Comparison

PokéNext vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

PokéNext

Connect with other Pokémon GO players nearby in real-time. Share your location, track player movements, and strategize gym conquests. Chat with friends and exchange vital in-game information.

Highlights
  • Real-time player location sharing
  • Track opponent movements
  • Gym conquest strategy tool
  • Integrated chat via Telegram/WhatsApp
  • Detailed Pokédex with Apple Watch support
  • Background operation with game running
  • Search players within 30 km
Features
Read full description

PokéNext is finally here! Find players who are playing Pokémon GO near you and follow their LIVE movements, contact them and make new friends. Share your location in REAL TIME with your team or your friends and implement your strategy for the conquest of the gyms. Track the movements of the other player and see what are the most frequented places and when a gym is going to be conquered by the opponents. Moreover thanks to Telegram and WhatsApp, you can chat with them and exchange information such as to know in which PokéStop the Lure Module will be used! This app adds location sharing feature with other players, missing in the game! Other features: - Detailed Pokédex with: evolutions, types, weaknesses, and much more, NOW on Apple Watch! - It also works in the background and with the game started - Progressive distance from other players - Find out what is the nearest player - Search the players within 30 km - Dynamic graphics for each team - Global and Private Chat Many other things to come ... We appreciate very much your feedback! Please write us to info@pokenext.net Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. PokéNext is an unofficial app. We are not affiliated in any way with Nantic Labs or The Pokemon Company. This is a tool created for the players and the community of PokémonGO, use it wisely and never disclose your personal information with strangers.

About

ArcEmu

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
  • Multiplayer support
  • Cheat codes
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Save State sharing
  • iCloud support
Features
Read full description

ArcEmu brings retro game emulation to Apple Watch. It also works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, delivering a seamless gaming experience across your Apple devices. Supported Consoles - Game Boy (.gb) - Game Boy Color (.gbc) - Game Boy Advance (.gba) - Pokémon Mini (.min) - Nintendo Entertainment System (.nes) - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (.sfc and .smc) - Atari 2600 (.a26 and .bin) Main Features - Accurate, high-performance emulation powered by the mGBA and Ares cores - Game Link Cable support with online multiplayer for up to four players* - Cheat-code support with a built-in database of popular codes** - Frame-independent emulation at 30 or 60 FPS - Multi-touch and Digital Crown support on Apple Watch - Support for all screen orientations on iPhone and iPad - Precise, thoughtfully designed on-screen controls - Customizable control position and transparency on iPhone and iPad - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom color palettes for Game Boy games - Button hold/sustain feature - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone - Game controller support with customizable button mappings - ZIP archive support - Automatic saving - Save-state sharing between devices - iCloud support for ROMs and save states - ROM sharing through iCloud using share codes - Support for Apple Watch devices configured with Family Setup - ROM sorting and search Apple Watch Compatibility - Apple Watch Series 4 or later - Apple Watch SE or later - Apple Watch Ultra or later ArcEmu does not include any games or ROMs. You can import compatible ROM files from your iPhone and store them in iCloud. Your Apple Watch can then download them directly from iCloud. On an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup, ROMs can be downloaded from iCloud using share codes. Games Featured in the Screenshots - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Anguna: https://gauauu.itch.io/anguna - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance * Requires a Game Center account. ** Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Nintendo and the names of its game systems are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Screenshots

PokéNext4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against PokéNext's 0%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 4). PokéNext's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.5). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

PokéNext is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of PokéNext's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PokéNext ships an update every 3 weeks, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
PokéNext versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPokéNextArcEmu
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating2.5 (4 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings41.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB172 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperStefano RusselloRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

PokéNext

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

Bugs and requests

PokéNext

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ArcEmu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
  • Save data not transferring properly between devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add cheat/GameShark support
  • Improve volume controls
  • Implement fast forward/slow motion options
  • Allow multiple save slots per game
  • Improve Game Boy Color support
Show 1 more
  • Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch

In-app purchases

None

PokéNext

No in-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PokéNext free?
PokéNext is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PokéNext or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. PokéNext averages 2.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do PokéNext or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither PokéNext nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PokéNext or ArcEmu?
PokéNext ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, PokéNext was updated on October 24, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 25, 2026.

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