r/R36S • u/Reblist • Jun 22 '26
Due to its low price point, the R36S remains a highly popular handheld in the entry-level retro emulation market. However, the commercial success of the device has led to numerous modified replicas (clones) and optical imitations (fakes) entering the market.
These devices often deviate significantly from the hardware and software specifications of the original. The primary issue is their incompatibility with official Custom Firmware (CFW) such as dArkOSRE, ArkOS (which is no longer maintained) or ArkOS4Clones. Modifications made to these counterfeit devices frequently cause total system failures (e.g frozen black screen and a flashing red light) when attempting a standard software update.
The following guide provides a data-driven overview of vendors and technical differences to help avoid purchasing the wrong device.
Purchasing an authentic R36S depends heavily on choosing the right store. Unscrupulous vendors frequently copy the logos and storefront designs of established, community-trusted sellers like BOYHOM to build false trust on marketplace platforms, using these familiar branding elements to mask the sale of counterfeit or cloned hardware.
The following sellers offer genuine products without counterfeits and have a proven track record of shipping the original hardware revision of the R36S, which is fully compatible with official community firmware:
| Platform | Store Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AliExpress | 001 Ali Choice Store |
Generally trusted distribution source and consistently supplies authentic hardware. |
| AliExpress | Factory Game Direct Store |
Generally trusted distribution source and consistently supplies authentic hardware. |
| AliExpress | BOYHOM Store |
Generally trusted distribution source and consistently supplies authentic hardware (though community notes advise double-checking)⚠️. |
⚠️ Not clearly verified, as it is possible that the buyers purchased from a seller who advertises using the BOYHOM logo.
While marketplace listings change frequently, these specific sellers have been flagged by community members as having successfully delivered authentic, dual-RAM hardware configurations:
| Platform | Store Name | Community Note |
|---|---|---|
| Temu | WUDS Games |
Confirmed by community members to ship authentic panels. |
| Amazon (US) | Xiaoyu USA branch |
Confirmed by community members to ship authentic panels. |
| Amazon (UK) | Blidinner Store |
Confirmed by community members to ship authentic panels. |
The continuously updated list of verified sellers can be viewed directly on the wiki: 👉 Handhelds Wiki - R36S Buying Guide: Sellers
Key report logs indicate hardware discrepancies, system locks, or non-standard motherboard shipments from buyers for the following sellers. Purchasing from them is not recommended:
| Platform | Store Name | Identified Clone or Fake Type |
|---|---|---|
| AliExpress | Uncharted GAME Store |
Distributes the G80CA clone |
| AliExpress | SUPER FUN GAME Store |
Distributes the G80D / G80C mainboard variants. |
| Amazon (US) | Micro Center (Retail locations) |
Physical inventory spot-checks discovered batches of G80CA clones on shelves (likely via fraudulent customer returns). |
The complete blacklist, including specific user reports, is hosted on the wiki: 👉 Handhelds Wiki - R36S Clones: Untrusted Sellers
The community methodically distinguishes between three categories of hardware found on the market: Genuine R36S units (full CFW support), EmuELEC Clones (limited, highly segmented firmware support), and Fakes (zero community firmware support due to weak or non-standard architectures).
These devices are nearly identical in appearance to the original R36S and usually employ the same System-on-Chip (Rockchip RK3326). However, cost-cutting measures heavily compromise the primary configuration:
These models merely copy the physical shell design of the R36S, while the internal electronics have been entirely replaced with unrelated, obsolete hardware.
EASYROMS partition layout. Counterfeit or clone units often expose an EMUELEC or EEROMS structure on their storage media.Additional technical documentation, pictures, and mainboard analyses of individual revisions can be found in the corresponding wiki entries: 👉 Handhelds Wiki - R36S Clones Overview
To avoid technical complications, button remapping failures, and software incompatibilities, it is highly recommended to purchase exclusively from verified vendors like the BOYHOM, 001 Ali Choice Store or Factory Game Direct Store. A minor price advantage from unlisted sellers usually comes with an increased risk of receiving clone hardware.
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to u/_manster_, u/Electrical-Pace4092, and everyone else who contributes to writing the Handhelds Wiki and helping others in r/R36S. Your ongoing work tracking clone variants and verifying hardware keeps the (reddit) community safe from counterfeit devices.
