Comparison

ArcEmu vs Arcade Vault

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

Arcade Vault

Features
Read full description

Six arcade games. One subscription. No ads, no coins, no pay-to-win. Arcade Vault is a growing collection of the classics you grew up with — rebuilt for touch, tuned for short sessions, and tied together with one account that follows you across your devices. IN THE VAULT • Vault Cascade — match three, chain the cascades, crack the safe • Snake — eat, grow, and survive as the walls close in • Block Puzzle — place, clear, and chase the perfect combo • Brick Breaker — bounce, break, and catch the power-ups • Asteroids — fly the V and split the field • Vault Breaker — hunt the grid and crack the vault before the house cracks yours HOW IT PLAYS • 12 hand-tuned levels per game, with stars for finishing efficiently • Endless modes when you just want a run at your best score • Earn Vault Cash by playing, and spend it on skins and themes • Every level is beatable — difficulty is tuned by simulation, not guesswork WHAT YOU WON'T FIND • No ads, anywhere • No energy timers, no lives to wait for • No paid boosts — Vault Cash is earned by playing and only ever buys cosmetics Start with a 7-day free trial. One subscription covers every game in the vault, including the ones we haven't built yet. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Terms: https://arcade-vault.villarealsoftware.com/terms Privacy: https://arcade-vault.villarealsoftware.com/privacy

Screenshots

ArcEmu4 screens
Arcade Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Arcade Vault at Free against ArcEmu's $1.99. ArcEmu's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On 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

Arcade Vault is free to download; ArcEmu costs $1.99 up front. Arcade Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ArcEmu asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Arcade Vault every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ArcEmu versus Arcade Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcEmuArcade Vault
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews94.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.3K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
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 MB11 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRaffaele D'AmatoVillareal Software LLC

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

Arcade Vault

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcEmu

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Arcade Vault

Subscriptions2
  • Arcade Vault Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Arcade Vault Pro (Yearly)$49.991 Year

Questions

Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Arcade Vault free?
Arcade Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ArcEmu or Arcade Vault have ads?
Neither ArcEmu nor Arcade Vault shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Arcade Vault?
ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Arcade Vault every 5 weeks. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on September 30, 2026 and Arcade Vault on September 8, 2026.

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