Emu64 XL vs ArcEmu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Emu64 XL
Experience classic computing with this fast and user-friendly emulator for the Commodore 64. It perfectly replicates graphics, sound, and peripherals, offering a virtual keyboard and joystick support. Load your favorite CBM64 files and relive the golden age of 8-bit gaming and software development.
- Commodore 64 emulation
- Perfect graphics and sound
- Virtual keyboard and joystick
- Load .T64 and .D64 files
- Hardware peripheral support
- Includes CBM64 basic programs
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A VICE based Commodore 64 emulator fast and very easy to use. The emulator comes with various programs and sources written in the famous CBM64 basic language. The app emulates graphics, sounds and peripherals to perfection and also has a keyboard with the same layout as the original one. You can load .T64 files and .D64 files as old floppy disks and can use virtual joystick in both port 1 and port 2. App also supports hardware peripherals such as gamepads, joysticks, keyboards and more. Develop software and also have fun with games with this 8-bit old glory and good poke! (C=)
ArcEmu
Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.
- Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
- Multiplayer support
- Cheat codes
- Customizable on-screen controls
- Save State sharing
- iCloud support
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Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ APPLE WATCH COMPATIBILITY - Apple Watch Series 4 or later - Apple Watch SE or later - Apple Watch Ultra or later ArcEmu does not include any games or ROMs. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against Emu64 XL's 23%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.2) and ads (none vs shown). Emu64 XL's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). On price 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
Both are free to download. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Emu64 XL asks for nothing beyond the download.
ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Emu64 XL's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.
Emu64 XL ships an update every 2 days, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Emu64 XL | ArcEmu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (29 ratings) | 4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | 94.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 29 | 1.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 234 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Raffaele Amuso | Raffaele D'Amato |
Customer experience
Emu64 XL
ArcEmu
Bugs and requests
Emu64 XL
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
ArcEmu
Reported bugs
3 issues- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices
Requested features
6 requests- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support
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- Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch
In-app purchases
Emu64 XL
No in-app purchases
ArcEmu
- Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
- Game Boy Advance$0.99
- SNES$0.99
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- Pokémon Mini$0.99
- Atari 2600$0.99
- Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
- Game Gear$0.99
- Master System$0.99
- SG-1000$0.99
- Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99








