# Emulator for Pico-8: Picpic — Play the Fantasy Console ROMs

> Pico-8 fantasy console emulator for playing retro indie games on iOS. (iPhone/iPad app by Valentin Dreyfus.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emulator-for-pico-8-picpic/id6759208792 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Valentin Dreyfus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1710589551)
- Category: Developer Tools
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 49 App Store ratings · 22 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 16.1 · 21 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified, China)
- Released: 2026-02-16
- Data updated: 2026-09-06
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emulator-for-pico-8-picpic/id6759208792/reviews.md

## What is Emulator for Pico?

The First Pico-8 Emulator on the App Store!

PicPic brings the charming world of Pico-8 games to your iPhone, letting you play thousands of tiny, handcrafted games natively on iOS.

What is Pico-8?
Pico-8 is a fantasy console, a creative platform with deliberate constraints that inspire developers to build small, expressive games in 128x128 pixels with a 16-color palette. The result is a massive library of free, community-made games spanning every genre.

Features:
  • Native Emulation – Play .p8 and .p8.png cartridges at full speed with audio.
  • Import Cartridges – Load games from Files, Safari, or import entire folders at once.
  • Touch Controls – On-screen D-pad or 360° analog joystick, designed for mobile play.
  • Multicart Games - Play larger adventures that span multiple cartridges.
  • Local Multiplayer - Share the fun with multi-controller support on cartridges built for more than one player.
  • Mouse & Touch Games – Play cartridges that use Pico-8's mouse/pointer input natively.
  • Save States – Save anytime and optionally enable autosave.
  • Game Library – Organize, add to favorites, search, and manage your cartridge collection.
  • Customizable Layout – Reposition and resize controls with the interactive editor.
  • Retro Aesthetic – Authentic 128×128 pixel display with the classic Pico-8 palette and optional filter.
  • Controller Support – Play with your favorite gamepad.
  • Keyboard Support – Full keyboard input on Mac and iPad.
  • Mac Support – Also runs natively on Mac M-Series.
  • Landscape Mode – Play in landscape or portrait at any time.
  • Haptic Feedback – Tactile response on every button press.
  • Personalization – Custom app icons and console themes, including OLED Black and Retro.
  • Starter Games – A few great games included so you can play right away.
  • Optimized for iPad – Adaptive layouts for all screen sizes.
  • No Ads – Clean, uninterrupted play.

How It Works:
Import Pico-8 cartridge files into your library. PicPic runs games natively: no web views, no streaming, no internet required.

Terms & Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/
Privacy Policy: https://sa-moo-rai.com/about
Note: this software is NOT related to Pico-8, or otherwise related to or supported by Lexaloffle Software

## Key features

- Native Pico-8 emulation
- Import .p8 and .p8.png cartridges
- On-screen touch controls
- Game library management
- Customizable control layout
- Gamepad and keyboard support
- Mac M-Series support

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Time Donation | $7.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #208 in Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)
- #70 in Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 22)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emulator-for-pico-8-picpic/id6759208792/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Very good Pico-8 emulator

*2026-06-27*

I haven’t used Picpic much, but it seems like the best option right now. The only thing I’m wishing for is more console themes besides colors, and a way to input a Pico 8 license maybe to access Splore and the console and such. Speaking of the console, there should be a way to access it like regular Pico 8 (maybe for if you input a license so you have the full pico 8 thing) so you can do stuff like regular pico 8. Like creating games and such.

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for your comment! :) I’m working on adding more themes and features!

### 5/5 — Incredible developer

*2026-06-09*

Gave feedback on Reddit. Developer implemented within a week. Actually incredible!

### 5/5 — Fantastic

*2026-06-07*

Have been longing for an app like this for years.  Thank you SO much for developing this. Finally i can play pico8 on the go and have stable save states. Brilliant.

