The safest way to set up a retro handheld is to identify its exact model, operating system, and firmware revision before formatting a card, installing custom software, or copying games. Retroid, Miyoo, MiyooCFW, and ANBERNIC devices use different storage formats, folder layouts, installers, and shutdown procedures.
Record those details, back up the supplied card, complete the stock first boot, and then follow the current instructions for your particular device. The procedures below use the Retroid RP2, supported Miyoo models running Onion, Miyoo Custom Firmware, and ANBERNIC updates as examples of how much the correct process can vary.
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1. Identify the handheld before changing anything
Read the model name from the case, box, Settings screen, or system information page. Record the hardware revision, installed operating system, firmware version, and the capacity of the inserted microSD card. Two devices that look alike can require different images or card layouts.
- Model: write the complete designation, including a revision or regional suffix if shown.
- Operating system: note whether the device boots Android, a Linux-based stock interface, Onion, MiyooCFW, or another system.
- Firmware revision: capture the version number before downloading an update.
- Storage configuration: note whether one card contains the operating system and games or whether the handheld uses separate cards.
- Source of instructions: use the manufacturer manual or support portal and the custom-firmware project’s supported-device list.
Retroid’s cited Getting Started material is specifically for the RP2. Onion’s fresh-install documentation applies only to supported Miyoo models, and ANBERNIC publishes separate packages by model and memory/card configuration. A firmware file for a similar-looking handheld is not evidence that it is compatible.
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2. Back up the supplied card
Before formatting, partitioning, updating, or replacing a card, make a complete computer copy of every visible file and folder. Retroid’s RP2 instructions warn that the included card contains files required by RetroidOS. Preserve that card image or folder copy even if you plan to use a larger card or a different frontend.
- Power the handheld completely off using its normal shutdown command.
- Remove the card only after the screen is off and activity lights have stopped.
- Insert it into a computer with a compatible card reader.
- Copy the entire card to a clearly named backup folder. Keep hidden files and folders if your operating system offers that option.
- Open several copied files to confirm that the transfer completed, then safely eject the card.
Do not format the original RP2 card first and hope that the operating system can be recreated later. If a card is failing, copy what you can before attempting repairs and keep the original untouched while you test a replacement.
3. Complete the first boot before customizing
Android-based handhelds
On an Android handheld such as the RP2 described in the Retroid guide, finish the initial Android setup and connect to Wi-Fi before deciding whether to use the stock launcher, RetroidOS, or another frontend. Menus and labels in the legacy RP2 documentation are model-specific, so treat them as an example rather than a universal Android recipe.
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Supported Miyoo devices using Onion
Onion’s fresh-install flow starts with a prepared card. You extract the supplied package folders to the card’s root, insert the card, boot the handheld to start installation, and then select systems and applications in Package Manager. Use that sequence only on a Miyoo model listed as supported by the Onion project.
4. Decide between stock software, a custom firmware, and a frontend
Stock software is usually the lowest-risk starting point because it matches the files shipped for the device. A custom firmware or alternate frontend can improve organization and add features, but it introduces another compatibility layer and a recovery process.
| Decision factor | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Hardware support | Is this exact model and revision listed as supported? |
| Existing library and saves | Will the new software read the current ROM folders and save-state locations? |
| Installation and recovery | Can you restore the backed-up card if the installation fails? |
| Emulator compatibility | Does the desired system use a compatible emulator or core? |
| Storage requirements | What filesystem, partition layout, and card arrangement does the project require? |
There is no universal winner. Keep the original backup, follow the project’s supported-device list, and avoid interrupting a firmware flash. If the documentation does not list your model, stay with the stock system until the manufacturer or project provides an explicit package.
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5. Prepare the card using the device’s documented format
Filesystem requirements are not interchangeable. Onion’s documented fresh-install process specifies FAT32. The RP2 RetroidOS instructions describe using an exFAT replacement card and copying the original files into the expected directory structure. These are different workflows, not two names for a universal rule.
| Route | Documented storage detail | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Onion fresh install | FAT32 card for the documented installation flow | Applies to supported Miyoo hardware and the Onion package only. |
| Retroid RP2 with RetroidOS | exFAT replacement card, with original card files copied into the expected structure | Specific to the RP2 instructions; do not apply it automatically to another Retroid model. |
| Other stock or custom systems | Follow the model’s current instructions | The cited material does not establish a universal filesystem or capacity. |
Use a card reader that supports the card’s size and connector. Format only after the backup is verified, copy files to the required root location, and safely eject the card from the computer. Power the handheld off before inserting or removing storage whenever the device instructions require it.
6. Install Onion on a supported Miyoo model
Onion’s fresh-install guide provides a model-specific sequence. Read the current supported-device list first, then:
- Back up the card and prepare it as FAT32 according to the project instructions.
- Extract the Onion package without nesting the package inside an extra top-level folder.
- Copy the package folders to the root of the card.
- Keep the package’s update folder in place. The Onion documentation states: “Despite its name, the
.tmp_updatefolder must stay on your SD card.” - Insert the card into the powered-off handheld and boot it so the installer can run.
- Open Package Manager after installation and select the systems, emulators, and applications you actually need.
- Shut down, remove the card safely, and use a computer to add your game files to the resulting folder structure.
Do not mix Onion folders with a different Miyoo firmware layout. If the handheld does not start the installer, turn it off, restore the backed-up card, and recheck the model, filesystem, package extraction, and root-level folder placement.
7. Configure RetroidOS on the RP2
The RP2 guide describes RetroidOS as an optional route after the Android first boot. Its import process differs from Onion and from ordinary Android emulator setup.
- Prepare the replacement exFAT card only after backing up the original RP2 card.
- Copy the original card’s required files into the directory structure expected by RetroidOS.
