# About by PCalc vs ArcEmu

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: About by PCalc at none against ArcEmu's 10. ArcEmu's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 23). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. About by PCalc asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of About by PCalc's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

About by PCalc ships an update every 7 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | About by PCalc | ArcEmu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/about-by-pcalc/id1613982997/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 23 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews | **94.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 64 MB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TLA Systems Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284666225) | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) |

## What reviewers say

### About by PCalc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/about-by-pcalc/id1613982997)

Explore a whimsical 3D city filled with interactive elements and hidden surprises. This app began as a fun 'About' screen for a calculator and evolved into a playful exploration toy with driving and collectible elements.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D city exploration, Playable 3D icon, Drive a car around the city, Discover hidden areas like The Castle of the Panda King, Supports gamepads and keyboards

**Features:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Boy Advance | $0.99 | one-time |
| SNES | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pokémon Mini | $0.99 | one-time |
| Atari 2600 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mega Drive / Genesis | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Gear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master System | $0.99 | one-time |
| SG-1000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 3) | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fully functional
- 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
- 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
- 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
- 👍 Customizable controls and layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
- 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
- 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
- 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is About by PCalc free?

About by PCalc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, About by PCalc or ArcEmu?

ArcEmu is rated higher. About by PCalc averages 4.7 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do About by PCalc or ArcEmu have ads?

Neither About by PCalc nor ArcEmu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, About by PCalc or ArcEmu?

About by PCalc ships an update every 7 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, About by PCalc was updated on October 25, 2026 and ArcEmu 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.*