Powkiddy Release New Retro Handheld With RK3326 Chipset and 3.5-Inch IPS Display
- The ROYIBEILA P36S features a 3.5-inch 640×480 IPS display, RK3326 processor, and 3,000mAh battery
- The handheld appears to be another rebranded Powkiddy-designed retro gaming device
- The budget retro handheld market continues relying heavily on white-label hardware sold under multiple brands
Powkiddy have revealed a new budget retro gaming handheld, the ROYIBEILA P36S, offering Linux-based emulation hardware for under $50. The handheld is listed with a 3.5-inch IPS display running at 640×480 resolution, a Rockchip RK3326 processor, 1GB of DDR3L RAM, and support for multiple retro gaming platforms.
The P36S includes dual analog sticks, stacked shoulder buttons, Wi-Fi support, USB-C charging, and a 3,000mAh battery that Powkiddy claims can deliver up to six hours of gameplay depending on usage.
“Based on the existing RK2023 model, we’ve created a high-performance handheld game console that’s affordable for everyone,” Powkiddy said in an announcement. The handheld supports retro emulation across systems including PlayStation 1, SNES, Game Boy Advance, arcade platforms, and additional older consoles.
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The P36S Is Powkiddy in Everything But Name
Although marketed under the ROYIBEILA name, the P36S shares several similarities with existing Powkiddy handhelds, particularly the RK2023 family. The shell design, button layout, and use of the Rockchip RK3326 chipset closely mirror hardware already used across multiple Powkiddy devices over the past several years.
The RK3326 processor has become one of the most common entry-level chips in retro handheld gaming due to its balance between price and emulation performance. Devices using the chipset are generally capable of handling systems up to PlayStation 1, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, and some PSP titles depending on emulator optimization and firmware support. The P36S pairs the chip with 1GB of RAM and a 3.5-inch laminated IPS display designed around retro gaming’s common 4:3 aspect ratio.
The RK3326 also features external Wi-Fi functionality, vibration motors, save states, multiplayer connectivity, and expandable storage through microSD cards. Like many Linux-based retro handhelds, the device relies heavily on community firmware ecosystems and emulator frontends for software customisation and performance improvements.
Budget Retro Handhelds Increasingly Appear Under Multiple Brands
The P36S reflects a wider trend within the retro handheld market, where manufacturers frequently sell similar hardware designs through multiple storefronts and alternate branding arrangements. Devices such as the R36S, Powkiddy RGB20S, and various RK3326-based systems have appeared across online marketplaces under different names despite sharing near-identical internal hardware.
This white-label approach has helped reduce prices while expanding distribution globally, though it has also created confusion around hardware revisions, firmware compatibility, and long-term software support. Many retro handheld enthusiasts rely on custom operating systems such as ArkOS, JELOS, and AmberELEC to improve performance and emulator compatibility across these devices.
Budget handhelds using the RK3326 platform remain especially common in the sub-$100 market due to their low manufacturing costs and broad emulator support. Companies including Powkiddy, Anbernic, Game Console, and other smaller resellers continue releasing variations of similar hardware aimed at players looking for affordable portable retro gaming systems.