- Place game files in
/games/download/. - On the handheld, open External games management.
- Select each imported title and assign the emulator that should launch it.
- Test a title, confirm the controls, and check whether saves are written where expected.
The RP2 documentation notes limitations around compressed and multi-file games. Do not assume that every archive, disc image, or split game will import correctly; extract or reorganize files only when the relevant emulator documentation permits it.
8. Add ROM and BIOS files legally
Use only game images and firmware files you are legally entitled to use. This guide does not direct you to unauthorized ROM or BIOS downloads.
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Onion folder placement
On Onion, place each game in the matching system subfolder inside Roms. BIOS files belong in BIOS only when the selected emulator requires them. BIOS filenames and regional requirements differ by emulator or core, so consult that emulator’s documentation instead of copying every BIOS file into every folder.
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After copying, boot the handheld and use the documented refresh or reindex action so the frontend scans the card. If a game is absent, check its extension, folder name, card mount, and whether the selected Package Manager system was installed.
RetroidOS import
RetroidOS uses the RP2 import path described above rather than Onion’s Roms and BIOS layout. Keep the two structures separate when moving between devices or frontends; copying an Onion directory tree to RetroidOS will not automatically create an importable library.
9. Configure controls, emulators, and the library
Start with one title for which you have rights. Confirm that the frontend displays the game, launches the intended emulator, and responds to every button, stick, trigger, and menu command.
- Check the button mapping in the emulator that actually opened, not only in the frontend.
- Test directional input, both analog sticks, shoulder buttons, start/select, and any hotkey used for saving or exiting.
- Save changes through the emulator’s own configuration workflow.
- Create a test save and a save state, then reload each one.
- Verify that exiting returns to the frontend without forcing a power loss.
The RP2 guide reports that controls are already configured in its RetroidOS and Android emulators. That observation belongs to that model and software combination; it is not a guarantee for another handheld, firmware revision, or emulator build.
10. Update firmware only with the exact package
Check the manufacturer’s current update listing immediately before installing anything. Verify the model, hardware variant, memory configuration, and card arrangement against the package name. ANBERNIC’s System Update page illustrates why: it lists separate packages by model and includes a warning that some 16 GB packages prevent SD expansion or ROM installation on the card after the operating system is installed.
- Read the complete model-specific update notes.
- Confirm that the package matches the device’s variant and storage configuration.
- Back up the card and any saves again.
- Charge the handheld and use reliable power during the update.
- Do not remove the card, press buttons, or interrupt the flash until the process reports completion.
- Boot the device, verify the firmware version, and test a game before restoring a large library.
Firmware numbers, files, and warnings can change. Treat the manufacturer’s listing and support portal as the authority at the time you update rather than relying on an old download or a package intended for a neighboring model.
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11. Shut down without corrupting the card
Use the operating system’s shutdown command instead of pulling the card or holding the power button while data is being written. Miyoo Custom Firmware version 2.0.0 documents writes every five seconds and advises waiting at least five seconds after saving or using a proper shutdown. Its menu path and timing apply to that firmware; another handheld may use a different procedure.
For MiyooCFW, wait after saving, open the system menu, choose the documented shutdown option, and wait for the screen to go dark before removing storage. The project also recommends avoiding the card supplied with some consoles or unbranded cards because its documentation considers them more susceptible to corruption. Treat that as the project’s recommendation, not as a measured failure-rate claim for every card.
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The handheld no longer boots after a card change
- Power off completely and reinsert the card.
- Confirm that the card uses the filesystem required by the exact firmware.
- Check that package folders are at the card root rather than inside an extra directory.
- Restore the verified backup to the original card or a known-compatible replacement.
- Do not flash a package for a similar-looking model.
The frontend shows no games
- Confirm that the card is mounted and readable by the handheld.
- Check the system-specific folder name and file extension.
- Run the frontend’s refresh or reindex command.
- In RetroidOS, confirm that titles were placed in
/games/download/and assigned through External games management. - Check whether the required system or emulator was enabled in Onion Package Manager.
A game reports a missing BIOS
Determine whether that emulator actually requires a BIOS, identify the exact filename and region expected by its documentation, and place it in the documented BIOS path. A random BIOS collection or an incorrectly named file will not satisfy a core that checks for a specific image.
Controls work in menus but not in a game
Open the emulator’s input configuration, select the handheld’s physical controller if necessary, map every required control, save the profile, and relaunch the title. Frontend navigation and in-game mappings can be separate.
Saves disappear or the card reports corruption
Stop using the card until you have copied recoverable files. Recheck the shutdown procedure, wait after saving, inspect the card with the computer’s file tools, and restore from the backup if required. Avoid repeatedly removing power while the system is writing.
13. A practical setup checklist
- Exact model, revision, operating system, and firmware recorded.
- Original card copied before formatting or replacement.
- First boot, charging, display, audio, and controls tested.
- Manufacturer and custom-firmware support pages checked for the exact model.
- Filesystem and folder layout taken from the correct instructions.
- Legally owned game files copied to the proper system folders.
- BIOS files added only where the selected emulator requires them.
- Frontend refreshed and one game launched successfully.
- Save and save-state behavior tested.
- Firmware update package verified against model and storage configuration.
- Shutdown procedure followed before every card removal.
14. Keeping the setup maintainable
Keep the original card backup, a text note with the firmware version, and a list of emulator settings alongside your game-library backup. When changing frontends, copy saves separately and verify their location rather than assuming that two systems use the same path. Add one change at a time, test it, and retain the previous working card until the new arrangement has survived several boots and saves.
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A compatible microSD card and card reader can make backups and transfers easier, but the handheld determines the acceptable filesystem, capacity, and card arrangement. Confirm those requirements before buying or formatting storage.
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