# Spectaculator — user reviews > 118 indexed App Store user reviews of Spectaculator by Jonathan Needle, rated 4.70/5 from 39 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectaculator/id421662150/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectaculator/id421662150.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 34 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 2 ## Newest reviews (12 of 118) ### 3/5 — iOs version inferior to Android version *2026-08-11, version 8.0* Whilst the emulator is great the iOS version lags far behind its Android cousin, whilst both are superficially identical the Android version -which you pay for gives you the opportunity to add games. The iOS edition which is free leaves you only with the freebies and asks you to pay for a very limited selection of games. The other issue affects both editions- and that is the use of an onscreen virtual joystick which is clumsy and sluggish compared to similar emulators that opt for joypad control -which as every sane person knows - is preferable to joystick. The travel of the stick is to unwieldy for an emulator using touch screen and this needs to change - or at the very least offer an alternative to players. Aside from those things Spectacular is well worthy of its status as a premier Spectrum emulator- fix the joystick issue (on both versions) and allow the use of your own roms on iOS and there would be nothing that comes close. ### 4/5 — Good, though there must be a way to drag and drop .tap’s and .tzx’s into this app *2024-12-24, version 8.0* Recently, I was testing out this app. It has some of the games I still recognize from 10-11 years back. I still remember “Auf Wiedersehen Monty.” Now, when I read about adding games to the emulator, I thought there would be a way to simply have the app display as a “split screen” while simultaneously opening up like “Files” or “Readdle Documents” to drag and drop… not just tap or tzx files, but also simple programs done from scratch. Suppose that feature may need to be added in a new update? If that’s possible? Think about FuseX (the forked version of the UNIX Fuse ZX emulator). On “FuseX 1.6.0 - 4,” .tap and .tzx files can be easily loaded from iCloud storage (for instance). So with Spectaculator, is there like a patch or a way to add an import from file feature? Now because my MacBook Pro runs Monterey 12.7.4, and my iPad Pro runs iPadOS 18.2, a pop up prevents me from opening iTunes just to load tap files onto the iPad Pro that way. So I was wondering if there is a quick alternative to that method in a future update of Spectaculator. An “import from app” feature? An “AirDrop” feature? ### 2/5 — A bit misleading included games *2024-11-29, version 8.0* I was excited to see that all of the things was one of the included games but when I actually bought the app, it was only a demo however it doesn’t say it’s a demo before you buy the app. Which I feel is a bit of a con apart from that it looks good. I’m just annoyed now and feel like I’ve been taken for a mark. ### 5/5 — One of the best emulators of any kind *2024-09-26, version 8.0* Would be great to get more support for programming workflows, this was one of the most important aspects of home computing ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2024-09-02, version 8.0* This is brilliant, especially now I can add my own collection into it! So easy to use, I love it. Thank you! ### 5/5 — Love this emulator 🥰 *2024-08-25, version 8.0* Thank you for adding the ability to side load games to the ZX Spectrum emulator. Would be great to be able to send games directly via the share sheet option within iOS as this would get round the issue of side loading games using a MacOS. ### 5/5 — Interested from learn typing BASIC programming *2024-08-17, version 8.0* Between 48K vs & 128K for using BASIC. Better is portable screen with Spectrum keyboard. Most of 128K BASIC listings are successful than 48K. Enjoying Spectrum tapes to playing the games which good memories on Windows version. I haven’t use iOS for access the games yet. Since I bought same app but for Windows 64-bit version. It is much better than iOS. And so, £4.99 is good price for iOS but Windows is for £9.99 (becomes registered user) or £19.99 (becomes registered user included updates). ### 5/5 — Superb now I can import games *2024-08-07, version 8.0* Back in the 90s I would never have thought one day I'd have my whole Spectrum game collection playable on a portable device in my pocket, but that's what Spectaculator can do. In the app itself it's not too clear how to import games, but you just need to plug your phone into your Mac, find the Spectaculator folder in Finder and drag files into here. Then pull down on the app's games list to refresh it. Or presumably some equivalent file copying procedure if you have a PC. ### 5/5 — Thank you Jonathan *2024-08-02* I am so happy, great update! Awesome! ### 5/5 — The late I was waiting for *2024-08-01, version 8.0* Way back when Spectaculator first hit the store, I spend so long adding my own hands. Fully custom to fit in with the games I could get within the app. I loved it. Then the App Store got sick, and that ability died. Thank you Jonathan for bringing it back again now the App Store is (a little) better again. Not actually worked out exactly how to add my own games yet, though I am lying in bed. If it’s the same way as before, I’ll have some work to do this weekend. ### 5/5 — Keyboard less usable since recent update *2024-06-27, version 7.1* I love this app, I’ve been using it for years to recreate the basic and machine code programs i wrote on the original Speccy as a kid. One small gripe, the keyboard has shrunk with the latest update and is less tactile than previously. Also, when you flick up to close the app it thinks you are pressing one of the bottom row keys. Please can the keyboard be restored in the upcoming big update and also provide the ability to save more than 4 programs. Other 8-bit emulators have unlimited save slots. ### 5/5 — WHOA!!! 🤯 *2024-06-26, version 7.1* Can’t believe this app finally got an update! I own all of the ZX Spectrum games, and my only wish is that they become available on tv (and, possibly, Vision Pro)! