R36S Screen Settings: Best Display Configuration for Every System

Understanding Aspect Ratio and Scaling

The R36S display is 640×480 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Retro games were designed for various native resolutions, and how they scale to fill this screen makes a significant visual difference.

Key Scaling Concepts

• Integer scaling: Each source pixel maps to an exact whole number of screen pixels (e.g., 2×2, 3×3). Produces perfectly sharp, pixel-accurate output with no blurring. May leave black bars if the integer scale doesn't fill the screen exactly.
• Bilinear scaling: Smoothly interpolates between pixels to fill the screen. Slightly blurry but fills the display edge-to-edge. Good for 3D games.
• Aspect ratio preservation: Maintains the original width-to-height ratio of the content. Black bars appear where the content doesn't fill the screen.
• Stretch to fit: Fills the entire display, potentially distorting the image. Generally not recommended.

Native Resolutions and Integer Scale on R36S

Recommended Shaders by System

Shaders are post-processing filters applied to the game image before it reaches the display. They can simulate the look of original hardware screens, adding scanlines, pixel grids, or color effects. Access shaders via Quick Menu → Shaders → Load Shader Preset.

No Shader (Clean Pixels)

The simplest choice: sharp, clean pixels with no filtering. Best for users who prefer a modern, crisp look or for 3D games (PS1, N64) where scanlines look out of place.

Best for: PS1, N64, GBA, all 3D systems

CRT Shaders (Scanlines)

CRT shaders simulate the phosphor scanlines and glow of a classic cathode-ray tube television. Many retro games were designed assuming a CRT display, and the scanlines actually blend pixel art more smoothly than a sharp LCD.

• crt-pi: Lightweight CRT shader optimized for Raspberry Pi and ARM devices. Good performance on R36S. Adds scanlines without heavy bloom effects.
• zfast-crt: Even faster CRT shader with minimal performance cost. Good for weaker systems where shader overhead matters.
• crt-geom: More detailed CRT simulation with curvature and phosphor effects. Looks great but costs more performance.

Best for: NES, SNES, Sega Genesis — 16-bit and earlier pixel art games that were designed for CRT displays.

LCD Shaders

LCD shaders simulate the pixel grid of portable LCD screens — the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA all had characteristic LCD grids that are part of the authentic visual identity of those games.

• lcd3x: Simulates GBA/GBC LCD pixel grid with dark lines between pixels and a slight glow. Very authentic to original hardware.
• dot-matrix: Simulates the dot-matrix screen of the original Game Boy — green-tinted with a grid pattern.

Best for: Game Boy, GBC, GBA games

Saving Shader Presets Per System

You can save different shaders for each gaming system so they load automatically:

1. Load a game from the system you want to configure
2. Open Quick Menu → Shaders → Load Shader Preset
3. Select your preferred shader
4. Go back to Shaders menu → "Save Core Preset"
5. This saves the shader specifically for this emulator core — it will auto-load for all games on this system

Brightness and Color Settings

Screen Brightness

The R36S display brightness is adjustable in firmware settings. Brightness significantly affects both visual experience and battery life:

• Indoors (well-lit room): 50–70% brightness is comfortable and saves battery
• Outdoors (bright sunlight): 100% brightness may still be insufficient — the R36S screen is not ideal for outdoor use
• Night / dim room: 20–40% brightness is much easier on the eyes and extends battery life significantly

In ArkOS: access brightness from the quick settings panel (hold Start or access via the system menu). In Rocknix: brightness is adjustable in System Settings → Display.

RetroArch Color Adjustments

RetroArch allows fine-grained color adjustments via Quick Menu → Settings → Video → Color Adjustments:

• Gamma: Increasing gamma (try 1.1–1.2) brightens midtones without overexposing highlights. Useful for dark games.
• Saturation: Boosting slightly (1.1–1.2) makes colors more vivid. Some find default retro game colors look washed out on modern IPS screens.
• Black Level Adjustment: Slightly raising the black level can help in bright environments by reducing the perceived contrast of dark areas.

Per-System Display Profiles (Recommended Setup)

Here is a recommended display configuration for each major system: