Anbernic RG35XX: GarlicOS Setup & Recommended Upgrades Guide

Aish here. Let's install the latest version of the garlicOS custom firmware, themes, better back buttons and a new bigger battery!
💸Links
‪@BlackSeraph‬ patreon
/ blackseraph
‪@ANBERNIC‬ rg35xx
anbernic.com/products/rg35xx?...
amzn.to/3JkTBg4
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDQ...
@Better Buttons
getbetter.studio/promo/RETROH...
Code RETROHANDHELDS for 10% off
Battery upgrade 2800mah
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDp...
RG35XX themes
www.rg35xx.com/temas-garlicos/
FAT32 formatter
ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guif...
CloudLife6
www.etsy.com/shop/CloudLife6
Code RETROHANDHELD for 10% off
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⚠️ Disclaimer
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#anbernic #rg35xx #emulators
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📖Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:20 - GarlicOS CFW, themes & fat32 download
01:47 - installation
07:06 - Better buttons and battery installation
14:49 - Battery and button thoughts
07:19 - Game Testing
16:33 - GarlicOS theme, hotkeys & overclock
18:19 - Overclock demonstration
19:32 - Final Thoughts
20:31 - Thanks for watching

[@retrohandhelds]

Correction on overclock: I said 1300 gigahertz but meant megahertz :) Thanks for stopping by. Let us know what you'd like to see next!

[@saibamoe]

It's ok man, nobody should have believed that this tiny thing has a NASA CPU anyway

[@zelsantana2313]

Bro why you didnt put 3500 mah battery

[@DamfinoMR2]

Bigger battery?! After the latest Garlic OS (I installed fresh yesterday), and better battery, this little thing is on track to be my daily.

[@stenciljunkie]

Just ordered this. Hope I don’t regret it after the miyoo mini plus drops!

[@emmakarov6134]

@@stenciljunkie how you liking it¿

[@ParvTV]

@@stenciljunkie Same, I was camping the aliexpress page but it sold out instantly, so Anbernic it is

[@akifrivaldo]

Much easier to follow than anybody on tutorial here in KZbin. I messed up my other sdcard and gone thru using a new one. Thank you so much for the tut vid. More power to your channel mate ;)

[@chocho2188]

You read my mind with the battery upgrade buddy! Thanks!

[@TheRealTedNeal]

Just bought the larger battery. Thanks, keep up the great work!

[@retrohandhelds]

Great! And thank you we will. -Aish

[@kabosumamadoge1818]

Nice tutorial on how to replace the battery. That was quite easy to follow. Thanks.

[@ViktarTheBarbarian]

Gonna go ahead and order that new battery. With garlic being close to feature complete the only thing this device has going against it is battery life. If I can get another hour or two out of it I'd be a happy camper!

[@deadriddle5694]

I am done changing my back buttons. So scared of breaking any of it. Nothing broken but its not easy for sure. Thanks for the great tutorial👍

[@NaraMakesGames]

great guide. making the 35xx way better. if anbernic were smart (they are not), they would say hey... pretty much everybody hates this new trigger design. we gotta fix that.

[@JD96893]

well at least they increased the battery size. Not sure about the triggers though, my new 'new rg35xx' hasn't arrived yet.

[@lancejohnson3278]

Hey bro, appreciate the video. I just wanted to mention a few notes performing this upgrade. First, the bottom clips are near impossible not to bend. I bent 3 out of 4 while following your tip. That is to say, you NEED super glue for this mod. Even if you don’t “snap” a clip, even just the slightest bend will cause issues. My 4th clip was loose, despite looking fine, such that shoulder presses caused the button to shift left and right instead of pushing inward. For this reason, I snapped this unbent clip on purpose. Applying a small drop of super glue by the clip (you just need enough to fill all crevices, not much), letting it fill the full crevice of the clip (with help from a push pin) and then pushing the clip firmly in place as everything dried locked everything in place very effectively. Doing this with the clip that I had to snap actually locked it in much better. The little clips on the bottom, for the housing, are tough not to snap as well. No big impact if these break off. Overall still glad I did the mod. These shoulder buttons feel so much better. Just a bit of “buyer beware”.