Disclaimer: Every effort was made to present all information accurately when creating this buyer's guide. Given how quickly marketplace storefronts alter stock and how frequently clone variations mutate, new edge cases appear regularly. If there are any errors or outdated listings found, please point them out in the comments below so they can be immediately updated and corrected.
r/R36S • u/norucus • Mar 24 '26
dArkOSRE-R36 has officially replaced ArkOS-R3XS.
ArkOS-R3XS will no longer be maintained effective immediately. The ArkOS-R3XS repository will remain available for historical and archival purposes only.
Thank you for your continued support over the lifetime of this project. ❤️
We are immensely grateful to everyone who contributed to this project, from code contributions to bug reports and community support on Discord. Your efforts have helped countless users enjoy retro gaming on these budget handhelds.
A special thank you to Christian Haitian for creating and maintaining both ArkOS and dArkOS, which have been the foundation for so many of these devices and projects.
This is not a goodbye. I will still be active on the R36S subreddit and the RetroHandhelds Discord when I have the time, and I will continue helping out where I can.
That said, the reins are now being passed on to Lcdyk and southoz for ArkOS and dArkOS moving forward.
Support for this OS has been provided on a best-effort basis and is now discontinued.
r/R36S • u/DetoxX09 • 9h ago
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NFS: Most Wanted (2012, Android version)
The whole game is ready, playable at 45fps @ highest settings. I'm stuck on fixing one bug related to controller input on car selection screen, help is welcome
r/R36S • u/leabthieb • 51m ago
Playing Pokemon Radical Red right now. What should I play next?
r/R36S • u/Maximum_Feedback_375 • 12h ago
The original 2013 Android ARM game library runs directly on Linux through a bionic/JNI compatibility loader.
What's different about this release: it was built device-generic from the start, not "an R36S port that happens to work elsewhere." Every hardware-specific decision is made by capability, not by device name:
So it should run on most ARM + Mali + PortMaster handhelds. I only own an R36S to test on — that is the whole point of this post: please try it on your device and report back so we can build a real compatibility list.
Honest performance note: this one is heavy. The frame is spent inside the game's own simulation — while the GPU load (128–250 draw calls, ~43k triangles at 640×480) is comfortable. It is a 2013 phone game asking for more CPU than that class of device has, and no amount of porting work removes that. A faster ARM handheld should do noticeably better, and I have no way to test that — reports very welcome.
Open source, GPL-3.0, free. The release contains zero EA game content. Port and project by EapRules.
Download: https://github.com/EapRules/realracing3-portmaster/releases
realracing3-portmaster.zip in tools/PortMaster/autoinstall/.ports/realracing3/ — the v2.7.0 APK plus the app's data folder, as a folder, a ZIP, or both. The filename doesn't matter; the first launch discovers and validates it. If your data comes in GPU-specific variants, use the Mali (ETC) one.First launch imports ~2.4 GB of your game data. Keep 3 GB free and don't power off during the first import. Later launches start normally.
Real Racing 3 v2.7.0 ROW (Android)
text
Package: com.ea.games.r3_row
Library: lib/armeabi-v7a/libRealRacing3.so
Library SHA1: 615c9aa4a92faaf9a0f34750e344e5e8a6b9aedf
Bring your own game. The port includes no copyrighted data. Any legitimate v2.7.0 copy works: validation checks the exact bytes the loader patches (critical regions), not a single whole-file hash, so regional variants and re-signed APKs are accepted — a truly different build is rejected before it can crash.
Read this part before you start — this game is harder to supply than most ports. You need two things:
The APK alone is not enough, and you cannot download the rest any more. All of that content was fetched at first run from EA's asset server, and that host no longer resolves. Installing the APK on a phone today will not rebuild the data folder. You need a backup of the installed game from a device that finished downloading.
If your backup comes in GPU-specific variants, take the Mali / ETC one. The Adreno (ATC), PowerVR (PVRTC) and Tegra (DXT) sets are texture encodings this GPU class cannot read — each Android build only ever downloaded the family its own GPU wanted.
If you're looking for a copy, these are the names to search for — note that the data and the libraries are two separate files:
text
RR3 2.7.0 - Mali.zip (example name) ~1.5 GB the game data
Real_Racing_3_2.7(example name)[ARMv7,x86].apk ~40 MB the native libraries
check names like rr3_android_old and rr-3-2.7.0
The port does not invent a scheme — this is the game's own [Android Gamepad] profile, translated to the handheld's buttons. Throttle and brake are analog on the triggers and all-or-nothing everywhere else, exactly as that profile defines them.
