# Journey vs ArcEmu

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 (#25 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journey | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (773 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journey/id1445593893/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 773 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 57.6% of reviews | **94.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Annapurna Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1242610251) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### Journey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journey/id1445593893)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Family, #102 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add controller support
- Improve camera controls
- Increase replayability and content
- Fix connectivity and multiplayer issues


### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Boy Advance | $0.99 | one-time |
| SNES | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pokémon Mini | $0.99 | one-time |
| Atari 2600 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mega Drive / Genesis | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Gear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master System | $0.99 | one-time |
| SG-1000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 3) | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*