TrimUI Brick vs. R36S: Compact D-Pad Pocket Handheld vs. Dual-Analog ArkOS Handheld

Below, I break down how the 3.2-inch, D-Pad-only TrimUI Brick compares with our 3.5-inch dual-stick 2Bluebox R36S across screen area, 3D controls, maintenance, and what is actually on the card when you power it on.

TrimUI Brick vs. R36S Specs: 3.2-Inch HD Screen vs. 3.5-Inch Dual-Stick Layout

The TrimUI Brick pairs an Allwinner A133P chip with a 3.2-inch 1024x768 screen and no analog sticks. The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) uses an RK3326 chip with a 3.5-inch screen, dual L3/R3 sticks, and 15,768 preloaded files.

Both are vertical, Game Boy-style handhelds, but they're built around different priorities. According to Joey's Retro Handhelds TrimUI Brick review and the official TrimUI store listing, TrimUI kept the Brick small and flat-fronted by dropping both thumbsticks and using a 3.2-inch display. TrimUI also sells a Brick Hammer edition on the same A133P platform with the same D-Pad-only face.

The 2Bluebox R36S, covered in our hands-on R36S review, keeps a 3.5-inch 4:3 IPS screen and places two analog sticks below the D-Pad and face buttons. The Brick's panel is much denser (about 400 PPI vs. 228 PPI), so pixel art looks sharper. The R36S screen, though, gives you 5.88 square inches of viewing area against 4.92 on the Brick, roughly 19.6% more. When you're reading RPG dialogue boxes on a train, that extra size is easier on tired eyes.

Table 1 lines up the 2Bluebox R36S against the TrimUI Brick and the unbranded R36S clones sold on big marketplaces. For the wider sub-$100 field, see our rankings of the best retro handheld consoles under $100.

Table 1: 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99, 2bluebox.com) vs. TrimUI Brick vs. Unbranded Marketplace R36S Clones

"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.

Two physical sticks and a bigger screen decide which console generations you'll actually enjoy once you move past 16-bit games.

Why Missing Joysticks on the TrimUI Brick Limits PS1, N64, PSP & PortMaster

The Brick's A133P is the stronger chip and can launch N64, PSP, and PortMaster games, but with no analog sticks, 3D movement and camera control fall back on D-Pad workarounds. The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) gives you two real sticks.

On paper, the TrimUI Brick has the edge in raw power: a faster CPU and a stronger GPU than the RK3326 in the R36S, which helps with PSP and Dreamcast. That advantage runs into a physical wall once a game expects analog input. Owners weighing the two machines discuss exactly this trade-off in this r/R36S thread about ordering a TrimUI Brick.

To be fair to the R36S's limits too: it runs PS1 well, while N64, PSP, and Dreamcast are a mix of playable lighter titles and games that struggle. Table 2 shows how five everyday tasks feel on the ArkOS 2.0 control scheme of our 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) compared with the D-Pad-only Brick:

Button noise matters if you play at night. Owners describe the Brick's dome switches as sharp and clicky, while the R36S face buttons use softer rubber membranes that stay quiet next to someone sleeping.

If you aren't sure you need analog sticks, run this four-step check before ordering:

1. Look up your top five childhood games in our searchable /pages/r36s-games-list database.
2. Count how many use 3D movement on PS1, N64, Dreamcast, PSP, or the Nintendo DS touch screen.
3. Think about where you play, and whether clicky buttons will bother anyone nearby.
4. Open the RetroArch menu with FN + X on the R36S and set PS1 games to DualShock mode under Controls.

A bare TrimUI Brick means buying your own brand-name microSD card, sourcing BIOS files, and building a library yourself, and it still has no sticks when you boot a 3D game. The 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) arrives with dual L3/R3 sticks, ArkOS 2.0, and a preloaded card you can check game by game before you order:

Firmware, Thermals & Maintenance: MinUI / Stock TrimUI OS vs. ArkOS 2.0 on the R36S

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and polished launchers like MinUI and NextUI are the Brick's strengths, but it runs everything from one microSD slot. The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) has a second slot and a removable 3200mAh battery for easier long-term upkeep.

TrimUI got several things right on the Brick. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, RGB lighting, and USB-C charging, and community developers have brought clean launchers like MinUI, NextUI, and CrossMix-OS to it.

Back when I used to pop open SNES shells to check the PCB and scrub the brass pins with 99% isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip, I learned to judge hardware by what it's like to maintain years later. By that measure, two design choices favor the R36S, a point the Handhelds Wiki R36S Buying Guide also makes when it explains how to spot genuine boards:

• Two microSD slots vs. one: The Brick keeps system files, BIOS, ROMs, and saves on one card, so a bad firmware update or OS swap puts all of it at risk. The R36S has a dedicated TF1-OS slot plus a TF2-GAME slot. Our unit ships with everything on a single 64GB card, so the benefit kicks in once you move your library to a second card: after that, you can reflash ArkOS without touching your games or saves.
• Removable battery: The Brick's 3000mAh battery sits inside the shell, and owners report the metal-backed models warming up during longer PS1 or Dreamcast sessions. The R36S uses a removable 3200mAh battery rated for roughly four to five hours of mixed 2D and PS1 play (manufacturer spec), so a worn cell can be swapped later without soldering.