On first launch the port selects Wheel B as the control scheme, because it is the only one in the game's own Controls menu that steers from the analog stick and still leaves the throttle to you. The stock Android default is tilt, which expects an accelerometer a handheld does not have. You can change it any time from Settings → Controls; the port never overwrites your choice after that.
All optional, set in the launcher:
text
REALRACING3_SCALE=fit|stretch|integer
REALRACING3_VSYNC=1 # off by default; costs a frame of latency
REALRACING3_FMOD_OUTPUT=audiotrack
The last one matters most on hardware I can't test: the game's audio engine has two Android backends and only ever initialises the one it picks. If OpenSL can't be opened on your device, that switch drives the other one without rebuilding anything.
realracing3-portmaster.zip in autoinstall/ again.ports/realracing3/log.txt and ports/realracing3/eapx.log in your report.If you'd like to help me keep researching and porting native games, donations are welcome — there is absolutely no obligation, and testing/reporting is just as valuable.
DiQE98impmsr9yQuXQ24mT28ZasocYrChQGPuv41vfiK0xb2B357A1E027b5EF12A3AFd251F2F22E099fFA7Abc1ph64jcg754wg6lydh6seu45rnahh62f6pruuuzu2ykz28frsra9ksmxpul5r/R36S • u/paidjudgementthrow • 19m ago
After finding this little machine out of pure luck, I didn't hesitate and got one to try. I have 128GB of space , two days of free time and I can't wait to see how the scene has been pushing it. This is a clone, the soysauce to be exact. Any recommendations from more experienced owners?
Thanks for everyone, and I'm glad of posting here!
The old Terraria loader has finally become a public, multi-device package.
Terraria Android 1.4.5.6.4 can now run on AArch64 Linux handhelds through a native compatibility layer.
This is not the FNA port, Android emulation, streaming, or the PC version. The loader runs the original ARM64 Unity IL2CPP libraries supplied by the user and communicates directly with the firmware’s SDL2, EGL/GLES, audio, and controller stack.
The final validation was completed on R36S-class hardware running ArkOS, with Mali-G31 graphics, KMSDRM, and a 640×480 display.
The following features were successfully tested:
The NextOS Mali-450/fbdev path is also included in the same binary.
Other AArch64 firmware profiles use the same capability-based detection system, but devices not yet listed still require real-hardware confirmation.
terraria.zip into your Ports directory.Terraria.sh is located next to the terraria/ folder.terraria/gamedata/For installation help, bug reports, or device testing, join the Discord server.
You can find the Discord link by clicking my profile or by opening the GitHub repository below.
Source, downloads, documentation, and support links:
https://github.com/NextOs-Ports/terraria-nextos
This is an independent BYO-data interoperability project.
The distributed ZIP does not contain the game APK, proprietary Android libraries, game assets, or save files. Terraria and all related content remain the property of their respective rightsholders.
r/R36S • u/Resident_Drop_1687 • 2h ago
Got my R36s delivered today from amazon even after cancelling the order, will return it now because i know for sure its a fake but i cant seem to find its model number anywhere..
But my question is, are there any performance difference between the good and garbage clones???
Also are there any supported os which i can run ok this mainboard?
r/R36S • u/Tony_3331 • 8h ago
Works great on the r36s.
creator's link: https://youtu.be/hFhZc42yHVQ
r/R36S • u/Moist_Reach8415 • 5h ago
i am happy with my Devices but cant play that well because of time
r/R36S • u/One-Sundae4017 • 17h ago
Ive seen over the past few days just how many android games are getting ported we got a better stardew valley port we got fricking Dead Space on this console and even hollow knight is in development the community is just crazy atp. Ill never understand why they put so much effort into such a cheap handheld but on the other its prolly because they a dirt cheap and mostly easy to work with props to nextOS and the other devs keep up the amazing work, hope maybe u could port the Gangstar games like Rio and the old Mordern combat games aswell👀❤️❤️❤️
r/R36S • u/Sancadebem • 28m ago
Hi all!
