R36 Max retro handheld console

A vertical R36 with a 4-inch square IPS screen at 720 x 720, a 4,000 mAh battery and a double grip on the back.

Build yours

Red R36 Max seen from the front, a fox on a cliff in pixel art on the square screen

Pick your R36 Max color

Four clear shells that show the board inside, and one solid white. Shades can vary slightly between batches.

Pick your storage: 64 or 128 GB

Two microSD slots: one holds the system, the other holds your games.

$89 64 GBStandard $99 128 GBMore room

The white R36 Max held upright in two hands

A square screen, as wide as the R36S.

The 4-inch panel shows 720 x 720 pixels. Next to the 3.5-inch 4:3 screen of the R36S it keeps the same width and gains height: about 36% more screen area, by calculation.

A 4:3 game shown without stretching keeps its proportions, with bands above and below. Display options depend on the system and the emulator.

R36 Max specs

Taken from the supplier sheet and the label printed on the back of the console.

R36 Max specifications
Screen	4-inch IPS, 720 x 720, square 1:1, fully laminated
Chip	Rockchip RK3326, four Cortex-A35 cores up to 1.5 GHz, Mali-G31 MP2 graphics
RAM	1 GB
Storage	Two microSD slots, system (right) and games (left), cards up to 128 GB
Battery	4,000 mAh Li-Po, printed on the rear label
Charging	USB-C port marked DC, 5 V adapter of at least 1.5 A (not included), USB-A to USB-C cable supplied
Ports	USB-C DC, 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB-C OTG, all on the bottom edge
Wireless	No built-in Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth
Controls	D-pad, ABXY, two analog sticks, L1 L2 R2 R1 on the back
Size	83 x 153 x 35 mm, as announced (35 mm at the grips)
System	Open-source Linux with an EmulationStation menu

R36 Max or R36S?

Same chip and the same 1 GB of RAM. The screen shape and the battery make the difference. See the R36S

R36 Max and R36S side by side
	R36 Max	R36S
Screen	4-inch, 720 x 720, square	3.5-inch, 640 x 480, 4:3
Battery	4,000 mAh	3,200 mAh on most listings
Chip and RAM	RK3326, 1 GB	RK3326, 1 GB
Built-in Wi-Fi	No	Varies by revision
microSD slots	Two	Two

R36 Max: good questions

Is this the R36 Max2?

No. The R36 Max2 is a different model with a 4.5-inch 1024 x 768 screen and built-in Wi-Fi. This page is about the original R36 Max, released in November 2024.

Does the R36 Max have Wi-Fi?

No built-in Wi-Fi and no Bluetooth. A USB Wi-Fi dongle on the OTG port may work depending on the firmware; it is sold separately.

Is a charger included?

No. A USB-A to USB-C cable is supplied. Charge through the port marked DC with a 5 V wall adapter rated for at least 1.5 A.