R36S Emulator List 2026: Every System It Runs, Rated by Playability

The R36S runs 8-bit and 16-bit consoles, Game Boy Advance, arcade (FBNeo and CPS), Neo Geo and PS1 very well. N64, Nintendo DS, Dreamcast/Naomi and PSP are playable game by game, Saturn is mostly too slow, and GameCube, PS2, Wii and 3DS aren't supported at all.

ArkOS-based firmware puts over 90 systems in the menu, but "in the menu" and "plays well" are not the same thing. Below, every system we can rate gets one consistent tier, the emulator that usually runs it, and a link to its game list. All ratings are for the original R36S, with the Rockchip RK3326 chip and 1 GB of RAM.

One note so this stays accurate through 2026: ArkOS is no longer maintained. Its own repository says it has been replaced by dArkOS. The firmware section explains what that means for your menu.

R36S Emulator List at a Glance

The short version: the R36S is built for the classics. NES through PS1 is its comfort zone. Heavier late-90s 3D systems are a game-by-game gamble. GameCube, PS2, Wii and 3DS are out of reach.

Every rated system gets one of four tiers:

• Runs great: a core strength. Expect most of the library to play without fiddling.
• Game by game: plenty of titles play well and plenty don't. Look up the game before you count on it.
• Mostly too slow: it's in the menu, but most games don't run at a playable speed.
• Not supported: there's no emulator for it on the R36S.

The tiers come from published sources and community test lists, not our own bench tests. Our methodology page explains how we assign and correct them. We don't print "playable percentage" figures. Published numbers for the same system disagree widely, and none state a method we could verify.

How the emulators are organized

On ArkOS-based firmware, the menu you scroll through is EmulationStation. Behind it, most systems run on RetroArch cores. A few use standalone emulators: DraStic for Nintendo DS, PPSSPP for PSP and often Mupen64Plus for N64.

Some systems ship with alternatives. Arcade defaults to lr-fbneo, with fbalpha2012, 2016 and 2018 as backups, so you can switch when a game misbehaves. One trade-off: standalone emulators usually don't let you reconfigure controls the way RetroArch cores do.

Also in the menu, no game list yet

ArkOS-family firmware covers more systems than we have game lists for, including Sega Saturn, Atomiswave, MS-DOS, ScummVM, PICO-8, OpenBOR, EasyRPG and PortMaster ports. Each is covered in the sections below. For systems that do have a list, follow the link in its section or search everything from the R36S game list.

R36S (RK3326) emulator list: playability tier and usual emulator by system

Runs Great: 8-bit, 16-bit and Handheld Classics

This is what the R36S was made for. Its 3.5-inch 640×480 screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, the shape these home consoles were designed around. Games fill the panel instead of sitting in a letterbox.

Nintendo

• NES, Famicom and Famicom Disk System: usually Nestopia or FCEUmm.
• SNES and Super Famicom: usually Snes9x.
• Game Boy and Game Boy Color: Gambatte.
• Game Boy Advance: mGBA. One of the most popular reasons to own an R36S.

Sega

• Mega Drive and Genesis: Genesis Plus GX or PicoDrive.
• Master System, SG-1000 and Game Gear.

NEC, SNK and Bandai

• PC Engine: Beetle PCE Fast.
• Neo Geo Pocket and Neo Geo Pocket Color: Beetle NGP.
• WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color: Beetle WonderSwan.

Atari and other early systems

• Atari 2600 (Stella), Atari 7800 and Atari Lynx (Handy).
• ColecoVision, Intellivision and Vectrex.
• MSX and MSX2. They run fine; see the computers section for the control caveat.

The Virtual Boy and Atari 5200 are in the menu too, with their own game lists.

For these systems the question is rarely "will it run?" It's whether the file is in the right folder and format. Our guide to supported file formats covers that.

Arcade on R36S: FBNeo, CPS I/II and Neo Geo

Arcade is the other big strength, with one catch that trips up almost everyone.

• Arcade: the general arcade folder
• Capcom Play System I and Capcom Play System II
• Neo Geo
• Sega NAOMI: heavier hardware, covered in the caveats section

The ROM set rule

Arcade and CPS games default to the lr-fbneo core, with fbalpha2012, fbalpha2016 and fbalpha2018 as alternatives. Arcade ROM sets are tied to a specific emulator version. A set built for one version may not load on another, and that mismatch is the most common reason an arcade game won't start. Before assuming the device can't run a game, switch to the core its ROM set was made for.

