Comparison

ArcEmu vs Kon21

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

Kon21

Embark on a cosmic adventure to restore balance to chaotic zodiac realms. Battle evolving creatures using a unique blackjack-inspired card system and master the art of 21 to unleash powerful attacks. Explore pixel-crafted worlds with a retro aesthetic.

Highlights
  • Explore living zodiac realms
  • Conway-powered evolving creatures
  • Strategic blackjack-inspired combat
  • Master the art of 21
  • Retro pixel aesthetic
Features
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KON21: THE ZODIAC WARRIOR A long time ago, across distant constellations, the zodiac realms fell into chaos. Ancient creatures now roam the stars — their forms evolving, shifting, and living through the mysterious patterns of Conway’s Game of Life. Only one warrior can restore balance. Will you master the sacred art of 21? --- EXPLORE LIVING WORLDS Traverse pixel-crafted zodiac realms filled with dynamic, evolving creatures. No two encounters are ever the same. CONWAY-POWERED CREATURES Enemies are alive. Their patterns shift, grow, and change based on cellular automata mechanics inspired by Conway’s Game of Life. STRATEGIC CARD BATTLES Engage in unique blackjack-inspired combat. Push your luck, outplay your opponent, and strike at the perfect moment. MASTER THE ART OF 21 Balance risk and reward as you build your hand and unleash powerful attacks tied to zodiac energy. RETRO PIXEL AESTHETIC A nostalgic visual experience with modern gameplay depth. Clean, minimal, and designed for immersive play. --- Will you conquer the zodiac realms… or be consumed by the chaos? Download KON21 and begin your journey.

Screenshots

ArcEmu4 screens
Kon213 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Kon21 at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. Kon21 also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). ArcEmu's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 1) and device support (5 vs 3). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Kon21 is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ArcEmu against 5.0 for Kon21. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Kon21 every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ArcEmu versus Kon21: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcEmuKon21
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.3K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.5 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRaffaele D'AmatoRetroApps LLC

Customer experience

ArcEmu

All ratings1,304 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews528 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.7%

Kon21

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Kon21

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

None

Kon21

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kon21 free?
Kon21 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Kon21?
Kon21 is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Kon21 averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do ArcEmu or Kon21 have ads?
Neither ArcEmu nor Kon21 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Kon21?
ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Kon21 every 4 days. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 21, 2026 and Kon21 on October 7, 2026.

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