# ArcEmu vs Deck Defender

The clearest difference is price: Deck Defender at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (5 vs 1). On ads there is nothing between them.

Deck Defender is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Deck Defender sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Deck Defender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Gabriel Cruz-Salazar Cruz](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780562698) |

## 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


### Deck Defender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deck-defender/id6780562696)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Deck Defender free?

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

### Do ArcEmu or Deck Defender have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Deck Defender shows ads.

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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.*