# Dolphin Ctrl vs NES

The clearest difference is rating: NES at 4.3 against Dolphin Ctrl's 3.0. NES also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (19 vs 6). Dolphin Ctrl's advantage is review sentiment (14% vs 0%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

NES holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 19 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 14% of Dolphin Ctrl's written reviews are positive against 0% of NES's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dolphin Ctrl ships an update every 14 months, NES every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dolphin Ctrl | NES |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dolphin-ctrl/id1584272645/reviews) | **[4.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nes-emulator/id6744561705/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **19** |
| Positive reviews | **14.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cameron Little](https://appshunter.io/developer/964698586) | [建菊 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801975821) |

## What reviewers say

### Dolphin Ctrl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dolphin-ctrl/id1584272645)

This app transforms your phone into a GameCube controller for the Dolphin emulator. Connect wirelessly to your computer to play games with friends. Performance depends on network and emulator speed.

**Highlights:** Simulates GameCube controller, Play games on Dolphin emulator, Use phones as controllers, Supports multiplayer, Wireless connectivity

**In-app purchases:** none


### NES

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nes-emulator/id6744561705)

Experience classic 8-bit gaming with this high-performance emulator. It supports most classic game ROMs and offers a clean, intuitive interface for seamless retro gameplay on your device.

**Highlights:** High-performance NES emulation, Supports classic game ROMs (.nes), Clean and intuitive interface, Faithfully recreates 8-bit experience, Smooth performance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dolphin Ctrl free?

Dolphin Ctrl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NES free?

NES is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dolphin Ctrl or NES?

NES is rated higher. Dolphin Ctrl averages 3.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while NES averages 4.3 from 19 ratings.

### Do Dolphin Ctrl or NES have ads?

Neither Dolphin Ctrl nor NES shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dolphin Ctrl or NES?

Dolphin Ctrl ships an update every 14 months, and NES every 4 days. Most recently, Dolphin Ctrl was updated on October 5, 2026 and NES on October 6, 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.*