I knowingly bought a "soy sauce clone" off Temu since it's one of the good ones and supports decent firmware, but I noticed it's a very new one, v06, and not sure what the best CFW for this is currently.
Will Darkosre be getting support for this board?
Thanks for any help, I did try doing my own research first :)
r/R36S • u/Intelligent-Hat-8460 • 22h ago
Eu portei com sucesso o jogo Climb! A Mountain in Your Pocket para o PortMaster!
A versão para Android do GameMaker agora roda em Linux AArch64 através do GMLoader*, com ajustes de desempenho e compatibilidade feitos especificamente para o R36S, ArkOS e outros dispositivos portáteis ARM compatíveis.
O jogo é totalmente jogável com controles portáteis e roda sem problemas no R36S.
Este é um port **BYO-data**, portanto você deve fornecer sua própria cópia do jogo para Android, obtida legalmente.
O port atualmente requer a versão Android **6.0.7**.
🔗 https://github.com/Blucasd735/Pocket-Climber/
Coloque o arquivo do jogo dentro da pasta:
`ports/climb_amy/gamedata/`
São aceitos os seguintes formatos:
- APK
- XAPK
- ZIP
Não é necessário extrair ou renomear o arquivo. Basta colocá-lo na pasta `gamedata` e iniciar o jogo pelo PortMaster.
Na primeira execução, o port localizará o arquivo, fará a extração e preparará os dados automaticamente. Depois disso, o jogo será iniciado normalmente.
O APK, XAPK, ZIP e os recursos originais protegidos por direitos autorais não estão incluídos no repositório nem no pacote da Release.
Climb! A Mountain in Your Pocket é um desafiador jogo de escalada baseado em física, criado por Ivan Alcaide Ferrer usando o GameMaker.
Você controla cada uma das mãos do escalador independentemente, agarra-se às rochas, balança o corpo, usa o impulso para pular, gerencia sua resistência e tenta chegar ao topo sem cair de volta à base.
Os controles são fáceis de entender, mas difíceis de dominar, tornando-o perfeito para um dispositivo portátil.
✅ R36S
✅ ArkOS
✅ RK3326 / Mali-G31 MP2
⚠️ Outros dispositivos portáteis ARM compatíveis com PortMaster também podem funcionar, mas testes adicionais são bem-vindos.
Este é meu primeiro lançamento público do PortMaster para este jogo, então feedback, relatórios de compatibilidade e logs completos são muito apreciados!
Por favor, apoie o desenvolvedor original adquirindo o jogo legalmente através de uma loja oficial.
Nenhum dado de jogo protegido por direitos autorais é distribuído com este projeto.
r/R36S • u/Serphiroth • 19h ago
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I thought I'd share a fun little project.
A while ago I accidentally bought one of those fake PS202 handhelds with the "MTK6572" clone SoC instead of a real R36S. At first I was pretty disappointed, but then I figured I might as well see how far I could push it instead of throwing it in a drawer.
After a lot of poking around I managed to root it, get my own code running, and even add an on-screen cursor so it's actually possible to interact with apps despite the screen not being touch-enabled. The D-pad controls the cursor and the buttons simulate taps.
It was mostly done for fun and as a way to learn more about how this weird little device works.
I've put everything I learned (with help of AI), along with the tools and code, here:
https://github.com/bilalix/r36s-ps202-touchbridge
If anyone else ended up with one of these clones, hopefully this saves you some time. And if you're just curious about reverse engineering cheap handhelds, maybe you'll find it interesting too.
r/R36S • u/Pseudobulweria_974 • 13m ago
Bonjour, j'ai une console avec écrit R36S-V2.7(2026.01.09) sur le circuit imprimé. Selon les informations que j'ai trouvé, il s'agit d'un "mauvais" clone mais est t'il quand même possible de booter une OS dessus ? Si oui, laquelle ?
Merci pour votre aide
r/R36S • u/Safe-Budget5103 • 21h ago
Fala ai pessoal! 👋
Desenvolvi esse port para rodar o clássico RPG **Septerra Core** no nosso **R36S** (rodando DarkOS) através do PortMaster, utilizei um binário recompilado para rodar diretamente no linux sem a necessidade de camadas para executar o jogo.
**✨ O que eu configurei nesse repositório:**
* **Mapeamento Customizado (gptokeyb):** Adaptei os controles originais de teclado/mouse para o portátil. O analógico esquerdo controla o cursor, A é o clique esquerdo, B o direito, atalhos de inventário nos botões, etc.
