New handheld in hand? Here's how to get from unboxing to your first game session without the guesswork.

Charge it fully first

Give the battery a full charge before your first session. Li-ion cells settle in better with a full cycle early on, and you'll get a truer read on real battery life from day one.

Know your firmware

Most retro handhelds, including the R36S, ship running ROCKNIX, the community-maintained firmware built specifically for this class of device. It's actively updated and handles per-game settings well, so there's no need to flash anything on day one.

Find your library

Games are organised by system on the home menu. Scroll through, pick a system you know, and start with a title you're already familiar with so you can get a feel for the controls before diving into anything unfamiliar.

Adjust the basics

Drop screen brightness to around 70 to 80 percent to stretch battery life without a noticeable quality hit, and turn on save states so you can pick up exactly where you left off.

Want the full rundown on what your device can and can't run? Read our honest emulation guide.