Comparison

Luna Controller vs RetroArch

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

Head to head
About

Luna Controller

This app allows you to set up and manage your game controllers for a cloud gaming service. It also enables you to use your phone as a virtual controller to play games, with options for guest play and managing connections.

Highlights
  • Register Luna Controllers
  • Set up Wi-Fi and Cloud Direct
  • Use phone as virtual controller
  • Add guests to gaming sessions
  • Manage Bluetooth connection
  • Update controller software
  • Check battery status
Features
Read full description

The Luna Controller app allows you to set up and manage your Luna Controllers and play Luna games using your phone via the Phone Controller. With the Luna Controller app you can: - Register Luna Controllers to your Amazon account - Set up your Luna Controller to connect to wifi and enable Cloud Direct - Play games on Luna using touch inputs on your mobile device using the Phone Controller - Add friends to your local Luna gaming session using Guest Mode - Manage the Cloud Direct wifi connection - Manage your Luna Controller Bluetooth connection - Update the software on your Luna Controllers - Check battery status - Switch between Cloud Direct and Bluetooth - Get help for common troubleshooting problems To set up the Luna Controller: 1. Download and install the Luna Controller app on your mobile device. 2. Power up your Luna Controller with 2 AA batteries. Press and hold the Luna button for 3 seconds, and an orange light will start spinning 3. Open the Luna Controller app and follow the on-screen instructions To set up a Luna Phone Controller: No controller? No problem. You can use your phone to play Luna games. 1. Go to the appstore on your mobile device and install the Luna Controller app. 2. Sign into your Amazon account. 3. Select Play With Phone Controller. The next time you're ready to play, just follow these steps: 1. Open the Luna app on a compatible device, such as a compatible Fire TV, PC or Mac 2. Open the Luna Controller app on your mobile device. 3. Select Launch under your virtual controller and wait for your controller to connect to Luna. 4. Use the virtual controller to select the game you want to play and launch it. Guests can also download the Luna Controller app and join in on the gameplay. By using this app, you agree to Amazon’s Conditions of Use (www.amazon.com/conditionsofuse) and Privacy Notice (www.amazon.com/privacy).

About

RetroArch

This application serves as a versatile frontend for emulators and game engines, supporting a vast array of systems through downloadable cores. It offers advanced features like netplay, save states, and customizable controls for an enhanced gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Supports numerous gaming systems via libretro cores
  • Netplay for multiplayer gaming
  • Save states and fast forward/rewind
  • Controller support and key remapping
  • Customizable shaders and overlays
  • RetroAchievements integration
  • AI translations for games
Features
Read full description

RetroArch is a free, ad-free, open source, and cross platform frontend/framework for emulators, game engines, video games, media players, and other applications. Supported systems come in the form of libretro cores. The following systems are supported through various cores: * 2048 * Acorn - BBC Micro * Amstrad - CPC/GX4000 * Anarch * Arcade * Arduboy * Atari - 2600 * Atari - 5200 * Atari - 7800 * Atari - Jaguar * Atari - Lynx * Bandai - WonderSwan/Color * Cave Story * Coleco - ColecoVision * Commodore - Amiga * Commodore - C128 * Commodore - C64 * Commodore - C64 SuperCPU * Commodore - CBM-II 5x0 * Commodore - CBM-II 6x0/7x0 * Commodore - PET * Commodore - PLUS/4 * Commodore - VIC-20 * Dinothawr * Doom * DOS * Fairchild ChannelF * Flashback * GCE - Vectrex * Game Music Emu * Handheld Electronic * MSX/SVI/ColecoVision/SG-1000 * Mattel - Intellivision * Mega Duck / Cougar Boy * Mr.Boom * NEC - PC Engine / SuperGrafx / CD * NEC - PC-FX * NEC - PC-98 * Nintendo - DS * Nintendo - Game Boy / Color * Nintendo - Game Boy Advance * Nintendo - NES / Famicom * Nintendo - Nintendo 64 * Nintendo - Pokemon Mini * Nintendo - SNES / SFC * Nintendo - Virtual Boy * Palm OS * PocketCDG * Quake * Quake II * Rick Dangerous * SNK - Neo Geo AES/MVS * SNK - Neo Geo CD * SNK - Neo Geo Pocket / Color * ScummVM * Sega - MS/GG/MD/CD/32X * Sega - MS/GG/SG-1000 * Sega - Saturn * Sharp - X68000 * Sinclair - ZX Spectrum * Sony - PlayStation * Sony - PlayStation Portable * Texas Instruments TI-83 * The 3DO Company - 3DO * Thomson - MO/TO * Vircon32 * VirtualXT * WASM-4 * Watara - Supervision RetroArch supports a broad range of features, including: * Netplay * Soft patching * RetroAchievements * Save states * MFi controller support * Key remapping per core or per game * Gyro * Cheats * Custom overlays * Shaders * Fast forward and rewind * Game artwork * AI translations * Advanced latency management **RetroArch and Libretro are in no way affiliated with Nintendo. The name "Nintendo" and all associated game console names are registered trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.**

Screenshots

Luna Controller4 screens
RetroArch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RetroArch at 69% against Luna Controller's 29%. RetroArch also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and device support (5 vs 3). Luna Controller's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (7.5K vs 1.8K). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Luna Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.5K and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Luna Controller's written reviews are positive against 69% of RetroArch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Luna Controller ships an update monthly, RetroArch weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Luna Controller versus RetroArch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuna ControllerRetroArch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (7.5K ratings) — better4.3 (1.8K ratings)
Positive reviews28.7% of reviews69.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.5K — better1.8K
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB652 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAMZN Mobile LLCLibretro

Customer experience

Luna Controller

All ratings7,467 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews359 reviews
Positive28.7%
Neutral9.2%
Negative62.1%

RetroArch

All ratings1,547 ratings
Positive82.7%
Neutral6.9%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews1,464 reviews
Positive69.2%
Neutral11.3%
Negative19.5%

User reviews

Luna Controller

From 7.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and easy setup
  • 👍 Smooth and responsive app
  • 💡 Great option for gaming grandkids

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on opening
  • 🐛 Bluetooth connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Controller not working as expected
  • 🐛 Laggy and slow performance
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems

RetroArch

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth emulation performance
  • 🎮 Wide range of supported systems
  • 🕹️ Controller support
  • 💯 Comprehensive emulation features
  • 🔓 No ads or tracking

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Steep learning curve
  • 🤖 Unintuitive user interface
  • 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
  • 🔌 Slow loading times
  • 🤷‍♂️ Inconsistent core support

Bugs and requests

Luna Controller

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Virtual controller not working
  • Controller disconnects frequently
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for Backbone controller
  • Allow using phone as controller for TV
  • Improve controller compatibility

RetroArch

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • N64 games not loading textures properly
  • Crashes when changing settings or cores
  • Bios files not being recognized
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Saved settings not persisting

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for PS2, GameCube, and 3DS emulation
  • Improve iCloud/cloud storage integration
  • Implement customizable button layouts
  • Add a more user-friendly setup wizard
  • Provide better documentation and tutorials

In-app purchases

None

Luna Controller

No in-app purchases

None

RetroArch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Luna Controller free?
Luna Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RetroArch free?
RetroArch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Luna Controller or RetroArch?
Luna Controller is rated higher. Luna Controller averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while RetroArch averages 4.3 from 1.8K ratings.
Do Luna Controller or RetroArch have ads?
Neither Luna Controller nor RetroArch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Luna Controller or RetroArch?
Luna Controller ships an update monthly, and RetroArch weekly. Most recently, Luna Controller was updated on October 15, 2026 and RetroArch on October 14, 2026.

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