Neo Geo needs its BIOS

Neo Geo games won't start without the Neo Geo BIOS zip in the place the firmware expects. Skip it and every Neo Geo game fails, even though the system runs well.

CD-Era Systems: PS1, Sega CD, PC Engine CD, Neo Geo CD and 32X

PlayStation 1 is the strongest 3D system on the R36S, and for many owners the main event. It usually runs on the PCSX-ReARMed core. Be wary of precise "percentage of the library" claims: PS1 is a strength, but some games still need a setting change.

Alongside it:

• Sega CD
• PC Engine CD
• Neo Geo CD
• Sega 32X: a cartridge add-on, not a CD system, but from the same late 16-bit era

BIOS files

A PS1 BIOS is recommended. Sega CD and PC Engine CD need their BIOS files to boot anything. If a CD system shows in the menu but nothing launches, rule out a missing BIOS first.

File formats

CD games are large. CHD and PBP save a lot of SD card space and make multi-disc games easier to manage. R36S games: supported file formats lists the extensions each system accepts.

Playable With Caveats: N64, Nintendo DS, Dreamcast/Naomi and PSP

Most of the confusion online comes from here. These systems are in the menu and do run, but results swing from game to game. That's why published figures contradict each other: N64 alone has been given anything from around 60% to around 90%, depending on the site. We won't add another number to the pile.

The better resource is the community-maintained R36S Game Compatibility Lists on GitHub (by GazousGit). Testers run games one by one on an R36S and record the emulator used. The counts below are games tested, not games that passed. Check each title's own result.

[Nintendo 64](/console/nintendo-64)

N64 usually runs on standalone Mupen64Plus, with RetroArch options too. Testers have logged 290 N64 games on the R36S. Some play well; others are too slow or glitchy.

[Nintendo DS](/console/nintendo-ds)

DS runs on DraStic. Of 86 games tested, 62 made the suggested list. Hardware isn't the only limit: touchscreen-heavy games are awkward on physical controls, so button-driven games are the safer bet.

[Dreamcast](/console/dreamcast), [NAOMI](/console/sega-naomi) and Atomiswave

You may read that the R36S doesn't support Dreamcast. It does. It runs through flycast (flycast_xtreme via retrorun32, plus a flycast_rumble32_hack build), and testers have checked 213 Dreamcast games on the device. The NAOMI and Atomiswave arcade boards are covered too, with 139 and 34 games tested. Expect mixed results: this is "game by game" at its clearest.

[PSP](/console/psp)

PSP runs on PPSSPP. Testers have logged 330 games across two standalone builds, the current one and a 2021 version. Lighter and 2D titles are where the R36S does best. Demanding 3D games are where it struggles.

Not Worth It or Not Supported

Sega Saturn: in the menu, mostly too slow

Saturn runs on a standalone emulator (YabaSanshiro) with a BIOS, and testers have tried 152 games. But Saturn emulation is demanding for RK3326 hardware, and most games are too slow to enjoy. Treat it as an experiment, not a reason to buy.

GameCube, PS2, Wii and 3DS: not supported

The R36S has no GameCube, PlayStation 2, Wii or 3DS emulation, and newer consoles are further out of reach. Seller listings sometimes blur this. Our GameCube compatibility guide explains why.

Modern games

The R36S is a retro emulation device, not a PC or phone. For the most common question here, see Does R36S have Minecraft?

Computers, Ports and Engines (Bonus Systems)

ArkOS-family firmware also includes home computers and game engines. They work, but they weren't designed for a handheld with no keyboard.

• Commodore 64
• Amiga: defaults to standalone Amiberry and needs Kickstart BIOS files (kick33180.A500, kick34005.A500 and kick40068.A1200)
• MSX and MSX2
• MS-DOS via DOSBox Pure
• ScummVM for classic point-and-click adventures
• PICO-8, the fantasy console
• OpenBOR for beat-'em-ups and EasyRPG for RPG Maker games
• PortMaster ports: dArkOS supports over 800

The catch is controls. Keyboard-heavy C64, Amiga, MSX or DOS games get fiddly when everything maps to a d-pad and face buttons. Amiga's standalone emulator also gives you fewer control options than a RetroArch core. Joystick games from these platforms are the easy wins.

Does Your R36 Model Change the List?

