Miyoo Mini Plus vs R36S

These are the two names that come up every single time someone asks for a cheap handheld to start with, and honestly, both answers are correct. They're both little vertical Linux machines, they both live under the forty-quid mark, and they both absolutely nail the stuff most people actually want: 8-bit, 16-bit, the arcade classics, and PS1. Point either one at a Game Boy library or a stack of Mega Drive ROMs and you'll grin.

So this isn't a fight where one wins and one loses. It's more about what you care about most, and the two devices happen to pull in slightly different directions. One's the polished little jewel, the other's the value champ. Here's the feel of each.

The Miyoo Mini Plus: the pocket jewel

The Mini Plus is the one people fall a bit in love with. It's tiny, it's genuinely well made for what it costs, and that little screen is lovely to look at, crisp and bright in a way that makes old sprite art pop. It's the sort of thing you happily leave in a jacket pocket and pull out on the bus, and it just feels nice in the hand. There's a reason it became a bit of an icon.

The other half of the appeal is the software. The community firmware, Onion, is the polished part of the story. It's clean, it looks great, it's easy to set up, and it turns the Mini Plus into a device that feels finished rather than fiddly. Plenty of people buy this handheld specifically because of Onion, and once you've used it you get why. If you want something that just works and looks the part while doing it, this is the vibe.

The R36S: same era, usually cheaper

The R36S plays the same music. It handles that 8-bit-through-PS1 sweet spot really well, it's got a nice sharp screen for the money, and it's typically the cheaper of the two, sometimes by a decent margin. If your only goal is spending as little as possible and still getting something you'll properly enjoy, the R36S makes a very strong case. As a pure value pick it's hard to beat.

The catch is a big one though, and it's not about the hardware itself. The R36S is the most cloned handheld out there, full stop. Loads of the listings you'll scroll past are cheaper hardware hiding behind the real one's photos, and you cannot tell from the pictures. A clone can drop frames the genuine unit wouldn't, and worse, it can flat-out refuse the custom firmware that's half the reason to buy the thing. So with the R36S, where you buy it matters more than with almost any other device. We wrote a full guide on buying an R36S without ending up with a clone, and it's worth two minutes before you check out.

The trade-offs, plainly

Strip it back and the choice comes down to a few things. The Mini Plus wins on build quality, on that gorgeous little screen, and on firmware polish thanks to Onion. It feels like a proper product. The R36S wins on price and on the fact that it's usually a bit roomier to hold, which some people prefer for longer sessions. Neither is faster than the other in a way you'll notice for the games these are built for.

The clone risk is the thing that really separates them. The Mini Plus is a known quantity from a known maker, so you're not gambling on which internals turn up. The R36S can be a gamble if you buy carelessly, but buy carefully from an established seller and that risk mostly evaporates. It's not a reason to avoid the R36S, it's just a reason to shop with your eyes open.

So which one?

Buy the Miyoo Mini Plus if you want the nicer object. If build quality, that lovely screen and the polish of Onion firmware matter to you, and you don't mind paying a little more for a device that feels finished and iconic, this is the one you'll be happiest with. It's the safe, smooth, no-drama pick.

Buy the R36S if the lowest possible price is the priority, you mainly play the retro classics up to PS1, and you're happy to buy carefully from a seller with a real track record. You give up very little for the money, as long as you get a genuine one.