Comparison

ArcEmu vs DeckHunter

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

DeckHunter

Features
Read full description

NEW: Full Palworld TCG support — every card from Dawn of Palpagos, scan your cards, build decks and see exactly what you're missing. I want to make sure you love the app before paying so get a 30 Day free trial with a new yearly subscription or a 7 day free trial with a monthly subscription, cancel before the end of the trail and theres no charge! See exactly what cards you're missing to complete any deck, across One Piece TCG, Gundam TCG, Riftbound TCG and Palworld TCG. Scan your cards, import any decklist, and instantly know what you own vs. what you still need. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT (FREE) - Track cards across Palworld TCG, One Piece TCG, Gundam TCG and Riftbound TCG - Scan physical cards with your camera to instantly identify them and add them to your collection - Monitor collection completion - Search and organize your entire collection - More games coming soon Try the full subscription free: 7 days on the monthly plan, 30 days on the yearly plan. Cancel anytime before the trial ends at no charge. PREMIUM FEATURES INCLUDE: ADVANCED DECK TOOLS - Import any decklist from anywhere - Instant analysis against your collection - See exactly what cards you need to buy/trade - Guided deck building with game-specific rules - Tournament registration sheet generation - Unlimited deck creation and storage TRADING NETWORK - Find local players who have cards you need - Add cards to your trade binder for others to discover - Connect via Discord or Instagram handles - Turn missing cards into completed decks faster MARKET INSIGHTS - "Most Wanted" card tracking and alerts - Daily card price updates and market trends - Real-time collection value tracking - Generate shareable want lists in one tap BUILT BY TCG PLAYERS, FOR TCG PLAYERS Every feature solves real problems we've faced as competitive players and collectors. Start with free collection tracking, then unlock the complete toolkit with your trial. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION - Monthly and yearly plans available - Free trial periods included for new users - Cancel anytime in Apple ID settings - All premium features unlock instantly Privacy Policy: https://deckhunter.app/privacy/index.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Download free, track your collection, and discover what DeckHunter Premium can do during your trial. DeckHunter is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pocketpair, Bushiroad, Bandai or Riot Games.

Screenshots

ArcEmu4 screens
DeckHunter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DeckHunter at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (5 vs 3). On update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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

DeckHunter is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. DeckHunter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, DeckHunter every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ArcEmu versus DeckHunter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcEmuDeckHunter
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews94.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.3K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB270 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRaffaele D'AmatoLinking Lotus Ltd

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

DeckHunter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DeckHunter

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly1 Month trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DeckHunter free?
DeckHunter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ArcEmu or DeckHunter have ads?
Neither ArcEmu nor DeckHunter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or DeckHunter?
ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and DeckHunter every 11 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 13, 2026 and DeckHunter on October 9, 2026.

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