Star Race Omega vs Pac.io
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Star Race Omega
Pilot a spaceship in this arcade shooter where your ship bounces off screen edges. Destroy drone ships and mines in a frantic space arena. Enjoy classic retro graphics and sounds with modern updates.
- Bouncing ship mechanics
- Destroy drone ships and mines
- Retro graphics and sounds
- Tilt controls
- Bonus points and lives
- Unlockable unlimited levels
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Star Race Omega is a fun and frantic space shoot 'em up game with a cool, unique feature: your ship bounces off the edge of the screen and center scoreboard. Your mission is to fly around this space arena and destroy drone ships and mines. Star Race Omega was developed for the original iPhone back in 2008, and the concept is based on the classic Omega Race arcade game created by Ron Haliburton at Midway in 1981. As a teenager, I loved playing Omega Race in the arcade and on the Atari 2600, Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and ColecoVision. So with Midway and Omega Race long gone, Star Race Omega was one of the very first games I developed for the iPhone in 2008. The 2022 refresh adapts the app to newer devices and screen formats, but keeps the same old school feel, sounds, and graphics as the original 2008 release. For a demo video of the game, check out the Star Race Omega support website linked below, visit hrtapps.com, or search "star race omega" on Youtube. Notes and Hints: While you can play this game with a defensive strategy, an offensive strategy is more effective, especially at higher levels. Try to destroy drones as early as possible, before they awaken and begin seeking you. Move around the screen, using rebounds off the edges, to sweep through the arena and maneuver into firing position. You're better off being in motion than sitting in any one position for more than a few seconds. 5,000 Bonus points are awarded every 5th level. A bonus life or 10,000 points are awarded every 10th level. When using tilt control, tilt or rotate your device side to side to rotate the ship (any combination putting the device at an angle works). You can adjust the tilt sensitivy in settings. The slider affects the rate and maximum level of tilt control. Controlled taps on the thrust button will accelerate your ship forward, and you can rotate the ship 180 degrees to the direction of motion and fire the thrusters to put on the brakes. To maintain control, use thrust strategically and sparingly. When firing on mines and drones, aim your ship then fire. Don't try to aim the bullets, which move independently of the ship, as it will cause you to overshoot your target. Be warned: mines and drones have proximity sensors, and will home in on your ship if you come into close range! You might be able to outrun them, but only for a brief amount of time before they destroy you. The free app plays up to level 2. An optional in-app purchase unlocks unlimited levels. Legacy customers who purchased v2.1 or earlier can unlock unlimited levels for free after signing into the App Store for verification.
Pac.io
Engage in an addictive grid-battle by swiping to outsmart opponents and dominate the arena. Utilize a variety of power-ups and unlock unique skins to enhance your gameplay and rise through the ranks. Enjoy endless fun offline or online with intuitive controls.
- Swipe controls for movement
- Strategic power-ups
- Unlockable skins
- Offline and online play
- Intuitive gameplay
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Pac.io – Swipe, Power Up, and Dominate the Grid! Dive into the ultimate io grid-battle! Swipe in four directions, outsmart your opponents, and become the King of the grid. Every move counts—strategize, dodge, and strike to stay on top! Unleash Epic Power-Ups Turn the tide of battle with incredible power-ups: Bomb, Ghost, 5x Multiplier, Magnet, Sword, Thunder, Freeze, Laser, and Speed Up. Eat bigger players, escape tricky situations, and crush your enemies with style. Use them wisely—power waits for no one! Unlock Legendary Skins Show off your legendary skins as you rise through the ranks. Each skin makes you look epic and adds extra flair while you dominate the battlefield. Game Highlights • Play anywhere—offline or online, anytime. • Smooth, intuitive swipe controls for lightning-fast moves. • Easy to learn, impossible to put down. • FREE to play with endless battles, power-ups, and epic fun! Swipe, power up, and conquer—become the ultimate legend in Pac.io!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pac.io at 4.1 against Star Race Omega's 3.0. Pac.io also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (342 vs 2). Star Race Omega's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Star Race Omega sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pac.io sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pac.io holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pac.io has 342 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Star Race Omega's written reviews are positive against 54% of Pac.io's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Star Race Omega ships an update every 9 months, Pac.io fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Star Race Omega | Pac.io |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.1 (342 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews — better | 53.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 342 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 139 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Craig Hunter | Nomadic Bear Games |
Customer experience
Star Race Omega
Pac.io
Bugs and requests
Star Race Omega
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Pac.io
Reported bugs
7 issues- Ads crash game at end of video
- Game freezes after ad completion
- Pink screen ad that cannot be closed
- Instant death upon spawning
- Players getting stuck behind walls
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- Power pellet duration inconsistencies
- Game glitching and crashing frequently
Requested features
9 requests- Arrow buttons or D-pad controls instead of sliding
- Ad-free premium version for purchase
- Ability to disable ads with WiFi off
- Friend list and private room creation
- Real player names instead of randomized ones
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- Grace period or invincibility after spawn
- Sound effects and audio
- New items, levels, and game updates
- Revert to original 2024 version
In-app purchases
Star Race Omega
- Unlimited Levels$0.99
Pac.io
- Small Coin Pack$0.99
- Medium Coin Pack$4.99
- Magnet$4.99
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- Thunder$4.99
- Sword$4.99
- Big Coin Pack$9.99
- No Ads$9.99
- Large Coin Pack$19.99
- Huge Coin Pack$49.99
- Massive Coin Pack$99.99









