Creating The SIMPLEST Retro Handheld OS

Today we're going to set up a retro handheld to be so simple and intuitive that a child (or a non-tech-savvy adult) can navigate it with ease. I'm calling it "StarkOS" -- simple, tailored ArkOS, and can be set up on over a dozen different handhelds. It takes a little work, but the end result will give you a stellar user interface (with custom box art) that is a joy to use.
Written guide with pre-built SD card image: retrogamecorps.com/2024/04/28...
Anbernic RG353PS: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDJ...
Anbernic RG353P: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DB6...
R36S (cheapest option): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DE9...
Ways to support this channel:
YT channel membership: / @retrogamecorps
Patreon: / retrogamecorps
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/retrogamecorps
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
02:03 other OS options
03:09 why ArkOS?
03:53 why the RG353PS?
08:16 written guide and SD cards
10:32 installation
12:09 WiFi and update
13:18 add ROMs and BIOS
15:26 configuration
18:22 adding and fixing box art
23:41 tweaking the theme
29:25 advanced tips
31:35 summary and conclusion
Find me on Discord! / discord
Theme song written by Jim Gray of Our Ghosts:
ourghosts.bandcamp.com/track/...
More music here: / posts
Keyboard shown in my videos: bit.ly/RGCnuphy
^^ use code "RGC10" for 10% off your order
Note that this description may contain affiliate links. By clicking on an affiliate link and buying something, I may earn a small commission of the sale at no extra cost to you. You can read more about that here: retrogamecorps.com/about/
This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only.
#Anbernic #ArkOS #retrohandheld #emulation #RG353PS

[@RetroGameCorps]

I accidentally mislabeled Super Mario 64 as SMB2 at the end of the video, this channel is really going downhill. But to be fair, SMB2 is the superior game

[@baldlyrudy]

SMW is better. 😜

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@baldlyrudy it’s certainly better than SM64!

[@Littleandr0idman]

@RetroGameCorps SM64 is the best game ever made. Unsubbed

[@raikoh05]

You monster

[@baldlyrudy]

​@@RetroGameCorps I'll take it. 😂

[@colinmartin9797]

I did this with the datafrog SF2000 for my neighbor's 9 year old girl who comes over all the time. Curated and set up everything for her. She looooooves it. Made sure to start inexpensive to make sure she enjoys it enough before I upgrade her to something nicer later. She's been loving it for months now. Her family is very poor, so I take care of a lot of things for her like maintaining her bicycle and such.

[@thecoffeegod]

That's really sweet. Love to hear it.

[@Broken_robot1986]

You're a good neighbor, that's a really nice.

[@mmpsp693]

Here, you dropped this 👑

[@diegovillamagua4656]

You are amazing

[@slushbubs]

How do you curate the SF2000? I thought if you removed ROMs from the folders, they would still show up in the games list and cause an issue if they were selected.

[@sumitkhatri8210]

It feels like it's been so long since i heard "Yeah man, I wanna do it.". Feels good.

[@dstrbd223]

Said it before, I want it on a shirt. Russ, make it happen! Lol

[@Samuel-Coroliuc]

​@@dstrbd223there actually is a shirt that has that written

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@dstrbd223 on sale right now! www.teepublic.com/stores/retro-game-corps?ref_id=35456

[@dstrbd223]

@@RetroGameCorps I ordered one!

[@RetroReef]

Spending 90% of our life recreating 10% of our life.

[@jeffreyrapkin6177]

Yes but it was a great 10%

[@hooptiej]

The best roommate i ever had- I sent him a Miyoo Mini loaded with all the games we played together (we both collected retro, and had a split-display in the living room) 2 decades later, we're both married, on opposite ends of the country, and i found a flashlight in my stuff labeled "PVT Roomate" from his days in boot. I mailed him a box with his boot camp flashlight, and a miyoo mini loaded up. he called me when he got it and was super touched; i swear the psyops guy was tearing up on the phone(as a civilian, i always teased him if i should call him Dr captain, or CPT doctor.)

