Comparison

ArcEmu vs Consoles

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
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

Consoles

Relive classic gaming with this app that emulates multiple retro consoles. Turn your device into a nostalgic gaming hub, offering pixel-perfect experiences from beloved old-school titles. Seamlessly switch between devices and continue your game.

Highlights
  • Emulates multiple classic consoles
  • Supports Atari, Game Boy, NES, Genesis, SNES, and more
  • Pixel-perfect retro graphics
  • Cross-device save game syncing
  • Authentic retro gameplay experience
Features
Read full description

Consoles brings all your favorite classic gaming experiences together in one simple and convenient app. Relive timeless titles from beloved retro hardware and rediscover the joy of old-school gaming. Embrace nostalgia and turn your Apple device into the ultimate classic gaming hub, with each pixel-perfect memory at your fingertips. Move seamlessly from one device to another and pick up right where you left off! Included in Consoles is support for: Atari 2600 Atari 7800 Atari Lynx Famicom Disk System Game Boy (and Color) Game Boy Advance Game Gear Neo Geo Pocket NES 32X Genesis SNES Virtual Boy Bandai Wonderswan Rediscover your childhood favorites and experience authentic retro gameplay at a fraction of the price. For a limited time, early adopters can purchase Consoles at an unbeatable value. Dive into the golden age of gaming at an incredible discount! Don’t miss out on this special offer. **This app does not include any game content. You must provide your own legally obtained files. We do not support or encourage piracy—please respect all copyright and licensing laws.

Screenshots

ArcEmu4 screens
Consoles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ArcEmu at 4.9 against Consoles's 3.4. ArcEmu also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 58%) and price ($1.99 vs $7.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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

ArcEmu costs $1.99 and Consoles $7.99 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 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 58% of Consoles's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Consoles weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ArcEmu versus Consoles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcEmuConsoles
Price$1.99 — better$7.99
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better3.4 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews94.5% of reviews — better58.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better39
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRaffaele D'AmatoJuice Co

Customer experience

ArcEmu

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

Consoles

All ratings39 ratings
Positive59.0%
Neutral7.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral10.4%
Negative31.3%

User reviews

ArcEmu

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Consoles

From 39 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless sync between devices
  • 👍 Immersive retro gaming experience
  • 💡 Potential for advanced features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
  • 🔧 Lacking customization options
  • 🕹️ Missing key features (e.g., save states)

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

Consoles

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Some games experience performance issues
  • Difficulty registering controller inputs
  • ROM loading not working for some users

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for more retro consoles (e.g., N64, Sega CD)
  • Implement save state functionality
  • Allow manual metadata and artwork editing
  • Add portrait mode support on mobile

In-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

None

Consoles

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Consoles free?
Consoles costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Consoles?
ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Consoles averages 3.4 from 39 ratings.
Do ArcEmu or Consoles have ads?
Neither ArcEmu nor Consoles shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Consoles?
ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Consoles weekly. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 19, 2026 and Consoles on October 20, 2026.

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