👑 R36S MASTER Starter Guide

The R36S is actually an incredible device for only $40. I can easily overlook any of its short comings when you remember how affordable this device is. Today we will be taking this device to the next level. This will no longer be a stock R36S but a SUPER R36S!! In this video we will be flashing a better build of Arkos OS to brand new, quality SD cards to replace the unreliable generics one we get with the device. We will also be loading it up with all our favorite games whatever way you like either a single card setup or a dual card setup. We will also show you how to manually add Boxart to this device because this device lacks Wi-fi and theres NO VIDEO ONLINE HOW TO DO IT MANUALLY. Someone had to do it and that someone is Javi :]. We will also spice up the boot logo and add some fun background music to liven the mood.
Become A Channel Member and Get Exclusive Perks! / @javiplayretro
Preparations:
Micro SD Card Reader
Single Card Setup
One 32GB or higher branded SD Card
Dual Card Setup
One 32GB or higher branded SD Card For OS
One 64GB or higher branded SD Card For Games
Recommended SD Card brands: SanDisk & SAMSUNG
Programs
MiniTool Partition Wizard: www.partitionwizard.com/
Use: Partition Manager
Rufus: rufus.ie/downloads/
Use: Flashing Tool
7zip: www.7-zip.org/download.html
Use: Decompress Zipped Folders & Files
ArkOS Link: github.com/christianhaitian/a...
Grab RG351MP Gdrive or Mega
DTB Files:
boot.ini
rg351mp-kernel.dtb
rg351mp-kernel.dtb.V1
rk3326-r35s-linux.dtb
rk3326-r35s-linux.dtb.V1
logo.bmp (Optional)
My DTB Files: x.com/JaviPlayRetro/status/17...
Boxart Scraping (Optional But Highly Recommended)
Get Skraper: www.skraper.net/
Register for scraping account: screenscraper.fr/
Remember to go into (Press Start) Main Menu/Advance Settings and Turn On Search for Local Art to Make Boxart Visible.
Background Music Source Site (Optional)
downloads.khinsider.com/
Place All Background Music In The bgmusic Folder
Create Your Own Boot Logo
www.canva.com/
Boot Logo Criteria
Must me named logo.bmp
Must be 640x480px
Must be BMP File Type
Must have 24 Bit Depth
Use Paint to convert to BMP easily.
Give Your Handheld Some Personality with My Charming Boot Logos:
x.com/JaviPlayRetro/status/17...
Special Thanks To @christianhaitian For His Continued Development of ArkOS
Join The Discussion: / discord
Support This Kind Of Work: www.buymeacoffee.com/javiplay...
Follow Me On Twitter(X): / javiplayretro
Chapters
00:00 Intro
1:20 What to Expect from This Tutorial
3:10 Step 1 Remove the Ugly Sticker
4:07 Preparations
7:05 Format Your SD Card to FAT32
8:00 Download & Extract ArkOS
9:30 Flashing ArkOS
11:15 DTB Files
14:58 First Boot
15:59 2 Card Setup
18:20 Loading Games, Bios, & Save Files
20:55 Boot Logo Creation & Installation
25:05 Scraping Boxart Manually
29:50 Adding Background Music
31:06 The Final Product THE SUPER R36S
32:48 One Last Change Aspect Ratio
34:14 Conclusion

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Hey guys, please dont erase your ORIGINAL Stock SD. YOU NEED NEW SD CARDS. DONT REUSE YOUR STOCK SD CARDS. Its seems alot of people are deleting their stock sd to reuse it and deleting the necessary dtb files. Please follow instructions so you dont have a bad time. Also you NEED to use your own dtb from your stock sd card. Mine will not work for you anymore because the R36S has had hardware changes.

[@clump190]

My handheld only came with 1 micro SD, is this normal?

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@@clump190 yes it is

[@qcuzi]

@@JaviPlayRetro hey i accidently swapped the stock dtb files with the ones you have and now i get a black screen could you give me the stock dtb files so i can fix it

[@qcuzi]

@@JaviPlayRetro i fixed it

[@yozgat6630]

How did you do it? Unfortunately I have a black screen

[@Canidael]

The BEST tutorial on R36S, there is! Thank You. I finally know, how to handle my console. Step by step, no shortcuts or not spoken thoughts. Great!

