# ArcEmu vs Big Red Racing

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Big Red Racing's $4.99. ArcEmu also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 11 months). Big Red Racing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ArcEmu is free to download; Big Red Racing costs $4.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Big Red Racing asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ArcEmu against 5.0 for Big Red Racing. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 50% of Big Red Racing's.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Big Red Racing every 11 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Big Red Racing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-red-racing/id6737569415/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 234 MB | 514 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Lithium ehf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583999127) |

## What reviewers say

### ArcEmu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Boy Advance | $0.99 | one-time |
| SNES | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pokémon Mini | $0.99 | one-time |
| Atari 2600 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mega Drive / Genesis | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Gear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master System | $0.99 | one-time |
| SG-1000 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All (Upgrade 3) | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fully functional
- 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
- 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
- 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
- 👍 Customizable controls and layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
- 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
- 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
- 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
- Save data not transferring properly between devices

**Requested features**

- Add cheat/GameShark support
- Improve volume controls
- Implement fast forward/slow motion options
- Allow multiple save slots per game
- Improve Game Boy Color support


### Big Red Racing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-red-racing/id6737569415)

Experience classic 90s arcade racing with a huge variety of vehicles, from trucks to spaceships. Race across diverse terrains and master intuitive mobile controls for chaotic, high-speed fun. Supports game controllers for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Variety of vehicles (trucks, boats, spaceships), Diverse race tracks and terrains, 90s arcade-style gameplay, Intuitive mobile controls, Backbone Game Controller support, Humorous commentary

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Big Red Racing free?

Big Red Racing costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Big Red Racing?

Big Red Racing is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Big Red Racing averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Big Red Racing have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Big Red Racing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Big Red Racing?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Big Red Racing every 11 months. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 27, 2026 and Big Red Racing on October 27, 2026.

---

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