Star Duster vs ArcEmu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Two distinct game modes
- High score lists
- Head control via push-ups (iOS)
- Retro 80s aesthetic
- Immersive soundscape
Read full descriptionHide 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?
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.
- Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
- Multiplayer support
- Cheat codes
- Customizable on-screen controls
- Save State sharing
- iCloud support
Read full descriptionHide full description
ArcEmu brings retro game emulation to Apple Watch. It also works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, delivering a seamless gaming experience across your Apple devices. Supported Consoles - Game Boy (.gb) - Game Boy Color (.gbc) - Game Boy Advance (.gba) - Pokémon Mini (.min) - Nintendo Entertainment System (.nes) - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (.sfc and .smc) - Atari 2600 (.a26 and .bin) Main Features - Accurate, high-performance emulation powered by the mGBA and Ares cores - Game Link Cable support with online multiplayer for up to four players* - Cheat-code support with a built-in database of popular codes** - Frame-independent emulation at 30 or 60 FPS - Multi-touch and Digital Crown support on Apple Watch - Support for all screen orientations on iPhone and iPad - Precise, thoughtfully designed on-screen controls - Customizable control position and transparency on iPhone and iPad - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom color palettes for Game Boy games - Button hold/sustain feature - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone - Game controller support with customizable button mappings - ZIP archive support - Automatic saving - Save-state sharing between devices - iCloud support for ROMs and save states - ROM sharing through iCloud using share codes - Support for Apple Watch devices configured with Family Setup - ROM sorting and search 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. You can import compatible ROM files from your iPhone and store them in iCloud. Your Apple Watch can then download them directly from iCloud. On an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup, ROMs can be downloaded from iCloud using share codes. Games Featured in the Screenshots - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Anguna: https://gauauu.itch.io/anguna - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance * Requires a Game Center account. ** Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Nintendo and the names of its game systems are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: ArcEmu at 1.3K against Star Duster's 2. ArcEmu also leads on device support (5 vs 3) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Star Duster's advantage is chart position (#195 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Star Duster costs $2.99 and ArcEmu $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
Star Duster ships an update every 3 weeks, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Star Duster | ArcEmu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.9 (1.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 94.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 1.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #195 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 172 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Beardybird AB | Raffaele D'Amato |
Customer experience
Star Duster
ArcEmu
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 moreShow fewer
- Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch
In-app purchases
Star Duster
No in-app purchases
ArcEmu
No in-app purchases









