The R36S comes with 6,000+ games preloaded. Adding your own games takes 5 minutes: remove the microSD card, connect to PC, copy ROM files to the correct folder, reinsert, and refresh. Here is the complete guide.
Lab-Tested · Gamer-Verified · Expert-Curated by the iGC Team — www.handheldgameconsoles.games
🚀 How to Add Games to R36S — Step by Step
Power off R36S completely (hold power button 3 seconds). The microSD card slot is on the back or side of the device. Gently push to eject the card.
Insert the microSD card into a USB card reader and connect to your PC. The card will appear as a drive (e.g., E: on Windows or /Volumes/ROMS on Mac).
Navigate to the ROMS folder on the microSD card and copy your ROM files to the correct platform subfolder:
Safely eject the microSD card from your PC (right-click → Eject on Windows, drag to Trash on Mac). Reinsert the card into R36S firmly until it clicks.
Power on R36S. EmulationStation will scan for new games automatically on boot. If new games don't appear: press Start → Scraper → Scrape Now to force a refresh.
Navigate to the platform in EmulationStation, find your new game, press A to launch. Save states and all shortcuts work on your new games exactly the same as preloaded games.
📁 ROM File Formats — Quick Reference
| Platform | Folder | File Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBA | /ROMS/GBA/ | .gba | Most compatible |
| SNES | /ROMS/SNES/ | .sfc / .smc | .sfc preferred |
| NES | /ROMS/NES/ | .nes | Standard format |
| PS1 | /ROMS/PSX/ | .bin+.cue or .pbp | .pbp saves space |
| N64 | /ROMS/N64/ | .z64 | Best compatibility |
| Genesis | /ROMS/MD/ | .md / .bin | Both work |
| GBC / GB | /ROMS/GBC/ or /GB/ | .gbc / .gb | Separate folders |
💡 Pro Tips for Adding Games
Use .pbp format for PS1 multi-disc games (FF7, FF8, Metal Gear Solid). Combines all discs into one file and saves significant storage space.
Create subfolders within platform folders (e.g., /ROMS/GBA/Pokemon/) to organize large collections. EmulationStation displays them as categories.
If new games don't appear after reboot: Start → Scraper → Scrape Now. This forces EmulationStation to rescan all ROM folders.
GBA/SNES/NES ROMs are tiny (KB-MB). PS1 ROMs are large (300-700MB each). Plan storage accordingly: 128GB for 2D games, 256GB+ for PS1 collections.
❓ FAQ
Remove microSD card, connect to PC via card reader, copy ROM files to correct folder (/ROMS/GBA/ for GBA, /ROMS/PSX/ for PS1, /ROMS/N64/ for N64), safely eject, reinsert into R36S, power on. Games appear automatically.
Put GBA games (.gba files) in the /ROMS/GBA/ folder on the R36S microSD card. SNES games go in /ROMS/SNES/, PS1 games in /ROMS/PSX/, N64 games in /ROMS/N64/.
GBA: .gba · SNES: .sfc or .smc · NES: .nes · PS1: .bin+.cue or .pbp · N64: .z64 · Genesis: .md or .bin · GBC: .gbc · GB: .gb
1) Check ROMs are in the correct folder. 2) Check file extension is correct. 3) Restart R36S. 4) In EmulationStation: press Start → Scraper → Scrape Now to force refresh. 5) Check microSD card is properly inserted.
Yes. Add PS1 games to /ROMS/PSX/ folder. Use .bin+.cue format or .pbp format (.pbp is preferred for multi-disc games as it combines all discs into one file). PS1 runs at 100% compatibility on R36S.
