# ArcEmu vs Placid Plastic Duck Simulator

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Placid Plastic Duck Simulator's $1.99. ArcEmu also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 257) and device support (4 vs 2). Placid Plastic Duck Simulator's advantage is chart position (#8 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

ArcEmu is free to download; Placid Plastic Duck Simulator costs $1.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Placid Plastic Duck Simulator sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ArcEmu against 4.9 for Placid Plastic Duck Simulator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 257, 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 91% of Placid Plastic Duck Simulator's.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator daily. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Placid Plastic Duck Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | [4.9 (257 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/placid-plastic-duck-simulator/id6742243377/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 257 |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 90.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#8** |
| Size | 234 MB | 670 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Tunnel Vision Srl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797549658) |

## 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


### Placid Plastic Duck Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/placid-plastic-duck-simulator/id6742243377)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Trivia (US App Store)

Experience a serene 3D environment as a rubber duck. Enjoy a peaceful stay at a seaside pool, interacting with other ducks, floating, sunbathing, and sliding. Embrace the present moment and find bliss.

**Highlights:** 3D rubber duck simulation, Serene seaside pool environment, Interact with other ducks, Float, sunbathe, and slide, Day/night cycle with stars, Nostalgic radio tunes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ducks, Please | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quacking the Ice | $0.99 | one-time |
| Duck Addiction | $0.99 | one-time |
| So Many Ducks | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hippospace Download | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rooftop One Percent | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ducks Galore | $0.99 | one-time |
| All DLCs Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ❤️ Love the ducks
- 🎉 Relaxing and calming experience
- 👍 Great game for duck enthusiasts
- 🎨 Enjoyable visuals and aesthetics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bug with logo overlapping in Forsaken folder

**Reported bugs**

- Bug with logo overlapping in Forsaken folder

**Requested features**

- Cloud save feature
- Remote control duck or boat


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Placid Plastic Duck Simulator free?

Placid Plastic Duck Simulator costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Placid Plastic Duck Simulator?

ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Placid Plastic Duck Simulator averages 4.9 from 257 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Placid Plastic Duck Simulator have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Placid Plastic Duck Simulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Placid Plastic Duck Simulator?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Placid Plastic Duck Simulator daily. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 27, 2026 and Placid Plastic Duck Simulator on October 28, 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.*