For the R36 family, no. The chip sets the emulator list and performance, and every R36 model uses the same RK3326 with 1 GB of RAM:

• R36S Plus: same RK3326 on most units, behind a 4.0-inch 720×720 square screen. Wi-Fi and battery vary by batch, and a few batches are reported with an Allwinner A133 Plus chip instead, so check the listing. Suits buyers who want a bigger screen for Game Boy and GBA.
• R36 Pro: same RK3326 and 1 GB RAM, plus Hall-effect sticks and a 4000 mAh battery. Suits players worried about stick drift.
• R36H: same RK3326 and 1 GB RAM in a horizontal, landscape-style body. Suits players who want a grip built for longer sessions. Our R36S vs R36H comparison covers the difference.
• R36 Max: same RK3326 and 1 GB RAM, with a 4.0-inch 720×720 square screen and a 4000 mAh battery, but no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Suits handheld-system fans who want the bigger screen.

All of them (bar an Allwinner-based R36S Plus) get exactly the same tiers as the R36S. You're choosing screen, stick type, battery and grip, not which games run.

The R36S Ultra: same chip, square screen and Wi-Fi

Some listings describe the R36S Ultra with a Rockchip RK3566 and 2 GB of RAM, but independent reviews and spec databases list the same RK3326 and 1 GB as the R36S, so every tier on this page applies to it too. What changes is the screen, a 4.0-inch 720×720 square panel instead of the 4:3 one, and built-in Wi-Fi for RetroAchievements and netplay (Bluetooth depends on the batch). On the square screen, 4:3 systems such as PS1 and SNES show black bars top and bottom. R36-branded listings vary, so confirm the chip named on the listing and on the unit itself. Our R36 model comparison and R36 Ultra vs R36S vs R36 Max cover the differences.

Firmware and Your Emulator List: ArkOS, dArkOS and ROCKNIX

Firmware decides which systems appear in the menu and which emulators sit behind them. It doesn't change what the chip can handle.

• Stock firmware: most R36S units ship with an ArkOS-for-clones build. The Arkos4Clones project brought ArkOS to the R36S, and manufacturers adopted it as their default install. That's why most stock menus look broadly alike.
• ArkOS: covers over 90 systems and supports PortMaster and PICO-8. Its repository now says it is no longer maintained and kept for historical purposes.
• dArkOS: the Debian-based successor. It supports over 90 systems and more than 800 PortMaster ports on RK3326 devices, and it's the one to watch for updates.
• ROCKNIX: listed as an OS option on the R36 Max, alongside ArkOS.

For a side-by-side, see R36S custom firmware compared. For setup, use our ArkOS installation guide or the ArkOS download and setup guide.

Why a System Is Missing From Your Menu

If PSP, NDS, Dreamcast or another system doesn't appear, the emulator is almost certainly there. The cause is usually one of three things.

1. The ROM folder is empty. EmulationStation hides systems with no games. Some only appear after you add games to the matching ROM folder and refresh the game list. Our guide on how to add games to R36S walks through the folders.

2. Wrong file extension or missing BIOS. A file the system doesn't recognize won't show up. A missing BIOS can make games appear but fail to launch. Check our file formats guide.

3. Your unit runs a clone or rebrand build. Units sold under other names can ship with a different system list or folder layout. See how to spot a fake R36S, and for a standard menu, installing ArkOS on clone handhelds.

Looking for specific titles rather than systems? What games are on R36S? is the games-first companion to this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many emulators does the R36S have?

ArkOS-based firmware, including its successor dArkOS, covers over 90 systems. Being in the menu isn't the same as playing well, though. The R36S's real strengths are 8-bit and 16-bit consoles, handhelds up to the GBA, arcade, Neo Geo and PS1.

Can the R36S play N64 and PSP games?

Yes, but game by game. N64 runs on Mupen64Plus and PSP on PPSSPP, where lighter or 2D titles fare best. Published percentages contradict each other, so look up the specific game in the community R36S compatibility lists.

Can the R36S play Dreamcast games?

Yes. Dreamcast runs through flycast, and community testers have checked 213 Dreamcast games on the R36S. Results are mixed, so treat it as game by game.

Can the R36S play GameCube, PS2, Wii or 3DS games?

No. None of these systems are supported on the R36S. Saturn is in the menu, but most games are too slow to enjoy.

Why don't I see PSP, NDS or Dreamcast in my menu?

EmulationStation hides systems whose ROM folder is empty, so add games to the matching folder and refresh the game list. If it still doesn't appear, check the file extension, or whether your unit runs a clone firmware build with a different system list.

Is ArkOS still updated?

No. The ArkOS repository says it is no longer maintained and has been replaced by dArkOS, which supports over 90 systems and more than 800 PortMaster ports.