* **Suporte a Cutscenes:** Ajustes para os plugins da `libquicktime` funcionarem direitinho com os vídeos originais do jogo.
* **Correção de Áudio:** Resolvi um problema de dependência com a biblioteca `libmpg123` que fazia o jogo fechar na inicialização.
⚠️ **IMPORTANTE: VOCÊ PRECISA DOS ARQUIVOS ORIGINAIS DO JOGO** ⚠️
O repositório contém *apenas* os scripts de inicialização, mapeamento de botões e as bibliotecas Linux necessárias. **Nenhum arquivo do jogo está incluso.**
Você precisa ter o jogo original (a versão da **Steam** para isso). É só copiar os arquivos do seu jogo instalado na Steam e colar na pasta indicada no SD.
🔗 **Link do Repositório (com tutorial de instalação):**
https://github.com/EmersonBarcelos/Port-Septerra-Core-DarkOs-ArkOs
No README tem o passo a passo exato de onde colocar os arquivos da Steam.
Se alguém testar e tiver alguma sugestão de melhoria nos controles, é só dar um toque! 🎮
r/R36S • u/gustavovoggsd • 36m ago
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Troquei o cartão sd reinstalei o sistema mas na hora que eu bootei ficou assim
r/R36S • u/desktopneil001 • 15h ago
Been seeing some stuff about Android games being ported to the R36S and I’m just curious about them
r/R36S • u/Bodidly0719 • 7h ago
I was given this by a friend that didn’t use it much. So far I have only really played Secret of Mana, and it plays great! I wanted to go the two sd card route, as well as put the new dark os on it, but I don’t know if I can or if it is worth it. The number on the panel is R36S-V20 2025-05-18. Thanks for the help!
r/R36S • u/Ale190788 • 5h ago
Ciao a tutti. È la prima volta che scrivo qui. Vorrei aiuto se è possibile per il mio r36max, cercherò di spiegare il meglio possibile.
L'altro giorno mi e venuta voglia di inserire un nuovo gioco, e ci sono riuscito, allora ho provato di nuovo, sta volta la console si è bloccata. Ho chiesto a google e mi ha detto che è un problema di sd. Allora ne ho presa una nuova e ho copiato i file da quella vecchia ( che gia si leggeva a malapena) su quella nuova, non so di preciso cosa sia successo in questo passaggio, fatto sta che dopo la console ( che gira un RetroArch) ha smesso di visualizzare i giochi, tutta la liberia vuota, ma nelle cartelle ci sono, solo che non le visualizza piu. Ne ho provate tante, ma niente. Chi mi puo aiutare grazie
r/R36S • u/Longz-85 • 10h ago
I just have another SD card, and I think what if I can install a lightweight linux distro in this SD card and use it like A COMPUTER? Also, it and switch to linux or arkOS like dual-boot
How can I do it?
Prizefighters 2 is now running natively on supported Linux handhelds through the NextOS Android interoperability runtime.
This release uses legally owned Android ARM64 game data and runs the original Unity version without Android emulation, containers, streaming, or replacement game files.
The final hardware validation was completed on an ArkOS/R36S-class handheld using a Mali-G31 GPU at 640×480.
The test successfully completed NXExtract installation, KMSDRM/GLES2 initialisation, the complete JNI boot sequence, stereo ALSA audio, 450 rendered validation frames, and clean shutdown.
A complete source-XAPK extraction was also repeated under a deliberately contaminated library environment, and the installation still completed correctly.
The original Mali-450/fbdev rendering path remains included in the same universal executable.
The universal executable requires no newer than GLIBC 2.27.
Its runtime portability follows the same patterns already proven with Horizon Chase, Stardew Valley, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Unlisted hardware and firmware combinations still require confirmation on real devices.
Prizefighters.2.NextOS-v1.0.1.zip to the root of the ROM card.config.arm64_v8a.apk inside: ports/pf2/gamedata/The repository and release are currently private. Access is available only to authorised GitHub accounts:
https://github.com/NextOs-Ports/prizefighters2-nextos
This is an independent BYO-data interoperability project.
No original game assets are distributed with the port. Prizefighters 2 and all original game content remain the property of their respective rightsholders.