[@retrohandhelds]

Appreciate the input and i agree those clips are a pain, but I'm glad you got it down and yes the buttons are a lot better. -Aish

[@lancejohnson3278]

Final note, my R2 button is spongey. After super gluing the clip and re-attaching the shoulder it looked absolutely perfect, but upon further inspection it’s still more wiggly than the other 3. Any amount of wiggle seems to translate into a spongey button with no travel, it shifts when you press instead of pushing in. Before you re-assemble, check to make sure the buttons don’t wiggle at all. The switch will give you all the action and click, you don’t want the shoulders to move in the slightest. The only solution I have at this point is to snap the top clip, super glue, and hold it in very firmly. The shoulders need to be locked in TIGHT.

[@lancejohnson3278]

@@retrohandhelds 100%, no critiques, mostly just for others that do the upgrade.

[@yiltang842]

Nicely done, lots of good info and mods. How much improvement is the bigger battery? How much longer does it last compared to stock?

[@retrohandhelds]

Thanks! We'll have this in our upcoming 35xx video

[@TheRealTedNeal]

It’s a 30% increase of battery capacity compared to the original 2100

[@_marta30_44]

Hi, what kind of tape should I use to attach the battery to the back of the console? Because by removing the original battery, the double-sided adhesive remained attached to the battery, not to the back of the console. So I have nothing sticking to the new battery. Is any type of double-sided tape fine or should it be specific for electronic components, etc.?? Could you help me? A thousand thanks!

[@Luigitron51]

Hello Just watched your battery upgrade video for rg35xx. Would you happen to have a link for the screwdriver you used for it?

[@SammyTheBu11]

Great guide, for some reason no one ever talks about the overclocking feature. I had mine - - underclocked and it was struggling to play GBA Pokémon rom hacks for the longest and I didn't know why. Also overclocking is an amazing feature!

[@retrohandhelds]

thanks glad you liked it, overclocking is my second favorite feature.

[@nvrslep303]

Thank you for the info! I had a question about the battery in the description. What type of modifications, or anything you would have to do to get the battery to be usable with the 3xx, would you have to do? Can there be a guide or update for that?

[@retrohandhelds]

Sorry I took so long to get back to you! The one in the description is just a drop in upgrade, so just follow the guide to open it and swap it out. -Aish

[@g_p_3431]

Hey Aish, just wondering if you get the issue where you load up a game and the volume is set pretty loud. Do you know if a way to have the volume lower on game boot ups? Help is appreciated and thanks @retrohandhelds

[@retrohandhelds]

I did notice that on older versions but haven't paid attention to it in the latest release. I did ask about it and was told it could be and old override causing thing to reset. -Aish

[@sharkboy980]

So I just upgraded my battery to the one linked. I tried to remove the sleeve of the other battery to put onto this one but it was hard to do and doesn’t look the best is there somewhere I can buy just the battery tape sleeve I don’t like the look of exposed battery on clear shell. Hope this make sense

[@Champs859]

What type of screw are on the shell ?

[@woolfy02]

Thanks for the tutorial! All the other video guides just had me more and more confused. This is the first time it actually worked. I think I spoke to soon. Buggy windows 11 now shows a blank drive that I can't delete. Idk what the hell happened but, I cant get rid of it.

[@retrohandhelds]

That's awesome!!! I'm so happy it did because i know how frustrating it can be. -Aish

[@ubla21]

Hey! Thanks for the video! I have a question, is that the biggest and best battery for the rg35xx or is there better option? Thanks! - Norbi

[@retrohandhelds]

The new version has an upgraded battery but there should be one that's compatible with a higher capacity in the video description.

[@colinmartin9797]

Do you think there's enough meat in the plastic to use heat-set threaded inserts that you press in with a soldering iron, like in 3d prints? To prevent that plastic stripping issue. I hate threaded plastic.

