New RG35XX +/H StockOS Modification update: Add Themes, Optimize Emulators, etc

https://youtu.be/mMCKVFMotgM?si=3dNRf8NgytP_ZKOk

The RG35XX Plus and RE35XX H were launched with some pretty disappointing firmware on both of them. Someone outside of the handheld emulation scene would likely find that pretty disappointing unlike the vets who understand these devices would get customer firmware that would out perform what Anbernic was offering anyways.

At least thats how it has always happened in the past. Chinese handheld manufacturers are notorious of putting there entire budget into the making of handhelds in order to drive the price down as far as they can. So as we all received out devices and completed out initial reviews we all finished with something like “looking forward to customer firmware for this handheld to make it work the way we want but customer firmware is not a guarantee”. Well within a couple of months we have a couple of custom firmware options gaining popularity with two complete directions in mind.

There is MuOS or MustardOS which is a simpler UI that looks strikingly similar to the menus in Retroarch. By simplifying the system it loads faster and is far more efficient for the systems that it supports. The problem being that it has cut more than half the gaming systems from what the stock AnbernicOS has in a time when customer firmware is know for expanding supported libraries and enhancing the overall look and feel of the handheld while introducing new emulators that require more power. MuOS has done the opposite of this.

Next we have a Batocera build called Koriki. Batocera is know for creating a clean UI experiences for users that are more in your face flashing you box art, game-play video footage, music in the menus and all this while optimizing the system to better utilize performance for the emulators. This typically creates a better over all viewing and playing experience for the consumer. Right now Koriki does have the viewing experience down but it is a Lite version of Batocera sacrificing some of the typical performance its known for to add more flare.

The odd thing this time around is we seem the have a parallel shift. The community devs are still working on creating these new customer firmware experiences with them being to their Beta stages of development while the ever popular OS amongst 35XX users OnionOS is catching up and currently in the Alpha stage. But the shift here is that Anbernic is updating its stock operating system for the first time in current memory. There have been numerous updates to the Anbernic system and this time the custom devs aren’t optimizing what is on Anbernic already but instead trying to get the emulators to work correctly on their systems. We have already seen a lot left at the wayside from these custom firmware builds that likely wont be seen on them in the future… yet the stock OS already has them and working.

This gave some devs, credit to cbepx-me an opportunity to not invent the wheel but instead oil some squeaky barrings. Instead of a completely new firmware build we have the ability to add on and optimize the firmware that is already on the device. This can be more appealing for people to aren’t comfortable with or don’t know how to install custom firmware. We are seeing some great additions to the Anbernic StockOS already with things including optimization for Sony PSP and PS1 systems, Arcade improvements, different sleep functionality added, light options for playing at night and more. Below you will see a full list of additions here at its current version. These are all additions to what Anbernic themselves have been doing to improve their own operating system.

This can all only be great for gaming and create more innovation amongst both the manufacturers and the independent developers while they attempt to one up each other. This all right after JELOS another custom firmware used across multiple platforms a couple weeks ago put out an announcement that they will no longer support specific chip-sets as well as cutting manufacturer support for companies like Powkiddy that relied on their opensource firmware to make there devices perform at competitive levels. Below you will find a list of all the new features being added to StockOS Modification by open source developers to Anbernics Official firmware build. I will also be including an instruction video once it is published linked on this page.

Resources

Video How to: (coming soon)

RG35XX StockOS Modification Resources

RG35XX Modification Get Hub – Feature Descriptions

Works with 35xx H/+

Fixes:

• Crash issue with Retroarch
• Auto recover function for damaged Retroarch config 
• Fixed save state issue with some Retroarch cores
• Vibration function for select emulators 
• Soft keyboard activation with L2
• PPSSPP Cheat files 
• Fixes partition display error after auto expansion 
• Fix default bezels to reduce brightness
• Fix N64 settings for improved performance 
• GBC addes 2 Retroarch cores 
• Custom Theme implementation \
• Network time
  • Allows device to use IP to update time and timezone 
• Arcade Core test
  • If a core fails to load looks for a working core to start game
• Bezels On/Off/Manual support
• RA Hotkey
  • Ability to change RA hotkey to select if you chose (35XX-H Only)
• NightMode uses Darken.Fit video filter in RA
  • Note does not reduce brightness of front-end or 3rd party apps
• Quick Shutdown allows device to shutdown instead of sleep
  • If in game will automatically save on shutdown and start on reboot
  •   Only works with Retroarch 
• Reset apps allows apps to reset to initial installed state
  • Good for  troubleshooting if an App is acting up  by restoring 
  • Can take a long time for script to rewrite 
• Shaders On/Off/ Manual allows shaders to automatically be implemented based on game settings 
• Varcade Rotation allows the vertical arcade to automatically rotate on game start
• Random Rom chooses a  game for you on either TF1 or TF2
• Random Logo chooses a logo up to 10 placed in the anbernic/bootlogo folder
  • No restriction on file names but no more than 10
  • Res 640×480 .bmp 24bits

• Improved stability on Retroarch and cheats on PSP games

Baby Steps:

• Check your system version under the settings > Firmware Version on device
  • Must be on system 20231212 or later to work
    • Download Link if needed https://win.anbernic.com/download/
  • Recommend  updating to the newest OS either way prior to install
    • As of writing versions 35XX H 240222 35XX+ 240315
• Create a backup of your system files from current card
  • Simply highlight and drag files from card to your desktop or a New Folder
• New memory card (The cards that come with are junk)
• Go to Gethub Page https://github.com/cbepx-me/RG35xx-P-RG35xx-H-Modification/releases/tag/20240302
• Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Download link
  • Do this at your own risk as the link goes to a google drive and can’t be verified prior to download 
• Download the files you want off the google drive
  • If you just want the performance improvements download file for your device (35XX_H or 35XX +-Plus)
  • If you have the updated software you will only need the Update package once extracted 
  • This also includes the Theme_Customization_Tool
• If you don’t have a 7zip tool or an SD card writing tool download tools
  • Included needed programs in Tools Folder (programs are free to use):
    • Rufus (to write image to card)
    • 7z 1900-86  to extract the zip files 
• If you are interested in ports there is a folder there to download some ports