[@LordRodri]

good 4U2

[@chrisharrison3374]

This channel sets the bar ridiculously high but that said, this may well be the best video you've ever put together Russ. Brilliant stuff, it's not 'sexy', it's not click-bait, it's just genuinely useful information that anyone can use to help their friends and family enjoy this hobby.

[@kennymccormick8295]

Simp more.

[@Combba6]

​@@kennymccormick8295 lame

[@eviankatsu]

What if i want to make the most complicated retro handheld for my mortal enemy

[@batmabel]

Seeing this thumbnail with this title made me so happy, as I have a 353PS sitting around with ArkOS not booting and was meaning to flash it with something else anyway. Thank you so much for the vid!

[@sskento]

I was halfway through the video and I am already making a game list to do this for my wife who used to love playing PlayStation games when she was a kid. Thanks for making this!

[@steepfrugut]

So , I can't honestly say that this was your most helpful video yet because all of your videos are extremely helpful, but this was incredible! Thank you so much for your time and effort here Ross, and your meticulous attention to every detail.

[@ExiledRetro]

I've been in this hobby for a long time now and I give these devices to people for Xmas and birthday's. Every time I do I have to spend an hour showing them how to navigate everything. This is a great idea. As for what device, younger kids I go under $60. Adults I go under $100.

[@tygirwulf]

I bought an R35xx+ recently and my husband loves it so I'm thinking of giving to him. I abandoned my RG353P last year, I think because I was expecting it to be something it wasn't. And now this video comes along and makes it attractive again. Thank you!

[@DigitalJedi898]

Awesome Video! This one really hit some special memories for me. I grew up in the 80's in the South Bronx in NYC it was a rough time and a dangerous time to be a kid. for safety we weren't really allowed to go out side to play. as a result we played alot of video games. My mom played Video games with us and she has pretty much always been a gamer. I've seen her finish Contra with out the cheat code LOL. She's in her mid 70's now and is still a gamer. She has a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie on her living room tv that she games on. Recently my father has been diagnosed with Cancer and has started Chemo. My mother of course goes with him to every single chemo and doctors appointment. Knowing she sits there for hours waiting with my dad(who is not a gamer LOL) so I showed he my collection and asked if she wanted one to keep her busy during the appointments. She picked out a Powkiddy X55 based the screen and ergonomics. I set it up for her. It has all of her favorites from Atari 2600, NES, SNES, some Genesis, and some Arcade games like Pac Man, Mr's Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Dig Dug. Her absolute must have titales are Contra Super, Mario Bros 3,Arknoid, and Bubble Bobble. Again man this video was special thanksman

[@tangentfish]

I have an RG353PS. I think it is the perfect retro handheld. So nice to see it on your channel again.

[@SpazzTH]

I did this with a pair of R35Ses for my friends and their kids for Christmas last year! Great to see a comprehensive guide on it as well as a whole philosophy on making it intuitive and not overwhelming-and even making it more or less bulletproof.

[@Tetrastuctural_Intelligence]

We need more of these types of videos from the community! Thanks Russ, I love it!

[@nowakmik]

Absolutely wonderful thing. You can easily give someone such a miracle and the recipient will be happy like a child.

[@ivovass195]

Excellent proposition. Big props on sharing the custom image to jump start the process and the writen guide with links to easily follow and get things going without endless research. Well done

[@KamenRiderBlackSun]

does the bluetooth still work after the mod?? and the hdmi to tv ??

[@Stratos401d]

I wanted to curate a handheld like this for my daughter for a while now. This tutorial is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you so much!

[@platinumfactory]

I haven't seen a lot of your content but this video is the most valuable so far, this is what it's all about, making a plug and play for kids and people you care about.

[@brucehutchinson7139]

I love the heart in this video. The best things in life are shared with others, so thank you, Russ, for helping to share the joy of retro video games.

