ArkOS on the R36S, explained
ArkOS is an open-source Linux system for retro handhelds: an EmulationStation menu to browse your games, with RetroArch and its emulator cores underneath. In the R36 family our sheets document it on the R36H Pro Max (ArkOS 2.0 preinstalled) and on the R36XX. The R36 Max ships with a factory Linux image, ArkOS on some batches, and the R36 Ultra X with EmuELEC 4.7. Updating or replacing the system is at your own risk: back up the system card first.
What is ArkOS on the R36S?
ArkOS is the software that starts when you turn the console on. It lives on the system card, and it does three jobs: it starts Linux, it shows the EmulationStation menu where your games are listed by system, and it launches RetroArch or another emulator when you pick a game.
It is one of several open-source systems for this kind of handheld. EmuELEC is another, with the same kind of menu. They look alike in use; what differs is the version, the settings and the emulators each one ships.
Which R36 models ship with ArkOS?
| Model | Factory system |
|---|---|
| R36S | Not documented in our sheets: check the boot screen |
| R36 Max | Factory Linux image with an EmulationStation menu, ArkOS on some batches |
| R36H | Not confirmed yet |
| R36H Pro Max | ArkOS 2.0 preinstalled |
| R36S Plus | Open-source Linux system preinstalled; the build varies by batch |
| R36 Ultra | Not confirmed yet |
| R36 Ultra X | EmuELEC 4.7 with the EmulationStation menu |
| R36XX | ArkOS, usually not the latest version |
So "ArkOS on the R36S" is really a question about your card: the same model name can ship with different systems from one batch to the next.
How do you know which system your R36 runs?
Watch the screen when the console starts: the boot screen and the main menu usually name the system and often its version. Write the name and version down before you change anything, so you know what to go back to.
Should you update ArkOS?
If your console starts, plays and saves the way you want, there is no need to. A newer version can fix problems or add options, but every change to the system card carries a small risk, and an update can leave older save states unreadable.
On models with built-in Wi-Fi, such as the R36H Pro Max and the R36XX, the system may offer updates itself, depending on what is installed. That is the gentlest route: an update the installed system proposes, rather than a new image written over the card.
How do you update ArkOS safely?
- Charge the battery fully. A console that shuts down in the middle of an update can leave a card that no longer starts.
- Turn the console off from the menu and make a full image of the system card on a computer, with a disk imaging tool. Copy the games card, or at least its save folders.
- Note the name and version of the system you have now.
- Run the update, and do not turn the console off or remove a card until it has finished and restarted.
- If anything goes wrong, write your image back to the card: you are exactly where you started.
Our microSD guide and our guide to saving games cover the backup part step by step.
What about community builds of ArkOS?
Community builds exist for many of these consoles. Some list the R36 Max, the R36H Pro Max and the R36 Ultra X among supported devices, and some older ones are no longer maintained: the ArkOS build published for the R36 Max has been archived since August 2025.
We do not provide, link to or support these builds. Installing one is at your own risk, it replaces the system your console shipped with, and it should only ever happen after a full image of your system card. If you are not sure, keep the factory system.
Does ArkOS make the R36S faster?
No system can add power the chip does not have. Every R36 runs the RK3326 with 1 GB of RAM, so ArkOS changes the menus, the options and the emulator versions, not the hardware. It does not add Wi-Fi to a model without it, Bluetooth, or online play. If you want more screen or Wi-Fi, that is a choice of model, which our buyer’s guide compares.