R36S Plus: New copycat retro gaming handheld arrives with several unusual elements

Game Console has released more copycat consoles in the last few years, such as the R46S (curr. $79.99 on Amazon) that debuted late last year. Now, it seems that another company has given Game Console has given a taste of own medicine with an R36S rip-off called the R36S Plus.

As noted by Retro Handhelds, the R36S Plus utilises a 3.5-inch display and Rockchip RK3326 chipset, just like the original R36S. Added to that, the small display outputs at 640 x 480 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is the resolution of choice for many retro gaming handheld manufacturers.

The R36S Plus has a few tricks up its sleeve though, such as 4 GB of RAM. For reference, while even modern budget smartphones now ship with at least 4 GB of RAM, retro gaming handhelds tend to ship with 1 GB or 2 GB of RAM at best. Theoretically, this could make the R36S Plus better at emulating some games, although it will be held back by its Rockchip RK3326 chipset to a degree.

The R36S Plus also has a 360-degree d-pad and start/select buttons in place of where one might expect a second joystick. For some reason, the device contains a measly 1,200 mAh battery, which is about a third the capacity of recent retro gaming handhelds. Currently, the R36S Plus can be picked up on AliExpress for around $22 in three finishes, all of which measure 132 x 93 mm.