[@RenegadeX28]

Been watching your content over the last year and I AM LOVING IT. I look forward to your reviews of devices, update on emulation, etc.

[@nightsquats]

Brilliant, very generous of you to present a project like this to the community! I had just last night brought my odin 2 pro to my nephew's house with a tv cord and some pre-linked bluetooth controllers to play some smash bros melee and mario party, and by the end of the night I was explaining to him about kiosk mode so I could help him get into the swing of things, so yes this kind of video serves a genuine need and you're a good dude for getting out in front of it. Cheers!

[@wingsfromheaven8788]

My favorite video by Russ of all time! Well done! This is what is all about. Using our tech savvy gifts to make someone's day, or childhood. This has been my mission as well with these retro handhelds. The SF2000 got this treatment complete with Tadpole changes to every aspect of the user interface, before gifting a dozen copies last Christmas. Now it's the R36S in the dozens, and soon, a half dozen RG35XX H devices. I scarcely game myself, but the thought of knowing you've given a child something they'll treasure for a lifetime is really rewarding. Some things I do different include the use of two 64GB cards, separated by ESRB ratings, with only E-rated games on the OS card, and Teen games on the optional card. The parent can then decide if or when their child is ready to utilize the second card. ArkOS currently requires switching between cards using the Options menu, something a teen can handle on a regular basis or simply copy all the games to a larger card when the time comes. I also convert the videos to H.265 and trim down to 15 seconds each using a recursive FFMPEG script, saving 11 GB of storage in the process (just 3 GB now for 1600 videos).

[@stevena398]

Great video. A few years ago I gave my cousin and brother the ambernic 351 woodpanel one. I loaded it with the games we'd play afterschool, like resident evil 2. They liked it but later on told me they couldn't figure out how to get out of games and would have to reset the entire thing, and other annoyances like that, which make me think they probably barely used it. This StarkOS looks way easier to use. And the roundness of the 353 looks much more comfy, I'm very tempted to order one and give it a shot.

[@TheCatmmo]

This is a great idea. I gave my wife my RG351P, but she had a hard time figuring out how to use it, so she gave it back. I think if I set it up like this she'll be much happier with it and it won't just be collecting dust. Thanks for the video!

[@kendb3]

This is a stellar project! I love fiddling with settings and tinkering with devices, but there are so many people in my life that are not technical but love games. This really is a wonderful setup. Thanks Russ!

[@paulwilliams5500]

You hit it out of the park with this one, Russ. Thank you!

[@paulstevens1493]

Love this idea!! Seriously considering getting the device and loading the image on for my daughter

[@SWPLGAMING]

This is subject needed for the community, and as you said for those that are not on the tech savi side of things. Awesome video bud👍🏾

[@graybix]

This is great, I'm going to do this for my kids arcade setup. Thanks for the guide.

[@jake-n-g]

Dude this is EXACTLY what I have been wanting. Been planning to set up some handhelds for my nieces and nephews. Thank you!

[@fot3k]

Daughter asked for a Gameboy or 3DS for her birthday to play Zelda etc so I just ordered the Anbernic RG35XX H for £45 shipped. Getting a larger, higher quality SD card and will be doing something like this. 👍🏻

[@TechDweeb]

Beautiful idea, beautiful video, you beautiful man!

[@RetroGameCorps]

Beautiful comment!

[@trysotope3755]

I was JUST searching for this yesterday you're a wizard!

[@tpayne]

This was such an awesome and thoughtful video. It sure inspire me to share some of these extra handhelds I have laying around with my kids and family.

[@gorgeluis]

Thank you for making the most in deep guides for such a niche hobby

[@darren1006]

Thanks for this! Well thought out concept, and it's good to know the 353PS will work with ArkOS

[@Goodgood2kywalker]

I'm an adult children.

