If you’ve seen a furious one-star review screaming “BLACK SCREEN AFTER 3 DAYS,” there’s a good chance the device was fine and the card was garbage. The R38S, like every R-series handheld, ships with a stock microSD card that is the weakest link in the whole product.
The problem
Bundled cards are frequently overstated on capacity, slow on random reads, and prone to corruption. Because the entire operating system lives on that card, a failing card looks exactly like a failing console. Most “dead on arrival” R-series units are simply suffering a dead card.
What we tested
We pitted the bundled card against a branded Samsung EVO and a SanDisk Ultra, both genuine, both bought from reputable sellers.
- Boot time: the branded cards shaved several seconds off cold boots.
- PS1 loading: noticeably snappier, fewer in-game hitches on disc-swap-heavy titles.
- Stability: zero corruption over two weeks of abuse versus one full re-flash needed on the stock card.
The buying advice
Get a genuine A1-rated card from a brand you recognise, 128GB if you want room to grow, and buy it from a seller with a real returns policy. Counterfeit cards are rampant, so a too-good price is a red flag.
Treat the bundled card as a free demo of why you should buy a real one.
Bottom line
A 12-euro card upgrade is the single best thing you can do for your R38S. It fixes problems you’d otherwise blame on the console, and it protects the saves you’ll grow attached to. Don’t skip it.