Anbernic RG35XX SP vs. R36S: Clamshell D-Pad Only vs. Dual-Joystick ArkOS Handheld

If your gaming happens in the 15 quiet minutes before sleep or on the train home, two things decide this matchup more than the chip: whether the buttons click, and whether 3D games get a real stick. Below, I compare the folding RG35XX SP with our vertical 2Bluebox R36S on specs, 3D controls, button noise, charging, and what ships on the card.

Anbernic RG35XX SP vs. R36S Specs: H700 Clamshell or RK3326 Dual-Stick Vertical

The Anbernic RG35XX SP (Allwinner H700) and 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99, Rockchip RK3326) share a 3.5-inch 640x480 IPS screen, 1GB RAM, and a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU. The SP adds a hinge, Wi-Fi, and HDMI out; the R36S adds two analog sticks.

If the 2003 Game Boy Advance SP was the handheld you begged for as a kid, the RG35XX SP's folding shell is hard to resist. On paper, the two consoles are closer than their shells suggest, as the RetroCatalog Anbernic RG-35XX SP specification sheet and this r/SBCGaming thread on R36S vs. RG35XXSP differences and recommendations show. They split on shape, controls, and connectivity:

• Anbernic RG35XX SP (about $65): A quad-core Allwinner H700 (Cortex-A53 at 1.5GHz) with a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU and 1GB LPDDR4 RAM. It adds 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, mini-HDMI video out, lid-close sleep, and a 3300mAh battery. It has no analog sticks, and it folds to 89 x 85 x 27.3 mm at 197g.
• 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99): A quad-core Rockchip RK3326 (Cortex-A35 at 1.5GHz) with the same Mali-G31 MP2 GPU and 1GB DDR3L split across two memory chips, as covered in our R36S review and hardware teardown. It skips the hinge for a vertical shell with two clickable L3/R3 analog sticks, a removable 3200mAh battery, and a 64GB card holding 15,768 game files. It has no built-in Wi-Fi or HDMI out; a USB Wi-Fi dongle can plug into the OTG port.

Table 1 lines up the hardware on both handhelds. To see how they rank against other form factors, check our roundup of the best retro handheld consoles in 2026.

Table 1: 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99, 2bluebox.com) vs. Anbernic RG35XX SP Hardware

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Reading only the CPU row hides the two things you feel on every press: the missing analog sticks and the sound of the buttons.

RG35XX SP vs. R36S in 3D Games: Why Missing Analog Sticks Hold Back the H700

With no analog sticks, the Anbernic RG35XX SP makes you steer 3D movement with a D-Pad, even though its H700 chip runs lighter N64, Dreamcast, and PSP games. The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) gives you two analog sticks for the same games.

On raw CPU, the H700's Cortex-A53 cores do more work per clock than the power-saving Cortex-A35 cores in the RK3326, and both chips use a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU. RetroCatalog rates the SP as capable up to Dreamcast. In practice, both handle PS1 well and run lighter N64, Dreamcast, and PSP titles, while heavier ones stutter on either chip.

On the stickless RG35XX SP, you remap the D-Pad to stand in for the analog stick in each emulator. A gentle turn in Super Mario 64 becomes a full-tilt snap in one of eight directions, and dual-analog PS1 games like Ape Escape lose their second stick entirely.

Button noise is the complaint that follows the SP around. Retro Handhelds wrote a guide to making the RG35XX SP buttons quieter for owners who were waking their family at night, recommending two layers of tape under the D-Pad and three under A/B/X/Y. A working mod is good news, yet it means opening a brand-new console before you can play it in a quiet bedroom.

Save states matter just as much at night. I've had to explain to my seven-year-old daughter why 1990s games won't save whenever you want, and that's why FN + R1 is the first R36S shortcut I'd teach anyone.

Run this four-step check before choosing between a stickless clamshell and a dual-stick vertical:

1. Picture where you actually play: If it's in bed next to a sleeping partner or on a quiet train, the softer face buttons on the 2Bluebox R36S matter more than any spec sheet.
2. Search your must-play 3D games on our public /pages/r36s-games-list page and note which ones sit in the n64, dreamcast, psp, or psx folders.
3. Press FN + X inside any PS1 or N64 game on the R36S to open the RetroArch Quick Menu and adjust the analog deadzone in its input settings.
4. Press FN + START to exit back to the ArkOS 2.0 system list, with no D-Pad mode to switch back.

If the stickless clamshell doesn't fit how you play, and you'd rather skip the marketplace gamble on clone boards, our 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) ships with the Dual-RAM RK3326 board, ArkOS 2.0, and a 15,768-file card ready to boot:

Charging and Battery Access: 5V USB-A on the R36S, 3300mAh Inside the RG35XX SP

Charge the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) with a plain 5V/1.5A-2A USB-A wall block and the included USB-A to USB-C cable. Its charging circuit doesn't negotiate USB-C Power Delivery, so USB-C to USB-C fast chargers may not charge it at all.