[@nathancarmen1685]

Same

[@washuai]

Grammar 😱

[@warren-gump]

We are*

[@shinichixxxx]

We

[@Thekoolkids4]

I am a children adult

[@noahjdavis7396]

I think I know what I'm getting my dad for Father's Day now! My dad played arcade games, Atari, NES, and PS1 back in the day so I'm sure he would love this. Thank you Russ for being awesome!

[@cloudiolology]

Some of us know all of this stuff but we just love your content man! Relax with russ time! :)

[@Bobeo]

As an Uncle who has literally been on the look out for how to setup, essentially this entire guide, for a soon to be 5 year old nephew, thanks for saving me hours of trying to do it myself Russ.

[@carlosasantosr]

Amazing video. Thank you for all this work. Greetings from Colombia.

[@toastymicfunbunz1863]

This is super cool! I’m definitely gonna do this to one of my devices! 😁 thanks Russ!! Always love your content!

[@PastaLuke]

Russ! I've had 2 R36s for my two kids since Christmas, and I've been meaning to set it up better for them to use for 4 months! This video is EXACTLY what I needed! They're going to love them so much! Thanks man!!

[@janX9]

I don't think arkOS supports R36S. R35S yes. R36S no. I think Russ misspoke in this video. I hope I'm wrong because I kinda want to do this to my R36S.

[@PastaLuke]

It supports it! 👌 Arkos is what's currently running on the two R36s that I have. Just a sort of weird fork of it that has God of War logos whenever you select games 😂 I still have the stock SD cards with like, 15thousand games. A nightmare for my 6 and 4 year old. Haha

[@tbatrics]

This is a great idea for a video. Fun gift idea.

[@Patrick-bn5rp]

So personally, I like to put like a few hundred games on a system at a time, but put the ones I think they'll really like in the favorites section. A giant game list has pros and cons. On one hand it's intimidating. On another hand it's exhilarating and gives you the feeling that you have tons of value at your fingertips. So I find that a favorites section filled with some recommendations to start with is a good middle ground. And if they want to go "shopping" for there next game, they can. Of course, out of hundreds of games I set up, I didn't just grab random games. I went through the trouble of browsing tons of recommendation, hidden gem, and top rated lists for each console.

[@_Majoras]

besides favorites i always like using arkos's other sections which can be very useful. 'last played' for keeping track or finding a recently played game you forgot where, what system it was from, also for those times you forget which screensaver game you played. 'never played' try a game you never played on the handheld yet (w/ random game search recommended). 'all games' to randomly search through every library combined into one list

[@handzus19]

Thanks for doing this step-by-step guide! :)

[@pheonixfighter10000]

This is the kind of guide I've been looking for. Something to help introduce my nephew (4 yrs old) to retro gaming.

[@shaunofett]

Terrific video! I have an extra RG351V that I will turn into a GBC for my mother. It’ll only have Tetris DX and a few others. I’ve tried to make her one before, and she was overwhelmed with the options and library. This is perfect.

[@LordNuttington]

The amount of time and effort you've put in to making things simple for others is crazy! 👍

[@DuongKhanhChuong]

thank you for the tutorial, it's perfect on my rg353ps

[@frankysour]

What a cool video, thanks! I started with some retro handhelds just few months ago, and immediately after felt the desire to set one up for my 5yo son. But time is limited, I wasn't able to do it really fast, soooooo.... Well he had the time to learn enough by himself to use both my rg35xxP and (even better) his datafrog sf2000 satisfactorily. I even think this helped him learn to read (does not go to school yet, but basically reads already). But the idea of making a special handheld with his favourites (yes, he already has a clear idea what he likes to play...) is still in my mind, it feels so good to share these old games with him.

[@rafaelgarcia5388]

Just when I thought u couldn't impress me more...u do this...I just this this setup love it..I just see what I wanna play simple..ready and play no over load of games...thx russ..from all the adult children😊

[@Lestibournes]

I requested this in the comment section not long ago. Thanks for delivering.

