The standard R36S has no Wi-Fi. That is a design decision, not a fault it keeps the price down on a console most people use offline. The R36S WiFi adapter kit adds it back: a USB-C OTG adapter plus a compact USB wireless dongle, for A$16.95.

Which handhelds need an R36S WiFi adapter?

Everything in the R36 line ships without wireless except one model:

What an R36S WiFi adapter actually does

Being honest about this matters more than the sale: a USB dongle only works if your firmware has a driver for it. On stock firmware, expect nothing. On the open-source firmware most owners end up running ArkOS, Knulli and their relatives USB Wi-Fi is supported and this is what it buys you:

• Transfer files over the network instead of pulling the card out every time. This is the reason most people buy one.
• Scrape box art and metadata so your library stops looking like a list of filenames.
• Retro Achievements and other online-aware firmware features, where your firmware supports them.
• Firmware and package updates without a card reader.

What it will not do: it does not turn the console into a streaming device, it does not add a browser worth using, and it does not make anything run faster. If someone tells you a dongle improves emulation performance, they are selling something.

Setting it up

1. Flash firmware with USB Wi-Fi support if you have not already our firmware guide covers ArkOS and the alternatives.
2. Plug the dongle into the OTG adapter, and the adapter into the console’s USB-C port.
3. Enable Wi-Fi in the firmware’s network settings and pick your network.
4. Note the console’s IP address that is what you will use for network transfers.

If the network menu stays empty, the firmware has no driver for that chipset. That is a firmware question, not a faulty adapter, and our hardware checklist is the place to start.

Who is it for?

Owners who add files often. An R36S WiFi adapter is a convenience purchase, not a necessity. If you set the console up once and never touch it again, you do not need this a second storage card does more for you. If you are constantly moving files, tinkering with firmware or building a properly