Comparison

GEKKO C64 vs ArcEmu

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

Head to head
About

GEKKO C64

Experience classic gaming with this fast and user-friendly emulator for the Commodore 64. It accurately recreates the graphics, floppy drive, and tape loading, supporting joysticks and wireless controllers. Easily load games, software, and even SID music files.

Highlights
  • Commodore 64 emulation
  • 1541 Floppy Drive emulation
  • Tape emulation
  • Joystick support (Port 1 & 2)
  • Fast loading
  • SID music player
  • Wireless joypad support
Features
Read full description

GEKKO C64 Emulator is a Commodore 64 emulation, fast and easy to use completely programmed from scratch. GEKKO C64 emulate the graphic, the 1541 Floppy Drive, and the Tape. Joystick in Port 1 and 2 switch, fast load and many other features. How it works: - Press DISK... and choose a game or a software - Press LOAD * to load and run automatically. - If a game has an intro, press SPACE or RUN STOP - Switch Joystick PORT 1/2 and press FIRE - If you need to insert text or press a key you can use the command line - To load a SID song, choose a Sid file and press LOAD SID. A player will be opened. - Use the RESET button, to reset the emulator. - Wireless Joypad supported!! Enjoy!!

About

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.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
  • Multiplayer support
  • Cheat codes
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Save State sharing
  • iCloud support
Features
Read full description

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

GEKKO C644 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcEmu at 95% against GEKKO C64's 15%. ArcEmu also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.5) and ads (none vs shown). GEKKO C64's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. GEKKO C64 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of GEKKO C64's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
GEKKO C64 versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGEKKO C64ArcEmu
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (13 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews15.4% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131.3K — better
Update frequency—Every 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB234 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperGennaro CodaRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

GEKKO C64

All ratings12 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive15.4%
Neutral17.9%
Negative66.7%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

Bugs and requests

GEKKO C64

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
Show 1 more
  • Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch

In-app purchases

None

GEKKO C64

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • 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

Questions

Is GEKKO C64 free?
GEKKO C64 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GEKKO C64 or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. GEKKO C64 averages 2.5 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do GEKKO C64 or ArcEmu have ads?
GEKKO C64 shows ads; ArcEmu does not.

Other comparisons