[@grundian]

Thank you so much for these videos. I have an older handheld I'm going to give to a cousin who I grew up with, who knows nothing but deer hunting and construction, to play when he's got free time.

[@amuscarello]

Thank you very much for this. 100% going to do it for my kids and maybe one to set out for co workers.

[@hollis1223]

I think I will do this for my kids when they get a little older. Thank you for the fantastic idea

[@50suto]

I've been wanting to do this for my uncle. Great video!

[@improvwithlions4173]

I'm using these tips to improve my anbernic 353v for myself. Just enabling quick load made a world of difference to me. And I started using the favourites menu too. It's cool seeing all of the zelda games standing next to each other, ready to play

[@AdamSnider]

This is such a great video and it's got me thinking about all the people in my life who I'd love to give a device setup like this. My kids, for sure, but also both of my brothers. Curating it with a bunch of the NES/SNES games we grew up playing together would make a really great gift. Ducktales, the original Final Fantasy, Mario Bros., Super Mario RPG, Mario Kart...there are a bunch so I'd have to think about the top 20 or 30 to put on for them. Such a fun project!

[@ihearthorchata]

actually you inspired me to gift my brother and my cousins some RG35XX with MinUI last Christmas so thank you for that.

[@Junier-Hussein]

Brilliant video + project ♥️

[@joepage5000]

Awesome! I have a 353ps I was planning on gifting, this is so helpful in getting it set up.

[@LudoArcadeGames]

A nice idea ... for a great video like always !

[@ianjacobson3514]

Something like this, but where you can set more games to unlock with game progress or button combos would be amazing.

[@mjust7119]

If someone made a miyoo mini plus with like 300 absolute all timers and none of the fluff, but you start with like 10, and unlock them Smash Bros style... that would be incredible.

[@braykbeat]

Dude, thanks for this. Great guide. I ordered a R36S for my pokemon card game obsessed niece and I'm going to give her a pokemon based handheld so she'll know where it all started. I did the test run on one of my devices. I love the Contra code to unlock the buttons out of kid mode!

[@jeffreyrapkin6177]

Thank you for doing the heavy lifting for us Russ. You have no idea how much people like me appreciate it!!!

[@kenkwok83]

Prebuilt images from Russ is what I’ve been wishing for for years.

[@Azteca_X]

Man, this is it. Thank you!

[@EricMesa]

love the idea. I think the only thing I'd add (unless you mentioned it when I was turned away from the video) is setting it up for retro achievements. I thought of that when you mentioned your brother. I think we're roughly the same age - give or take 5 years based on the games you mentioned playing as a kid - and one thing I miss is playing in the living room with my younger brothers. I think the achievements might bring back some of that fun and sibling competitiveness.

[@kilobytedump]

Russ this is really great. I'm going to set this up for my mother. Her original DMG recently broke.

[@stylestep111]

Perfect timing! Just bought the rg353ps and was trying to figure out which os to go with

[@marcogiovanelli7899]

All the information i was looking for to get my retro handheld to what i was looking for

[@Ravenlock]

I'm actually right now in the process of setting up a Miyoo Mini Plus to give my partner's kid who's a Pokemon nut - just gonna load it up with all the classic Pokemon he can handle and let him go to town. Really lovely video. Nice work. ❤

[@finnpham6042]

This is the one, straightforward and uniform box arts.

[@reillysilveira3811]

Thanks for the video, I am thinking of doing this with the RG351MP, which I'm not really using anymore and giving my Dad a way to play some of the games we would play when I was a kid, such as Super Mario Bros. on NES.

[@retrohandhelds]

Love this idea, I think i'll do this with my 353PS and maybe make a gift out of it! Thanks Russ!! - Stubbs

[@TheMysteryDriver]

Stubbs comment is buried in here

[@retrohandhelds]

@@TheMysteryDriver Hello there!

[@TheMysteryDriver]

@@retrohandhelds hi! Caught the live stream last night. Hope you get your nubbs sized correctly

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

I forgot about that handheld. Ordering it now. And I thought I was done ! It’s just to good looking.