[@waltlock8805]

Very helpful, step by step guide. I've got mine coming in a couple of weeks, so this couldn't have come at a better time.

[@siputih88]

have a lot problem with stock version R36S.. follow all your step then all went smooth and FIXED! This really help me a lot.. THANKS!!

[@masterduelcentral]

Ordered one for my friend thats arriving in march so really appreciate this vid.

[@aadam5]

This is the best video I've seen so far for someone who is complete newbie, all the other vids I've seen assume the viewer has some basic emulation knowledge, which is a bit frustrating. Keep up the good work!

[@EndaRochford]

Thank you so much, I've been having a lot of trouble with tethering and getting a wifi connection to the device, so scraping the entire collection I have installed was giving me some anxiety. Your tutorial was so good, covered every detail and has really put my mind at ease. Kudos to you sir.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

I'm so glad this could help you. I had the same issue, too, and could not find a tutorial on how to do it online. Thats why I made this

[@Coruptn]

Damn dude! Great video my guy. This was professionally done. I see the effort! I can only imagine in a year from now. Best of luck to you Friend! You definitely got it!

[@humbertoquintanilla8256]

Perfect video. Clear explanations. Just what I had been looking for so long! Thank you bro! Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Thanks for watching! Im glad this could help you. Check out my top 5 tips video too. It has some pretty useful information.

[@luif1482]

Thanks for your work Javi. You really helped me getting to know a little bit more about the 36s. Good video!

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Thanks, brother. Im glad you found this helpful. Check my R36S tips video as well for some really cool things you can do with this device. Like getting the FN button to work

[@daltonburg9488]

Every time I've ran into any issue with setup I referred back to this video. Thanks for the help👍

[@Not31337]

When I first got my Orange R36S one of the first things I did was remove the back sticker. I trimmed it and put it under the battery.

[@suhtangwong]

This is awesome! Just got mines, using it more than my mm+. Subscribed!!

[@suhtangwong]

Wanna bet? ​@@dcents5458

[@johnbillson3767]

great tutorial man, very comprehensive and easy to follow

[@RMI01]

Great video man! So much potential to grow the channel if you keep making content like this!

[@Ameloupp]

thanks you so muchh, retro gaming means so much to me it's such a great step by step video that help even people that aren't good with that

[@gaeb560]

Thank you! This has been very helpful! Subscribed!

[@killerkuh4942]

Thanks bro! This was really helpful!

[@luroc]

great video brother! cant wait for my r36s to come in this week!

[@fxbiani]

got everything working, this is so cool!! Thanks for all the help :)

[@aminkoudia7520]

Bro, you're a hero ! I managed to do this without any IT knowledge after my R36S with original SD card was not launching Pokemon after only few days. I even managed to get back my save. One precision though on my experience on copying the BOOT files from original SD card : I had one additional file called "autorun" that does not appear in your video. Firstly I only copied the 5 files as in your video and it did not work (black screen when turning on). Then I also copied the file autorun and it worked ! Many thanks !

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Im happy this helped you !

[@mrrobotto3321]

Dope bro. Ive done alot of these things as well. Ive also changed the joysticks to swtich lite sticks ( to match my white unit), & added foam to quiet the buttons.

[@Als-Retro-Handhelds]

An excellent guide Javi, super useful :-)

[@caaarolg]

YOU SAVED MY LIFE! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH! serious! you're awesome!

[@rizogamers4915]

Hello from Malaysia. Thank you so much for easy guide. I ordered This console after watching your video. Can't wait for it to arrive and try do it for my self then i can buy this 2 or 3 console for my niece. You got your self a new subscriber😎

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Thank you so much. I hope you and your nieces enjoy them!!!

[@sven1421]

Thanks a lot! Just at the right time cause my R36S arroved yesterday ... all my troubles now so far away - like John Lennon would say :)

[@SnordCranston23]

Thanks for a great video! It convinced me to order the R36S.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Glad you enjoyed it!! Let me know if you run into any trouble getting it setup

[@LakesGeek]

Thanks! I've gone ahead and enjoyed your video and will go ahead and give this a try, then hopefully it'll go ahead and work ❤

[@Ayahuoskar]

Great video and super well made :> will do all this when i get mine. Also if you ever find some new update or anything new that speeds up fps i would love to see a video on that.

