Portable R36 Ultra handheld gaming console with colorful game screens.

R36, 36S, 36 Ultra User Guide (EmuELEC)

handheld consoles, Guides, Review

Level Up Your Nostalgia: The Ultimate R36 Ultra Quick-Start Guide

Packing decades of gaming history into your pocket is nothing short of magic, and the R36 Ultra delivers a massive hit of nostalgia right out of the box with its pre-loaded game library. But with so many different classic consoles packed into one device running EmuELEC, figuring out the specific controls, menus, and system quirks across a range of R36 handhelds in Australia can feel like learning a cheat code from scratch.

Whether you are trying to remember how to insert a virtual coin for Arcade games, figure out the dual-screen controls for the Nintendo DS, or want to know how to safely turn the thing off without losing your save files, we’ve got you covered.

In this comprehensive user guide, we break down the R36:

  • The Basics: Powering on, navigating the massive EmuELEC library, and understanding the notorious “A/B button swap.”
  • System Management: How to properly exit games, use quick saves, and safely shut down your console to protect your SD card.
  • Console-Specific Controls: Tailored control breakdowns for tricky systems like the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 1, and classic Arcade machines.
  • Expanding Your Library: A foolproof, step-by-step tutorial on how to safely connect your SD card to a PC and add your own games to the system.
  • Best practices for charging your device and battery care

Ready to dive back into your childhood favorites? While there are varied R36 handhelds, variations, and custom firmware options, they share many elements, including navigation, cores, and RetroArch.
So check out the full guide below on how to get the absolute most out of your R36, R36S, and R36 Ultra!

A Note on Emulation Magic: Packing decades of gaming history into your pocket is pretty incredible! Because this little device emulates so many different classic consoles and thousands of titles, keep in mind that not all titles will work or work perfectly. That said, there is still an excessive amount of nostalgia-fueled gems that run beautifully. You’ll have a mountain of childhood favorites ready to play!

1. Getting Started & Navigation

  • Powering On: Press and hold the power button on the left side of the device for a few seconds until the screen lights up.
  • The 128GB Library: Your device is pre-loaded with a massive 128GB card full of games. Take your time exploring!
  • Navigating Consoles: Use either the D-pad or the Left Joystick to scroll up and down through the range of available console systems. L2 and R2 triggers on the back can be used to skip up and down through lists faster.
  • Selecting Games: Press A to choose a console. Inside a console’s menu, use the D-pad or Joystick to scroll up and down through the games list and A to start game.
  • The “A/B Swap” Quirk: Keep in mind that the A and B buttons might feel reversed depending on what you are doing. In the main console menus, A is typically your “Select” button, and B is “Back.” However, once you launch into certain classic console games, the emulator might swap them, meaning B becomes your primary action/select button.
  • Favorites: While highlighting a game you love, press the X button to add/Remove games to your Favorites list for quick access later.
  • Search: Press the Y button while in a game list to open the Search function and quickly find a specific title.

2. Gameplay & System Management

  • Exiting a Game: To instantly quit your current game and return to the main EmuELEC menu, press Start + Select at the same time – these are located front center under the screen.
  • Safe Shutdown (Crucial): Never hold the power button to turn off the device, as this can corrupt your game card and save files. To safely power down, press Select on the main menu, choose Quit, and then select Shutdown System.
  • Kiosk Mode Unlock: If your device is stuck in “Kiosk Mode” (a locked-down UI, with hidden settings), you can try entering the sequence A, A, A, B, A to access unlocked mode. Proceed with caution once unlocked, as changing core system settings can affect console performance.

3. Controls by Console Type

Because retro consoles featured completely different controller designs, the R36 Ultra will allocate buttons depending on each system.

  • Nintendo DS: The DS relies heavily on its touchscreen. Use the Left Joypad to move the on-screen stylus/pointer. To “tap” the screen or make a selection, press down on the Left Joypad (clicking the stick inward).
  • PlayStation 1 (PS1): The Left Joypad should work for movement in most PS1 titles. However, because many early PS1 games were designed before analog sticks existed, the joypad might not map/respond in some games. If your character isn’t moving, switch to using the D-pad for movement.
  • Arcade Machines (MAME / NeoGeo / FBNeo): To play arcade games, you must simulate inserting a coin. Press Select to add coins/credits, and then press Start to begin the game.

4. Using the Right Charger for the R36 Ultra

Many entry-to-mid-tier retro handhelds like the R36 Ultra use basic charging circuits built for simple charging and won’t communicate with modern variable-voltage fast chargers. Plugging into a smart fast charger often causes the device to refuse to charge, run warm, or report erratic battery percentages.

Here’s what you need to know.

  1. The Right Charger Specs

You need a fixed-voltage 5V power brick — not a smart charger, not a fast charger.

  • 5V 1A (5W) or 5V 2A (10W) are both safe
  • The device’s internal charging chip controls how much current it draws — if it only needs 1A, it will only take 1A regardless of what the charger can supply
  1. Always Use USB-A to USB-C

Do not use a USB-C to USB-C cable connected to a modern fast-charging brick. The R36 Ultra lacks the internal resistors required to tell a USB-C PD charger to step down to 5V.

  • USB-A to USB-C only — the standard rectangular plug on one end, the small oval plug into the device
  • Standard USB-A ports are hardwired to output a stable 5V baseline

Do not charge via a PC USB port or wall USB hub. These often output only 0.5A, which is too low to properly measure the battery and will throw out the charge gauge calibration.

