# ArcEmu vs Pixel Blast Arena

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixel Blast Arena at none against ArcEmu's 10. Pixel Blast Arena also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). ArcEmu's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Pixel Blast Arena asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Pixel Blast Arena every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Pixel Blast Arena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 234 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Mircea Mazilu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1461716216) |

## 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


### Pixel Blast Arena

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-blast-arena/id6757359436)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Pixel Blast Arena free?

Pixel Blast Arena is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do ArcEmu or Pixel Blast Arena have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Pixel Blast Arena shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Pixel Blast Arena?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pixel Blast Arena every 4 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pixel Blast Arena 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.*