Comparison

Max Payne Mobile vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

Max Payne Mobile

Experience a dark, story-driven action-shooter where you play as a framed detective fighting for justice. Utilize groundbreaking slow-motion gunplay and uncover a twisted plot to clear your name.

Highlights
  • Bullet Time® slow-motion gunplay
  • HD quality resolution and textures
  • Retina supported resolution
  • Touch screen optimized gameplay
  • Customizable controls
  • Multiple aiming modes
  • Rockstar Games Social Club integration
Features
Read full description

Max Payne, the award-winning title is now available for iOS. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Max Payne is a relentless story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting to clear his name while struggling to uncover the truth about his slain family amongst a myriad of plot-twists. The groundbreaking original cinematic action-shooter, Max Payne introduced the concept of Bullet Time® in videogames. Through its stylish slow-motion gunplay combined with a dark and twisted story, Max Payne redefined the action-shooter genre. Universal App: Max Payne is supported on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 4, iPad 1, iPad 2, the new iPad. Features: • Max Payne's signature slow motion gunplay, Bullet Time® • Stunningly sharp, HD quality resolution and textures • Retina supported resolution for the new iPad • Gameplay tailored for touch screen devices • Highly customizable controls • Multiple aiming modes • Rockstar Games Social Club integration to track stats, unlock cheats and more* *Rockstar Games Social Club supported on the iPhone4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and the new iPad only. Cheats are still accessible on older devices.  For those using the "Skip to Level" cheat, we recommend that you have weapons in your inventory; as you will start a new level with your current weapon set. Languages Supported: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese. Mobile Version developed by War Drum Studios www.wardrumstudios.com Find out more: www.rockstargames.com See videos: www.youtube.com/rockstargames Follow us: www.faceboook.com/rockstargames www.twitter.com/rockstargames

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

Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ 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. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Screenshots

Max Payne Mobile4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Max Payne Mobile's $2.99. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Max Payne Mobile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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

ArcEmu is free to download; Max Payne Mobile costs $2.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Max Payne Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Max Payne Mobile's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Max Payne Mobile ships an update every 5 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Max Payne Mobile versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMax Payne MobileArcEmu
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (1.1K ratings)4.9 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.6% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K1.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.7 GB234 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperRockstar GamesRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Max Payne Mobile

All ratings1,083 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral3.8%
Negative10.2%
Written reviews356 reviews
Positive73.6%
Neutral6.2%
Negative20.2%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

User reviews

Max Payne Mobile

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎮 Great controls
  • 💯 Faithful to the original
  • 🎨 Good graphics
  • 🕹️ Satisfying bullet time

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
  • 🎮 Sensitive/awkward controls
  • 🔇 Audio problems
  • 🔍 Difficulty navigating levels
  • 💰 Overpriced for an old game

ArcEmu

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Max Payne Mobile

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when shooting
  • Saves not working properly
  • Compatibility issues with iOS 11

Requested features

4 requests
  • Port Max Payne 2 and 3 to mobile
  • Add controller support
  • Improve customization options
  • Optimize for newer devices

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

Max Payne Mobile

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pokémon Mini$0.99
  • Atari 2600$0.99
  • Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
  • Game Gear$0.99
  • Master System$0.99
  • SG-1000$0.99
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99

Questions

Is Max Payne Mobile free?
Max Payne Mobile costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Max Payne Mobile or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. Max Payne Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Max Payne Mobile or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Max Payne Mobile nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Max Payne Mobile or ArcEmu?
Max Payne Mobile ships an update every 5 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Max Payne Mobile was updated on November 13, 2026 and ArcEmu on November 12, 2026.

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