OnionOS vs. ArkOS 2.0 vs. CrossMix-OS: Handheld Custom Firmware Comparison & R36S Compatibility Guide

Spend ten minutes in r/SBCGaming threads and you'll see players praise the Game Switcher in OnionOS or the widescreen tools in CrossMix-OS, so it's natural to wonder whether you can copy either system onto your R36S microSD card. If your play time comes in fifteen-minute train rides or the quiet stretch after everyone else is asleep, the feature you're really after is that one-press save and instant resume. Below, we break down why handheld firmware is tied to specific silicon, how the four major handheld systems compare, and how to turn on the Quick Mode already built into ArkOS 2.0.

1. Can You Install OnionOS or CrossMix-OS on the R36S? The SoC & Boot Method Rule

No, OnionOS and CrossMix-OS can't run on an R36S. Each handheld firmware is compiled for one processor (SoC) and boot method: Miyoo and TrimUI load .zip overlays over internal flash, while the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) boots an ArkOS 2.0 Linux .img from microSD.

On a desktop Windows PC, standardized motherboard firmware (UEFI / ACPI) lets one installer run on both Intel and AMD processors. Pocket ARM handhelds have no universal BIOS. Every custom firmware build must be compiled for the exact system-on-chip (SoC), RAM, and device tree file (.dtb) that tells Linux how the screen, buttons, and power chip are wired on that handheld's board.

Just as important, these handhelds boot in two completely different ways:

• Internal Flash Overlay (OnionOS & CrossMix-OS): According to the official OnionOS installation documentation, OnionOS supports only the Miyoo Mini (including the v4 revision) and the Miyoo Mini Plus (SigmaStar SSD202D chip with 128 MB of RAM). Both Miyoo units and the TrimUI Smart Pro (Allwinner A133P running CrossMix-OS) keep their stock operating system (MainUI) on internal flash storage soldered to the board. Installing OnionOS or CrossMix-OS means copying a package of scripts, apps, and RetroArch cores onto the microSD card, which then runs on top of that internal system.
• Full Bootable Linux Image (.img on TF1-OS: ArkOS 2.0 & AmberELEC): The R36S (Rockchip RK3326 with 1 GB DDR3L RAM) has no internal OS storage, so with an empty system slot it simply won't boot. As covered in our complete R36S Wiki and Day-1 setup manual, ArkOS 2.0 is a complete Ubuntu-based Linux system written as a multi-partition .img disk image onto the TF1-OS microSD card, where the BOOT partition loads your screen's rk3326-r35s-linux.dtb file.

I still open old SNES cartridge shells to check the PCB before I trust the label, and handheld firmware deserves the same habit: check the chip first, then pick the operating system. For the hardware side of our own unit, see our hands-on 2Bluebox R36S hardware review.

2. Master Custom Firmware Matrix: ArkOS 2.0 vs. OnionOS vs. CrossMix-OS vs. AmberELEC

OnionOS keeps a Miyoo Mini simple for everything through PS1 and NDS, CrossMix-OS brings N64 and PSP to the widescreen TrimUI Smart Pro, and the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) pairs ArkOS 2.0 with a 3D GPU, dual sticks, and PortMaster.

Some R36S owners consider trading up to a Miyoo Mini Plus just to get OnionOS, without realizing what they give up under the hood. The Miyoo Mini Plus runs a low-power SigmaStar SSD202D display chip with 128 MB of RAM and no 3D GPU, so it tops out at PlayStation 1 and Nintendo DS (DraStic). It also has no analog sticks and can't run Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP, or PortMaster PC ports. See our Miyoo Mini Plus vs. R36S hardware comparison and our TrimUI Smart Pro vs. R36S widescreen showdown for side-by-side hardware notes.

“Tested on our unit” means we verified the menu paths and hardware behavior on our own 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) (and, in Section 5, our own 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro); “Manufacturer spec” means official documentation from the OnionOS, ArkOS, CrossMix-OS, or Pan4Elec maintainers, or 2Bluebox store policy; “Community reports” means documented comparisons from the Handhelds Wiki, Joey's Retro Handhelds, and r/SBCGaming.

If you want a pocket handheld that already runs ArkOS 2.0 on a verified Dual-RAM RK3326 board, with dual analog sticks and 15,768 pre-loaded games (12,805 unique playable titles), pick the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99). Skip it if you want HDMI TV output or PS2/GameCube emulation:

3. How to Get OnionOS-Style Instant Resume on Your R36S With ArkOS 2.0 Quick Mode

OnionOS saves your game, powers off, and resumes at next boot with one press. On the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99), ArkOS 2.0 does the same for RetroArch games through Quick Mode: enable it in the Advanced options menu, then press R3 + Power in-game.

When you only have fifteen minutes on a train or during a lunch break, waiting through boot screens and title menus eats into your playtime. That instant pause-and-resume loop is why OnionOS earned its reputation. Christian Haitian built a similar feature called Quick Mode into ArkOS, and the official ArkOS FAQ documents it for the RG351MP, an RK3326 sibling of the R36S.

Once Quick Mode is on, pressing R3 + Power inside a RetroArch game tells ArkOS to write a save state, close the emulator cleanly, and power down the handheld. The next time you press Power, the R36S skips the console carousel and boots straight back into that exact moment. Quick Mode covers the save-and-resume half of the Onion experience; for hopping between several suspended games, Onion's Game Switcher carousel has no direct ArkOS match. Table 2 lists the shortcuts for Quick Mode and manual save states on the 2Bluebox R36S.

