R36S Hardware Modifications: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 01:33, 16 June 2026

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More mods[edit]

Reddit: Speaker replacement

Reddit: Custom battery covers

Reddit: Heatsink and Fan

Battery extender with 2*18650 Li-Ion[edit]

Warning

This modification is unsafe. These 18650 Li-ion batteries can get very hot, possibly softening the plastic and causing catastrophic damage. If these batteries get damaged (e.g., R36S gets dropped and batteries get damaged), it can cause "thermal runaway", reaching internal battery temperatures of up to 1000 degrees celsius. This can nearly instantly kill the console, and can seriously harm you due to burns and toxic fumes. Heatsinks WILL NOT help with this.

Reddit: Battery extender with 2*18650 Li-Ion

Cover for 2 battery 3.7V Lithium 18650 with USB-C charging module.

You need :

1 x 3.7V Lithium Battery Charger 5V 1A 2A Li-ion Lipo Battery Charging Protect

2 x Battery Shrapnel 18650 Battery Spring Positive And Negative Contact (need cut 2 spirale on negative contact)

1x JST 1.25mm PH2.0 XH2.54 2 Pin Male Plug (15cm)

File for 3D Print :

https://cults3d.com/fr/mod%C3%A8le-3d/gadget/18650-cover-for-r36s

You can use this 3500mAh battery to extend your battery to 7000mAh, but temperatures can and will rise, and can have severe battery health impact, alongside other things.

Modding and Teardown Guide[edit]

"Ultimate R36S" by Swimming-Emphasis-91[edit]

Reddit thread with lots of info and links to parts and guides: My (perhaps) ultimate R36S

Hall-Effect Joysticks
Heatsink
Inbuilt Wi-Fi
Inbuilt Bluetooth
Silence Tactile Buttons
Anatomic Shoulder Buttons
Rumble Motor
Theme Modification

Shoulder Buttons / Noise Reduction[edit]

↪ R36S Shoulder Button Upgrade Tutorial

YouTube: R36S shoulder button noise reduction (silent mod)

Reddit: Epic Foam Mod for R36S - u/sniper257

Reddit: Trigger and Face Button Fix/Membranes - u/potatowalrus

Reddit: Solder new tactile/silent switches - u/kakashihokage

Reddit: What kind of tactile switches does the R36S use

D-pad and Buttons Fix / Improvement[edit]

YouTube: R36S Teardown & DPAD/Button Fix

YouTube: R36S D-pad: 3-minute Fix Challenge

YouTube: R36S Disassembly Tips - Improve Buttons

Joystick Mods[edit]

YouTube: R36S | Hall-Effect Joystick Upgrade | Tutorial

YouTube: Change / Upgrade R36S Controls: Hall Effect

Reddit: Small Upgrade of Analog Sticks - u/Fusko24

CAD Models and 3D Printing Files[edit]

Printables: Lots of Different 3D Models on Printables.com

Printables: R36S Reference CAD Model

Printables: R36S Shoulder Buttons

Reddit: Better Buttons for R36S - u/Snoo74895

Reddit: Case and Clip on Screen Cover - u/potatowalrus

Reddit: R36S 3 in 1 Case Grip - u/potatowalrus

Reddit: R36S Case - u/doggyworld4082

Reddit: Full Case Replacement for R36S - firezenk

Reddit: Improved Buttons - aggrohaze88

Reddit: 3D Printed Handheld Stand - dovgro

Reddit: PowerUp - 2BitePie

Reddit: Free R36S D-Pad Collection - firezenk

Internal WiFi Mods[edit]

Reddit: WiFi Mod

YouTube: R36s Internal WiFi Mod - Detailed Description and Device Teardown

Wi-Fi Module on the V21 Board[edit]

↪ R36S/R36H Internal WiFi Mod

Reddit: Soldered WiFi Module on the V21 Board - u/alexbaiken

Rumble / Vibration Motor[edit]

Reddit: Rumble/Vibration in R36S - u/KST-aka-Giga_Chad

Reddit: Rumble Motor, Heatsink and Wrist Cord - u/paulosincos

Reddit: R35S / R36S Vibration Motor Mod

YouTube: Enable RUMBLE / VIBRATION on R36S and R35S for $1!

Internal USB UART Console Mod[edit]

In a very hacker‑friendly move, the manufacturer provided test points for the USB D⁺/D⁻ data lines of the charging port on the PCB. This allows you to add internal USB hardware that can be connected to a PC by plugging a normal USB‑A‑to‑C cable into the charging port (which will still charge the R36S at the same time). The test points are on the “bottom” side of the PCB; you have to remove the board from the case to access them.

I used this to add a USB‑UART adapter that gives convenient access to the serial console (this will, for some people/situations, be more convenient than plugging in a USB keyboard or using Wi‑Fi + SSH).

I opted for a tiny USB‑UART module from AliExpress because it’s neater, but you can also remove the USB connector of any other one. Beware that the UART side must use 3.3 V signals (not 5 V). This pulls the 3.3 V power supply from the UART test points on the R36S (note that I set the jumper on the module to 3 V input), which has the downside that the USB device only registers on the host when the R36S is powered up. If I were to do this again, I would find a point to grab the 5 V supply from the charging port instead.

Heatsink Mods[edit]

The R36S handheld can get pretty toasty during marathon gaming sessions, but a few clever cooling tricks can keep it chill. Whether you add some copper sheets, thermal pads, and extra vent holes for passive heat‑spreading or an active cooling fan, these low‑cost mods make a big difference—and your games stay smooth without the sweat.

