RetroPod vs SameBoy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RetroPod
Experience the nostalgic feel of the iPod Classic with a virtual click wheel and modern streaming service integration. Control playback with intuitive gestures and customize wheel sensitivity for a personalized music experience.
- Virtual click wheel interface
- Wheel sensitivity adjustment
- Volume control via click wheel
- Spotify integration
- Apple Music integration
- Playlist and album access
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Classic Design, Modern Convenience: Feel the magic of the iPod Classic all over again. Swipe the virtual click wheel and enjoy a spot-on recreation of that iconic look and feel. Wheel Sensitivity Adjustment: Make it yours! Adjust the wheel’s responsiveness to match your style—light taps or fast spins, RetroPod moves with you. Volume Control with Click Wheel: Turn it up (or down) the old-school way. Control volume right from the click wheel for that true iPod touch. Best of Both Worlds: Your favourite streaming services, Spotify and Apple Music. Dive into your music libraries-favourite songs, playlists, albums and more; all spun together in the cozy iPod Classic vibe. Two streaming worlds, one iconic click wheel, total nostalgia. Elevate Your Music Experience: RetroPod isn’t just an app; it’s a time machine for your eyes & ears, combining the best of the past with the innovations of today. Take your music experience to new heights with the perfect blend of nostalgia and modern convenience—relive the past, stream the future. RetroPod is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Spotify AB. Apple, iPod, and Apple Music are trademarks of Apple Inc. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners and used for identification and compatibility purposes only.
SameBoy
Experience classic handheld gaming with a highly accurate emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy. Enjoy advanced features like save states, rumble support, and controller compatibility. Play on your Apple Watch and customize your experience with various filters and themes.
- Accurate Game Boy emulation
- Save states with gesture support
- Rumble support
- Apple Watch playability
- Scaling filters
- Game Boy Camera emulation
- Controller support
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SameBoy is a user friendly, powerful and open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator. Features: - World's most accurate Game Boy emulation core - Save states, with gesture support for quick saving and loading - Rumble support, even for games without a Rumble Pak - Play on your Apple Watch - A wide range of scaling filters - Game Boy Camera emulation - Motion controls emulation - Fast forward, rewind, and slow motion - Game Boy Printer emulation - Use cheat codes - Support for MFi, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox controllers - Interface themes - No ads, no tracking - A lot more! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sameboy.github.io/privacy/ SameBoy is in no way affiliated with Nintendo. Game Boy is a trademark of Nintendo.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SameBoy at 4.5 against RetroPod's 3.7. SameBoy also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 57%) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 12 months). RetroPod's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price 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
Both are free to download. SameBoy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. RetroPod asks for nothing beyond the download.
SameBoy holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 110 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of RetroPod's written reviews are positive against 84% of SameBoy's.
RetroPod ships an update every 12 months, SameBoy every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RetroPod | SameBoy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (29 ratings) | 4.5 (110 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.5% of reviews | 83.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 29 | 110 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yash Tak | Lior Halphon |
Customer experience
RetroPod
SameBoy
Bugs and requests
RetroPod
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
SameBoy
Reported bugs
12 issues- iPad portrait mode triggers menu on A button/Up arrow press
- Game Boy Camera crashes on iPhone 17 Pro Max when switching cameras
- Rewind function causes game data loss in some titles
- 200% and 400% speed boost settings don't work
- Cheats don't function properly for certain games
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- ROM import fails with .zip files
- GBA ROM files show 'not in ROM archive' error
- Auto-save/auto-load switches between emulator cores unexpectedly
- Turbo feature doesn't work without screen swiping
- Tips popup appears too frequently during gameplay
- PS4 controller recognized but non-functional in games
- ROM sharing from Files app doesn't always work
Requested features
18 requests- Game Boy Advance emulation support
- Cheat code functionality
- Multiplayer/wireless linking for Pokémon games
- Online multiplayer support
- Adjustable screen and button sizes
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- Separate save/load toggle options
- Slow-motion feature (free version)
- Game Boy Printer output to photo gallery
- iCloud synchronization
- Retro achievements system
- One-time theme purchase option instead of subscription
- Apple Watch complication support
- Turbo button hold functionality
- ZIP and 7z file format support
- Fullscreen mode with scaling options
- Language selection for interface
- Super Game Boy border display
- PS4/Backbone controller improvements
In-app purchases
RetroPod
No in-app purchases
SameBoy
- Supporter$0.991 Month
- Supporter Plus$2.991 Month
- Supporter Premium$7.991 Month
- Lifetime Theme Access$4.99
- SameBoy for Apple Watch$4.99
