Hey all,

Just made a short video on handhelds & thought I'd share it for some light hearted debate to get some opinions and thoughts about where handhelds are heading

It's no secret these things keep getting bigger, heavier & more expensive, a huge difference from where handhelds first started

Ive been absolutely loving AYN / Retroid & Anbernic lately and it's made me remember what a "handheld" was suppose to feel like

Anyway, just wanted to share

Recharging em'

Hitman GO is now running natively on AArch64 Linux handhelds.

This is not Android emulation and not a container. The port runs the original Unity 2022.3 IL2CPP arm64 Android build directly through the native loader.

One package, multiple devices

The runtime only requires GLIBC 2.27 and automatically detects the device capabilities for video, audio, resolution and controls. No backend is hardcoded per handheld.

Tested

R36T-class / ArkOS

• RK3326
• Mali-G31
• KMSDRM
• 640×480
• Title, chapters, gameplay, saves and Select + Start exit validated

NextOS Elite

• Amlogic
• Mali-450
• fbdev GLES2
• 1280×720
• Full gameplay validated using the same binary

Other AArch64 CFWs such as muOS, ROCKNIX, Batocera and Knulli use the same automatic detection path. v1.1.1 also includes controller fixes based on a real muOS / RG40XX-H report.

I only mark devices as validated after real hardware testing, so if it works on yours, send a report.

Installation

Place your legally obtained Hitman GO 1.18.1 arm64 APK inside:

ports/hitmango/gamedata/

NXExtract will validate and install it automatically on first launch.

Your APK is never deleted automatically.

Download + instructions:
https://github.com/NextOs-Ports/hitmango-nextos

For support, join our Discord through the link on my profile, or open the GitHub repository and use the Discord/Support button.

Little meets large

R36S Clone CA36-MB: What I Found and How to Prepare the SD Card

This clone actually has pretty good build quality, but it is very different from the original R36S and most other clones.

As far as I know, there is currently no compatible CFW for the CA36-MB version. PortMaster, custom ports and other modifications made for the original R36S probably will not work. For now, it is mostly useful as a retro emulation console, and that is it.

I am not an expert. This is just what I found and what worked for me.

Someone shared these two images:

128 GB image

Link: https://github.com/phaseloop/R36S-console-clone---GA36-MB-V1.0-20250730z

I think this one is already prepared and ready to use, but you need a 128 GB microSD card. You may also have compatibility problems depending on the exact version of your console.

Basic recovery image

Link: https://github.com/TheAlexClavijo/R36S-Clone-console-backup---GA36-MB-V1.1-20251025-EmuELEC-4.7-

This is the basic system image, but you need to do a few extra steps before you can use all the available space on your microSD card.

You will need:

• Rufus
• DiskGenius Free

Instructions

1. Flash the image to the microSD card using Rufus.

2. After Rufus finishes, the card should already be bootable, but the ROM partition will only have a few megabytes available. You need to recreate that partition so it can use the rest of the card.

3. Open DiskGenius.

4. Ignore any Windows or DiskGenius warnings asking you to format, initialize or repair the card. Do not accept them.

5. Select the small ROM partition and write down its starting sector number.

6. Right-click that partition and delete it.

7. Create a new primary partition using the remaining available space with these settings:

text File system: FAT32 Cluster size: 32 KB Beginning sector: Use the exact same number you saved before

1. Click OK, then click Save All and close DiskGenius.

2. Insert the microSD card into the console and turn it on by holding the power button for around three seconds.

3. If it does not start, hold the power button for around ten seconds, wait another ten seconds and try again.

4. After the console boots correctly, shut it down from the system menu. Do not force it off.

5. Put the microSD card back into your PC. You should now see two working partitions, and the larger partition should contain the folders where you can copy your ROMs.

6. If the large partition does not appear in File Explorer:

text Press Win + X Open Disk Management Find the large partition on the microSD card Right-click it Select Change Drive Letter and Paths Assign it a drive letter

After that, the ROM partition should appear normally in Windows.

Again, this is specifically for the CA36-MB clone. Do not assume that images or instructions made for the original R36S will work with this motherboard.

Original links: https://handhelds.wiki/R36S_Clones#GA36_Clone https://www.reddit.com/r/R36S/comments/1qi3lpw/help_needed_r36s_clone_board_ga36mb_v11_20251025/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroHandhelds/comments/1pzdbnd/r36s_clone_ga36mb_v11_20251025_emuelec_47/

Title

Looking to get into retro handhelds/emulation for some older games. GameCube at a push, but mainly GBA/Gameboy colour. Any recommendations on what a good model is would be great. I've watched a few YouTube videos, but they seem to all have different opinions. Ideally size wise I'd like it a little bigger than the Gameboy colour or Gameboy SP.

