Love my R36s but its not worth 70$, maybe if thats not in USD, i got mine for around 60$ CAD which is 43.65 USD, at that price its hard to beat. I'd say just grab the cheaper one, maybe compare the Miyoo Mini+ price as well, theres also the RGB20S which the R36S is cloned from and keeps the sticks.
35xx might be slightly more pocketable with the no sticks but you also lose out on some ps1 and other emulation without them.
Personally I think the r36s is great, loosen the screws on the back to fix the dpad, trim the buttons, add a bit of foam under the shoulders and its leagues better, just about perfect tbh. Dpad is actually really good IMO, no false diagonals and I can easily hit them when I want.
I'm not at all experienced with this type of modding. Loosening screws, sure; trimming and foams, I'd have to see someone do it. Are you aware of any guide out there? The stiffness of the buttons, and loudness of the back ones, is this device's only flaw for me.
Yes lots of videos on YouTube if you look up r36s shoulder button mod/fix, but you just take the screws off the back and put some 1mm foam tape on the triggers where they press the shoulder microswitch, I prefer the foam tape as it has adhesive reapplied to the back, some people just use normal foam/sponge too, but you only need a small piece. After looking at other devices I'm not sure the kapton tape on top is necessary but does protect the electrical components.
Lots, but a lot of the games are in non-English languages and/or messed up in some way. (e.g. The Pokemon GBA ROMs on the stock SD card that came with mine couldn't save. Replacing them with known good ROMs fixed the issue.)
It'd be better to curate your own set of games.
I am *not* a fan of the R35/R36S. There are a lot of people for whom there aren't other, better options. The entire point of the R35/R36S was to be like sub $50, so having to pay $70 for one isn't a steal. I would go with the RG35XX (original) and set it up with GarlicOS. I think the $ -15 option is better unless you have a particular reason to really want things like N64/PSP that benefit from an analog stick. The Build Quality on the R35/R36S is *not* good - especially coming from something OEM like a Switch, you'll notice it 100%.
In my opinion, *yes* you get a little more performance out of the R36S, but I don't think it's worth the overall cheaper quality of the console itself. Companies like Anbernic & Retroid have a decent reputation for quality devices. You should consider the Miyoo Mini Plus alongside the RG35XX as well. After using something like a Switch I think it would be an easier transition to a 35XX/MM+. Devices are typically USB A to C. **However,** you should not use fast-chargers with them. They need to be charged old school / 5V
https://retrogamecorps.com/2023/01/03/anbernic-rg35xx-starter-guide/
It's all already solved for you, provided you can follow the instructions.
Using these devices as they come is a terrible idea. The MicroSD they come with is highly susceptible to corruption (becoming defective). It could last 2-3 days, a week, 3 weeks or it could just refuse to boot and be defective out of the box. It's highly recommended to flash a custom firmware (Garlic) ASAP. I'd stick to 5V - They're like ~ $5-8 or something on Amazon, and you won't need more than ~ 64GB for a MicroSD unless you want lots of PS1 games in which case you'd probably want to go to 128GB. Either way?
The risk with higher voltage chargers is turning your battery into a fire hazard and will wear down the battery more quickly (extra heat). You can also just use the included cord and charge it via plugged into a desktop/laptop etc.
If you want to install Garlic, you need to have the original model of the RG35XX. The 2024 model is not compatible with Garlic 1.x, and Garlic 2.0 is still in a very early alpha.
Are you located in Europe? The R36S is usually less than the RG35XX but if the Anbernic is less then i Would go for it even though you lose the sticks.
Don't listen to the R36s haters. It's a great device with a list price and plays a ton of games. Sure it doesn't have wifi or Bluetooth, but you easily get a cheap dongle for either.
The MSRP of the R36S is $40 and you're better off spending the additional $15 for an RG35XX.
