VirtualFriend vs GenZD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VirtualFriend
Experience classic Nintendo Virtual Boy games in true 3D on Apple Vision Pro and iOS. This open-source emulator allows you to explore the entire official library and homebrew titles with customizable color palettes and flexible control options.
- 3D Virtual Boy experience
- Explore official and homebrew libraries
- Customizable color palettes
- Flexible control options (touchscreen, controller, keyboard)
- 3D title screen previews
Read full descriptionHide full description
VirtualFriend: A new, open source Nintendo Virtual Boy emulator Relive the unique red-and-black world of Nintendo's most ambitious '90s console. Whether you're experiencing these classics for the first time or revisiting fond memories, VirtualFriend delivers the definitive Virtual Boy experience on Apple Vision Pro and iOS devices. Experience the Virtual Boy in high fidelity 3D on the Apple Vision Pro, or play on the go on iOS. - Explore the entire official library of Virtual Boy titles and the most popular homebrew with provided metadata and 3D title screen previews - Tired of red and black? Adjust the display's color palette between a series of presets, or choose your own colors - Play using flexible controls; either touchscreen, controller, or keyboard VirtualFriend is open source and available under the MIT license. Join the community, contribute back, or simply ask questions at https://github.com/agg23/virtualfriend Disclaimer: VirtualFriend is an independently developed, free, open source emulator. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Nintendo Co., Ltd. in any way. "Nintendo" and "Virtual Boy" are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd. All rights reserved to their respective owners.
GenZD
Run classic idTech 1 games on your iOS device with enhanced modern features. Supports original WAD files and community MODs, offering improved graphics, lighting, and scripting. Requires users to provide their own game content.
- Modern 3D rendering
- Widescreen graphics
- Dynamic lighting
- Scriptable environment
- Game controller support
- Customizable touch controls
- Local multiplayer
Read full descriptionHide full description
GenZD supports running games using the open-source idTech 1 game engine for iOS, and supports running its "WAD" game files as well as community-developed "MOD" files, all rendered natively using modern technology. It supports several capabilities beyond the original engine, such as modern 3D rendering, widescreen graphics, dynamic lighting, a fully scriptable environment, and much much more. Please note that GenZD does not include content and they must be provided by you. Please use the Files app to move or copy files to the GenZD folder under "On my iPhone" or "On my iPad". Configurations called "Launch Configurations" can be created using a base game file as well as additional MOD files (.pk3 and .zip files). A plethora of content developed by the community is available on the web, and almost all "mods" that use the UDMF or WAD formats are supported. Additional features: - Game controller support: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mFi - On-screen touch virtual gamepad and virtual keyboard - Customizable touch controls: Rearrange buttons, change color and size. Support for saving multiple layouts. - Gyroscope aiming - Widescreen Metal graphics rendering using MoltenVK - Add your own game and mod files via the Files app - Accessibility: Supports VoiceOver and mods that support accessibility - Local Multiplayer: Host a co-op or deathmatch game, discover hosts running GenZD automatically on the same network and join a game
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: VirtualFriend at Free against GenZD's $2.99. VirtualFriend also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (95% vs 84%). GenZD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 24 months). 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
VirtualFriend is free to download; GenZD costs $2.99 up front. VirtualFriend sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. GenZD asks for nothing beyond the download.
VirtualFriend holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 56 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of VirtualFriend's written reviews are positive against 84% of GenZD's.
VirtualFriend ships an update every 24 months, GenZD every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VirtualFriend | GenZD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (20 ratings) — better | 4.6 (56 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.0% of reviews — better | 83.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 20 | 56 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #189 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Adam Gastineau | Infinite Evolution Technologies |
Customer experience
VirtualFriend
GenZD
User reviews
VirtualFriend
From 20 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Excellent Virtual Boy emulation
- 👍 Easy to run games
- 👍 Light and simple UI
- 🎮 Works well with controllers
- 🙏 Grateful for the developer's work
Room to improve
- 🐛 Some games run slow
- 🐛 Some games crash after 10 minutes
- 🎮 Lack of button mapping
- 🔉 Buzzing sound issues in Hyper Fighting
- 🕶️ No cardboard/VR headset support
GenZD
From 56 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Full controller support
- 🔌 Works with all popular mods (DOOM, Brutal DOOM, Alien Trilogy, etc.)
- 🔍 Promising start for running GZDoom on iOS
- 💻 Portable experience on iPad with Magic Keyboard support
- 🙏 Developer is responsive to fixes and updates
Room to improve
- 🎮 Touchscreen aiming feels like controller input, not mouse-like
- 🔧 Lack of customization options for button layout and transparency
- 🐞 Crashes when switching between games
- ⌨️ Missing certain keys like underscore for entering commands
In-app purchases
VirtualFriend
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$2.99
- Large Tip$4.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Extra Large Tip$9.99
GenZD
No in-app purchases