[@PeterLuong]

Confirmed working, thanks! Two caveats from my own experience; (1) under the dual SD card setup, some save states will not transfer over will cause the system to crash if the state gets loaded. The actual save files were still preserved though, and newer save states from that point on still worked. This might have something to do with emulator updates in the later revision of ArkOS. (2) The very useful search function was also disabled by default, but that was fixed by START -> GAME COLLECTION SETTINGS -> AUTOMATIC GAME COLLECTIONS -> and then selecting ALL GAMES

[@VLARTfamily]

Hey! Thanks for the detailed video, could you please explain how to add wifi and BT functionality, does it worth it? What accessories might/should be purchased etc.

[@enricomazuca]

Man, this was really helpful, I can't thank you enough, but here's my like and my subscription anyway haha

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Im glad I could help. Also thanks for your support.

[@chrisdenison5471]

great video man

[@FamKoop32]

Great video!! Thank you very much❤

[@redrovaeden5143]

YOU'RE THE GOAT!!! THE GOOOOOAAAATTTT!!!

[@masterduelcentral]

So little update. I tried jelOS, it was not very good, then I came back to this video and just went with your whole process lmao. Rgb30 had me too JelOS pilled I fear.

[@simplydenzvlog]

Great sharing.. so nice...

[@enragedkaiser237]

Thank you so much!

[@danwhite7090]

Great video! Do you have any advice on how to set up my R36S using Mac rather than Windows? Rufus isn't supported on Mac.

[@jediphouka]

I really appreciate the video.. for me I may have to do a 1 card set up. This went well up until the second card. For some reason the second card does not show the files after I format it and swotch to it.

[@AMRCineVerse]

Lexar, San Disk and Samsung are all solid cards to use for storage.

[@f.g.4906]

best intro ever!

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Thank you!!!

[@nicbug4861]

33:15 this works for me well in GB games thank you! but why does it won't work when i play a NDS Game? Select+X does not open the options 😞

[@DoorKnobsLol]

dude you don't know how hard it was to find this amazing video, the others has me upset XD. if you could do more on adding ither emulators or finding roms sets/packs please make the vid

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Damn sorry to hear. ;( KZbin algorithm doesn't love me yet. And absolutely Ill keep it in mind

[@redwinebryan]

update ive fixed it i do not have all my consoles on screen but i did get the playstation console to appear on like in the video so im glad altho i only have that one i did go in scapper and used the box insted of simple installement and it worked now i have to do it with each consoles or only the ones im gonna use anyway

[@djwolf2118]

Hey Javi can you use the pre-loaded games from the R36, if so can you please upload a video showing how? Love your video btw. (can you also show how to download and add games to the r36s?)

[@seanbperiod]

can overlays/screen wrappers be set for each system to fill the black space of the letterboxing?

[@anthonysalem3024]

nice video!!! i followed the steps but my device would not save any game and my home button is not working, is there something i can do? help please

[@1683clifton]

When you want to scroll through the games faster is there a way to skip to sections ie go straight to g or any other letter to get thru them faster?

[@sittthugyii6514]

Great video. Please show us how to add screen saver gameplay video.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

The funny part is I had this as a tip originally, but I felt like people already knew about how to do it.

[@alexacevedo6701]

amigo muchísimas gracias por ese video mi R36S volvió a funcionar, ya que se quedaba en la pantalla negra

[@qairulizham7422]

Hi jacek im from malaysia🌟. I already follow all you tutorial step by step until the end and everything fine!! Your tutorial are the best i found. I use 2 card and work perfectly. I only left to download scrapper online using wifi adapter. but there was one thing i want to ask. I check the update in option and there was and update. Do it safe for proceed the update? Btw thanks for the best tutorial among all video i watch in youtube. Keep do video about r36s!!!hope you can reply this ASAP

[@plitshb9338]

JELOS now oficially supports the Game Console R35S and R36S! An option to select your device variant is available in the "System Settings" menu.

[@thomasw5444]

does it make sens to take to stock Emulators and ROMS? Or will these be updated by time and it is better to take newer ones?

[@mattmiller4866]

Does this guide work the same way with a Mac? Different programs or anything?

