VirtualFriend vs Preshow Theater
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.
Preshow Theater
Discover new movies and get excited for your next viewing with a randomized trailer reel. Filter by genre or select individual trailers. Seamlessly integrates with Apple's video player for background playback and Picture-In-Picture.
- Randomized trailer reel generation
- Genre-based trailer filtering
- Manual trailer selection
- Background playback support
- Picture-In-Picture integration
- Biweekly new release notifications
Read full descriptionHide full description
The hit Apple Vision Pro app is now on iPhone and iPad! Your pre-movie destination can now go with you anywhere! Designed with simplicity and elegance in mind, Preshow offers a user-friendly interface. With just a single press of a button, you can generate a randomized trailer reel, similar to what you would find at the theater. This feature allows you to quickly discover new movies or get excited for the main event! Preshow seamlessly integrates with Apple’s video player. Including support for background playback, Picture-In-Picture, and the ability to tap and hold a movie to quickly jump to its page in Apple TV or IMDb. Preshow also offers the convenience of filtering trailers by genre to ensure you’re presented with content that aligns with the mood. Looking for a specific trailer or want to rewatch it? Preshow provides the ability to manually select an available trailer and watch it individually at your convenience. To stay updated on the latest trailers, Preshow includes notification support, sending biweekly reminders to check out the new releases. Experience the ultimate movie trailer experience before your main event! See you at the Preshow!
Screenshots
Verdict
VirtualFriend and Preshow Theater both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of VirtualFriend's written reviews are positive against 33% of Preshow Theater's. VirtualFriend also leads on ratings volume (21 vs 3). Preshow Theater's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 24 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. VirtualFriend sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Preshow Theater sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for VirtualFriend against 5.0 for Preshow Theater. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VirtualFriend has 21 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of VirtualFriend's written reviews are positive against 33% of Preshow Theater's.
VirtualFriend ships an update every 24 months, Preshow Theater every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VirtualFriend | Preshow Theater |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (21 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 95.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | Every 7 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adam Gastineau | Aaron Brannan |
Customer experience
VirtualFriend
Preshow Theater
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
Preshow Theater
- $0.99 Tip$0.99
- $2.99 Tip$2.99
- $4.99 Tip$4.99
Questions
Is VirtualFriend free?
Is Preshow Theater free?
Which has better reviews, VirtualFriend or Preshow Theater?
Do VirtualFriend or Preshow Theater have ads?
Which is updated more often, VirtualFriend or Preshow Theater?
Other comparisons