Installation:

1. Take you new SD card (at least 16GB in size) and insert it into your computer
2. Open Rufus and select the drive letter for your card
3. If you need to update your firmware follow these steps otherwise skip to step 11
   1.  Use the Select tab to browse for the image file for your firmware update update 
   2. There is a firmware update for your device included but as of writing there is a newer update available from Anbernic than the included one
4. Click the start button and you will be warned installing the image will delete everything and then create its own partitions 
5. Tell it you don’t care and just want the image written
6. Once complete hit close
7. Safely eject memory card and place in TF1 slot on handheld
8. Power on (be patient it will likely take a while the first time)
   1.  The system is writing the folders for your roms etc
9. Once completed and fully booted  go to system and the last option
   1. Choose shutdown 
   2. When pop-up pops up choose yes you want to shut down
10. Place SD card back into computer 
11. Open your SD card from the  directory on your computer 
12. Open the folder you held the image for your device in
    1. Then click on the folder for your device 
    2. Choose the folder labelled Stock_OS_Mod
    3. Click on update package 
    4. Unzip the 35XX……MOD….7z file
13. Drag the Apps folder from the 35XX….MOD…7z file into your SD cards Roms folder
    1. This will include the update and images for your handheld 
14. Safely Remove SD from Computer, Place in handheld and boot up handheld
15. Go to the RA Games folder
    1. Select TF Slot 1
    2. Scroll through any emulators listed (likely none  as we haven’t added Roms yet) to the Apps Simulator folder 
    3. In Apps folder chose RG35xxX_Upgrade_202xxxxx
    4. Follow the prompts to complete the system upgrade
    5. Restart and expect it to take longer as it is again writing new directories
       • Be patient grab yourself a cup of coffee ot favorite juice cleanser 
       • You will likely see the LED do some crazy things, the processor is doing work
    6. Enjoy all your new goodies. Most of the Mods added will be found in the same APP folder you just used to select the update file
16. Install Theme_Customization_Tool
    1. Similar to doing the Mod Update go the the folder where you unzipped the files for your device 
17. Select the Theme_Customization_Tool folder 
18. Unzip the 35XX..TCT2…7z file 
19. Drag the Apps folder to the same Roms folder you used for your Mod files 
20. Now back up in your folders to the folder holding all your files for this project 
21. Select the Custom_Themes Folder 
22. You will see a list of .7z files
    1. These are all different themes 
    2. You can view them in with the image files in the same folder 
23. Once you find a theme you want to install open the .7z folder for that theme
24. Again drag the Apps folder into the Roms folder on your memory card
    1. The same place you put the install and customer theme apps
25. Repeat steps 23 and 24 until you have all the themes placed on your card that you want
    1. The files are small and I wanted to see what they looked like on the handheld so I did steps 23 and 24 for all the themes included
    2. You also have the ability to make your own themes but thats a different project for the future 
26. Install Ports
    1. Go back to the folder you extracted that you are using for this project  
    2. Select the Ports folder and Drag it into the Roms folder you have been using
       • This will put all the included port files into their respective folder 
27. Add Roms:
28. Go to where you keep your rom files on your computer 
29. Open a second explorer directory window
    1. Open the Roms folder on your memory card 
30. Select the roms you want added to the card (example GBA) and drag the files inside to the respective folder on the memory card.
    1. Make sure not to change the names of the folders within Roms as the system will look for them in their respective folders and is name cap sensitive 
31. Once you have all the Rom fields you want installed close close your explorer directory windows    
32. Open MiniTool Partition Wizard or a similar application that allows you to work with partitions 
33. Once it loads find your card by drive letter
    1. You will likely see multiple drives for your card together as Anbernic creates a crazy amount of partitions for there firmware
34. Click on each partition except your Roms partition and select Hide
    1. This will prevent each of the partitions from opening individually every time you put your memory card into your computer looking like you miss clicked an ad on one of those sites you want cleared from your browser history 
    2. You might get 1 or 2 more than your Rom partition next time you restart your computer as it wont initially allow you to select all but the Roms partition 
    3. Next time you put your SD card in if this happens go back to MiniTool Partition Wizard and try to hide those additional partitions that popped-up
35. Close MiniTool Partition and your directory explorer windows
36. Safely remove your memory card
37. Place card in handheld and power up
38. Go into settings – Buttons 
39. Select Set 1 scheme 0 to get the default buttons for the home screen 
40. Once powered up go back to that apps folder
    1. If you added roms in the last step there will be more folders under Retroarch but Applications will always be last 
41. Open Applications and select the name of the theme you want to use
    1. The theme should then become active 
42. While you are in applications you might as well take advantage of other new feature changes.
    1. Most updates listed above should be found in this applications folder 
43. Once complete in the Apps folder back out to your games folder
44. Give yourself a high five and realize it seems way more difficult a task to get everything you did today setup than it actually is 
45. Fight off that urge of exhaustion that has overcome you because you have optimized games to play (you used to call your nephew over to do this for you)
46. Go to YouTube then Like and Share my instructions video for this because you realize how much completing this makes you feel accomplished 
47. Enjoy your new confidence…you’ve earned it 
48. GameOn
49. Please accept my sincere thanks for all the promotion you have done for the channel

Thank you for being part of our retro journey and thank you to cbepex-me for introducing this modification to the world.

CellPhish