# ArcEmu vs Consoles

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.

ArcEmu costs $1.99 and Consoles $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Consoles weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Consoles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | [3.4 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/consoles/id6738750683/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 39 |
| Positive reviews | **94.5% of reviews** | 58.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 172 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Juice Co](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686825631) |

## 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, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**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


### Consoles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/consoles/id6738750683)

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:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 21, 2026 and Consoles on October 20, 2026.

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