[@hklock7019]

After all this can I expect to play bigger games smoothly ? Like games from Dreamcast or psp

[@BESSIK008]

how did you take off trase of glue from backside after removing stiker?

[@AirplaneSnailDriver]

There appear to have been newer updates and this did not work for my new device. Is there any updated instruction?

[@KazmaEXE]

Mine finally came in the other day. I bought it for my brother as a gift, and this helped so much ! Question tho…how do you configure the NDS controls ? When I open a game the d pad doesn’t work …like Goldeneye I can’t turn left or right …the analog stick is mapped to the “stylus” … and the dpads don’t do anything …any help would be much appreciated!

[@JaviPlayRetro]

I believe you would do this is the drastic menu.

[@SophieGay-vo7pn]

Question Re 2 card set up - After formatting the second card, do I need to flash/ install ARKOS on this card also? I cannot see the easy roms folder as following the above instructions this card has just been reformatted and is completely blank.

[@miguelfigueirinha6326]

Nice video, yesterday I was following some youtuber, he didn't explained so well how to update arkos, then I started to install the file and I couldn't start the console, always black screen, tried several times, I just get luck for someone said there was a file from Spain, that Worked, but I didn't remove those files, but after doing that, the console was working.. Just be carefull when trying to update your arkos, sometimes is better to leave as it is.

[@miguelfigueirinha6326]

Btw, I was using and still stock SD card, awaiting for a new one with a good brand.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

@miguelfigueirinha6326 The stock it comes with is modified, so if you update it. It can create issues for you.

[@miguelfigueirinha6326]

@@JaviPlayRetro I believe it what happen, lucky someone had upload the intire 64GB image file on internet then..

[@NathanTheNinjaTaylor]

Thanks!

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Thanks for your support

[@NathanTheNinjaTaylor]

Hi! I have done everything shown here and for some reason the box art is in the emulator files under media>2d box art but when I go into advanced settings and set it to search for local artwork, nothing populates. Any ideas?@@JaviPlayRetro

[@carsonkennedy7736]

this was great! i also added some ROM hacks for NDS, Pokemon Heart Red. However the preloaded cheats for Heart Gold (they work) don't auto load for the ROM hack and i dont see an option to manually add them. Any chance you know how this would be done?

[@artofraw8151]

I updated via wifi and didn't get the new ArkOS boot logo which I really like. Could you provide that to download somewhere?

[@rororo64]

Hey Javi, great video, but I can't seem to find the ROMs that came with the stock SD card to put on another card. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

[@JaviPlayRetro]

You checked both cards?

[@rororo64]

@@JaviPlayRetro @F_Dot_ turns out I was using 2 sd cards the R36s didn't like... it was a Kingston 64gb and a Sandisk 64gb card... it worked with a Samsung 64gb card

[@ProvocativeAmbulance]

Any idea why my games aren't saving? I was hoping it would be covered in the video but sadly you didn't have any saves to transfer

[@gamlielzaque604]

Hi Wonderful tu tutorial but from where do i download my games?

[@jacekjacek2867]

Is it possible to disable the option menu somewhere in the menu so that the left analog does not display the game menu after pressing it? Unfortunately, when I turn the knob intensively, I sometimes press it and menu frame appears, covering the middle of the screen...

[@haripa89]

Brother Javi do you know from where we should download the game roms? May be a small tutorial if you can show and make a video for it?

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Please follow community guidelines

[@umiyouknowme]

Sorry, I'm new to emulator handhelds. Where do I get all the BIOS files?

[@2LoudTech]

HAHA First... Bro Best in Depth R36S video out there. You are a Legend 🫡

[@bigphitness8768]

Hey Javi, i got my new sd card and followed the steps. i got the boot logo, but it doesn't go past that, just a black screen with a little blinking dash ( - ) in the top left-hand corner

[@user-li6ns2lk3z]

do u have video how to do 1 card set up on anbernic rg35xx H?

[@DigitalJedi898]

Great Video. BTW just got mine in the mail today and it didn't have the sticker on the back lol.

[@JaviPlayRetro]

Luckkyyy

[@germanmedinacamacho6859]

Hello bro, i have a question, can i use a sdcard of 16GB for the OS, or i need a 32gb sdcard to install the OS, thank you

[@MalikMechai]

Hello ! ☺️ Thanks for the video How it works for Mac user? 😕 Love from 🇨🇭

[@Cano9463]

Hello, is it also possible to do on the macbook?

