R36H Button Layout & Hotkey Guide
The R36H features a full set of controls: D-pad, dual analog sticks, A/B/X/Y face buttons, and 4 shoulder buttons (L1/L2/R1/R2).
Default Hotkeys (ArkOS)
- Select + Start = Exit game
- Select + R1 = Save state
- Select + L1 = Load state
- Select + R2 = Fast forward
- Select + L2 = Rewind (if enabled)
- Select + B = RetroArch menu
⚠️ Important: No FN Button
The R36H lacks a dedicated FN button. In ArkOS, make sure to set Device Type to R36H so that Select is used as the hotkey modifier instead.
The Physical Layout
The R36H gives you a directional pad, two analog sticks, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons and the start and select pair. That is a complete modern layout, and it is the reason PlayStation games work properly here — every original DualShock input has somewhere to live, including the two analog sticks that a number of PS1 titles genuinely require.
Default Hotkeys
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
| Exit the current game | Select + Start |
| Save state | Select + R1 |
| Load state | Select + L1 |
| Fast forward | Select + R2 |
| Rewind (when enabled) | Select + L2 |
| Open the emulator menu | Select + B |
Why Select Is The Modifier
Many handhelds in this class include a dedicated function key for hotkeys. The R36H does not, so Select does that job instead. This is why setting the device type correctly during firmware setup matters so much — with the wrong device profile the firmware expects a function button that does not physically exist, and no hotkey combination will work. If your hotkeys are dead, that setting is the first thing to check rather than the mappings themselves.
Per-System Remapping Is Usually The Better Fix
Rather than changing the global layout, most emulator frontends allow a mapping saved for a single system or a single game. This is worth using: Genesis six-button fighters, PlayStation games that expect the shoulder triggers, and arcade titles all want slightly different arrangements, and a global change that suits one will irritate you in the others.
Assign save and load to the spare shoulders
L2 and R2 go unused by every system up to the PlayStation. Mapping save state and load state to them turns quick-saving into something you do without thinking, which changes how comfortable difficult games feel.