Comparison

cLrS vs Phosphor Emulator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

cLrS

Test your visual memory by studying patterns of colors and shapes, then accurately reconstructing them. Offers two distinct gameplay modes and increasing difficulty across numerous levels. Includes a colorblind mode and customizable visual styles.

Highlights
  • Study and rebuild color and shape patterns
  • Normal and Timed gameplay modes
  • 100 levels plus 30 master levels
  • Progress tracking for completed levels
  • Colorblind mode with visual cues
  • Customizable visual styles (Flat/Glossy)
Read full description

Look at the colors and shapes, remember where they were, and put them back on the board. In cLrS, the challenge is to rebuild what you just saw. HOW TO PLAY Study the pattern before it disappears. Then drag each piece back to its original position. Both shape and color matter. TWO MODES • Normal: rebuild the board without a reconstruction countdown. After a failed attempt, try again with the exact same pattern: colors, shapes, and positions stay unchanged. • Timed: place the pieces before the reconstruction countdown ends. Each attempt uses a new pattern. In both modes, the pattern is only shown for a limited time. A GROWING CHALLENGE Work through 100 levels, then take on 20 master levels. Circles, squares, and triangles combine on different board sizes, with up to 30 pieces. YOUR PROGRESS See your completed levels and attempts for each level. Progress is saved separately for each difficulty on your device. COLORBLIND MODE Turn it on in settings to add marks to red, blue, yellow, green, and orange pieces. These marks provide another cue for telling those colors apart, alongside hue. CHOOSE YOUR STYLE Choose a flat (Flat) or glossy (Specular) finish from the menu before continuing to play. A visual memory game for iPhone and iPad, played in landscape. Observe, remember colors, shapes, and positions, then put every piece back in place. Supports iPhone Duo.

About

Phosphor Emulator

This app provides a premium emulation experience for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games on modern iOS devices. It features advanced controls, instant save states, and unique functionalities like rewinding gameplay and AI play.

Highlights
  • Rewind and fast-forward gameplay
  • Instant save and load states
  • Customizable touch controls
  • MFi controller support
  • Game Boy Camera and Printer integration
  • AI Play feature
Features
Read full description

Phosphor is a free retro game emulator for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games, plus Nintendo DS games on iPhone and iPad, with save states, fast-forward, rewind, iCloud save sync, controller support, and community mods. No ads. No subscriptions. No accounts. No tracking. Import your own compatible ROM files through Files, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop. Organize your library, pick your controls, and take your favorite handheld games anywhere. WHY PHOSPHOR? Phosphor is designed to feel like a handheld console. Deep black screen wells, glowing CRT effects, responsive controls, and color themes bring classic games to modern Apple hardware. Play in portrait or landscape, adjust your speed with a scrolling dial, and return quickly to your last session. NINTENDO DS ON IPHONE AND IPAD Import compatible .nds files and choose single-screen or dual-screen play. Start with a focused single-screen layout, switch to both screens from the menu, and swap screens when you need to. Touch-screen input, microphone controls, and portrait and landscape layouts keep DS play flexible. MODS POWERED BY GEN1RECOMP Supported games can use the integrated gen1recomp engine to run compatible community mods inside Phosphor. Keep your library, controls, and display framing while exploring new ways to play. The updated engine brings gameplay and compatibility fixes. Features vary by game, engine, and mod. Rewind and cheat codes are available with Phosphor’s standard emulator core, not during gen1recomp play. FEATURES Classic handheld games Play compatible .gb, .gbc, and .gba ROMs, with .nds support on iPhone and iPad. Import individual games or supported ZIP archives and search your library. Link Cable trading Connect supported games over the same Wi-Fi network. Gen 3 Pokémon Link Cable support covers Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen. Compatible games, in-game progress, and normal trading restrictions apply. Fast-forward up to 15× Choose 1×, 2×, 3×, 5×, 10×, or 15× where supported to move through battles, travel, and repeated sections. Available speeds depend on the game, core, and device. Live rewind Hold rewind to return to an earlier moment and try again with the standard emulator core. Save states and quick resume Create quick saves and save-state slots, then return to your session with quick resume where supported. iCloud saves Sync compatible in-game saves, quick saves, and save-state slots across devices using the same Apple ID. Check for saved progress in Settings and choose which copy to keep when saves conflict. Game files are not backed up; after reinstalling, reimport them with their original filenames to reconnect your saves. CRT display and themes Customize your screen with scanlines, phosphor glow, dot-grid texture, vignette, contrast, and color themes. External controllers Play with compatible controllers or use responsive touch controls, haptics, and layouts designed for portrait and landscape. Cheat codes Use supported cheat formats with compatible games on Phosphor’s standard emulator core. Apple Watch play Take supported games to your wrist. Platform and feature availability vary by device; Nintendo DS play is available on iPhone and iPad. Live Activities See your current game, play time, and quick-resume status from the Lock Screen. BRING YOUR OWN GAMES Phosphor does not include games or ROMs. Provide your own legally obtained, compatible game files. Community mods have their own authors, licenses, and compatibility requirements. Save states and other features may vary between emulator cores, engine versions, and devices. A classic handheld feel. Modern Apple features. Your games, your library, your way to play.

Screenshots

cLrS4 screens
Phosphor Emulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Phosphor Emulator at Free against cLrS's $0.99. Phosphor Emulator also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (35 vs 1). cLrS's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Phosphor Emulator is free to download; cLrS costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

cLrS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phosphor Emulator has 35 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

cLrS ships an update every 4 months, Phosphor Emulator every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
cLrS versus Phosphor Emulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametercLrSPhosphor Emulator
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.6 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews—80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings135 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGabhel StudiosSquatchCraft LLC

Customer experience

cLrS

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Phosphor Emulator

All ratings35 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative6.7%

In-app purchases

None

cLrS

No in-app purchases

None

Phosphor Emulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is cLrS free?
cLrS costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phosphor Emulator free?
Phosphor Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, cLrS or Phosphor Emulator?
cLrS is rated higher. cLrS averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Phosphor Emulator averages 4.6 from 35 ratings.
Do cLrS or Phosphor Emulator have ads?
Neither cLrS nor Phosphor Emulator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, cLrS or Phosphor Emulator?
cLrS ships an update every 4 months, and Phosphor Emulator every 3 days. Most recently, cLrS was updated on November 2, 2026 and Phosphor Emulator on October 31, 2026.

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