Comparison

Space Simulator vs Space Shuttle AR

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

Head to head
About

Space Simulator

Experience ultra-realistic 3D space flight with real physics in a full-scale Solar System. Play historic NASA missions or explore planets and moons with functional 3D cockpits and interactive orbit planning.

Highlights
  • Full-scale Solar System simulation
  • Historic NASA mission replays
  • Functional 3D cockpits
  • Interactive orbit planner
  • Real physics engine
  • Ultra-realistic rendering
Features
Read full description

Space Simulator is an ultra realistic 3D space flight simulation game running real physics in a full-scale Solar System with unrivaled rendering and graphics. PLAY historic NASA missions of the Apollo Moon Program, Space Shuttle flights, Project Gemini, X-15 Hypersonic Plane and free flight missions to explore all planets and major moons of the Solar System. LAUNCH from Kennedy Space Center, orbit the Earth and Moon, dock with ISS, perform Trans Lunar Injections, land on the Moon, practise rendezvous and return home with reentry and splashdown. PLAN complex interplanetary orbits, operate flight computers, use onboard switches, instruments and displays, experience the full challenges of space flight and unleash the astronaut within! key features: • Custom missions to explore all planets and major moons in Solar System • Spaceships have 3D cockpits with functional controls and instruments • Original audio footage on selected missions • Interactive orbit planner to easily visualize, create and modify complex interplanetary orbits • Space Simulator uses real gravitational forces, distances and velocities based on a physics engine especially created for this app running on the GPU • Ultra realistic rendering engine for the Earth and Moon with high resolution surfaces and atmosphere using a new metal-based graphics engine for unprecedented realism at maximum possible framerate • The Apollo computers are emulated running actual code from the 1960s • Configurable window-based UI allowing customization of the interface to suit your preferences • Configuration options to customize difficulty and gameplay according to your device capabilities

About

Space Shuttle AR

Experience the Space Shuttle's return through augmented reality. As the launch director, guide the shuttle from launch to a safe docking with the International Space Station. Witness realistic smoke, fire, and engine separation in your own environment.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality (AR) experience
  • Launch director role
  • Space Shuttle launch simulation
  • Docking with International Space Station
  • Realistic smoke and fire effects
  • Booster and fuel tank separation
  • Multiple viewing angles
Read full description

The Space Shuttle has been revived through Augmented Reality(AR) since its last flight in 2011. AR is a technology that displays virtual objects in the real world. You are the launch director of the Space Shuttle. Your mission is to launch the Space Shuttle and dock with the International Space Station safely. The Space Shuttle will be launched with smoke and fire from the launch pad. The shuttle will separate booster engines and an external fuel tank. It will dock with the Space Station above the Earth. The sound and the countdown make AR Space Shuttle more realistic. You can watch the shuttle's motions from various angles. Launch a 3D virtual Space Shuttle in your backyard or any other place. This app is a simple experiment in AR. The app is not only for Space Shuttle fans but also for anyone interested in AR. Try launching the 3D virtual Space Shuttle now.

Screenshots

Space Simulator4 screens
Space Shuttle AR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Space Shuttle AR at Free against Space Simulator's $4.99. Space Simulator's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 1.1K) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On rating, review sentiment, 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

Space Shuttle AR is free to download; Space Simulator costs $4.99 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 — 4.7 for Space Simulator against 4.7 for Space Shuttle AR. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.3K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Space Simulator's written reviews are positive against 78% of Space Shuttle AR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Space Simulator versus Space Shuttle AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace SimulatorSpace Shuttle AR
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (4.3K ratings)4.7 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews83.5% of reviews — better78.3% of reviews
Number of ratings4.3K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.5 GB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTai ChenNoriaki Murao

Customer experience

Space Simulator

All ratings4,281 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews315 reviews
Positive83.5%
Neutral3.5%
Negative13.0%

Space Shuttle AR

All ratings1,120 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative19.6%

Bugs and requests

Space Simulator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Space Shuttle AR

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Freezing and crashing on launch
  • Inability to place the shuttle on flat surfaces

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more rockets and spacecraft to launch
  • Allow users to build and customize their own rockets
  • Implement a re-entry and landing sequence
  • Provide more background options (e.g., stars, planets)

In-app purchases

None

Space Simulator

No in-app purchases

None

Space Shuttle AR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Simulator free?
Space Simulator costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Space Shuttle AR free?
Space Shuttle AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Simulator or Space Shuttle AR?
Space Simulator and Space Shuttle AR are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4.3K and 1.1K ratings respectively.
Do Space Simulator or Space Shuttle AR have ads?
Neither Space Simulator nor Space Shuttle AR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Simulator or Space Shuttle AR?
Space Simulator ships an update every 5 months, and Space Shuttle AR every 5 months. Most recently, Space Simulator was updated on September 23, 2026 and Space Shuttle AR on September 24, 2026.

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