### 4/5 — Great emulator

*2026-05-11*

This is a great emulator that’s respectful of the player and doesn’t try to shove ads down your throat. I especially love how you can customize the controller layout to play with. I would love to see the Apple Watch support extended to support watchOS 10 for everyone who’s running an older device that cannot update to watchOS 11.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the kind words :) watchOS 10 support is coming in the next update !

### 5/5 — Good emulation

*2026-04-25*

Keep it up, brothers

### 5/5 — Works great for me

*2026-04-22*

Downloaded a pico 8 game, and can play it natively on my phone! It’ll be cool to use this with games I make myself!

### 3/5 — good but crashes a lot

*2026-04-20*

pls fix

### 2/5 — Wouldn’t load games

*2026-04-13*

Was really hoping to use this but it would run the games I added, only the ones it came with. I could import the .p8.png files but when trying to play them FAKE-08 would either freeze or say there are not carts in the directory

**Developer response:** Hi!
Thanks for your feedback, We improve compatibility with each update (adding compatibility for around 50 games per update). Please check the app after updating it. 
If you need additional help, contact us at sa-moo-rai.com/contact with the game names, and we will fix it ASAP :)

### 3/5 — Broken games

*2026-04-07*

I see the potential, but all of the PICO-8 games I tried to play crashed and booted me to a “FAKE-8” console screen.

**Developer response:** Hi! Thanks for your feedback, We improve compatibility with each update (adding compatibility for around 50 games per update). Please check the app after updating it. If you need additional help, contact us at sa-moo-rai.com/contact with the game names, and we will fix it ASAP :)

### 4/5 — Great potential!

*2026-04-02*

I’ve been waiting for a Pico-8 emulator for iOS and here it is! It’s simple to download .p8 files (carts) from lexaloffle.com to a folder on my iPhone and launch the games in Picpic. The controls need some work—I tried both the touchscreen and the Gamesir Pocket Taco and both were buggy—as I’m sure the devs are aware.
I really hope this app gets lots of support because there is so much potential here!

## Frequently asked questions about Emulator for Pico

### Does Picpic have ads?

Yes, Picpic contains advertisements. While the app is free to download and play, users may encounter ads during their gaming sessions.

### What devices does Picpic support?

Picpic is optimized for iPhone and iPad devices. It also runs natively on Mac M-Series.

### Can I play games offline with Picpic?

Yes, Picpic runs games natively without requiring an internet connection. You can import cartridge files and play them offline.

### How do I import games into Picpic?

You can import Pico-8 cartridge files (.p8 and .p8.png) into your library from Files, Safari, or by importing entire folders at once.

### What is the age rating for Picpic?

Picpic has an age rating of 9+. This indicates it is suitable for children aged 9 and above.

### How often is Picpic updated?

The latest version of Picpic is 2.0.1, last updated on March 28, 2026. Updates are released periodically to improve performance and add features.

### Does Picpic support gamepads?

Yes, Picpic offers controller support, allowing you to play your favorite Pico-8 games with your preferred gamepad for a more immersive experience.

### What are the in-app purchases for Picpic?

The app has in-app purchases available, though specific details are not provided in the description. These often relate to cosmetic items or additional features.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.4.3 — 2026-08-25

Bug fixes & performance improvements.

### 2.4.2 — 2026-08-21

Bug fixes & performance improvements.

### 2.4.1 — 2026-08-13

- Improved D-Pad responsiveness.
- You can now hide game title in the Apple Watch library.
- Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 2.4.0 — 2026-08-07

• Import carts directly from ZIP archives.
• New classic console themes.
• You can now browse your Apple Watch library with cover art, favorites, filters, and sorting.
• Bug fixes & performance improvements.

### 2.3.1 — 2026-07-01

Bug fixes & performance improvements.

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## More apps by Valentin Dreyfus

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All apps by Valentin Dreyfus: https://appshunter.io/developer/1710589551

## Related topics

[picpic](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/picpic) · [pico 8](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pico-8) · [pico](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pico)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-06.*