R36S vs R36H vs R36 Ultra: Same Chip, Three Shapes

The comparison everybody writes about these three is a specifications table, and it is close to useless, because the most important row is identical on all three.

They share the same processor. A Rockchip RK3326 in each case, which means they play the same games at the same speed. There is no performance upgrade anywhere in this lineup. If you have read that the R36 Ultra handles N64, PSP or Dreamcast better than an R36S, that is not how this works. Same chip, same results.

So the decision is about four things that are not speed: the shape, the screen, whether it has Wi-Fi, and how much community firmware stands behind the model you pick. The last one matters more than any of the others and nobody mentions it.

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Quick Verdict

The Row That Actually Decides It

Firmware. Here is why, in one sentence: the thing that turns any of these from a mediocre toy into a genuinely good cheap handheld is community firmware, and the three models do not get equal amounts of it.

The R36S has the deepest community of any handheld at this price. That is its real advantage over its siblings and over most of the budget market. More builds, more themes, more guides, more people who have hit your problem already.

The R36H has one dedicated maintained fork, built on the same firmware family as the R36S line and aimed specifically at that model. One good option is a perfectly fine position to be in, and it is narrower than the R36S's.

The R36 Ultra is supported and has community game ports built specifically for its square 720x720 screen, so it is not an orphan. It is a thinner ecosystem than the R36S's, and its square panel means some themes and ports need work that nobody has necessarily done.

One thing that affects all three equally, and that most guides have not caught up with: ArkOS, the firmware every older guide names, is archived. Its last update was August 2025. Its maintained successor is dArkOS, a Debian based rebuild by the same developer, still being updated in November 2026. Whichever of these three you buy, that is the project to look for, and our R36S setup guide covers the identification step you need to do first.

Shape and Comfort

This is the second real difference and it is personal rather than technical.

The R36S is vertical, in the Game Boy tradition. Small, pocketable, and it gets uncomfortable before the battery runs out because there is nothing to hold. The base model has no analog sticks, which matters for PS1 and nothing before it.

The R36H is horizontal with grips, which is the whole reason it exists. The screen sits between two controller style handles. For a long session it is the clear winner in this lineup, and it is less pocketable as a direct consequence.

The R36 Ultra is vertical like the R36S, with a bigger square screen in a slightly larger body.

If you already know you prefer one of the two layouts, that is a stronger signal than anything else on this page. Nobody enjoys a shape they dislike because the firmware situation is better.

The Screens, and Why Square Is a Real Trade

The screens are the most interesting difference, because the obviously better one is not better for everything.

The R36S panel is 640x480 in 4:3, and that is a quietly excellent choice. It is a whole number multiple of several classic systems' output, so pixel art can be drawn without resampling. A Game Boy Advance screen is 240x160, a NES frame is 256x240, and a 640x480 panel handles both without the soft, smeared look you get from awkward scaling. Our integer scaling explanation covers why this matters more than resolution.

The R36 Ultra panel is 720x720 in a 1:1 square. Bigger, higher resolution, and a different proposition. A square panel is generous for systems that were themselves nearly square, and for a 4:3 game it means bars at the top and bottom rather than at the sides. For a 16:9 anything it is poor. It is also not a whole number multiple of most classic output, so the scaling advantage above is gone.

So the Ultra's screen is better if you want more area and a nicer panel, and the R36S's is better if you care about pixel art being drawn correctly. Both positions are defensible and most people will prefer the Ultra on first look and the R36S after a week.

Wi-Fi: the Ultra's Genuine Advantage

The R36 Ultra has Wi-Fi. The R36S and R36H do not, on their base models.

What that actually buys you:

• RetroAchievements, which is the real one. Achievements across the classic libraries, and it needs a connection.
• Netplay for the systems that support it.
• File transfer over the network, so you stop taking the card out, which is more pleasant than it sounds.
• Firmware and scraper updates without a card reader.

If any of those matter to you, that is the Ultra and the comparison is over. If none of them do, Wi-Fi is the reason the Ultra costs more and you are buying a radio you will not switch on.

Watch for one thing in the listings: some sellers list Wi-Fi on R36S product pages anyway. These listings are advertising, not specification, which is a theme across this whole family.

What None of Them Do

Worth stating once, because the listings for all three claim otherwise.

No N64, no PSP, no Dreamcast, not really. Some games in each run. Most do not run well. The RK3326 is a 2018 class part and these systems sit outside it. PSP is advertised most aggressively and disappoints most reliably.

No manufacturer, no warranty, no support. None of these three is made by a company you can contact. Your recourse when something fails is the seller's returns window, which is the strongest practical argument for buying from a marketplace that has one.

No guarantee about which board you receive, and this is the real risk across the family. Several genuinely different boards ship under the R36S name, including ones using Allwinner chips rather than the Rockchip part, and the firmware images are not interchangeable between them. That is the single most important thing to know before buying any of these and it has its own section in our R36S review.

Which Should You Buy

Buy the R36S if you want the deepest firmware community, the best pixel scaling, and the lowest price. This is the default answer and the one we would give to most people.

Buy the R36H if comfort over a long session is what you actually care about. The grips are a real improvement and you give up pocketability and some community depth for them.

Buy the R36 Ultra if you want RetroAchievements or netplay, or if a bigger screen beats correct pixel scaling for you.

Buy none of them if you would rather have a manufacturer behind the device. An Anbernic RG35XX H costs a little more, removes the board lottery entirely, and has a company that ships firmware updates. Our best handhelds under $50 covers the whole tier honestly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the R36 Ultra better than the R36S?

Not at playing games, because they use the same Rockchip RK3326 chip and perform identically. The Ultra has a bigger 4 inch 720x720 square screen and adds Wi-Fi, which unlocks RetroAchievements and netplay. The R36S has a deeper firmware community and a 640x480 4:3 panel that scales classic pixel art without resampling. Pick on those grounds, not on speed.

What is the difference between the R36S and the R36H?

The shape. The R36S is a vertical Game Boy style body and the R36H is horizontal with controller style grips and the screen in the middle. Same chip, same performance, no Wi-Fi on either. The R36H is more comfortable for long sessions and much less pocketable.

Does the R36 Ultra play N64 or PSP better?

No. It is the same RK3326 chip as the R36S and R36H, so N64, PSP and Dreamcast are just as patchy on it. Listings for all three advertise these systems and none of them delivers them properly. Buy any of these for systems up to and including PlayStation 1.

Which R36 model has Wi-Fi?

The R36 Ultra. The base R36S and R36H do not, which also means no RetroAchievements and no netplay on those two. Some sellers list Wi-Fi on R36S pages regardless, so treat the listing as advertising rather than specification.

Which R36 model has the best firmware support?

The R36S, by a wide margin, and it is the strongest reason to pick it. The R36H has one maintained dedicated fork and the R36 Ultra has support plus community ports built for its square screen, but neither has the R36S's depth. All three share one problem: ArkOS, the firmware older guides name, was archived in 2025, and dArkOS is its maintained successor.

Is the R36 Ultra the same as the R36S Ultra?

They are the same device under two names, which is normal for this family since no manufacturer controls the naming. Listings use both, sometimes on the same page. Judge a listing by the screen size, the resolution and whether it claims Wi-Fi rather than by the name.

Are any of these actually Anbernic devices?

No. Anbernic does not make the R36S, the R36H or the R36 Ultra and never has. These have no manufacturer, which is the root of the board lottery and the lack of warranty. Anbernic's device in the same price band is the RG35XX family.