# VirtualFriend vs Preshow Theater

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | VirtualFriend | Preshow Theater |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfriend-vb-emulator/id6479948317/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preshow-theater/id6738631881/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **95.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | **Every 7 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adam Gastineau](https://appshunter.io/developer/913804973) | [Aaron Brannan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540210534) |

## What reviewers say

### VirtualFriend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtualfriend-vb-emulator/id6479948317)

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:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Excellent Virtual Boy emulation
- 👍 Easy to run games
- 👍 Light and simple UI
- 🎮 Works well with controllers
- 🙏 Grateful for the developer's work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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


### Preshow Theater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preshow-theater/id6738631881)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $0.99 Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| $2.99 Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| $4.99 Tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*