Comparison

ArcEmu vs Pastime

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

Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ 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. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

About

Pastime

Enjoy bite-sized games directly from your Home Screen widgets. Play classics like Tic Tac Toe and Mines, or unlock more with a one-time purchase. No internet or account needed for offline play.

Highlights
  • Play games directly in Home Screen widgets
  • Offline play supported
  • No account required
  • Includes Tic Tac Toe, 4 in a Row, and Mines
  • Unlock additional games with a one-time purchase
Features
Read full description

Bite-sized games that live on your Home Screen. Pastime turns your widgets into a tiny arcade. Add a few favorites to your Home Screen and tap to play, without opening the app. FREE GAMES - Tic Tac Toe: The classic game of Xs and Os. - 4 in a Row: Drop pieces to connect four before your opponent does. - Mines: Follow the clues, flag the mines, and uncover the safe spots. STARTER PACK Unlock five more games with a one-time purchase: - Dotgrid: Take turns drawing lines to complete boxes and claim the board. - Sudoku: Fill a 6×6 grid with the numbers 1 through 6, without repeating a number in any row, column, or box. - Slide: Slide the numbered tiles back into order. - Hangman: Guess the mystery word before you run out of chances. - Pipette: Rotate pipes to connect all the large nodes. AT YOUR OWN PACE - Play directly in your Home Screen widgets. - Mix and match games to make room for your favorites. - Play any game offline. No account needed. - Take on the computer or a friend beside you in Tic Tac Toe and 4 in a Row.

Screenshots

ArcEmu4 screens
Pastime3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: ArcEmu at free against Pastime'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.

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

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

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 Pastime. 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's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, Pastime every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ArcEmu versus Pastime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcEmuPastime
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.3K ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRaffaele D'AmatoAppetizers Inc.

Customer experience

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

Pastime

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
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

Pastime

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pokémon Mini$0.99
  • Atari 2600$0.99
  • Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
  • Game Gear$0.99
  • Master System$0.99
  • SG-1000$0.99
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99
1 purchases

Pastime

One-time1
  • Starter Pack$4.99

Questions

Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pastime free?
Pastime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ArcEmu or Pastime?
Pastime is rated higher. ArcEmu averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Pastime averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do ArcEmu or Pastime have ads?
Neither ArcEmu nor Pastime shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcEmu or Pastime?
ArcEmu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pastime every 3 weeks. Most recently, ArcEmu was updated on November 4, 2026 and Pastime on November 6, 2026.

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