# ArcEmu vs Phosphor Emulator

The clearest difference is price: Phosphor Emulator at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. Phosphor Emulator also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). ArcEmu's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 31) and review sentiment (95% vs 80%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Phosphor Emulator is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 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 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 31, 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 80% of Phosphor Emulator's.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Phosphor Emulator every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Phosphor Emulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | [4.7 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phosphor-emulator/id6759676286/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | **94.5% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 172 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [SquatchCraft LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1440325922) |

## 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


### Phosphor Emulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phosphor-emulator/id6759676286)

This app provides a premium emulation experience for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games on modern iOS devices. It features advanced controls, instant save states, and unique functionalities like rewinding gameplay and AI play.

**Highlights:** Rewind and fast-forward gameplay, Instant save and load states, Customizable touch controls, MFi controller support, Game Boy Camera and Printer integration, AI Play feature

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Phosphor Emulator free?

Phosphor Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Phosphor Emulator?

ArcEmu is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Phosphor Emulator averages 4.7 from 31 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Phosphor Emulator have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Phosphor Emulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Phosphor Emulator?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Phosphor Emulator every 3 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 18, 2026 and Phosphor Emulator on October 16, 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.*