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Bof, juste des jeux *2025-10-28* De Pour moi c’est de l’arnaque, ce n’est pas un émulateur de programmation en spectrum basic comme indiqué, sur une (petite) ligne du contenu, 3 euro à la poubelle et éditeur banni ### 1/5 — Very limited *2025-10-20, version 8.0* You cannot play your own games on it, you can only buy ones from them ### 1/5 — Can’t load own games *2025-08-18, version 8.0* Says it has the ability to load own games but I can’t see anyway to do it. Developer no help refund requested doesn’t work as it should ### 1/5 — Он того не стоит *2025-06-26* Внутри будут предлагать купить то что можно скачать и так бесплатно. ### 1/5 — Impossible to add my own games *2024-12-18* I couldn’t find how to add my own games. ### 1/5 — No Jet Set Willy *2024-11-30, version 8.0* No Jet Set Willy (or well hidden) - disappointed ### 1/5 — Doesn’t do what it says *2024-11-22, version 8.0* Paid for this because the single game Skool Daze doesn’t allow you to use an external keyboard. The Spectaculor site says that it does. Not true. Save your money. ### 1/5 — Waste of time and money *2024-09-24, version 8.0* Do not download this. I understood that you could download games from the WoS site and then use this emulator to play them. Sadly this is not the case. The games are very difficult to control on an iPad and it really is a waste of time and money. ### 1/5 — App is currently broken. No sound. Just silence. *2024-05-22, version 7.0* Having purchased most of the games available for this IOS app in the past, a recent update (either to the app, or IOS) has completely broken the app, removing ALL sound. Any sound effects or music are now silenced. Removing and reinstalling the app doesn’t fix the issue. Spending money on games while the app still worked as expected, only to find they no longer work after a recent update, now feels like money wasted. Please fix this broken app. ### 1/5 — Can’t add your own games to this *2024-01-20, version 7.0* Restricted to playing a handful of games that the developer chooses isn’t good enough. AND they need to make is CLEAR that this is the case. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Yeh… *2026-07-31, version 8.0* Quality!!! ### 5/5 — Perfekt *2026-05-14* Eine Erinnerung an früher. Läuft gut auf Mac neo ;-) ### 5/5 — Fantastic work by Mr. Needle *2026-02-26, version 8.0* Varied and reasonably priced game selection - something for everyone. Controller supported for those not so familiar with touch screen joysticks, and a straightforward UI. Pretty much perfect. I have only one suggestion - please get some more licences sorted (Codemasters, System3, Ocean, Hewson… the list goes on). I guarantee there are many of us out here who want to play ZX Spectrum games legally on iOS, supporting the rights of the original devs and/or publishers, and we’re willing to pay a few quid for the privilege! ### 5/5 — Retro heaven *2026-02-01, version 8.0* Great to play these Speccy classics with more to come. The app is superb, works with the iCade, a very polished product. Top marks to the dev Jon Needle. One of the best apps i've got. Don't listen to the review by ginger tips. Obviously doesn't understand how it works! Doesn't have a clue about games as most were games from back in the day and others are great new homebrew ones Plus now you can also add your own games !!! ### 5/5 — L'émulateur parfait *2025-12-21* Tout est dans le titre ! Mais je peux developper : pratique, complet, non limité (on peut même importer ses propres fichiers via un PC). ### 5/5 — Impressive with a few quirks *2025-08-14, version 8.0* Some may moan that this one costs you (but the ZX81 is free I hear you cry) but you do get a few games as well as an impressive ZX Spectrum 48 emulator. For me that was my main interest as I did program on it when I did 16 plus computer science at school, using the built in BASIC. If that’s you, you really should check out the ZX Spectrum manual from worldofspectrum.org rather than paying out a tenner for basically the same thing. One strange oddity is that I have to use Bluetooth headphones in order to hear sound. If you need the virtual keyboard and using on an iPad use it in portrait mode as in landscape the keyboard will obscure the output screen. The second is storing basic programs - you’re limited to 4 which have a filename as the date stamp (no you can’t change it to something useful) and an additional iCloud one so if you have more than one Apple device (on a family group) programs can be transferred. Might have been better for the programmer to have had a built in 100K virtual Microdrive, that you could save and load from along with an additional window to view the file name. Not sure how much of a pig that would be to do - along with a mechanism to share your creations. Maybe that’s why you buy the physical hardware device, and to access the more popular games that came out for it. Or to look at emulators on the various PC OS’s. From a programming BASIC point of view it’s a very good clone of how it worked. It was infuriating to program on one at times, but also reduced the number of commands you needed to remember and to speed up the typing and learning process. Anyone thinking of buying the physical hardware device might be wise to try this app out first. Not used a Bluetooth games controller yet. To get 40 games, along with a basic spectrum 48 and 128 emulator for 3 quid, given how easy it is to access a free BASIC original manual (thanks to AMSTRAD) you can’t grumble. A lot of work has gone into it which the programmer has a right to ask for payment as he’s also done legwork on getting consent to bundle games with it from the games authors. He’s not charging much. Next step is sorting out is the naming of saved basic files and a mechanism of sharing them. Hopefully in years to come Apple will give you the APIs to do it dear developer. ### 5/5 — Brilliant App *2024-12-25, version 8.0* Does everything you could want and superbly well. Excellent support via e-mail should you need it. ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-12-05, version 8.0* This is an outstanding app for playing retro spectrum games. There’s a good choice of classic games available to purchase as IAP and some others included as free. Now it just needs a way to import Speccy games. ### 5/5 — Grate emulator . *2024-11-05, version 8.0* I highly recommend it if ur looking to play all the old spectrum game , Works very well simple to use the user interface is easy to understand and quick to set up and play, very well prised love the lay out and custom controle making , love the addition to add your one games as some of the priced games are slitly on the high side for me , but Only gripe I have is I wish there was an easyer way to add one games than having to plug it into a computer and transfer the files to your phone , would be nice to import game files directly to phone , but loving it a lot and spent hours playing all the old games I grew up with . House of fun and ment more , five stars ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-09-29* This is an outstanding app for playing retro spectrum games. There’s a good choice of classic games available to purchase as IAP and some others included as free. Now it just needs a way to import games. --- *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 2026-08-28.*