[@retrohandhelds]

Probably not but that's an area I'm not to familiar with, the basic isn't thick but i think it's too rigid and that's why it breaks. -Aish

[@hanzoslayer]

Does the update come with More games ? Ive realized ppl playing metal gear and other games like super mario that does not come with mines out the box

[@ElementalTJ]

Hello! I appreciate the video! Am interested in doing a battery replacement. Can you give us specs on size, connector, and voltage so we can source elsewhere? Do these all look correct? Thickness - 6mm Width - 50mm Length - 65mm Voltage - 3.7v 2-wire Molex Plug at 1.25mm? Thanks!

[@retrohandhelds]

Yup you nailed it, the thickness needs to be kept under 10mm or it won't close all the way. -Aish

[@cagribatu5850]

Can 80mm lenght fit?

[@franciscogozalo6747]

Thanks for the video. Can you do one on how to update Garlic OS? or do we need to flash the SD card with every new release? I'm asking because I tried the copy and paste option for the 1-28 update and it did not work. apparently some space issues with the MISC partition.

[@retrohandhelds]

You're the second person that tells me that, i would recommend just doing the 2 SD card set up that way you can flash the update but not delete all your games and saves. -Aish

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

Was going to buy the buttons but the cost of the shipping doubles the price 😂. Got to love that international shipping fee.

[@kensik]

same if I want to buy the upgraded trigger buttons + the face button set it will cost me about $60 Can + any inport fees.

[@wearyourkicks]

I noticed when you played Mario the button layout you used was standard. After installing GarlicOs my buttons aren’t like they were before. How do I set them back?

[@GenophefeElisabeth]

What other mods would you recommend? Is there a way to upgrade the speaker?

[@retrohandhelds]

At the moment just those but I'm keeping an eye out, hopefully we get some skins and custom buttons soon. -Aish

[@jardacz5721]

how do i set snes and gba games to full screen like you have in the video? In the best quality? Thank you

[@vickturorteez]

So does that 3200 fit and work? I much rather have that then the 2800

[@1314Ruben]

Great upgrades! One question, when you are playing is It possible to rewind on the games?

[@retrohandhelds]

Thanks! It's s in the RetroArch setting but keep in mind performance takes a big hit with rewind on. -Aish

[@1314Ruben]

@@retrohandhelds thanks so much! Is It too bad with nes, SNES and GBA games?

[@retrohandhelds]

@@1314Ruben mostly no but some SNES games like Yoshi's island and Mario rpg might be hard. -Aish

[@1314Ruben]

@@retrohandhelds thanks so much! I think I'll buy It and try haha

[@NaraMakesGames]

additional mod idea (one that I tend to do a looooooot)... make a custom sticker to put over your batteries. and do a better looking tape job to hold the battery in place. i hate that adhesive direct to the shell.

[@peejae082004]

Are there systems that can be played on the 500Mhz underclock setting? I wish they release a horizontal rg35xx in the GBA form factor with a 4000mah battery.

[@retrohandhelds]

Atari 2600 - NES should work fine in 500mhz range, SNES in 700mhz range, PSX / Mame / FBA at 700 - 1500 depending on the title.

[@artramirez3506]

Finally got one of these. Its great but I have battery charging issue. The charging icon is showing but the charging current stays at 0mA and the capacity it shows only 2% even though its been charging for several hours. Is this going to require a new battery? Thanks.

[@retrohandhelds]

Does the device stay on when you unplug it ?

[@boliro7411]

Hi dude Thank you for the good guide. Can you tell me where to buy the 3200 battery?

[@retrohandhelds]

I've only seen it on the Anbernics AliExpress store, but i would suggest the one i. The description since it'll fit better. -Aish

[@PokePerch]

Hey. When I fast forward I get a text with it on the bottom of the screen. Do you know how to get rid of that?

[@richieploomba6029]

I have a question. Does anbernic rg35xx (stock fw or garlicOS) work with Amiga Cd32 roms? What retro mini console handheld would you recommend for Amiga Cd32 roms?

