# Yaba Sanshiro 2 vs VirtualFriend

The clearest difference is review sentiment: VirtualFriend at 95% against Yaba Sanshiro 2's 62%. VirtualFriend also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4). Yaba Sanshiro 2's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 24 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Yaba Sanshiro 2 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and VirtualFriend sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

VirtualFriend holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Yaba Sanshiro 2's written reviews are positive against 95% of VirtualFriend's.

Yaba Sanshiro 2 ships an update every 2 weeks, VirtualFriend every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Yaba Sanshiro 2 | VirtualFriend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yaba-sanshiro-2/id1549144351/reviews) | **[4.9 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfriend-vb-emulator/id6479948317/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 61.8% of reviews | **95.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [devMiyax](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549144353) | [Adam Gastineau](https://appshunter.io/developer/913804973) |

## What reviewers say

### Yaba Sanshiro 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yaba-sanshiro-2/id1549144351)

This app allows you to play SEGA Saturn games on your iOS device by emulating the hardware. You'll need to provide your own game data by dumping it from original CD-ROMs. It offers various settings for graphics, sound, and controls to enhance your retro gaming experience.

**Highlights:** SEGA Saturn hardware emulation, Play your own Saturn game files, Save and load game states, On-screen gamepad and MFI controller support, Adjustable rendering resolution, Frame skip and aspect ratio settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Annual | $1.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


### VirtualFriend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfriend-vb-emulator/id6479948317)

Experience classic Nintendo Virtual Boy games in true 3D on Apple Vision Pro and iOS. This open-source emulator allows you to explore the entire official library and homebrew titles with customizable color palettes and flexible control options.

**Highlights:** 3D Virtual Boy experience, Explore official and homebrew libraries, Customizable color palettes, Flexible control options (touchscreen, controller, keyboard), 3D title screen previews

**Features:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Excellent Virtual Boy emulation
- 👍 Easy to run games
- 👍 Light and simple UI
- 🎮 Works well with controllers
- 🙏 Grateful for the developer's work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some games run slow
- 🐛 Some games crash after 10 minutes
- 🎮 Lack of button mapping
- 🔉 Buzzing sound issues in Hyper Fighting
- 🕶️ No cardboard/VR headset support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Yaba Sanshiro 2 free?

Yaba Sanshiro 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is VirtualFriend free?

VirtualFriend is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Yaba Sanshiro 2 or VirtualFriend?

VirtualFriend is rated higher. Yaba Sanshiro 2 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while VirtualFriend averages 4.9 from 21 ratings.

### Do Yaba Sanshiro 2 or VirtualFriend have ads?

Neither Yaba Sanshiro 2 nor VirtualFriend shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Yaba Sanshiro 2 or VirtualFriend?

Yaba Sanshiro 2 ships an update every 2 weeks, and VirtualFriend every 24 months. Most recently, Yaba Sanshiro 2 was updated on November 3, 2026 and VirtualFriend on October 30, 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.*