# ArcEmu vs Pastime Games

The clearest difference is monetization model: ArcEmu at free against Pastime Games's free with in-app purchases. ArcEmu also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 6) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pastime Games sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ArcEmu against 5.0 for Pastime Games. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of ArcEmu's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pastime Games's.

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Pastime Games fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcEmu | Pastime Games |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcemu/id6496282733/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastime-games/id6812045907/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 234 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raffaele D'Amato](https://appshunter.io/developer/529947655) | [Appetizers Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1794867178) |

## 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


### Pastime Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastime-games/id6812045907)

Enjoy bite-sized games directly from your Home Screen widgets. Play classic and new challenges offline, with or without an account. Expand your game library with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Play games from Home Screen widgets, Offline play supported, No account required, Mix and match game widgets, Local multiplayer option, Unlockable game packs

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcEmu free?

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

### Is Pastime Games free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Pastime Games?

Pastime Games is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Pastime Games averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do ArcEmu or Pastime Games have ads?

Neither ArcEmu nor Pastime Games shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Pastime Games?

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pastime Games fortnightly. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pastime Games on October 31, 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.*