[@retrohandhelds]

Sorry for the late reply, I'm not sure about that but I'll ask. You could also head over to our discord ( linked in the description) we have a channel just for the 35xx where a bunch of people share tips and help each other out. -Aish

[@TheHowlingDawn]

Hey man, i just bought a RG35xx and after i charged it, it doesn't turn on anymore. is the battery the issue? or the motherboard? :(

[@retrohandhelds]

Could be the SD card, if it's not inserted or faulty it won't boot. -Aish

[@lilyn9752]

Any recommendations/links for RG353v battery upgrade?

[@luissignoret8523]

Waiting for a Speaker Upgrade guide!

[@GenophefeElisabeth]

So, regarding the locked chipsets, is there a chance this will be "cracked" or fixed in the future? I'm contemplating buying this thing since the Miyoo Mini Plus sounds like it's not going to be for me. But the fact you can't actually access all of the devices power is a bit of a turnoff, tbh

[@retrohandhelds]

At this point even if the chip gets cracked there isn't much more that can be squeezed, the only advantage would be access to the GPU but after talking to Black seraph he says it wouldn't make much of a difference. So with garlicOS the way it is nows a good time to pick one up. -Aish

[@brz757]

I find it pretty interesting that with the way the custom firmware works on this one there isn't much of a chance of bricking it like the miyoo mini.

[@GenophefeElisabeth]

@@retrohandhelds Thanks for answering! I'm gonna get myself one of those :)

[@PiengPor-kg4pd]

I had 1, it's run only logo (memory that from factory with stockOS) and charge so long time, sometimes it's run game less than 5 minutes and blackout. I changed another memory, it's run only logo. When I plugged out, it's low battery till not have any light that showed what's going. Is it possible that have problem from battery?

[@emmanuelii1598]

Is there an advantage to using 2 sd cards over 1 sd card?

[@Slydog43UTube]

Thanks for the video, can you show how to update your garlic OS without losing your old ROMS dir, thanks

[@retrohandhelds]

I knew i forgot something lol Just take the files from the copy on top of stock zip file on Black seraphs Patreon and peste them in the folders with the same name, It's really easy just cope paste. -Aish

[@elcucuy640]

I’m new to all this and just got the 35xx to play some classics. What’s better about garlic os?

[@retrohandhelds]

QL features like fast-forward, scaling options, better optimized cores for games so games run better, better UI, I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch but to me those were the main things. -Aish

[@HitoriGnocchi]

hows the custom buttons? is it non toxic resin?

[@ateolive1670]

Hey, thanks for the video, I upgraded the OS in my rg35xx, Does garlic OS consume more battery than the stock OS? or it is just me? (btw I'm not using overclock)

[@retrohandhelds]

Should be about the same unless you underclock, keep in mind the battery meter is not accurate. -Aish

[@natekharkongor]

Hi i noticed the battery meter not being accurate.. is there any fix for that?

[@robzydread1090]

Okay so i just got the 2800 battery from the link, opened up my RG35xx to basically find the pre installed battery superglued in there no way to get it loose any at first glance. Also not sure what that tape is for that's on the battery, it's not on my new one and i don't have tape like that but it looks important!

[@retrohandhelds]

The tape/glue will just stop it from rattling, you can use a heat gun or an adhesive remover to take off the current battery. Let us know how it goes and if you have any tips/tricks. We'll have another video soon on the process.

[@ge2719]

you shoudl be able to clean off the excess super glue residue around the clips using some isopropyl alcohol. just a pit on a qtip or something like that. should make it look cleaner.

[@retrohandhelds]

That's a good idea thank you. -Aish

[@LaStMa]

Where is the Garlic File. Mine is called RG35XX-1.3.4-MicroSDCardImage.7z.001 instead of RG35XX-Garlic-MicroSDCardImage.7z do u know? and i just cant find it

[@itbutcher1838]

What is the link to the 3100mah battery?

[@Birovi]

The label is upside down, or or I saw it wrong?

[@joeygutierrez3]

Where did you find the 3200mah? I tried looking everywhere using the info from the label

[@retrohandhelds]

It's from a 353v, bit it's not a perfect fit -Aish.