If you'd rather have a wider horizontal screen from TrimUI, or want another D-Pad-first comparison, read our TrimUI Smart Pro vs. R36S comparison and our Miyoo Mini Plus vs. R36S comparison.

A separate games card plus the 5V charging rule make the R36S far easier to keep running over years of travel.

TrimUI Brick Game List Reality vs. 2Bluebox's 15,768-File R36S Library

Most TrimUI Brick buyers start with an empty card slot, and bundled cards come with no standard list. The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) ships with 15,768 files (12,805 unique playable games), all listed publicly on our site.

First-time Brick buyers ordering from the official TrimUI store or a marketplace often pick the console-only option, which means no games until you build a card yourself. When a reseller bundles a card, there's usually no list you can check before buying. Either way, you end up matching BIOS files like scph1001.bin and gba_bios.bin by hand on a computer.

When I pulled the 64GB microSD card out of our R36S unit and exported the folder tree, I wanted you to be able to see exactly what's inside:

• 15,768 files filtered down to 12,805 unique playable games: Duplicates and broken files were removed from the count, and the system folders run from NES, SNES, Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), Game Boy, GBC, GBA, and arcade sets up through PS1, plus lighter N64, PSP, and Dreamcast titles.
• A searchable list before checkout: Type any title into our searchable R36S games list to check which versions of Pokemon, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario World, or Tekken 3 are on the card. The list also explains why CPS2 and MAME folders use 8-character zip names like aburner.zip, aerofgt.zip, and 3stooges.zip.
• Fewer clone surprises: Community reports describe cheap marketplace R36S clones arriving with EmuELEC on single-RAM boards and unbranded cards that fail early. The 2Bluebox R36S is sold on the Dual-RAM RK3326 board running ArkOS 2.0.

When my seven-year-old daughter plays 16-bit games next to my desk, the part she cares about is loading a Save State with FN + L1 and jumping straight back into the level. Having the library ready on day one is the difference between a console you play tonight and a project that sits in a drawer.

Final Decision Matrix: When to Pick the TrimUI Brick vs. 2Bluebox R36S (or a TV Setup)

For a sharp, D-Pad-only 2D device you'll stock yourself, pick the TrimUI Brick. Choose the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) for dual analog sticks, a larger 3.5-inch screen, and a 15,768-file library you can check before buying.

Match your play habits against these four profiles before you order:

• Pick the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) if: You want one pocket console for 2D classics and analog PS1 games, plus lighter N64, PSP, and Nintendo DS titles, with quiet buttons, a second card slot, and 12,805 unique games ready to play. It's backed by a 30-day replacement guarantee from 2Bluebox LLC (1500 N Grant St, STE N, Denver, CO 80203). Skip it if you want to play on a TV, since it has no HDMI-out.
• Pick the TrimUI Brick (or Brick Hammer) if: You already own a dual-stick handheld, keep a curated ROM and BIOS library on your PC, don't mind clicky buttons, and want a smaller, sharper screen for 8-bit and 16-bit RPGs.
• Pick the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) if: You'd rather plug into a 4K TV and hand a second 2.4GHz wireless controller to your kid or a friend. The white HDMI stick on the SEGAM-M8-V5.0 board ships with two controllers and 14,755 unique games listed at /pages/all-games. Skip it if you want 3D PS2 or GameCube games or something to take on a plane.
• Pick the 2Bluebox Portable HDD Super Console 500GB ($64.99) if: You want PS2, GameCube, and Wii games, which neither the Brick nor the R36S can run. Plug the 500GB USB 3.0 drive into a Windows PC or laptop to boot Batocera Linux with 110,686 listed games; performance depends on your PC. Skip it if you only have an Apple Silicon Mac.

Still torn between a dual-stick pocket console for commutes and a two-player HDMI setup for Friday nights on the couch? Both 2Bluebox kits ship free with tracking on orders from $50 and come ready to play:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

The TrimUI Brick is a well-made little handheld if you already have a library of ROMs and want a sharp, shirt-pocket D-Pad device for 8-bit and 16-bit games. For everyone else, especially anyone who wants Ape Escape, Spyro, or Tekken 3 in their pocket without building a card first, the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99) is the more complete package.

You get a 3.5-inch IPS screen with about 19.6% more viewing area, two clickable analog sticks, quiet buttons for late-night sessions, a second card slot, ArkOS 2.0, and 15,768 preloaded files ready the minute you open the box.

Keep your 5V charger handy, pick your favorite save slot, and Press Start.