Comparison

Journey vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

Journey

Embark on a solo or cooperative adventure through a vast, ancient world. Soar over ruins and glide across sands to uncover its mysteries. Experience breathtaking visuals and a Grammy-nominated musical score.

Highlights
  • Explore ancient world
  • Soar above ruins
  • Glide across sands
  • Discover secrets
  • Cooperative multiplayer
  • Stunning visuals
  • Grammy-nominated score
Features
Read full description

*Supported Devices: This game is supported on the following devices only: iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, iPhone 7, 7 Plus, iPhone 8, 8 Plus, iPhone X, Xs, Xs Max, Xr, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPad 5th Gen, iPad 6th Gen, iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4, iPad Mini (2019), and all iPad Pros.* Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets. Play alone or in the company of a fellow traveler and explore its vast world together. Featuring stunning visuals and a Grammy-nominated musical score, Journey delivers a breathtaking experience like no other. Game Center required for online matchmaking.

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

Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ 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. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Screenshots

Journey4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Journey's $4.99. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (95% vs 58%). Journey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and chart position (#38 vs unranked). On ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ArcEmu is free to download; Journey costs $4.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Journey asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 773 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Journey's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Journey ships an update every 2 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Journey versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJourneyArcEmu
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (773 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.6% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7731.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#38 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.1 GB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnnapurna Games, LLCRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Journey

All ratings768 ratings
Positive78.8%
Neutral7.3%
Negative13.9%
Written reviews839 reviews
Positive57.6%
Neutral13.8%
Negative28.6%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

User reviews

Journey

From 773 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Breathtaking visuals and graphics
  • 🎶 Immersive and beautiful soundtrack
  • 🧭 Captivating and emotional story
  • 🤝 Unique multiplayer experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
  • 🕹️ Frustrating touch controls
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🕰️ Short gameplay duration

ArcEmu

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fully functional
  • 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
  • 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
  • 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
  • 👍 Customizable controls and layout

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
  • 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
  • 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
  • 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

Bugs and requests

Journey

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game crashes on launch
  • Glitches and freezes during gameplay
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • Multiplayer connectivity problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add controller support
  • Improve camera controls
  • Increase replayability and content
  • Fix connectivity and multiplayer issues

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

Journey

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pokémon Mini$0.99
  • Atari 2600$0.99
  • Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
  • Game Gear$0.99
  • Master System$0.99
  • SG-1000$0.99
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99

Questions

Is Journey free?
Journey costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Journey or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. Journey averages 4.2 out of 5 from 773 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Journey or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Journey nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Journey or ArcEmu?
Journey ships an update every 2 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Journey was updated on November 11, 2026 and ArcEmu on November 8, 2026.

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