R36H vs TrimUI Brick

The TrimUI Brick is one of the hottest new budget handhelds, and it's the device most people cross-shop against the R36H. They aim at the same wallet but take very different approaches — here's how they really compare.

Quick Verdict

🏆 Buy the R36H for value and battery life; the TrimUI Brick for a premium screen and build.

The R36H gives you a bigger screen, a replaceable battery and a horizontal grip for less money. The TrimUI Brick counters with a sharper 4:3 display, a metal body and a more polished stock OS — at a higher price.

Specs at a Glance

	R36H	TrimUI Brick
Screen	3.5" IPS (horizontal)	3.2" IPS, sharp 4:3 (vertical)
Form factor	Horizontal grip	Compact "brick" / vertical
Build	Plastic, lightweight	Aluminium, premium feel
Chip	RK3326 (RockChip)	Allwinner A133P
Battery	3,000mAh, replaceable	Sealed internal battery
Custom firmware	ArkOS, ROCKNIX, JELOS, DarkOS	Stock OS + community CFW
Best at	NES–PS1, GBA, N64 (lighter)	NES–PS1, sharper 4:3 systems
Price tier	Lower / cheapest	Higher

Screen & Form Factor

The Brick's 3.2" display is smaller but famously crisp, and its 4:3 shape suits older systems (NES, SNES, arcade) beautifully. The R36H's 3.5" screen is larger and its horizontal layout is more comfortable for longer sessions and for systems with shoulder-button-heavy controls like PS1 and N64.

Build & Battery

The TrimUI Brick's aluminium shell feels a class above and is genuinely pocketable. The R36H is plainer plastic, but it has a trick the Brick doesn't: a user-replaceable battery. If you play daily or travel, being able to swap in a fresh cell (and having 5–8 hours per charge) is a real advantage.

Performance & Software

Both are 8-bit-through-PS1 machines; neither is a Dreamcast/PSP powerhouse. The Brick's Allwinner chip and polished stock OS give a smooth first-time experience. The R36H's RK3326 platform has years of mature custom firmware behind it — ArkOS, ROCKNIX, JELOS and the increasingly popular DarkOS — so it's extremely well documented and easy to tinker with.

Our Recommendation

If your priority is the lowest price, a bigger screen, longer/replaceable battery and a huge custom-firmware community, the R36H is the smarter buy and the easiest way to start retro gaming today. If you want the sharpest little 4:3 screen and a premium metal build and don't mind paying more, the TrimUI Brick is a lovely device. For most first-time buyers, we still point to the R36H.