Comparison

S98Player for iPhone vs UK

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

Head to head
About

S98Player for iPhone

This app plays sound logs in S98 format and PMD files from Yamaha FM sound chips. Enjoy chiptunes with features like album art, loop/shuffle playback, adjustable volume, and CarPlay support for on-the-go listening.

Highlights
  • Plays S98 and PMD file formats
  • High-quality FM synthesis
  • Adjustable sound source volumes
  • Loop and shuffle playback
  • CarPlay support
  • File transfer via Files app
Features
Read full description

S98Player plays the FM synth music of the PC-9801 and X68000 on your iPhone and iPad. Alongside sound logs (S98), the PMD, FMP and MDX drivers are built into the app, so you can drop the original song files straight in and play them. Formats - S98 (Version 1 / 3) — .s98 - PMD — .m / .m2 / .mz / .mp / .ms / .pmd - FMP — .opi / .ovi / .ozi / .mfm / .mf2 / .m86 / .m26 - MDX — .mdx (put .pdx in the same folder for songs that use ADPCM) Voiced for the machine The same FM chip sounded different on each computer: the external DAC and the analogue stage after it were not the same. PC-98, PC-88, X68000 and X1turboZ each have their own DAC, output stage, cutoff and per-chip mix. The machine is chosen from the S98 system tag, and can also be set in Settings.plist. Channel monitor Watch every channel on a piano-style keyboard while the music plays, with level meters, stereo panning, rhythm pads and a spectrum analyser. Tap a row to mute it, long-press to solo, and study each part on its own. Waveform seek bar The seek bar is a waveform. It draws the intro and one turn of the loop, and shows which time around you are on by how dark it is. Drag it to jump anywhere. More - Rotate your iPhone for a two-pane view: keyboard and spectrum analyser - Song info shows everything the file contains, unmodified - Album and song details can be edited in the app, album art included - You are told when a PCM file is missing - CarPlay support - Shuffle, and looping over an album Rhythm samples To hear the OPNA rhythm section you need ym2608_adpcm_rom.bin, or the rhythm files (2608_BD.WAV / 2608_HH.WAV / 2608_RIM.WAV / 2608_SD.WAV / 2608_TOM.WAV / 2608_TOP.WAV). Put them in the S98Player folder under "On My iPhone" in the Files app. Song files go there too, in a folder per album. Third-party software - PMDWin Ver. 0.52 Copyright & Programmed by C60 - ymfm Copyright (C) Aaron Giles - 98Fmplayer (fmdriver) Copyright (c) 2016 Takamichi Horikawa - portable_mdx (MXDRV) Copyright (C) 2018 Yosshin (MXDRV: milk. / K.MAEKAWA / Missy.M / Yatsube / GORRY / m_puusan)

About

UK

Create music on your mobile device with a powerful digital audio workstation. Record, edit MIDI and audio, and collaborate with other DAWs. Supports AUv3 plugins and SoundFonts for versatile sound creation.

Highlights
  • Collaborate with other DAWs via dawproject export
  • Record, edit, and save audio and MIDI data
  • Utilize Audio Unit (AUv3) plugins and SoundFonts
  • Create playlists for consecutive song playback
  • Input performance data while viewing sheet music
  • Record vocals with karaoke tracks
Features
Read full description

Recommended for: ・Those who want to practice instruments or transcribe by ear ・Those who want to quickly record phrases and ideas on the go ・Those who want to easily create songs in a mobile environment ・Those who want to transfer songs created on an iPhone or iPad to a computer DAW software ・Those who want to input performance infomation while looking at sheet music ・Those who want to record their own performance ・Those who want to easily edit MIDI data and sound data ・Those who want to automatically play electronic instruments (synthesizers, digital pianos, rhythm machines, etc.) or record their performance ・Those who want to use Audio Unit (AUv3) plug-in sound sources and audio effectors, midi effectors ・Those who want to learn MIDI ・Those who want to view and analyze MIDI data output from electronic instruments ・Those who want to try voice percussion ・Those who want to play Standard MIDI Files (SMF) ・Those who have used DAW software in the past but gave up ・Those who want to create a medley of their favorite songs from a music CD ・Those who want to easily record vocals along with karaoke songs from music CDs ・Those who want to play music and sound effects at their own timing using the screen touch or an external MIDI controller ■Key Features [Collaborate Other DAW Software] ・Supports the export function for dawproject files. Quickly turn ideas into songs in a mobile environment, then use DAW project file import functionality (e.g., Bitwig Studio, Cubase ,Cubasis, Studio One) to create and polish your songs. *For important information on handling dawproject files, please refer to the website [https://uk-868home.my.canva.site/]. ・Supports playback, editing, and saving of SMF (Standard MIDI File), which can be linked with a DAW on a PC. ・You can export the performance of audio phrases registered in a song or MIDI phrases output to a SoundFont source to a Wave file. [For Performance] ・Play, edit, and save audio that combines multiple Wave files. (You can also import songs stored in the Music library of your iPhone or iPad.)*Songs downloaded from paid sites are not included. ・It supports audio capture using the 16 pads on the iPhone or iPad's built-in microphone or audio interface, pad touch playback, loop playback, and real-time recording of performances using pad and slider operations. ・By creating a PlayList, you can play multiple songs consecutively. Songs from this app, SMF, and Wave files can be registered in a PlayList. [Use Audio Unit (AUv3) plugin, Sound Font] ・You can create sounds by assigning commercially available AudioUnit V3 compatible instruments (sound sources such as synthesizers) and effects available for iPhone and iPad to the Audio Mixer. In addition, it can also handle sound sources that use replaceable Sound Font (sf2) files, so you can play back input MIDI data even without an external sound source. ・Audio phrases can be played back while controlling the volume, effects, etc. using the Audio Mixer. [MIDI & Audio Editing] ・You can freely paste phrases (MIDI, Audio) anywhere on the 32 multi-tracks to create music. Supports inputting MIDI along with the wave, and recording voices and instrument performances along with MIDI. ・ MIDI phrases support an editor that allows event input and editing using the Grid screen, Event List screen, Rhythm screen, and Chord screen. The MIDI Control screen also supports event input during loop playback, and the import and editing of MIDI events by operating an external MIDI device. [Study and analysis of electronic instrument control and MIDI] ・Supports MIDI Router to control MIDI input and output. ・ It also supports a MIDI monitor function that allows you to visually check the contents of MIDI input messages. ・It supports a viewer/controller that allows you to visually check MIDI playback messages and output MIDI events by swiping. ・Equipped with message recording, editing, and playback functions newly supported by the MIDI 2.0 standard.

Screenshots

S98Player for iPhone4 screens
UK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: S98Player for iPhone at Free against UK's $11.99. On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

S98Player for iPhone is free to download; UK costs $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for S98Player for iPhone against 5.0 for UK. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

S98Player for iPhone ships an update every 2 months, UK every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
S98Player for iPhone versus UK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterS98Player for iPhoneUK
PriceFree — better$11.99
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHiroaki KimuraMASAHARU TANAKA

Customer experience

S98Player for iPhone

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%

UK

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

S98Player for iPhone

No in-app purchases

None

UK

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is S98Player for iPhone free?
S98Player for iPhone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is UK free?
UK costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, S98Player for iPhone or UK?
S98Player for iPhone and UK are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do S98Player for iPhone or UK have ads?
Neither S98Player for iPhone nor UK shows ads.
Which is updated more often, S98Player for iPhone or UK?
S98Player for iPhone ships an update every 2 months, and UK every 6 weeks. Most recently, S98Player for iPhone was updated on November 1, 2026 and UK on November 4, 2026.

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