Comparison

ArcEmu vs Control Ultimate Edition

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

Head to head
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
Currently charting
Read full description

ArcEmu brings retro game emulation to Apple Watch. It also works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, delivering a seamless gaming experience across your Apple devices. Supported Consoles - Game Boy (.gb) - Game Boy Color (.gbc) - Game Boy Advance (.gba) - Pokémon Mini (.min) - Nintendo Entertainment System (.nes) - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (.sfc and .smc) - Atari 2600 (.a26 and .bin) Main Features - Accurate, high-performance emulation powered by the mGBA and Ares cores - Game Link Cable support with online multiplayer for up to four players* - Cheat-code support with a built-in database of popular codes** - Frame-independent emulation at 30 or 60 FPS - Multi-touch and Digital Crown support on Apple Watch - Support for all screen orientations on iPhone and iPad - Precise, thoughtfully designed on-screen controls - Customizable control position and transparency on iPhone and iPad - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom color palettes for Game Boy games - Button hold/sustain feature - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone - Game controller support with customizable button mappings - ZIP archive support - Automatic saving - Save-state sharing between devices - iCloud support for ROMs and save states - ROM sharing through iCloud using share codes - Support for Apple Watch devices configured with Family Setup - ROM sorting and search 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. You can import compatible ROM files from your iPhone and store them in iCloud. Your Apple Watch can then download them directly from iCloud. On an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup, ROMs can be downloaded from iCloud using share codes. Games Featured in the Screenshots - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Anguna: https://gauauu.itch.io/anguna - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance * Requires a Game Center account. ** Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Nintendo and the names of its game systems are trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.

About

Control Ultimate Edition

Engage in a supernatural third-person action-adventure where you wield telekinetic powers and transforming weaponry to combat an ominous enemy. Uncover the dark secrets of a secretive government agency and fight to regain control of a world under threat.

Highlights
  • Supernatural combat
  • Transforming weaponry
  • Telekinetic powers
  • Uncover mysteries
  • Explore hidden world
  • Challenging boss fights
Features
Read full description

A corruptive presence has invaded the Federal Bureau of Control… Only you have the power to stop it. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control? Winner of over 80 awards, CONTROL is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Blending open-ended environments with the signature world-building and storytelling of renowned developer, Remedy Entertainment, CONTROL presents an expansive and intensely gratifying gameplay experience. CONTROL Ultimate Edition has now been adapted to iOS. We have implemented touch controls and made changes to the in-game UI and game mechanics, like aiming and puzzles to provide a great experience for supported touch devices. The game renders beautifully through Metal and supports Ray Tracing on supported hardware. Key features UNCOVER THE MYSTERIES: Can you handle the bureau’s dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here. EVERYTHING IS YOUR WEAPON: Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover new ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon. EXPLORE A HIDDEN WORLD: Delve deep into the ominous expanses of a secretive government agency. Explore the Bureau’s shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye… FIGHT FOR CONTROL: Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry. CONTROL Ultimate Edition on iOS supports the following MetalFX features: MetalFX TAAU - Temporal Anti-Aliasing and upscaling MetalFX Frame Interpolation Ray-Tracing is supported on devices with M3+ or A19 Pro with 10Gb of memory.

Screenshots

ArcEmu4 screens
Control Ultimate Edition4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ArcEmu at 4.9 against Control Ultimate Edition's 4.0. ArcEmu also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 62%) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). Control Ultimate Edition's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and chart position (#11 vs #187). On 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

ArcEmu costs $1.99 and Control Ultimate Edition $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 290 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 62% of Control Ultimate Edition's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Control Ultimate Edition every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
ArcEmu versus Control Ultimate Edition: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcEmuControl Ultimate Edition
Price$1.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better4.0 (290 ratings)
Positive reviews94.5% of reviews — better62.4% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better290
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#187#11 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.5 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB568 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperRaffaele D'AmatoRemedy Entertainment PLC

Customer experience

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews528 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.7%

Control Ultimate Edition

All ratings290 ratings
Positive73.4%
Neutral6.6%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews306 reviews
Positive62.4%
Neutral10.8%
Negative26.8%

Bugs and 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

Control Ultimate Edition

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

None

Control Ultimate Edition

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Control Ultimate Edition free?
Control Ultimate Edition costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Control Ultimate Edition?
ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Control Ultimate Edition averages 4.0 from 290 ratings.
Do ArcEmu or Control Ultimate Edition have ads?
Neither ArcEmu nor Control Ultimate Edition shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Control Ultimate Edition?
ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Control Ultimate Edition every 5 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 15, 2026 and Control Ultimate Edition on October 16, 2026.
Which is more popular, ArcEmu or Control Ultimate Edition?
ArcEmu currently peaks at #187 in the App Store charts, and Control Ultimate Edition at #11. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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