Comparison

VirtualFriend vs Preshow Theater

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 3D Virtual Boy experience
  • Explore official and homebrew libraries
  • Customizable color palettes
  • Flexible control options (touchscreen, controller, keyboard)
  • 3D title screen previews
Features
Read 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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Randomized trailer reel generation
  • Genre-based trailer filtering
  • Manual trailer selection
  • Background playback support
  • Picture-In-Picture integration
  • Biweekly new release notifications
Features
Read 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

VirtualFriend4 screens
Preshow Theater4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
VirtualFriend versus Preshow Theater: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirtualFriendPreshow Theater
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (21 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings21 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 24 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Vision ProiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdam GastineauAaron Brannan

Customer experience

VirtualFriend

All ratings20 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive95.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative0.0%

Preshow Theater

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

VirtualFriend

One-time4
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Extra Large Tip$9.99
3 purchases

Preshow Theater

One-time3
  • $0.99 Tip$0.99
  • $2.99 Tip$2.99
  • $4.99 Tip$4.99

Questions

Is VirtualFriend free?
VirtualFriend is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Preshow Theater free?
Preshow Theater is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VirtualFriend or Preshow Theater?
Preshow Theater is rated higher. VirtualFriend averages 4.9 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Preshow Theater averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do VirtualFriend or Preshow Theater have ads?
Neither VirtualFriend nor Preshow Theater shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VirtualFriend or Preshow Theater?
VirtualFriend ships an update every 24 months, and Preshow Theater every 7 months. Most recently, VirtualFriend was updated on October 30, 2026 and Preshow Theater on November 4, 2026.

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