The main difference between the R36H and the R36S is the shape.
The R36H is a horizontal, the R36S is a vertical, Game Boy shaped.
Which is better
Which fits in a pocket better?
TieAbout the same size: R36H 145 x 69 x 16 mm, 186 g, R36S 82 x 130 mm, 187 g. Both fit a jeans pocket.
Which is better for PS2 games, the R36H or the R36S?
NeitherNeither plays PS2 games.
Which costs less?
TieThey launched at about the same price: $38 and $40.
Which is better for GBA games?
TieBoth run GBA at full speed and fill about the same share of the screen with even pixels: 50% of the R36H's screen at 2x, 50% of the R36S's screen at 2x.
Which has the bigger battery?
R36SThe R36S, at 3,500 mAh against 3,000 mAh. Same chip, so the bigger battery should last longer.
Side by side
| R36H | R36S | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $38 | $40 |
| Released | Jan 2025 | Oct 2023 |
| Plays well up to | DS | DS |
| Shape | Horizontal | Vertical |
| Software | Linux | Linux |
| Chip | RockChip RK3326 | RockChip RK3326 |
| Memory | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Screen | 3.5 inch IPS 4:3 | 3.5 inch IPS 4:3 |
| Resolution | 640 x 480 | 640 x 480 |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 3,500 mAh |
| Weight | 186 g | 187 g |
| Size | 145 x 69 x 16 mm | 82 x 130 mm |
| Analog sticks | Double, asymmetrical | Double, symmetrical |
| L2 and R2 | Yes, side by side | Yes, side by side |
| Wi-Fi | No | No |
| Video out | No | No |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
Green marks the better value where one is clearly better. Prices are launch prices.
Emulation
- R36HR36S
- Game Boy
- NES
- Genesis
- GBA
- SNES
- PS1
- DS
- N64
- Dreamcast
- PSP
- Saturn
100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues.
Full details
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More comparisons
Why this pair: buyers weigh these two against each other. 51 comments by 40 different people compare them in community discussions, and 21 post titles name both. Specs, emulation scores and launch prices from the retrocatalog.com handheld database.