExpress
Ships from within the U.S. | Free 90-day returns


Specs (for both):
  • Review [youtu.be] (R36H)
  • 3.5" 640x480 IPS screen (4:3 aspect ratio)
  • Rockchip RK3326 quad-core chipset
  • 1GB DDR3L RAM
  • 2x micro SD card slots (w/ 1x 64GB card included)
  • 2x USB-C ports
  • Dual joysticks
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Battery: 3000mAh (R36H) or 3200mAh (R36S)
  • Linux operating system (ArkOS)
  • Note: No built-in Bluetooth / Wi-Fi (can use a USB Wi-Fi or Bluetooth dongle/adapter if desired, sold separately)
  • Can emulative most titles up to SNES, SEGA Genesis, PS1and Game Boy Advance reliably well.
_______________________

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14 Comments

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Yesterday 05:21 PM
86 Posts
Joined Feb 2015
p0diabl0Yesterday 05:21 PM
86 Posts
Such a shame the joystick is on top, I'd buy it in a second if it was a dpad first device like the R36S.
2
Yesterday 06:56 PM
8,143 Posts
Joined Mar 2018
WooHoo2YouYesterday 06:56 PM
8,143 Posts
I have a Magicx Mini Zero 28, from a performance standpoint, the R36(H/S) would be a downgrade, correct?
1
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Yesterday 06:57 PM
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RevOneYesterday 06:57 PM
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Quote from WooHoo2You :
I have a Magicx Mini Zero 28, from a performance standpoint, the R36(H/S) would be a downgrade, correct?
You're correct, these would be a downgrade in performance Smilie
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Yesterday 07:21 PM
8,143 Posts
Joined Mar 2018
WooHoo2YouYesterday 07:21 PM
8,143 Posts
Quote from RevOne :
You're correct, these would be a downgrade in performance
[IMG]https://static.slickdealscdn.com/images/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]
Thanks for confirming!

And what about the R36XX, any thoughts there? Same vendor and appears to be cheaper than the R36S but (allegedly) an upgrade vs the "S." Hard to keep up with all of these handhelds. I think the main difference is the of wifi.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32...20335.html
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Yesterday 07:41 PM
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RevOneYesterday 07:41 PM
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Quote from WooHoo2You :
Thanks for confirming!

And what about the R36XX, any thoughts there? Same vendor and appears to be cheaper than the R36S but (allegedly) an upgrade vs the "S." Hard to keep up with all of these handhelds. I think the main difference is the of wifi.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32...20335.html

No problem!

I don't have any hands-on experience with the R36XX, but it looks like it has the same RK3326 chipset as both the R36S and H, so I'd expect the same performance (i.e. also less that the Mini Zero 28).

Seems like the R36XX may just be a slight upgrade to the R36S that includes built-in Wi-Fi if someone would be interested in having that feature Smilie
1
Yesterday 07:47 PM
8,143 Posts
Joined Mar 2018
WooHoo2YouYesterday 07:47 PM
8,143 Posts
Quote from RevOne :
No problem!I don't have any hands-on experience with the R36XX, but it looks like it has the same RK3326 chipset as both the R36S and H, so I'd expect the same performance (i.e. also less that the Mini Zero 28).Seems like the R36XX may just be a slight upgrade to the R36S that includes built-in Wi-Fi if someone would be interested in having that feature
Thanks again and you are always so helpful! I'm probably going to order the R36XX today just to see what the deal is. Just disappointing the red and orange are OSS, those look the coolest.
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Yesterday 07:53 PM
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RevOneYesterday 07:53 PM
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Quote from WooHoo2You :
Thanks again and you are always so helpful! I'm probably going to order the R36XX today just to see what the deal is. Just disappointing the red and orange are OSS, those look the coolest.

Any time Smilie Thanks, I sincerely appreciate that. I'm also very much into this hobby. I owe a lot of what I've learned about it over the last two years to the members here and community on YouTube.