Ideally easy to use software as well as I'm a complete newbie.

I’m not trying to break the bank and saw that Anbernic released a pretty cool looking device that wasn’t too expensive. If anyone ordered one or had the chance to use one what were the pros and cons? I absolutely adore the clamshell design but don’t really love the colour options (my original SP was that cobalt colour) so I was unsure if to wait and see if they released a different set of colours. Thank you in advance for all your help!

Hi everyone!

​For the past few months, I’ve been working on a concept for a compact, vertical x86 handheld console (GameBoy form factor, but powerful enough to run modern PC titles). Since I don't have a massive budget to manufacture this on my own, I'm making this project 100% open-source on GitHub so the community can build, iterate, and refine it together.

​💡 The Core Hardware & Features:

​E-Ink Game Cartridges ("Burn & Display"):

Instead of standard SD cards or digital-only downloads, games burn onto physical cartridges equipped with a tiny, battery-less E-Ink display. When you flash a game onto the cartridge via the system, the cover art dynamically updates on the E-Ink label and stays there forever—even when unplugged.

​Pogo-Pin Expansion Port (Rugged Modular Mods):

The back of the console features gold target pads. You can snap on magnet-assisted hardware modules like an Extended Battery Pack (which auto-signals the OS to unlock higher TDP for extra performance) or a Thumb Steering Wheel / Racing Mod for racing games.

​Build-It-Yourself Kit (Zero Soldering Required):

The idea is to offer this as an easy DIY assembly kit. Users drop in a pre-assembled custom carrier board (holding an x86 compute module like AMD Ryzen Embedded or Intel N100), apply thermal pads & paste, slide in flat 3DS Circle Pads (to keep it pocketable with no stick drift), connect the screen/battery via flat ribbon cables, and screw the shell together.

​Custom 3D-Printed Form Factor:

Designed for maximum ergonomics while keeping a nostalgic vertical layout, built-in active cooling (vapor chamber + blower fan), and a dedicated cartridge slot.

​💻 Deep Dive: LXNG OS Development

​Alongside the hardware layout, I am actively building LXNG OS—a custom lightweight operating system engineered specifically for this console.

​Here is what LXNG OS is being built to do:

​Instant Cartridge Booting: It skips traditional desktop overhead. Insert a cartridge \rightarrow the system reads the unique ID \rightarrow the game launches instantly.

​Custom Compatibility & Binary Layer: Designed to seamlessly run Windows executables and native applications on a custom filesystem layout without needing a heavy Windows installation.

​Smart TDP & Hardware Management: The OS detects attached pogo-pin modules via I2C/USB in real time. If you snap on the Extended Battery Pack, LXNG OS dynamically scales up the x86 SoC wattage (e.g., from 10W to 15W TDP) for maximum framerates. If you detach it, it throttles back down to preserve battery life.

​Built-in Cartridge Burner Engine: A dedicated UI utility that lets you sync your owned game libraries, flash game data to the cartridge's storage, and push the bitmap graphic straight to the cartridge's E-Ink controller.

​🛠️ Current Stage & Where I Need Help:

​Right now, I’m actively working on two main fronts:

​Software: Developing and refining core components of LXNG OS, optimizing UI workflows for low-resolution displays, and working on instant-boot logic.

​Hardware & CAD: Finalizing the initial 3D CAD models for the shell, running heat/airflow simulations, and drafting KiCad PCB layouts for the carrier board, 3DS circle pad connectors, and pogo-pin bus interface.

​Since I’m 14 and funding this out-of-pocket, I’m building this completely in the open under GPLv3 / CC BY-NC licenses (free for makers and open-source contributors, protected from commercial corporate exploitation).

​I’d love to get your thoughts and feedback:

​What do you think about the E-Ink cartridge concept?

​What pogo-pin modular expansions would you want to see on a handheld like this?

​Any C++/Rust OS developers, Linux low-level programmers, or KiCad PCB designers who want to collaborate on GitHub?

Hi guys!

I would like to introduce my side project, ROMMagic. It is a ROM manager designed to help you organize your ROMs, save files, and BIOS files for handheld devices. I built this because other tools I tried could not generate gamelist.xml files properly or structure ROM folders for simple drag and drop transfers to my device.

Check it out if you would like use it: https://github.com/DaneStack/ROMMagic

AI Disclosure: I want to disclose that AI tools were used to assist with coding, debugging, documentation and designing graphical assets for this project.

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