Want to add more games to your R36S? It takes 5 minutes. Insert the microSD into your PC, drag ROM files into the correct platform folder, safely eject, and refresh EmulationStation. iGC has guided 6,860+ buyers through this process. Here is the complete guide.
Lab-Tested · Gamer-Verified · Expert-Curated by the iGC Team — www.handheldgameconsoles.games
📝 Step-by-Step: How to Add Games to R36S
Hold the power button for 3 seconds until the device shuts down. Never remove the microSD while the R36S is powered on — this can corrupt the card.
The microSD slot is on the top of the R36S. Gently push in and release to eject. The card will pop out slightly. Pull it out carefully.
Use a microSD card reader (most laptops have one built-in, or use a USB adapter). The card will appear as a drive on your computer. Open it.
Open the microSD. You will see a folder called ROMS (or roms). Open it. Inside you will see subfolders for each platform (GBA, SNES, NES, PS1, N64, etc.).
Drag and drop your ROM files into the matching platform folder. GBA games go in the GBA folder, SNES games in the SNES folder, etc. See the folder name guide below.
Windows: right-click the drive and select "Eject". Mac: drag to Trash or click eject icon. Wait for the confirmation before removing the card. This prevents file corruption.
Insert the microSD back into the R36S. Power on. EmulationStation will load automatically.
In EmulationStation: press Start → Game Settings → Update Game List. Your new games will appear. Navigate to the platform and find your new games. Done!
📁 Platform Folder Names on R36S
| Platform | Folder Name | ROM Format |
|---|---|---|
| Game Boy Advance | GBA | .gba |
| Super Nintendo (SNES) | SNES | .sfc, .smc |
| Nintendo (NES) | FC or NES | .nes |
| PlayStation 1 | PS or PSX | .bin/.cue, .iso, .pbp |
| Nintendo 64 | N64 | .z64, .n64, .v64 |
| Sega Genesis | MD or Genesis | .md, .bin, .gen |
| Game Boy / GBC | GB / GBC | .gb, .gbc |
| Arcade (MAME) | MAME or Arcade | .zip |
| Neo Geo | NEOGEO | .zip (+ neogeo.zip BIOS) |
💾 ROM File Formats Guide
- GBA: .gba
- SNES: .sfc
- NES: .nes
- PS1: .bin + .cue (paired files)
- N64: .z64
- Genesis: .md
PS1 games often come as .bin + .cue file pairs. Both files must be in the PS folder together. The .cue file tells the emulator how to read the .bin. Never separate them. .pbp (PSP format) also works and is a single file.
🔧 Troubleshooting: Games Not Showing Up
- Press Start → Game Settings → Update Game List
- Check the ROM is in the correct platform folder
- Check the file format is correct (see table above)
- Restart EmulationStation (Start → Quit → Restart)
- Check file format — wrong format is the #1 cause
- For PS1: ensure .bin and .cue files are both present
- Try a different ROM file (the file may be corrupted)
- In RetroArch: try a different core for the platform
- Try a different USB card reader
- Try a different USB port
- Windows: check Device Manager for the card
- Mac: check Disk Utility for the card
❓ FAQ
1) Power off R36S. 2) Remove microSD. 3) Insert into PC. 4) Open ROMS folder. 5) Drag ROM files to correct platform folder. 6) Safely eject. 7) Reinsert and power on. 8) Update game list in EmulationStation. Takes 5 minutes.
Put GBA games (.gba files) in the GBA folder inside the ROMS directory on the microSD card. SNES games go in SNES, NES games in FC or NES, PS1 games in PS or PSX, N64 games in N64.
GBA: .gba · SNES: .sfc or .smc · NES: .nes · PS1: .bin+.cue or .pbp · N64: .z64 · Genesis: .md · GB/GBC: .gb/.gbc · Arcade: .zip
Press Start → Game Settings → Update Game List in EmulationStation. Also check: ROM is in correct folder, file format is correct, microSD was safely ejected before removal.
The standard method requires a PC/Mac to access the microSD. Some Android file manager apps can transfer files via USB-C OTG, but the microSD method is simpler and more reliable.