I picked up an R36H a few months back because of the cost; even though I have several more powerful devices . I keep it on the coffee table for when my youngest niece comes to visit w/ her parents and she wants to play the Donkey Kong Country games.
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Yesterday 08:01 PM
8,143 Posts
Joined Mar 2018
WooHoo2YouYesterday 08:01 PM
8,143 Posts
Quote from RevOne :
Any time
[IMG]https://static.slickdealscdn.com/images/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG] Thanks, I sincerely appreciate that. I'm also very much into this hobby. I owe a lot of what I've learned about it over the last two years to the members here and community on YouTube.I picked up an R36H a few months back because of the cost; even though I have several more powerful devices . I keep it on the coffee table for when my youngest niece comes to visit w/ her parents and she wants to play the Donkey Kong Country games.
I've only been in the retro market for a few months but followed it for a while (and tinkered with emulation on the Steam Deck ) however I find myself playing these games more often than modern ones. I love my Magicx MZ 28 because it can go anywhere but can be too small at times, want to see if a 3.5" device is my goldilocks for EDC. For my household use I have new (to me) Retroid Pocket 4 Pro that can handle the more demanding titles.

P.S. We can tell you truly know your stuff (and care) in the threads you participate in!
Today 02:17 AM
32 Posts
Joined Mar 2025
BoastfulKite5832Today 02:17 AM
32 Posts
I have a r36h, it has a major design flaw in the form of a hard reset button that you can easily press. The dpad is also not good, it feels okay, but up left is very hard to press reliably. These consoles all have flaws or limitations that make them undesirable. If you like jrpgs or something like that, could be pretty good. Once you start getting into the power and build quality of the nicer ones like rp5, you might as well get like a steam deck
Today 02:24 AM
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Joined Mar 2025
BoastfulKite5832Today 02:24 AM
32 Posts
Quote from p0diabl0 :
Such a shame the joystick is on top, I'd buy it in a second if it was a dpad first device like the R36S.

There is probably some near identical variant with that layout. The RG35XXH has it, but it's a bit pricier.
Today 03:23 AM
2,038 Posts
Joined Aug 2014
fawziToday 03:23 AM
2,038 Posts
with these devices, the OS is everything and those come off the shelf poorly put together OS. stick with the gold standards like miyoo mini
2
Today 12:40 PM
817 Posts
Joined Feb 2007
VegaTheChosenToday 12:40 PM
817 Posts
Quote from fawzi :
with these devices, the OS is everything and those come off the shelf poorly put together OS. stick with the gold standards like miyoo mini
This is misleading as you can put a whole new OS on these fairly easy. And most people trash the SD card and replace it with a new one, which you could load a new OS on.
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RevOneToday 02:30 PM
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Quote from WooHoo2You :
I've only been in the retro market for a few months but followed it for a while (and tinkered with emulation on the Steam Deck ) however I find myself playing these games more often than modern ones. I love my Magicx MZ 28 because it can go anywhere but can be too small at times, want to see if a 3.5" device is my goldilocks for EDC. For my household use I have new (to me) Retroid Pocket 4 Pro that can handle the more demanding titles.

P.S. We can tell you truly know your stuff (and care) in the threads you participate in!
Thanks WooHoo2You!

Your experience largely mirrors my own. I set up my Steam Deck to emulate everything up to PS2 and GameCube (alongside all of the Steam games I installed, of course); and yet I find myself reaching for these devices much more often than any other gaming hardware I own. There's just a certain level of convenience and comfort in knowing your handheld "only" ran you maybe $30 - $50 (but it can still do so much); whereas I find I hold my Steam Deck and Switch the same way I would a fragile carton of eggs, making it a bit tougher to enjoy while playing (because I worry about accidentally dropping them in the back of my mind)

I truly hope the R36XX meets your needs as far as finding a decent one with a 3.5" display (those 2.8" screens can be tough for games with a lot of text, like RPGs).
Today 04:14 PM
8,143 Posts
Joined Mar 2018
WooHoo2YouToday 04:14 PM
8,143 Posts
Quote from fawzi :
with these devices, the OS is everything and those come off the shelf poorly put together OS. stick with the gold standards like miyoo mini
Like VegaTheChosen suggested, throwing a new OS is as simple as flashing an image to a new SD card, then swapping cards. You could even install a new OS (on the SD card) before the handheld ever arrived and change OS's within seconds (as fast as you can install an SD card) the moment you take the new unit out of the box...before ever powering it on. The SD card is functionally your device's 'hard drive.' The only real consideration is you just need to make sure the OS is compatible with the target device.

P.S. Even with the Miyoo, many people ditch the stock OS within seconds of unboxing them.

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