Follow these 4 steps on your R36S to set up one-button auto-save and instant resume:

1. Step 1: Open the ArkOS Options Menu. From the main EmulationStation console carousel on your R36S, scroll to the Options section and press A.
2. Step 2: Enable Quick Mode in Advanced Settings. Select Advanced, scroll down to Enable Quick Mode, and press A. The screen briefly confirms the change, and that menu item renames itself to Disable Quick Mode so you can turn it off anytime.
3. Step 3: Use the Quick Mode Shutdown Shortcut Inside Your Game. Launch a game that runs through RetroArch (Game Boy Advance, SNES, Sega Genesis, or PlayStation 1 all do by default). When you need to pocket the handheld, press R3 + Power (or FN + Power on some R36S builds). ArkOS saves your state and shuts the console completely off.
4. Step 4: Press Power to Resume Straight Into Gameplay. Press the Power button to turn the R36S back on. Instead of stopping at the system menu, ArkOS launches your last game and loads your saved state automatically. Whenever you want to switch to a different game, exit with SELECT + START (FN + START).

4. Real R36S Firmware Alternatives: ArkOS 2.0 vs. AmberELEC (Pan4Elec) vs. ROCKNIX

On a genuine RK3326 R36S, the real alternatives to the stock ArkOS 2.0 on the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) are dArkOS (the newer ArkOS line), AmberELEC (Pan4Elec) for Panel 4 screens, and ROCKNIX for a mainline Linux kernel.

OnionOS and CrossMix-OS can't boot on Rockchip RK3326 hardware, but the R36S community maintains several Linux distributions that can. Backup first, tinker second: before you test any of them on a spare microSD card, follow our guide on how to flash ArkOS 2.0 on an R36S microSD card with Rufus and copy your stock BOOT partition and .dtb files somewhere safe.

Here is how the main R36S operating systems compare:

• ArkOS 2.0 (R36S community build): The default OS on the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99). Built on Ubuntu Linux, it offers standalone NDS (DraStic), N64 (Mupen64Plus), and PSP (PPSSPP) emulators, Quick Mode, and a Panel Picker mode (hold R1 plus a D-pad direction or A at power-on) for matching the screen. Our units ship already matched to their panel, so you shouldn't need it.
• dArkOS / dArkOSRE-R36: The AeolusUX ArkOS-R3XS repository that published the R36S ArkOS 2.0 builds was archived on June 9, 2026, and now points R36S owners to dArkOS, christianhaitian's newer ArkOS line. The dArkOSRE-R36 fork targets R36S boards and many clones. An archived build keeps running exactly as shipped; it just won't receive new features.
• AmberELEC (Pan4Elec fork): An unofficial AmberELEC build made specifically for R36S units with Panel 4 screens (plus the BATLEXP G350), created after several AmberELEC features stopped working on that panel. Like other LibreELEC-style systems, it uses a read-only system image, and bezels, shaders, and per-system RetroArch options are set from EmulationStation menus. Community threads often credit it with the best theme compatibility on the R36S.
• ROCKNIX (community fork of JELOS): A mainline Linux distribution for Rockchip and other handhelds (ROCKNIX GitHub) with RK3326 builds that cover the R36S family. It brings a modern kernel and built-in network tools, though community testing notes that sleep states and screen panel matching take more manual setup on the R36S than ArkOS 2.0 or Pan4Elec.

Turning on Quick Mode inside ArkOS 2.0 on a genuine RK3326 R36S gives your RetroArch games the one-press save and boot-to-game resume of OnionOS while you keep dual analog sticks, N64, PSP, and PortMaster.

5. Pre-Configured Handheld & TV Hardware: 2Bluebox vs. Marketplace Clones & DIY Setup

Unlike marketplace clones, 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) verifies boards and publishes game lists: 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99, 15,768 games) for pocket play, 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) for 2-player TV, and 2Bluebox Portable HDD Super Console ($64.99) for PS2.

Before you order a handheld or spend an evening flashing firmware images, you can search every included R36S title in our 15,768 R36S pre-loaded games directory (12,805 unique playable games). Table 4 compares unverified marketplace clones, a blank DIY setup, and pre-configured 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) hardware on board checks, OS setup, public game lists, shipping, and warranty.

Once your handheld is set up for solo commutes, the two things a pocket screen can't cover are 2-player games on a big TV and sixth-generation 3D consoles. For instant 2-player arcade and 16-bit nights on your television, the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) plugs straight into HDMI with two wireless controllers and 14,755 games. For PlayStation 2, GameCube, Wii, and Dreamcast, the 2Bluebox Portable HDD Super Console 500GB ($64.99) boots Batocera Linux on a Windows PC or laptop over USB 3.0 and borrows that computer's CPU and GPU (skip it if you only own an Apple Silicon Mac). Compare both options below:

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Choosing between OnionOS, ArkOS 2.0, and CrossMix-OS is really a choice between the handhelds each system is built for. You can't install OnionOS or CrossMix-OS on an R36S, and for a daily commute you don't need to: turning on Quick Mode (Options → Advanced → Enable Quick Mode) on the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) gives your RetroArch games one-press save and instant resume, while you keep 1 GB of RAM, dual analog sticks, PortMaster, and 15,768 pre-loaded games in your pocket. That's fifteen quiet minutes on the train, picked up exactly where you left off.

Turn on Quick Mode in the ArkOS Advanced menu, press R3 plus Power when your stop arrives, and your game will be waiting the next time you switch on.