Comparison

ArcadeMania vs iMSX2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ArcadeMania

Relive classic arcade, computer, and electronic games from over three decades. This app utilizes the MAME emulation core to support thousands of titles, offering enhanced graphics and extensive controller support for an authentic retro gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Supports 5,000+ arcade games
  • MAME 0.278 emulation core
  • Native Metal Graphics Renderer
  • Custom Shaders and HDR Support
  • Full controller support (Xbox, PS, Switch)
  • Save States and Cheats
Features
Read full description

ArcadeMania lets you play arcade games from the past 30+ years on your device. It supports over 5,000 arcade games as well as vintage computers and electronic games, and uses the open source MAME (version 0.278) as the emulation core. ROM files are not included and must be provided by you. You may import ROMs using the file import functionality, or via the Files app. Some notable features, built specifically for this iOS version: Graphics - Native Metal Graphics Renderer - Custom Shaders - HDR Support Game Controllers - Full support: Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and Switch controllers supported - Touch Screen Lightgun - Touch Screen Analog - Hardware Keyboard Support Built-in MAME features: - Save States - Cheats

About

iMSX2

Play classic MSX and MSX2 games on your iPhone or iPad. Load games from ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK, or ZIP files. Features include save states, Bluetooth controller support, customizable buttons, and screen filters for an authentic retro experience.

Highlights
  • Play classic MSX/MSX2 games
  • Load games from ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK, ZIP
  • Save and load game states
  • Bluetooth keyboard and controller support
  • Customizable button layouts
  • CRT and scanline screen filters
  • Load BASIC programs
Features
Read full description

Experience Classic MSX and MSX2 Games on your iPhone/iPad with iMSX2! Turn your iPhone/iPad into a portable MSX2 emulator with iMSX2! Emulate classic MSX and MSX2 games in ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK or ZIP format Key Features: · Play Classic Games: Relive the nostalgia of playing your favorite MSX and MSX2 games right on your iPhone/iPad. · Run Your Cartridges: Reproduce MSX and MSX2 cartridges from ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK and ZIP files and enjoy them on your device anytime, anywhere. · Save States: Save and load game states and the configuration type easily (iCloud) · Bluetooth Compatibility: Support for Bluetooth keyboards and game controllers. · Customizable button layouts: Edit the button positions for each orientation and enjoy full compatibility with shells like GAMEBABY and PlayCase. · Choose Your ROM Type: If your rom is not loaded correctly, try to select from various ROM configurations including "Normal", "Type K", "Type K SCC", "Type ASC16", "Type ASC16 SRAM", "Type ASC8", "Type ASC8 SRAM" and "Type ASCII16-X". · Screen filters: Enjoy a more authentic and customizable retro experience with CRT and scanline filters. · Fast forward: Speed through gameplay with the new fast forward mode. · Load Your Own BASIC Programs: Run your own programs in BASIC format directly on your iPhone/iPad. · Powered by C-bios: iMSX2 is built using C-bios for the utmost accuracy and compatibility. · Custom BIOS support: Import your own BIOS files to enhance compatibility and personalize your emulation experience. · Improved Disk Support: Play more MSX disk games with improved DSK compatibility, multi-disk support, on-the-fly disk swapping, and user disks for saving data in supported games. · Auto-fire: Added switches to enable auto-fire for the A and B buttons. · Designed to be very basic: With a beautiful and user-friendly interface for both portrait and landscape orientations. · The app does not require an internet connection, contains no ads, and does not store user data. It also takes up little space. What's Next: Stay tuned for even more enhancements! Constantly working on improving iMSX2 and adding new features to provide you with the best MSX experience on iOS. LZ4 Library Copyright (c) 2011-2020, Yann Collet C-BIOS Copyright (c) 2002-2005 BouKiCHi. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2003 Reikan. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006,2008-2010 Maarten ter Huurne. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006,2008-2011 Albert Beevendorp. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2005 Patrick van Arkel. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004,2010-2011 Manuel Bilderbeek. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006 Joost Yervante Damad. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006 Jussi Pitkänen. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2007 Eric Boon. All rights reserved. emu2413 Copyright (c) 2001-2019 Mitsutaka Okazaki Z80 Emulator micro MSX2+ Copyright (c) 2023 Yoji Suzuki.

Screenshots

ArcadeMania3 screens
iMSX24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcadeMania at Free against iMSX2's $1.99. ArcadeMania also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (74% vs 59%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

ArcadeMania is free to download; iMSX2 costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcadeMania holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcadeMania has 122 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of ArcadeMania's written reviews are positive against 59% of iMSX2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcadeMania ships an update monthly, iMSX2 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ArcadeMania versus iMSX2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcadeManiaiMSX2
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.4 (122 ratings) — better3.4 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews74.2% of reviews — better59.3% of reviews
Number of ratings122 — better10
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size300 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInfinite Evolution TechnologiesEnrique Enguix

Customer experience

ArcadeMania

All ratings122 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral6.6%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive74.2%
Neutral13.3%
Negative12.5%

iMSX2

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral22.2%
Negative18.5%

Bugs and requests

ArcadeMania

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on iPad with iOS 16.7.11
  • Crashes on iPad with iPadOS 13.5

Requested features

2 requests
  • Support for 8Bitdo Bluetooth controllers
  • Fix for game mode not working

iMSX2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcadeMania

No in-app purchases

None

iMSX2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ArcadeMania free?
ArcadeMania is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iMSX2 free?
iMSX2 costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ArcadeMania or iMSX2?
ArcadeMania is rated higher. ArcadeMania averages 4.4 out of 5 from 122 ratings, while iMSX2 averages 3.4 from 10 ratings.
Do ArcadeMania or iMSX2 have ads?
Neither ArcadeMania nor iMSX2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcadeMania or iMSX2?
ArcadeMania ships an update monthly, and iMSX2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, ArcadeMania was updated on October 18, 2026 and iMSX2 on October 18, 2026.

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