HORIPAD ULTIMATE vs Dolphin Ctrl
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HORIPAD ULTIMATE
Connect your game controller to check input data and update its firmware wirelessly. Access product information for your device directly through the app.
- Check game pad input data
- Wireless firmware updates
- Display product information website
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With HORIPAD ULTIMATE app, you can achieve the following functions. ・Check of input data of the connected game pad ・Updated wirelessly firmware to the latest version ・Display of product information website
Dolphin Ctrl
This app transforms your phone into a GameCube controller for the Dolphin emulator. Connect wirelessly to your computer to play games with friends. Performance depends on network and emulator speed.
- Simulates GameCube controller
- Play games on Dolphin emulator
- Use phones as controllers
- Supports multiplayer
- Wireless connectivity
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Dolphin Ctrl simulates a GameCube controller and allows you and your friends to play games on the Dolphin emulator using your phones. Requires running the Dolphin Ctrl Server app on your computer running Dolphin. Download the server and read the instructions at https://github.com/apexskier/dolphin-controller. Note: Dolphin Controller can be slow depending the speed of your WiFi/bluetooth/remote network connect and the speed of the Dolphin emulator itself.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Dolphin Ctrl at 3.0 against HORIPAD ULTIMATE's 2.3. HORIPAD ULTIMATE's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (67 vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Dolphin Ctrl holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HORIPAD ULTIMATE has 67 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 18% of HORIPAD ULTIMATE's written reviews are positive against 14% of Dolphin Ctrl's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
HORIPAD ULTIMATE ships an update every 4 months, Dolphin Ctrl every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HORIPAD ULTIMATE | Dolphin Ctrl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (67 ratings) | 3.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.2% of reviews — better | 14.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 67 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 14 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HORI CO., LTD. | Cameron Little |
Customer experience
HORIPAD ULTIMATE
Dolphin Ctrl
In-app purchases
HORIPAD ULTIMATE
No in-app purchases
Dolphin Ctrl
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HORIPAD ULTIMATE free?
Is Dolphin Ctrl free?
Which has better reviews, HORIPAD ULTIMATE or Dolphin Ctrl?
Do HORIPAD ULTIMATE or Dolphin Ctrl have ads?
Which is updated more often, HORIPAD ULTIMATE or Dolphin Ctrl?
Other comparisons