Active Cooling[edit]

Mod 1 - u/nikonair[edit]

Reddit: R36S heatsink mod and thermal performance testing.

Tools: Performance data collector for R36S consoles

Heatsink Mod[edit]

Performance Testing[edit]

Mod 2 - u/snacktivism[edit]

Reddit: Internal Active Cooling

Parts List:

Heatsink: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001125438217.html
Fan: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009111701234.html
3D Printed Fan Duct: Metroidians

Passive Cooling[edit]

Display Changing Guide[edit]

This is a tutorial to change a broken screen. Device in the video is the R35S, but the process is almost the same for the R36S.

Misc Mods[edit]

Reddit: All white mod is coming together nicely - u/Mysterious-Still-787

Reddit: Console modded without spending a Dollar - u/Global_Guest_2183

Tape & Vinyl Mods[edit]

Reddit: The best R36S mod is black tape over the blue light - u/WWWWWWVWWWWWWWWWWWWV

Reddit: Tried my hand at a battery wrap design - u/sniper257

Cardboard Mods[edit]

Miniature Arcade Model Stand[edit]

The mod was free, but now it can only be purchased officially via etsy

Cardboard Box Grip[edit]

The mod was free, but now it can only be purchased officially via Etsy.

Reddit: Safety Cord - Anbernic RG Vita

3D Printed Mods[edit]

Reddit: R36S Clear Resin Buttons

Parts List: Printables

Reddit: The PlayStation Mod

Parts List: Cults3D

Paint Jobs[edit]

Reddit: Zelda Edition - u/TeaProfessional5670

Reddit: Multiple Mods - DimensionOk3304

Reddit: R36S Customized with Gold Details - jessikarochas

Reddit: R36S Lettering Paint Tutorial - danewlo

Highlight Buttons and Slots with Marker

USB Info[edit]

(WIP -- X8X-Foundries)

When wanting to use something like a USB Ethernet Dongle, USB Expansion Hub / "Dock", or other devices, it is generally recommended to have a POWERED USB-C hub between the intended device, and the R36S (the host device).

The R36S will want to solely act as a host, and not a slave device. At least, not without a proper "hub" interface for it to plug into. From current research, the "hub" chip in the R36S is barebones. As in, its mostly an interface to the SOC itself. While, yes, it does count AS a USB port, its a "raw" USB port. A Mass Storage Device will mount, a n*#@endo switch in UFS mode will mount, a hard drive will mount, as long as there is power provided.

If there is not a powered hub in front of the OTG port, it will "try" to act like a client device. However, the R36S's chipset is not designed to operate in this way.

An internal hub that solders directly to the WiFi pads, and the PD Data lines that are just beside the triggers, splitting from 2 internal to 4, would give an ungodly amount of expandability to developers. Parts can be found on Digikey or Mouser.

This should include most clones, generally.

Self Hubbed Ethernet (USB C)[edit]

If your USB-C Ethernet dingus is really neat, it will have its own USB hub chip. Some do, but I don't have info on that right now. All I know is of the 4 that I have, none of them pop up.

The USB-C to Ethernet Dongle, itself, will have its own hub chip though, and will always work without a USB Hub between the OTG and the network controller. Fancy chipsets will support PoE, and may be useable. This is currently unknown however.

Wifi Chips can still be connected to the internal pads, of course. However, I would wire a hub in front of it for good measure.

ALWAYS PLUG IN THE POWER ON THE R36S WHEN USING A SELF HUBBED DEVICE.

This should generally include clones.

Cooling Block Recommendations and General Fan Parts[edit]

If you need to have cooling, the thing to keep in mind is the RockChip 3326 is made to be cooled by the air moving around, by happenstance, in a wahing machine. With that being said, cooling is more dependant on Block Size than Fan Speed. Essentially, if you want to cut the hole anyways, get a taller block.

General recommendations from X8X are to use DDR1 OC blocks from Antec and AOpen. Theres also other sizes available, but the general design of 2-3MM thick block plate, and 20-30MM long fins, with a block big enough to cover the SOC block and the RK817, as long as the fins are long enough, any amount of airflow will work.

The current choice is a micro sized Delta fan, rated for 5V@0.08 Amps. These can be found in Dell PP03 inspiron laptops. This is a dead quiet fan, and palls off of the native 3.3V system in the R36S just fine.

Again, when the heat is spread over a ram OC block, untrimmed, built for DDR1 of all things, you don't hit 45C for long. Even on a PS1 game. With trimmings, you can play 60FPS Katamari for PSP in Armbian. No lag, other than USB interp by the CPU for the controller. This controller system needs work, imma tell ya.

R36S General Voltage Info[edit]

While soldering 5V tech, or plugging it in to USB C, works, the R36S itself is not a 5V system. It is a 3.3V system. Completely. So, were you to plug in something like a dell USB-C dock, you would overwhelm the system and see it crash without a powered hub to act as an "interpreter" for the R36S.

When using a "self hubbed" accessory, ALWAYS plug the R36S in.

This includes all clones.

Extreme Cooling Verification[edit]

In order to verify that the sensors in the X8X Test unit were accurate, the first stage of the cooling mod was finished with the Delta Fan, a hood for the block, and Z5 compound. The unit was placed into a freezer at the store, literally with ice cream in it. The unit hit -16C after about 40 minutes running Armbian on a 32GB U3 PNY/Toshiba Printed SD Card.

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