Comparison

Pocket Blackjack vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

Pocket Blackjack

A classic card game where players draw cards to reach a score of 21 or as close as possible without going over. Make strategic 'Hit' or 'Stand' decisions to win.

Highlights
  • Draw cards to reach 21
  • Avoid scores over 21
  • Hit or Stand mechanics
  • Classic card game simulation
Features
Read full description

Draw cards and aim to get a score of 21 or close. A score higher than 21 will result in a game over. Press ‘Hit’ to draw a new card. Press ‘Stand’ to end your turn.

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

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

ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against Pocket Blackjack's 50%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). Pocket Blackjack's advantage is chart position (#27 vs unranked) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pocket Blackjack costs $0.99 and ArcEmu $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Pocket Blackjack's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket Blackjack ships an update every 3 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Pocket Blackjack versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket BlackjackArcEmu
Price$0.99 — better$1.99
Rating4.3 (4 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews94.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings41.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#27 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB172 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon RybickiRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Pocket Blackjack

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews528 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.7%

Bugs and requests

Pocket Blackjack

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

Pocket Blackjack

No in-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pocket Blackjack free?
Pocket Blackjack costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pocket Blackjack or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. Pocket Blackjack averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Pocket Blackjack or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Pocket Blackjack nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pocket Blackjack or ArcEmu?
Pocket Blackjack ships an update every 3 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pocket Blackjack was updated on October 11, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 19, 2026.

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