R36S Controls and Hotkeys (ArkOS and dArkOS)
On ArkOS, Select is the hotkey for games that run in RetroArch: Select + X opens the RetroArch menu, Select + R1 saves a state, Select + L1 loads it and Select + Start exits to the game list. Pressing the right stick (R3) is the system hotkey for brightness and safe shutdown. dArkOS builds made for the R36S change several of these: the FN button opens the menu, Select + B saves a state and Select + A loads it.
So check which firmware your card runs before you rely on a combo. The wrong one can cost you progress: on ArkOS, Select + B resets the game.
Which hotkey layout does your R36S use?
- ArkOS layout: ArkOS itself, the community ArkOS-R3XS image for the R36S and many seller cards based on them. The ArkOS-R3XS project points R36S owners to the ArkOS FAQ for the RG351MP for its hotkeys, which is the source of the ArkOS column below.
- dArkOS R36S builds: dArkOSRE-R36 and dArkOSen-R36, community builds of dArkOS for the R36 family. Both publish their own hotkey tables, which mostly agree.
- ArkOS4Clone and dArkOS4Clone: these use FN as the hotkey on devices that have an FN button, and Select on devices that don't.
A safe test: in a RetroArch game, press Select + R1. If a save-state message appears, you're on the ArkOS layout. If not, look up your build's own hotkey page.
RetroArch hotkeys on the R36S
These work in every system that runs on a RetroArch core, including NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Game Boy, GBA, PS1 and arcade.
| Action | ArkOS layout | dArkOS R36S builds |
|---|---|---|
| Open the RetroArch menu | Select + X (or L1 + R1 + Start + Select) | FN (dArkOSen: or hold Select for 2 seconds) |
| Save state | Select + R1 | Select + B |
| Load state | Select + L1 | Select + A |
| Previous / next save slot | Not in the ArkOS list | Select + Y / Select + X |
| Fast forward | Not in the ArkOS list | Select + D-pad Right |
| Rewind | Not in the ArkOS list | Select + D-pad Left |
| Pause | Select + A | Select + FN (dArkOSRE) or Select + R3 (dArkOSen) |
| Reset the game | Select + B | Select + R2 |
| Screenshot | Not in the ArkOS list | Select + L3 |
| Exit to the game list | Select + Start | Start + Select |
"Not in the ArkOS list" means the ArkOS FAQ gives no default combo. The R35S/R36S setup guide from Joey's Retro Handhelds says fast forward isn't mapped on ArkOS and suggests assigning it yourself; the remapping section below shows how. On devices without an FN button, dArkOSRE-R36 opens the menu with Select + X instead.
System hotkeys: volume, brightness and shutdown
| Action | ArkOS layout | dArkOS R36S builds |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Volume buttons | Volume buttons, or Hotkey + R1 / L1 |
| Brightness | R3 + D-pad Up / Down, or R3 + Volume Up / Down | Hotkey + D-pad Up / Down |
| Gamma | Not in the ArkOS list | Hotkey + D-pad Right / Left (resets at reboot) |
| Mute | Not in the ArkOS list | Hotkey + L3 |
| Safe shutdown | R3 + Power | Hotkey + Power |
| Sleep | Short press of Power | See your build's notes |
On dArkOSRE-R36 the hotkey is R3. On dArkOSen it's FN or R3, and its system hotkeys are the same on every R36 model it supports, including the R36H. Start → Quit → Shutdown in the menu works on every build.
How do standalone emulators differ?
DS, PSP and often N64 don't run in RetroArch. DraStic (DS), PPSSPP (PSP) and standalone Mupen64Plus (N64) are separate programs, so RetroArch's menu, hotkeys and remaps don't apply to them. The ArkOS wiki notes that most standalone emulators' controls can't be reconfigured.
These are the ArkOS defaults:
| Emulator | Menu | Save / load state | Exit | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraStic (Nintendo DS) | L3 | From the DraStic menu | From the DraStic menu | R2 swaps screens, L2 switches one or two screens, right stick moves the stylus, R3 taps |
| PPSSPP (PSP) | L2 | R3 saves, L3 loads | PPSSPP menu or Select + Start | — |
| Mupen64Plus (N64) | None listed | Select + R1 / Select + L1 | Select + Start | Select + A pauses |
The dArkOS R36S builds change these too. dArkOSen moves Mupen64Plus save and load to Select + R2 and Select + L2. dArkOSRE-R36 maps FN to the DraStic and PPSSPP menus and ships Advanced DraStic, a modified DraStic, as its default DS emulator; the original DraStic is still selectable.
For which systems use which emulator, see the R36S emulator list and the Nintendo DS, PSP and Nintendo 64 pages.
How do you remap buttons in RetroArch?
For one core or one game, use a remap file. It changes what the game receives without changing how you move around RetroArch's menu.
1. Start the game and open the RetroArch menu.
2. Go to Quick Menu → Controls → Port 1 Controls and set the buttons.
3. Choose Save Core Remap File to apply it to every game on that core, or Save Game Remap File for this game only.
To add or change hotkeys, such as fast forward on ArkOS:
1. Open the RetroArch menu and go to Settings → Input → Hotkeys.
2. Pick the action, such as Fast-Forward (Toggle), and press the button you want. The libretro docs explain that when a button is set as Enable Hotkeys (Select on ArkOS), you hold it together with the hotkey.
3. Save the configuration. The ArkOS FAQ warns that if a core or game override exists, RetroArch won't save a global configuration from inside that game. Instead, open RetroArch itself from EmulationStation (ArkOS lists retroarch and retroarch32 entries) and save there. Setup guides suggest repeating the change in both, because some cores run in the 32-bit one.
To swap A and B in EmulationStation's menus, ArkOS-based cards have Switch A/B under Start → Advanced Settings. dArkOSen has the swap on by default and includes a Button Mapper to undo it.
Quick Mode: resume where you left off
ArkOS has a Quick Mode for RetroArch games. With it on, the safe-shutdown combo (R3 + Power) makes an automatic save state and powers off, and the next power-on goes straight back into that game. Turn it on in Options → Advanced → Enable Quick Mode. It works only with RetroArch-based emulators, not with standalone ones such as PPSSPP or DraStic.
R36S controls FAQ
How do I exit a game on the R36S?
In RetroArch games, press Select and Start together; that's the exit on both layouts. If RetroArch asks you to press again, that's its quit confirmation, which you can turn off in its settings. DraStic exits from its own menu, and PPSSPP from its menu or with Select + Start.
How do I save my game on the R36S?
Use a save state with the combos above, or the game's own save. How to save on the R36S explains the difference and where the files go.
Why doesn't the FN button do anything?
Older ArkOS-based images for the R36S don't map the FN button at all. Newer community builds, including ArkOS4Clone and the dArkOS R36S builds, use it as a hotkey. The dArkOS on the R36S guide covers those builds.
Why do my controls act strangely in one game?
Usually a saved remap or a hotkey clash. The R36S troubleshooting guide walks through the fixes, including stick drift.
Sources: ArkOS FAQ for the RG351MP (hotkeys), dArkOSRE-R36 RetroArch hotkeys, dArkOSen hotkeys, libretro: input and controls
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