[@joeygutierrez3]

@@retrohandhelds is there a certain adhesive I should use to glue the new battery on the backplate, or is gorilla glue fine?

[@sofianegitro4947]

Great work keep up ❤️ Name of the music behind please 🤘

[@retrohandhelds]

Thank you, I'll have to check that when i get home 😆 -Aish

[@joshb6470]

so I accidentally went and tried to customize the controls in RetroArch and my controller wasn't picked up, so the timer ran out on the D-pad, except now the up/down/left/right stopped working, does anyone know what file that is hopefully accessible through windows can be modified (old ini style) to fix this?

[@retrohandhelds]

Not sure where it's at but since it's RetroArch it should be in the same file location as other systems so a quick Google search should help. -Aish

[@joshb6470]

@@retrohandhelds I just ended up doing an update, pretty sure it was the retroarch.cfg file

[@murkdeth3207]

Hello I got one of these but it won’t charge battery reads 0.0 and won’t hold a charge. Is there anything I can do to fix it?

[@retrohandhelds]

Have you tried unplugging the battery ? -Aish

[@murkdeth3207]

@@retrohandhelds I have I even replaced the battery

[@jorv1971]

What Disk Manager program are you using?

[@retrohandhelds]

The stock windows one. -Aish

[@kevinmajoros6547]

I flashed the image on to the formatted SD (256G) but when I pulled the SD card out and put it back in those windows that popped up for you did not pop for me. I got all the random new drives that I hit cancel on but the only files on my SD are a bunch of GZ and BIN files. Any idea what i'm doing wrong?

[@kevinmajoros6547]

Nevermind I figured it out.. I'm just shot. Great guide man!

[@retrohandhelds]

Thank you! Glad you figured it out.

[@arrabal18]

Nice guide. Unfortunately the buttons + shipping to Brazil cost almost the price of the console.

[@retrohandhelds]

Yeah sadly shipping really drives up the price. -Aish

[@MColvello]

What's the biggest battery you could put in this device?

[@retrohandhelds]

From user Jarno_Jarno in our Discord: For those who want to know more about upgrading battery: (thickness/vertical/horizontal dimensions) Stock (654060) 2100mah ~ 36g Liter (605065) 2800mah ~ 46g Liter (735565) 3600mah - didn't measure (feels a lot heavier in hand), not recommended without trimming though. Had to do a lot of trimming at back cover thickness and 2 reinforcement posts for the 3600mah one. - 68/70 thickness will fit indeed without trimming. - 50mm vertical will fit - 55mm vertical will fit with trimming/cutting (easy, are thin) 2 reinforment post on the downside left and right of the back cover, like the 2x | in: edge--|--usb--jack--|--edge -65/67mm is max for horizontal. (edited) Jump

[@wally19]

Hi guys, I was tweaking the garlic config and now I have two "-" in the battery icon. like - - Do you guys know what that means?

[@retrohandhelds]

Press 'Select' until you don't see the dashes anymore. You're running the 35XX in low performance mode. Likewise, if you press Select and see '+' symbols, then that means you're overclocking the CPU (which isn't really needed). Leaving it in default mode will adjust the CPU as needed for what you're playing. The benefit of underclocking/low performance, is to have better battery life, but again, leaving it on default should still be best, as it will drop CPU performance when it doesn't need that extra power.

[@wally19]

@@retrohandhelds that did the trick. Thank you, I didn't know that.

[@retrohandhelds]

@@wally19 Anytime, glad to help! Thanks for watching.

[@alexandermolino826]

If you see this comment, are you having the common boot logo issue that his happening with the newer bought RG35XX when running GarlicOS? It’s an issue with their new batteries, but I don’t know enough to say what it is about the batteries other than they are bigger. I currently can’t use GarlicOS and have no idea if the developer is looking to fix this issue, and was looking to replace it with a new one.

[@retrohandhelds]

I'm not having that issue but if it's been reported you can be sure Black Seraph will be fixing it very soon. -Aish

[@luismtapia8127]

I've been trying to download the zip files but they 7z can't extract them. Any clues to why? I'm on windows 11.

