# Asteroid Commando vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against Asteroid Commando's 38%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and monetization model (free vs paid). Asteroid Commando's advantage is chart position (#190 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Asteroid Commando costs $1.99 and ArcEmu $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 134, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Asteroid Commando's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

Asteroid Commando ships an update every 6 weeks, ArcEmu fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Asteroid Commando | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroid-commando/id1476695490/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 134 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | **94.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Red Sprite Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/493770851) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### Asteroid Commando

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroid-commando/id1476695490)

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Paid · Casual (US App Store)

Pilot a ship through a retro arcade experience, blasting asteroids and collecting gems while battling alien pirates and avoiding mines. Enjoy classic vector graphics and power-ups across iPhone and Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Vector graphics (modern or classic), Power-ups (Shield, Triple Shot, Rapid Fire, Time Freeze), Intuitive Crown controls for Apple Watch, Swipe controls for iPhone, Daily global rankings, Short burst gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**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 Asteroid Commando free?

Asteroid Commando costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Asteroid Commando or ArcEmu?

ArcEmu is rated higher. Asteroid Commando averages 4.0 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Asteroid Commando or ArcEmu have ads?

Neither Asteroid Commando nor ArcEmu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Asteroid Commando or ArcEmu?

Asteroid Commando ships an update every 6 weeks, and ArcEmu fortnightly. Most recently, Asteroid Commando was updated on September 20, 2026 and ArcEmu on September 24, 2026.

---

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