Arcade Reference vs Retro Joy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Arcade Reference
Access comprehensive information on classic arcade games from the 70s to the 2000s. This app provides a detailed guide with tips and data compiled from enthusiast communities, focusing on video games and excluding gambling machines.
- Extensive arcade game database
- Information compiled from Mame data
- Tips and reference material
- Organized game data
- Covers 70s-2000s titles
- Excludes gambling machines
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Every information about the "arcade" games just with a tap! Please note: this app does not contains any games, but information about games! This app takes all the data exported from Mame(c) and from various files created and updated by enthusiasts, it groups it together and it organizes it in order to have all the information in your device as a guide or simply as a reference for reading information and tips. Note: As a functional choice, only the "Parent" set are shown. In addition, all "mechanical" machines and all the "Gambling" games (Video Poker, Blackjack etc.) have been eliminated. The result is a list of about 3600 Arcade titles from the 70s to the 2000s. Credits: All trademarks used belong to their respective owners. See the section Info in the App for all details about the Credits.
Retro Joy
Track your progress and discover achievements for classic video games. Organize your favorite titles into custom collections and connect with a community of retro gaming enthusiasts. It's the perfect companion for reliving gaming history.
- Track RetroAchievements.org progress
- View achievements, friends, and games
- Collect and organize favorite games
- Create custom game collections
- Connect with the RetroAchievements community
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Retro Joy is your ideal companion app for RetroAchievements.org With Retro Joy, your RetroAchievement.org achievements, friends, and games are brought straight to your device. You can even collect your favorite games in your library and organize them into collections, exclusive to Retro Joy. If you are new to the RetroAchievements.org community, joining is as simple as downloading the app, creating an account, and logging in. The rest you can pick up along the way with pointers in the app, and the support of the community on RetroAchievements.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Retro Joy at 4.1 against Arcade Reference's 3.1. Retro Joy also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 46%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Arcade Reference's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (52 vs 13). On price, ads and device support 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. Arcade Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Retro Joy asks for nothing beyond the download.
Retro Joy holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Arcade Reference's written reviews are positive against 82% of Retro Joy's.
Arcade Reference ships an update every 5 days, Retro Joy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Arcade Reference | Retro Joy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (52 ratings) | 4.1 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | 81.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 52 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 170 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Nicola Canali | Clayton Sulby |
Customer experience
Arcade Reference
Retro Joy
In-app purchases
Arcade Reference
- Remove Ads$0.99
Retro Joy
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Arcade Reference free?
Is Retro Joy free?
Which has better reviews, Arcade Reference or Retro Joy?
Do Arcade Reference or Retro Joy have ads?
Which is updated more often, Arcade Reference or Retro Joy?
Other comparisons
