🔵 PS1 Games on R36H
PS1 is one of the R36H's strongest platforms. The RK3326 delivers smooth 60fps on the vast majority of PS1 titles, making it ideal for RPGs, platformers, and fighting games.
Performance Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
The R36H's Rockchip RK3326 quad-core processor paired with 1GB DDR3L RAM delivers excellent performance for most PS1 titles.
Recommended Emulator
For the best PS1 experience on R36H, use PCSX-ReARMed. This core is pre-configured in ArkOS, ROCKNIX, and JELOS custom firmware.
Top 10 PS1 Games to Play on R36H
- Final Fantasy VII
- Metal Gear Solid
- Castlevania: SOTN
- Crash Bandicoot: Warped
- Resident Evil 2
- Suikoden II
- FF IX
- Spyro: Year of the Dragon
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- Tekken 3
Emulator Settings for Best Performance
With ArkOS or ROCKNIX custom firmware, PS1 emulation works out of the box with no configuration needed. For optimal results:
- Use the PCSX-ReARMed core (default in ArkOS)
- Enable V-Sync for smooth frame pacing
- Set audio to 48000 Hz output rate
- No frameskip needed — all games run at full speed
💡 Pro Tip
PS1 performance varies by game. Start with the top 10 list above — these are all verified to run well on the R36H.
Where the ROMs Live
The R36H ships with two microSD slots. TF1 holds the operating system and should be left alone; TF2 is the games card and is the one you add files to. Every platform has its own folder under /roms/, and the folder name has to match exactly — a ROM dropped into the wrong directory simply will not appear in the menu, which is the single most common reason a freshly copied game seems to vanish.
| Folder on the games card | /roms/psx/ |
|---|---|
| Accepted file types | .chd (recommended), .pbp, .cue + .bin, .m3u for multi-disc |
The Strongest Of The 3D Platforms
PlayStation is where the R36H genuinely outperforms expectations. PCSX-ReARMed includes a hand-optimised ARM dynamic recompiler, and the result is that the large majority of the PS1 library runs at its intended frame rate on the RK3326. Fighting games, 2D games, RPGs and most 3D action titles are comfortable. This is the platform to point at when someone asks what a device at this level is actually good for.
Use CHD Files — This Matters More Than People Expect
PS1 games are disc images, and the format you store them in has real consequences on a handheld. A raw BIN/CUE pair of a full disc can occupy several hundred megabytes. CHD is a compressed format designed exactly for this, and it typically cuts that size substantially with no loss of data and no meaningful performance penalty on load. Given that the bundled card has to hold thousands of games, converting your PS1 collection to CHD is the single most effective way to reclaim space.
| Title | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy VII | Full speed | Multi-disc — see the m3u note below |
| Tekken 3 | Full speed | Fighting games are a particular strength |
| Crash Bandicoot 2 | Full speed | Analog stick not required |
| Gran Turismo 2 | Full speed | Occasional dips in heavy weather effects |
| Tomb Raider | Full speed | Original analog control works via the right stick |
Multi-Disc Games Without The Disc Swapping
Several of the best PS1 games shipped on more than one disc, and reaching the end of disc one inside an emulator is a classic point of confusion. The solution is an .m3u file: a plain text file listing each disc image on its own line, saved with the game's name. The frontend then shows one entry instead of three, and the emulator swaps discs internally when the game asks. Without it you have to exit and load the next file manually, which usually breaks the save.
The dual analog sticks are not decorative here
The R36H has two real analog sticks, which means PS1 games built around DualShock controls — Ape Escape most famously, which is literally unplayable without them — work properly. Enable the analog controller type in the emulator's input options; several games default to the original digital pad.