R36S Ultra Review: Is the Flagship R36 Worth the Upgrade?

The R36S Ultra sits at the top of the R36 family lineup. If the base R36S got you interested in retro handhelds but you're wondering whether the "Ultra" name is marketing fluff or a real upgrade, here's a full breakdown based on its actual specs.

What's Actually Different: Screen and Wi-Fi, Not the Chip

Start with what stays the same, because many listings get it wrong. Some sellers describe the Ultra as an RK3566 device with 2 GB of RAM. Independent reviews and spec databases list the same Rockchip RK3326 (quad-core Cortex-A35 @ 1.5 GHz, Mali-G31 MP2 graphics) with 1 GB of RAM that every other R36 model uses: the base R36S, R36S Plus, R36 Pro, R36H and R36 Max. Games run at the same speed on all of them.

What the Ultra really changes is the screen and the connectivity. It swaps the R36S's 3.5" 4:3 panel for a 4.0" 720×720 square screen, and it adds built-in Wi-Fi, which none of the 3.5" R36 models have. Those are the two reasons to buy it.

Full Specs

*R36-branded listings vary between batches. If a listing's chip, battery or wireless spec differs from this table, trust what's printed for that unit and check it on arrival.*

What You Gain Over the Base R36S

Wi-Fi: RetroAchievements and Netplay

The base R36S has no wireless at all. The Ultra's built-in Wi-Fi is the feature that really sets it apart: RetroAchievements work without a dongle, netplay becomes possible, and on firmware that supports it you can copy games over the network instead of pulling the microSD card. Bluetooth depends on the batch, so don't count on wireless headphones or a Bluetooth controller unless the listing for your unit says so.

A Bigger, Square Screen

The 4.0" 720×720 panel is larger than the R36S's 3.5" screen, and its square shape is a deliberate choice. Game Boy, Game Boy Color, GBA and Neo Geo Pocket games fill it well. 4:3 systems such as PS1, SNES, NES and Mega Drive show black bars at the top and bottom, so a 4:3 game ends up about the same size as on the R36S's 3.5" screen. If most of your library is 4:3 home consoles, the original R36S's screen shape suits it better.

Compatibility: The Same as the R36S

This is where many listings oversell the Ultra. Because it uses the same RK3326 chip and 1 GB of RAM, every system runs the same as on the base R36S. NES, SNES, GBA, PS1 and arcade run great. Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP and Nintendo DS stay game by game, exactly as on the R36S. If those heavier systems are your main reason to upgrade, you need a stronger handheld outside the R36 family (RK3566-class or better), not the Ultra.

Pros

✅ Built-in Wi-Fi — RetroAchievements and netplay without a dongle

✅ Larger 4.0" square screen — a great fit for Game Boy, GBA and Neo Geo Pocket

✅ Same game ratings as the R36S — every compatibility rating on this site applies unchanged

Cons

❌ No extra power — N64, Dreamcast, PSP and DS run no better than on the base R36S

❌ Square 720×720 screen shows 4:3 systems (SNES, PS1, Mega Drive) with black bars top and bottom

❌ Bluetooth isn't guaranteed — it depends on the batch

❌ Still can't run GameCube/Wii/PS2 — no R36 model can

Who Should Buy the R36S Ultra?

Buy the Ultra if: you want RetroAchievements or netplay over Wi-Fi, or you mostly play Game Boy, GBA and other handheld systems that suit a square screen.

Stick with the base R36S if you're mainly playing NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PS1, and arcade titles — its 4:3 screen fits those games without bars, and it runs them exactly as well as the Ultra.

Look outside the R36 family if you want N64, Dreamcast, PSP or DS to run better. Every R36 model shares the same chip, so a stronger handheld is the real upgrade for those systems.

How Does It Compare to the R36 Max?

The R36S Ultra and R36 Max share the same RK3326 chip, 1 GB of RAM and 4.0" 720×720 square screen — games run identically on both. The difference is wireless: the Ultra has Wi-Fi, while the Max has no Wi-Fi and no Bluetooth, so no RetroAchievements without a dongle. In return the Max has a 4,000 mAh battery and dual microSD slots. See our full model comparison for a side-by-side of all six R36 models.

Verdict

The R36S Ultra is a genuine variant, but not a performance upgrade. Buy it for the square screen and the Wi-Fi, which brings RetroAchievements and netplay. Don't buy it expecting N64, Dreamcast, PSP or NDS to run better than on the base R36S — the chip inside is the same. If you don't need Wi-Fi, the R36 Max gives you the same square screen; if your games are mostly 4:3 home consoles, the original R36S is the better fit.

Browse the complete R36S Ultra-compatible game library to see exactly what runs on this model.