[@PsyK0m0nk3y]

Skraper is set to download metadata, but where does it go? How do I see it in Emulation Station?

[@thomasr.2627]

Thank u

[@Lightborn1311]

Anyone have trouble with the second (ROM) SD card slot? I am formatting my new SD card to Fat32 but the R36S isn't recognizing the new card, says it can't find a properly formatted card. It still recognizes the stock card as properly formatted and working.

[@ChespinGator]

Hi so you still have the DTB files for the R36s incase there's a white screen ?, the link doesnt dosnt download

[@user-ol5it2lt3j]

Can you copy and paste the themes and settings from the OS SD card to another one?

[@ucscnickeyestone616]

Hey man, great tutorial. However, I've got one problem popping up. I got everything booted up, transferred my gba roms by copying over the gba folder into the empty one, and they run just fine except the sound just doesn't play. It is just a scratching noise. Main arkOS sounds still work just fine. Any idea what's up?

[@beratkerem1988]

Is it mandatory to update? Will I have any problems if I start using the product as soon as it arrives? And the SD cards it comes with are not reliable? Will I have problems if I plug it into my computer?

[@FREAKAZOiD1206]

Excellent video. I have a question. My second SD card with the roms is a 128 kingston sd card. I have formatted it to fat32 using partition wizard and copied all my roms onto this card. When I boot the device, i get the blank screen with blinking cursor in the top left and nothing beyond. When I put the stock sd card back in it works fine. What am I missing or doing incorrect?

[@oneness8908]

After flashing arkos on the card, u need to insert it back into the system and power it on to let it do it’s thing. After it’s completed you will see all the folders when u insert back the sd card back into the system.

[@keren2753]

Are there any alternatives to Rufus for Mac users?

[@iy4]

hey i need help with my console, whenever start up the console there is no theme what so ever and whenever i go to ui settings theres no theme option to change it.

[@borbenimacak88]

10:51 i have problem with "tf1 OS".I change the letter,i apply,but says: that i have problem...and the letter doesnt change.Says i have problems?Is it because of cheap tf card?First day i had acces to all r36s folders with roms.Second day doesnt show me anymore these folders.I have windows 10.Can you help?I cant turn on R36s

[@andresffredo]

After flashing ArkOS into the SD card I only see the EASYROOMS partition but not the BOOT partition. Im following the exact instructions, what could be going on?

[@Grudgeee]

Does this also work for r35s?

[@manuelgomez8679]

I do all the phases like you did to get the "First boot", but when i press the button of Power, the console turn black screen and stay like that. Any help?

[@dead_killer_wolf]

Hello javi my r36s has screen issue when i updated it from my phone now im stuck with black screen with sound can you help me pls fix it😢

[@darkforst17]

Can you try jel os

[@Brandon2940]

So I tried adding some of my own PS1 games that are in '.bin' form and they don't show in my games list.. the only two that DO show are the ones in this '.PBP' format... will only those types of files work for ps1 games?

[@xxbluesparksxx2901]

For me it never loads up and the files are flashed and all. Its just a black screen for me. I did the steps over 4 times and nothing. Am I doing something wrong here?

[@pyschocurt]

Is there a place to download Themes? Or can you do one on customizing themes? Sometimes I like the look of a UI but then the game select screen is shit lol

[@JaviPlayRetro]

You can easily change this. Watch my tips video. You can swap from grid to detailed or list or video whatever you like

[@user-gv3jn1gv4n]

Can this be done on a Chromebook if I dont have a pc?

[@Gg_premium]

Hey Javi! I messed up the stock card thing and deleted the base files so I can't go to the next step. Can you help me to upload that files what I need to?

[@cjaythelyon1250]

everything went good on the pc steps but when it comes to put back the branded sd card and booting up for the first time it still loading for X amount of times and still stuck to that screen only that bars (-) shown on the screen like it’s about to have all the coding part showing in your screen at 15min30 but nothing happens what should I do pls help 😢

[@mekkabon]

I put an mp3 in the bgmusic folder, but it didn't play. any ideas why? is it a system setting perhaps?