Budget Linux handhelds like these keep charging simple: they expect a fixed 5V input and don't talk to Power Delivery chargers. On the R36S, that usually shows up as a console that won't charge on a USB-C to USB-C cable. For the RG35XX SP, follow Anbernic's own charging guidance; owner comments on RetroCatalog's RG35XX SP page report charging trouble with some cables and chargers.

On the maintenance side, the R36S uses a removable 3200mAh pack, so a tired cell can be replaced years from now without retiring the console. The RG35XX SP's 3300mAh cell sits inside the clamshell, so a swap means opening the case. If you're also curious how Anbernic's vertical models compare, or want a smaller dual-stick clamshell, read our Anbernic R36S myth and RG35XX comparison and our Miyoo Mini Flip vs. R36S clamshell guide.

Following that 5V habit and a clean ArkOS 2.0 shutdown keeps both your battery and your microSD card out of trouble.

Out-of-the-Box Game Library: Stock RG35XX SP Card vs. 2Bluebox R36S's 15,768 Files

The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) ships with 15,768 game files (12,805 unique playable games) you can search at /pages/r36s-games-list before ordering. RG35XX SP card contents vary by seller and bundle, and unbranded marketplace R36S listings can turn out to be EmuELEC clones.

I still open old SNES cartridge shells to check the PCB and clean the brass pins with 99% isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip, because the label never tells the whole story. Same goes for microSD cards. When I pulled the 64GB card from our 2Bluebox R36S and checked the folder tree on my PC, it held 15,768 game files. After removing duplicates and files that wouldn't launch, 12,805 unique playable games remained.

• What to expect on an RG35XX SP card: Contents depend on the seller and the bundle you pick, so check the listing before you buy. If you flash custom firmware like muOS or KNULLI (both support PortMaster), the OS card gets rewritten, so back up your saves and ROM folders on a PC first.
• What ships inside the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99, 2bluebox.com): ArkOS 2.0 with the system folders already set up. In the CPS2 and MAME folders, games sit under eight-character zip names like aburner and aerofgt, which is exactly why we list every title by its full name on our searchable R36S games list.

Table 3: Out-of-the-Box Software & Library Readiness (2Bluebox R36S vs. Anbernic RG35XX SP)

Where you buy matters as much as which handheld you pick. Table 4 compares the same four buying checks across 2bluebox.com, RG35XX SP sellers, and unbranded marketplace R36S listings.

Table 4: Where You Buy Matters: 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) vs. RG35XX SP Sellers vs. Unbranded Marketplace R36S

Verdict: Who Should Buy the RG35XX SP vs. the 2Bluebox R36S?

Buy the Anbernic RG35XX SP for a folding GBA SP shell, Wi-Fi, and HDMI out on 2D games. Choose the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) for two analog sticks, softer face buttons, and a 15,768-file card you can search before ordering.

Before you place an order, match your daily play routine to the right device:

• Pick the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) if: You want softer face buttons for playing in bed, two clickable L3/R3 sticks for dual-analog PS1, N64, Dreamcast, and PSP games, a removable battery, and 15,768 preloaded files (12,805 unique games) backed by our 30-day US replacement guarantee. Skip it if you want a folding lid or a cable to your TV, since its OTG port doesn't output HDMI.
• Pick the Anbernic RG35XX SP if: You love the folding GBA SP look, mostly play 8-bit and 16-bit D-Pad games, don't mind clicky buttons (or a tape mod), and plan to flash muOS or KNULLI and load your own card on a computer.
• Pick the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) if: The SP's mini-HDMI port was the real draw. Our SEGAM-M8-V5.0 HDMI stick plugs straight into your TV, includes two 2.4GHz wireless controllers, and carries 14,755 unique games searchable at /pages/all-games. Skip it if you want PS2 or GameCube, or something to play on a plane.
• Pick the 2Bluebox Portable HDD Super Console 500GB ($64.99) if: You want PS2, GameCube, Wii, and PSP 3D games that neither handheld runs well. It boots Batocera Linux over USB 3.0 on a Windows PC, with 110,686 games listed at /pages/hdd-super-console-game-list. Skip it if you only own an Apple Silicon Mac.

Whether you want a dual-stick handheld for late-night commutes or a plug-and-play two-player TV console for the living room, both 2Bluebox systems ship free with tracking on orders from $50:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

The Anbernic RG35XX SP nails the look of a folding Game Boy Advance SP and adds Wi-Fi, HDMI out, and lid-close sleep for tinkerers who stick to 2D D-Pad games. Once the lights go out or you boot a 3D game, though, its clicky buttons, 27.3 mm folded thickness, and missing analog sticks become daily trade-offs.

If you want a 3.5-inch pocket console you can play in bed at 11 PM with softer face buttons, steer through dual-analog PS1, N64, and PSP games with two clickable sticks, and check every game on the card before you pay, the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) is the more complete package.

Check the game list, plug into a 5V USB-A charger, and Press Start.