Comparison

Star Duster vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

Star Duster

Experience a retro-inspired arcade challenge that harks back to the 80s. Control your character through unique gameplay mechanics, including physical head movements via push-ups, and enjoy an immersive soundscape. Compete for high scores across two distinct game modes.

Highlights
  • Two distinct game modes
  • High score lists
  • Head control via push-ups (iOS)
  • Retro 80s aesthetic
  • Immersive soundscape
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

***** "A rare Apple Watch game that's actually worth playing" - iMore ***** "A game you’ll return to" - GQ Magazine ***** "Travel back to the 80s" - AppAdvice Star Duster for iPhone and Apple Watch takes handheld games (and you) back to their origins: - Two game modes with different challenges, gameplay and high score lists! - Let's get physical! Get exercise and a new type of challenge by controlling Star Duster with your head through push ups (iOS) - A Beep-boop-ity soundscape that will get stuck on your brain! Star Duster is a prequel to the mobile arcade mayhem that is Star Jolt. Can it explain why the space junk is lined up so neatly?

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

Star Duster4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Star Duster's $2.99. ArcEmu also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 2). Star Duster's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, 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; Star Duster costs $2.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Star Duster asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Star Duster against 4.9 for ArcEmu. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Star Duster ships an update every 3 weeks, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Star Duster versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar DusterArcEmu
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews—94.6% of reviews
Number of ratings21.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#184 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeardybird ABRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Star Duster

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ArcEmu

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

Bugs and requests

Star Duster

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

Star Duster

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 Star Duster free?
Star Duster costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Star Duster or ArcEmu?
Star Duster is rated higher. Star Duster averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Star Duster or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Star Duster nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Star Duster or ArcEmu?
Star Duster ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Star Duster was updated on November 3, 2026 and ArcEmu on November 8, 2026.

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