Love my R36s but its not worth 70$, maybe if thats not in USD, i got mine for around 60$ CAD which is 43.65 USD, at that price its hard to beat. I'd say just grab the cheaper one, maybe compare the Miyoo Mini+ price as well, theres also the RGB20S which the R36S is cloned from and keeps the sticks. 35xx might be slightly more pocketable with the no sticks but you also lose out on some ps1 and other emulation without them. Personally I think the r36s is great, loosen the screws on the back to fix the dpad, trim the buttons, add a bit of foam under the shoulders and its leagues better, just about perfect tbh. Dpad is actually really good IMO, no false diagonals and I can easily hit them when I want.
I'm not at all experienced with this type of modding. Loosening screws, sure; trimming and foams, I'd have to see someone do it. Are you aware of any guide out there? The stiffness of the buttons, and loudness of the back ones, is this device's only flaw for me.
Yes lots of videos on YouTube if you look up r36s shoulder button mod/fix, but you just take the screws off the back and put some 1mm foam tape on the triggers where they press the shoulder microswitch, I prefer the foam tape as it has adhesive reapplied to the back, some people just use normal foam/sponge too, but you only need a small piece. After looking at other devices I'm not sure the kapton tape on top is necessary but does protect the electrical components.
What games come with the 35xx?
No clue, Id recommend ditching the stock ROM set as it will contain a bunch of garbage and duplicates, either grab your own or look up the done set 2.
Lots, but a lot of the games are in non-English languages and/or messed up in some way. (e.g. The Pokemon GBA ROMs on the stock SD card that came with mine couldn't save. Replacing them with known good ROMs fixed the issue.) It'd be better to curate your own set of games.
I am *not* a fan of the R35/R36S. There are a lot of people for whom there aren't other, better options. The entire point of the R35/R36S was to be like sub $50, so having to pay $70 for one isn't a steal. I would go with the RG35XX (original) and set it up with GarlicOS. I think the $ -15 option is better unless you have a particular reason to really want things like N64/PSP that benefit from an analog stick. The Build Quality on the R35/R36S is *not* good - especially coming from something OEM like a Switch, you'll notice it 100%. In my opinion, *yes* you get a little more performance out of the R36S, but I don't think it's worth the overall cheaper quality of the console itself. Companies like Anbernic & Retroid have a decent reputation for quality devices. You should consider the Miyoo Mini Plus alongside the RG35XX as well. After using something like a Switch I think it would be an easier transition to a 35XX/MM+. Devices are typically USB A to C. **However,** you should not use fast-chargers with them. They need to be charged old school / 5V
And will a 15/20 wat switch charger do the trick?
Does garlic come with it or will it have to spend hours figuring out how to install it?
https://retrogamecorps.com/2023/01/03/anbernic-rg35xx-starter-guide/ It's all already solved for you, provided you can follow the instructions. Using these devices as they come is a terrible idea. The MicroSD they come with is highly susceptible to corruption (becoming defective). It could last 2-3 days, a week, 3 weeks or it could just refuse to boot and be defective out of the box. It's highly recommended to flash a custom firmware (Garlic) ASAP. I'd stick to 5V - They're like ~ $5-8 or something on Amazon, and you won't need more than ~ 64GB for a MicroSD unless you want lots of PS1 games in which case you'd probably want to go to 128GB. Either way? The risk with higher voltage chargers is turning your battery into a fire hazard and will wear down the battery more quickly (extra heat). You can also just use the included cord and charge it via plugged into a desktop/laptop etc.
Maybe figure it out by watching YouTube videos. If you want something don't expect it to be handed to you.
If you want to install Garlic, you need to have the original model of the RG35XX. The 2024 model is not compatible with Garlic 1.x, and Garlic 2.0 is still in a very early alpha.
Are you located in Europe? The R36S is usually less than the RG35XX but if the Anbernic is less then i Would go for it even though you lose the sticks.
Why?
Don't listen to the R36s haters. It's a great device with a list price and plays a ton of games. Sure it doesn't have wifi or Bluetooth, but you easily get a cheap dongle for either.