A retro handheld should last a session, not die halfway through. Here's how to get real hours out of the battery you've got.

Drop the brightness

Screen brightness is the single biggest battery drain. Sitting at 70 to 80 percent instead of full brightness barely affects how the screen looks but noticeably extends play time.

Turn off Wi-Fi when you're not using it

Wi-Fi is only needed for downloading games or firmware updates. Leaving it on in the background quietly drains the battery even when you're not actively transferring anything.

Use save states instead of leaving it idle

Putting the device to sleep or leaving a game paused still draws power. A proper save state and full shutdown between sessions preserves more charge than leaving it idle.

Charge fully before first use

Li-ion batteries perform more consistently long-term when they're given a full charge cycle from the very first use, rather than a partial top-up.

Store it partially charged if you're not using it for a while

Leaving a lithium battery fully drained or fully charged for weeks at a time shortens its life. Around 50 percent is the safer resting point for storage.

Get the full picture on what your handheld can run in our R36S emulation guide.