R36S “K36S” Clone SD Card Swap Instructions for MacOS

This guide should work for R36S clones known as K36 or K36S that have a .dtb file of rf3536k4ka.dtb.

Prerequisites

• New SD card that is at least the same size as stock console SD card

• SD card reader

• Computer

Prepare the new SD Card

Erase and reformat new SD card to ExFat using Disk Utility program:

• Disk Utility > Erase > Rename to CLONE > Select ExFat > Save

List disks to find the correct disk in the Terminal:

• Run: diskutil list

• Identify new SD card (notice disk #)

Unmount new SD card disk (use correct disk #):

• Run: diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk5

Flash ArkOS Image (ArkOS_K36_v2.0_02212025.img.xz) onto new SD card. Reference: GitHub of R36S Clone Versions.

• Download here: https://mega.nz/file/en5TxJDb#DWuwxl8muBpRR0MB2YNCu5V2cNK3O9OQnGU00nVFvhE

• Run the following command. Replace with your username and disk[#] if needed (e.g., rdisk5 to rdisk4): sudo dd if=~/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Desktop/ArkOS_K36_v2.0_02212025.img of=/dev/rdisk5 bs=4m status=progress

  • For the sudo command, start with sudo dd if= then drag the .img file from Desktop to the terminal to auto-complete the path. Don’t forget to add of=/dev/rdisk5 bs=4m status=progress to the rest of the command.

After flashed, sync the SD card:

• Run the following command: sync

Safely eject:

• Run the following command: diskutil eject /dev/rdisk5

Preparing the .dtb file (aka Panel)

After ejected, connect new SD card back to computer:

• Open BOOT partition

• Rename the root .dtb file to .bak as a backup

• Verify correct compatible clone .dtb version: https://lcdyk0517.github.io/dtbTools.html

• For rf3536k4ka.dtb, download Panel 9.

• Copy that Panel 9 .dtb file to the new SD card’s root

• Safely eject from Finder

Test BOOT on device

• Insert new SD card into device

• Ensure device battery is at 80% or higher and plugged into charger via wallmount

• Hold the power button for 10 seconds

• Led lights should appear on the device and the ArkOS logo should appear on the screen

• Test the controls to verify they work

• Power off device

Load original SD card games to new SD card

• Insert new SD card back into computer

• Erase or move the flashed EASYROM data into a separate folder on Desktop as a back up

• Make Volumes dir: mkdir -p /Volumes/EASYROMS/pico-8/carts

• Verify:  ls -l /Volumes/EASYROMS/pico-8/

• Use this command to copy original SD card EASYROM data to new SD Card:

  cp -R ~/Desktop/EASYROMS/* /Volumes/EASYROMS/

• Safely eject: diskutil eject /Volumes/EASYROMS

• Insert new SD card into device and test a game controls and save states

Misson accomplished, well done. Enjoy your retro games!