Our Story

Built by gamers,
for gamers.

We're a small team of retro gaming obsessives who found the R36S and couldn't stop telling people about it. So we made it our mission.

Founded 2022
US-Based Team
Amazon Associates
Retro Gaming Experts
2,400+ Happy Customers
15,000+ Games Covered
Zero Subscriptions
Open Source Advocates
Founded 2022
US-Based Team
Amazon Associates
Retro Gaming Experts
2,400+ Happy Customers
15,000+ Games Covered
Zero Subscriptions
Open Source Advocates
Retro gaming setup
2022
Year we started
How It Started

A Saturday morning,
a dusty cartridge,
and a big idea.

It started the way most good things do — with nostalgia and a Saturday afternoon. Our founder dug out a box of old Game Boy cartridges and spent three hours trying to get them to work on aging hardware. There had to be a better way.

After testing eleven different retro handhelds over six months, the R36S stood out. Not because it was the flashiest or most expensive — but because it hit a rare sweet spot: brilliant screen, solid build, long battery, open firmware, and a price that made it a no-brainer gift.

We launched R36s Global to bring that same discovery to every retro gamer in the United States — with honest reviews, plain-language specs, and the Amazon trust layer that makes buying risk-free.

What We Stand For

Three things we'll
never compromise on.

01
Radical Honesty
We tell you exactly what the R36S does well and where it falls short. No inflated specs, no cherry-picked reviews. If N64 emulation is hit-or-miss, we say so.
02
Open Source First
We champion open firmware and community-driven development. ArkOS is free, continuously improved, and owned by nobody — which means it's owned by everyone.
03
Community Always
The retro gaming community is what makes this hobby magical. We actively support forums, share guides, and give back to the thousands of enthusiasts who keep these classics alive.
Our Journey

From bedroom project
to 2,400+ customers.

Early 2022
The Discovery
After testing 11 handhelds, the R36S wins our internal benchmark. We buy six for friends. They love it. We know there's something here.
Mid 2022
R36s Global Launches
We launch the site to bring honest, curated R36S coverage to US buyers. First 50 visitors arrive from a Reddit post in r/SBCGaming. We get 3 Amazon sales that week.
Late 2022
Community Takes Off
Our setup guide gets pinned in three retro gaming subreddits. Monthly visitors pass 10,000. We publish our first full firmware comparison review.
2023
500+ Reviews Milestone
Our Amazon referral page accumulates 500 verified US reviews. The R36S holds a 4.5★ average. We celebrate by publishing a full 20-console emulation compatibility guide.
2024
2,400+ Strong — And Growing
Over 2,400 verified US buyers and counting. We launch this redesigned storefront, expand our setup guides, and introduce the new R36S color lineup with 13 variants.
2yrs
Running the most trusted US R36S resource since 2022
11+
Handhelds personally tested before recommending the R36S
2.4K
Verified US Amazon buyers referred through our platform
4.6★
Sustained average rating across all verified Amazon reviews

"Retro gaming shouldn't require a PhD in emulation or a $200 device. We wanted something anyone could unwrap on a Friday and be playing Pokémon Red by Friday night."

JR
Jake R.
Founder, R36s Global
Our Mission

Make retro gaming accessible.

The barrier to entry for retro gaming has always been too high — expensive hardware, complex setup, legal gray areas around ROMs, and hardware that breaks after a year. The R36S solves most of that out of the box.

Our job is to make the remaining steps invisible. We write the guides so you don't have to Google for three hours. We vet the Amazon listing so you're not guessing. We answer the questions before you even think to ask them.

Gaming's past is a treasure. We think it should be as easy to access as turning on a Nintendo Switch — and for $39.99, it basically is.

The People Behind It

Small team.
Big passion.

JR
Jake R.
Founder & Lead Reviewer
Former software engineer turned full-time retro gaming advocate. Owns 40+ handhelds. Has opinions about every one of them. Beat Chrono Trigger 14 times.
ML
Maya L.
Community & Content
Runs our setup guides and community channels. Grew up on a SNES and refuses to apologize for it. Writes the FAQ answers you actually want to read.
DK
Dom K.
Technical & Firmware
Our resident ArkOS expert. Tests every firmware release before recommending it. Contributes patches upstream. Can recite the RK3326 spec sheet from memory.
Why Shop With Us

The R36s Global
difference.

Amazon-Backed Purchase
Every order goes through Amazon. That means Prime shipping, Amazon's 30-day return policy, and A-to-z Guarantee protection — all standard.
Hands-On Reviews
We've personally owned and tested every model we recommend. Our specs aren't scraped from a spec sheet — they come from hours of actual use.
Active Community Access
Buyers get access to our setup guides, firmware update alerts, and a growing community of US R36S owners ready to help with any question.
No Hidden Costs
The price you see is the price you pay. No memberships, no software subscriptions, no mandatory accessories. Games are preloaded. Just play.