[@MaximumRD]

RUSS, put simply, you are a gift to retro gaming enthusiasts everywhere!

[@MarkTengPhoto]

This is the reason Anbernic/Retroid/Powkiddy needs to hire Russ as a software consultant!

[@ChristianCastle]

Agreed!

[@arthurcuesta6041]

My sister would love one of these

[@Broken_robot1986]

Nice rundown!

[@igzibi1]

"maybe you have cousin or sibling that struggles to change tv input" - how nice this sublimes decades of helping aunts and neighbours to set up that printer or find lost icon :D:D

[@Ste_365]

Love this, have often thought about setting up a device for my nephew but the thought of him ending up in the back end menus and breaking it always put me off.

[@iamnotyourbuddyGUY]

This is great. I done the same before. But I didn't know about the box art website to take them all look unfoim. I did this for my MIL after she had surgery and se loved crash and mario. Great video

[@jackal27]

Oh my GODDDDDDD my 4 year old is going to LOVE this!

[@Kusanagi13]

This is the best ui concept I’ve seen, you have once again outdone yourself, this UI would be great for the RG35XX plus or the Miyoo mini plus, it’s perfect for the RG353P/S/V/M, though I do see myself going over 50 games 😅, but I will work on keeping a games list under 30. Thanks again Russ you are the best.

[@Rocky-or4rz]

Brilliant idea.

[@soiltek2015]

Great video, Russ!

[@saiyanprime]

This is awesome. I have the 353PS sitting in a drawer about to get a new life. Not sure who I'm gonna give it to yet. I think my dad might get a kick out of it. Throw a few games I know he liked on it.

[@mattb6522]

Good video! I actually would love to do this as a gift to my cousins. Not sure what device yet but we grew up playing a lot of NES games, so this would be perfect for them. I've set up devices before using your guides, so this would be an amazing gift. I think they would enjoy reliving a lot of those NES games we played as kids like the Super Mario Bros trilogy, Mega Man games, Punch-Out!!, Skate or Die, Kirby's Adventure, Tetris, Kung-Fu, Bubble Bobble, and then add in a host of other games they might enjoy!

[@christiancorriveau5069]

I just picked up a ln rg353ps. I'm going to use this guide to set up a consolized version to hook up to my tv.

[@RudiPrinsloo-mn7vt]

This is soooo good!

[@MIDNITE69]

This is fantastic

[@Chrisdumm1]

I have an amazing special needs friend who accidentally ruins these little consoles I give him. This video may come in very handy. I personally took Tech Dweeb up on his recommendation of the Litxt Onion OS premade SD card for Miyoo Mini Plus. It was so awesome to have something so lovingly prepared ready to go right out of the box!

[@vexorian]

Even though I am nomally an 'advanced' user of Retro Handhelds. I like to keep my game collections short. I would usually only be playing one of at most 5 or 10 games in rotation. So I really like the idea of an UI that just shows you your games in the same list from the beginning. Looking how you managed to make it work, the result really can't be argued with. I will actually try to mod my ArkOS to do this. Nintendo and then the Steam Deck were probably on to something there.

[@tehpyrotechnic]

Honestly, I inherited my parents’ NES and SNES consoles from when they were younger and love them to death. I cleaned up the consoles and currently have them stored safely until I figure out how I want to set them up. The snes purple rg353ps might be a great fit to catalog and keep all their old games from the cartridges and I might take the time to prep a couple of these devices for them maybe around their anniversary. Thanks so much for the guide Russ!!

[@rehana545]

I’m definitely gonna use this when I set up the rgb30 I got for my nephew

[@chris56269]

Haven't watched all the video yet but will definitely do so when I have the time. Recently treated myself to a Logitech G Cloud, I know the specs aren't amazing but I love the form factor and it's a decent screen for media content. At some point I want to put some GameBoy, SNES, Mega Drive and GBA emulators on there.