[@retrohandhelds]

Download the 7zip application 🍻

[@luismtapia8127]

@Retro Handhelds I did, what I needed to do was download .001 and .002. I was thinking .002 was just the latest file so I only did the one. Both are needed to extract.

[@ae86takumi]

7:58 He said "my unit" hehehe

[@retrohandhelds]

Yes I did 😁

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

I hate to say it but I like this Guide Better than Retro Game Corps one

[@retrohandhelds]

That's a huge compliment thank you 😁 -Aish

[@sbggxnzo]

That upside down sticker would drive me mad.

[@ElementalTJ]

Can we get a Skraper tutorial next? Thanks y'all!

[@retrohandhelds]

As soon as it's more user friendly yes! Currently it's a pain to set up. -Aish

[@ElementalTJ]

@@retrohandhelds Thanks for the prompt replies! I appreciate y'all!

[@frankgutierrez6093]

Is there a mod for the d pad? I’m not a fan of the d pad

[@retrohandhelds]

I can come up with something, what about it don't you like ? -Aish

[@frankgutierrez6093]

It just doesn’t respond properly

[@retrohandhelds]

@@frankgutierrez6093 too stiff, accidental presses, goes up when you push left or right ?

[@frankgutierrez6093]

@@retrohandhelds the left or right aren’t accurate, when playing street fighter it’s hard to do special moves

[@retrohandhelds]

@@frankgutierrez6093 ok ill try and replicate it and see if I can do anything to help. -Aish

[@cosmicdive]

Hey do you think an even bigger battery could be put in this? Maybe one that last 8+ hours?

[@retrohandhelds]

I doubt it, the 353v battery was a tight fit. -Aish

[@cosmicdive]

@@retrohandhelds I think it would be a good idea if you did like a 3D printing expansion to the back panel, that way a larger battery would fit!

[@PortentPorpoise]

1000 gigahertz!?!? This thing is a warp drive!

[@retrohandhelds]

Meant megahertz 😂(but MAYBE we can clock it past light speed, if anyone can figure that out, it's BLACK SERAPH!!!) 😈

[@iskeypxx]

what are the dimensions of that battery?

[@retrohandhelds]

I'll have to crack it open and measure the space and the battery again. -Aish

[@xkxxxx]

Why does your upgraded battery say Anbernic by your link is to a different battery?

[@retrohandhelds]

I think i mentioned it in the video, that battery is from my 353v and was use only to show larger batteries work on it. -Aish

[@dztrader]

where do I get games

[@retrohandhelds]

Sorry but we can't help you with that. -Aish

[@dztrader]

@@retrohandhelds you might as well close your channel if your going to pretend there is no rules broken here

[@lincolnsmithtbp]

this is way too difficult and fast to follow for me. Maybe I just need to rewatch it a couple times.

[@retrohandhelds]

Sorry about that it was a lot to cover so I might have gotten a little to ambitious with the edits, try setting it to .75 speed. -Aish

[@saibamoe]

Dayum those are some expensive buttons bruh Half thr cost of the whole device

[@retrohandhelds]

Let's call it a luxury upgrade 😂 -Aish

[@screamliner]

Look that anbernic sticker......

[@retrohandhelds]

I just ignore it 😂

[@screamliner]

@@retrohandhelds Carlic os ver 230124, battery last 5 hours when i play gbc zelda age. I think it's enough for me. BTW 625068 will fit better.

[@sixeight6]

Anbernic warranty sucks they won't honor anything

[@NikoNT_GR]

Anyone here knows where I can find these buttons in Europe? Apparently, I can order them from Etsy but the price+shipping costs+taxes are 50 euros which is insane considering that I paid 60 euros for the whole console. Thank you in advance for your help guys!

[@shadowmonkey7388]

Where can I get the bigger battery u used in the video 🥹

[@retrohandhelds]

The battery in the video is from the 353v, it is compatible but not a perfect fit size wise (only used for demonstration, although again, it is a nice big 3200mah battery and will work). We have the better sized battery in the link in description, which we have on the way to us. Stubbs will show that one in his upcoming 35xx video).