Comparison

ScummVM vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

ScummVM

Play classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs on your device. This application includes two playable demos and offers access to many more titles through its website. Enjoy a vast library of beloved retro games.

Highlights
  • Play classic adventure games
  • Play classic RPGs
  • Includes playable demos
  • Access to more games online
  • Open source software
Features
Read full description

ScummVM provides a way to play many classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs. The application is bundled with two playable demos, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (DOS Demo) and The Secret of Monkey Island (DOS EGA Demo), both titles copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd. You can find more information, demos, and some free-to-download adventure games on our website. See also an up-to-date list here: https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Where_to_get_the_games Full documentation of ScummVM can be found at https://docs.scummvm.org/ Please visit our web forum where you can discuss the iOS version. https://forums.scummvm.org/viewforum.php?f=15 ScummVM is open source software available under the term of the GPL v3.0 license. The source code is available from https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm.

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

ScummVM4 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScummVM at none against ArcEmu's 10. ScummVM also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). ArcEmu's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 109). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of ScummVM's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScummVM ships an update every 4 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ScummVM versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScummVMArcEmu
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (109 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.9% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1091.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size176 MB234 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperEugene SandulenkoRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

ScummVM

All ratings106 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive87.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative3.0%

ArcEmu

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

User reviews

ScummVM

From 109 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Reliving classic games
  • 👍 Great for mobile browsers
  • 👍 Amazing experience with specific games
  • 👍 Glad it's available
  • 👍 Supports classic point-and-click and RPGs

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashing mid-game
  • 🐛 Save feature not working correctly
  • 🐛 Touchscreen tap issues
  • 🐛 Clunky game adding process
  • 🐛 UI needs improvement

ArcEmu

From 1.3K 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

ScummVM

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes mid-game
  • Save feature does not save
  • Single-tap not registering as left click
  • Two-finger tap not registering as right click
  • Magic Keyboard touchpad not working
Show 5 more
  • Trackpad from new iPads not working
  • Cannot link OneDrive due to JSON response issue
  • Recently added games graying out
  • App crashes on second boot
  • External keyboard not working

Requested features

12 requests
  • Easier game search
  • Apple TV support
  • Gamepad key mapping support
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Magic Keyboard touchpad support
Show 7 more
  • Trackpad support
  • Change icon color
  • Support for Discworld Noir
  • DOSBox and FUSE support
  • NES interpreter support
  • Better iOS support for Grim Fandango & Escape From Monkey Island
  • More significant way to add games

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

ScummVM

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 ScummVM free?
ScummVM 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, ScummVM or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. ScummVM averages 4.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do ScummVM or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither ScummVM nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScummVM or ArcEmu?
ScummVM ships an update every 4 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, ScummVM was updated on November 3, 2026 and ArcEmu on November 4, 2026.

Other comparisons