  1. Charger Options That Work Well

Look for a fixed-voltage brick with the output voltage printed on the side:

  • Older Apple 5W (5V/1A) or 12W (5.2V/2.4A) iPad bricks
  • Older Samsung or Kindle wall adapters listing 5.0V = 1.0A or 5.0V = 2.0A on the label
  • Any basic USB wall charger clearly marked 5V with no mention of Quick Charge or Power Delivery
  1. Fixing Incorrect Battery Percentages

If the battery gauge is already miscalibrated — jumping from 80% to 20% instantly, stuck at 100%, or draining unusually fast — the meter needs to recalibrate to the actual cell voltage.

  1. Drain it fully: Play the device until it shuts itself off completely
  2. Unplug the battery: If accessible, disconnect the battery briefly before starting
  3. Once reconnected, charge uninterrupted: Plug into a 5V/1A or 5V/2A charger using a USB-A to USB-C cable, leave the device powered off, and charge fully — allow 3 to 4 hours
  4. Do not interrupt the charge cycle

Avoid using a PC port or wall USB hub for this process — the low 0.5A output will interfere with the recalibration.

5. Backing up, cloning your existing card

Why Clone to a Better Card?

The microSD card that ships with the R36 Ultra is a budget component, and quality control on these bundled cards is inconsistent. Some run fine; others suffer from slow read/write speeds, random freezing, corrupted saves, or premature failure. Since this card holds your entire operating system, game library, and save data, a fault isn’t a minor inconvenience — it can mean lost progress or a device that won’t boot.

Cloning the original card onto a higher-quality microSD card (from a reputable brand such as SanDisk or Samsung, ideally rated A1/A2 or UHS-I/U3) gives you the same EmuELEC setup and games without having to rebuild anything from scratch. It also provides a safeguard: the original card doubles as a backup image if the new card ever has issues, and you avoid the tedious process of reflashing firmware or manually re-copying your entire library.

Stage 1: Back Up the Original Card

Using Win32 Disk Imager:

  1. Insert the original microSD card into your card reader and plug it into your computer.
  2. Open Win32 Disk Imager as administrator.
  3. Under “Image File,” choose a save location and file name (e.g., r36ultra_backup.img).
  4. Under “Device,” select the drive letter matching the original card.
  5. Click “Read.” This copies the entire card into the image file.
  6. Once finished, safely eject the original card and set it aside.

Using Balena Etcher:

  1. Insert the original microSD card into your reader.
  2. Open Balena Etcher and select “Clone drive.”
  3. Choose the original card as the source.
  4. Select “Save to .img” (rather than cloning directly to another drive).
  5. Wait for the image file to finish saving, then safely eject the original card.

Stage 2: Write the Backup to the New Card

Using Win32 Disk Imager:

  1. Insert the new microSD card into your card reader.
  2. Open Win32 Disk Imager as administrator.
  3. Under “Image File,” select the backup file you created in Stage 1.
  4. Under “Device,” confirm that the drive letter matches the new card (double-check this, as writing to the wrong drive will erase its contents).
  5. Click “Write.”
  6. Once complete, safely eject the new card.

Using Balena Etcher:

  1. Insert the new microSD card into your reader.
  2. Open Balena Etcher and select “Flash from file.”
  3. Choose the image file saved in Stage 1.
  4. Select the new microSD card as the target (again, confirm this is correct).
  5. Click “Flash” and wait for the write and verification to finish.
  6. Safely eject the new card.

Final Check

Insert the new card into the R36 Ultra and power it on to confirm it boots correctly before discarding the original.

5. How to Add Games to the R36 Ultra

The R36 Ultra ships with a single-SD-card configuration loaded with EmuELEC custom firmware and games. Adding your own games is straightforward:

  • Connecting to Your PC: Eject the microSD card from the TF-OS slot on the right side of the device and insert it into your computer using a microSD card reader.
  • Accessing the Drive: As a Windows user, the system should automatically pick up the new drive for you to view. Look for it in Windows Explorer (the drive letter will depend on your specific computer). The new drive may have an SD icon next to it.
  • Ignore the Warning: Windows may prompt you with a message saying “something is wrong with the card.” Ignore this prompt.
  • Finding the Console Folders: Open the drive folder, and you will directly see a list of folders labeled with console names (e.g., CPS1, Mame, NeoGeo).
  • Transferring Games: Check the desired console folder to ensure you are using the supported file format. For example, CPS1, MAME, and NeoGeo all use ROMs with the .zip extension. Then copy and paste your ROM file into the appropriate folder.
  • The Golden Rule for Folders: Only add games to folders that already contain games. If a console folder is empty, the system likely lacks the necessary BIOS files to run that emulator.
  • Safely Ejecting (Crucial): Once your files are copied, do not just pull the card out! Right-click the drive in Windows and select Eject. This safely unmounts the card and prevents your data from being corrupted.
  • Booting Up & Finding Your Games: Re-insert the SD card into the TF-OS slot on your R36 Ultra and power it on. The system will automatically scan for new games during the boot sequence.
  • A Quick Note on Artwork: Keep in mind that games you manually add will not automatically display box art or preview videos like the pre-loaded titles do; they will appear as text in the games list.

electroarcade