R36S Plus Firmware and ArkOS: Which System, How to Update

The system that comes on the console

The console boots into the open-source Linux system preinstalled at the factory, with an EmulationStation-style menu: a list of systems, then the games on your card. That system lives on the microSD card in the TF1-OS slot, on the right side. Your games go on the card in the TF2-GAME slot, on the left side. There is no internal memory, so changing the system means rewriting the TF1-OS card. This split is reassuring: your games and saves stay on the other card while you work on the system.

Published documentation shows that the factory system varies by batch. The safest move is to check your own console. Find the system info screen in the menu and write down what it says before you change anything. That name tells you which updates and resources apply to you. It also helps you explain your setup if you ask the community for help.

Updates offered by the system

Wi-Fi is built in, so there's no USB dongle to plug in and the OTG port stays free. It runs on 2.4 GHz only, and the console has no Bluetooth. Depending on the installed system, it lets you run the updates the system itself offers, with no computer needed. You set up the connection in the console menu. If your router broadcasts its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks under separate names, pick the 2.4 GHz one. An update offered this way matches the system you already have, which makes it the easiest way to stay current.

No update is guaranteed. Some systems release them, others don't, on their developers' schedule. Before you start one, charge the console through the USB-C port marked DC with a 5 V adapter of at least 1.5 A, and copy your saves to a computer. Then let the update finish without turning the console off. Depending on the installed system, the same Wi-Fi also fetches cover art for games you already own, enables RetroAchievements, installs free ports through PortMaster, and transfers files from a computer on the same network.

Community firmware built for this model

Enthusiasts publish system images designed for the R36S Plus. Once written to the TF1-OS card, they replace the factory system. Each project has its own interface, settings and release schedule. None of them adds power: the chip is still the Rockchip RK3326 with 1 GB of RAM, the same as the R36S, so emulation performance stays the same. What changes is the environment: menus, included emulators and tools. Four projects have been identified for this model.

These projects are independent and maintained by the community. Installing one is a personal choice, and you flash at your own risk. Read each project's page before downloading: it should state which console the image is built for and how to write it to the card. This guide intentionally leaves out version numbers and button combinations, since they vary from one project and version to the next.

• ArkOS for R36S Plus: archived project, no longer updated.
• (d)ArkOS4Clone: active project.
• dArkOSRE-R36: active project.
• plumOS-R36Plus: project dedicated to this console.

Back up both cards before flashing

Before you write a different image, make two backups. The first is the TF1-OS card. Turn the console off, remove the card from the right side and put it in a microSD reader connected to a computer. Use disk imaging software to save a full image of the card, not just a copy of the visible files. That image holds the factory system exactly as it was, with your settings. Keep it on your computer and, if you can, on a second drive. That image is what lets you go back.

The second backup is the TF2-GAME card, on the left side. Copy your save files to the computer. A new system may organize files differently or offer to reformat the game card, and with a copy you lose nothing. Make sure the copy is complete before moving on. Keep both backups in the same folder, labeled with the system name from the info screen.

Black screen: only use an image made for 720 x 720

The R36S Plus has a square 4-inch IPS screen at 720 x 720 pixels. Firmware built for a different screen can boot to a black screen: the console powers on, but nothing shows up. An image made for the R36S, which has a 3.5-inch 640 x 480 screen, falls into this category. The names make it riskier. The box says "R36Plus," the boot screen says "R36S Plus," and other consoles have similar names: R36 Ultra, R36 Max, R36XX, or the older R36S Plus with a 3.5-inch screen. These are not the same devices.

The rule fits in one sentence: only use an image explicitly described as made for the R36S Plus with a 720 x 720 screen. If the project page is vague about this, skip it. And if the screen stays black after flashing, don't panic. The system lives on the TF1-OS card, not inside the console, and that card can be rewritten from a computer.

Going back to the original system

To go back, use the TF1-OS card image you made before flashing. Remove the card from the console, insert it into your computer's reader and write the image to it with your disk imaging software. This erases what's currently on the card and restores the factory system with your settings. Put the card back in the right side, power on the console and check the system info screen: it should show the same system as before. If any saves are missing, copy them back from your TF2-GAME backup.

Without a backup image, getting the exact factory system back becomes uncertain, which is why that first step matters so much. The R36S Plus sold here is the version with the square 4-inch screen and built-in Wi-Fi. We do not provide or support community firmware. If you just want to play your own games, the preinstalled system and its updates remain the most hassle-free option.