Comparison

ArcadeMania vs Plume!

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

Plume!

This app allows you to play classic Dreamcast games on your iPhone. It offers a polished library, customizable graphics, and flexible control options for both handheld and TV play. Easily import your game titles and enhance their visuals for a modern gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Dreamcast emulation on iPhone
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Bluetooth gamepad support
  • Console mode for TV play
  • Advanced graphics tuning
  • Save states and VMU support
  • RetroAchievements integration
Features
Read full description

Plume is a Dreamcast emulator for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A polished library, deep graphics options, and controls for handheld play and couch co-op. Add games through the Files app, AirDrop, or the Share sheet. Supported formats include GDI, CDI, CHD, CUE, BIN, ZIP, 7Z, and ELF. Retail BIOS files are optional. Turn on Fast Boot to skip the splash, or add dc_boot.bin and dc_flash.bin from hardware you own for the full boot sequence. LIBRARY Your collection lives in one place with cover art, metadata, favorites, and play time. Every menu can show as Tiles or a List. After you run a game, Plume grades how it performs on your device (Excellent, Good, Playable, and more) so you know what to expect before you boot. Add any game to your Home Screen. CONTROLS Use fully customizable on-screen controls, or pair a Bluetooth gamepad in iOS Settings and remap every button in Plume. Dreamcast has four controller ports, and each port can hold a standard controller, arcade stick, twin stick, racing controller, fishing controller, light gun, maracas, train, rhythm or dance controller, keyboard, or mouse, each with its own touch layout. Touch controls fill port 1 when nothing else is connected. Rumble and haptics are built in. CONSOLE MODE Mirror your screen to a TV over AirPlay or HDMI. In Console mode the game renders on the big screen while your iPhone stays the controller. GRAPHICS AND PERFORMANCE Tune internal resolution, aspect ratio, CRT shaders, texture filtering, HDR, and upscaling. MetalFX upscaling and FSR 3 frame generation are available on supported devices. HD texture packs, neural upscale models, and Upscale Studio help older games look sharper. A live HUD shows FPS, frame time, CPU, RAM, and more. SAVE STATES AND VMU Save and load states from the in-game menu. Slots appear on library covers for quick resume. Per-game VMU files keep memory cards where they belong. CHEATS Add cheat codes by hand or import them for each game. RETROACHIEVEMENTS Sign in to RetroAchievements and earn badges while you play. Hardcore mode disables save states for a classic challenge. EXTRACT Hold a game in the library to extract its music, videos, and pictures from your own disc. CAPTURE AND SHARE Take screenshots and record gameplay in-game. Save them to Documents or Photos, or attach a capture to a save-state slot as a visual bookmark. SOUND AND STYLE Menu music from downloadable tracks, your own imports, or songs from your Apple Music library. Themes give you control over colors, fonts, corners, and accessibility, including Bold Text and Button Shapes when iOS has them on. REQUIREMENTS Plume runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later, and on Mac computers with Apple silicon running macOS 14 or later. Your device may warm up during play, and heavy 3D games may not reach full speed on older devices. LEGAL Plume does not include commercial games or a retail BIOS. You are responsible for content you import. Only use game files and firmware you legally own. Dreamcast is a trademark of SEGA. Plume is not affiliated with or endorsed by SEGA.

Screenshots

ArcadeMania3 screens
Plume!2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcadeMania at Free against Plume!'s $0.99. ArcadeMania also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Plume!'s advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and chart position (#45 vs unranked). On ads, monetization model 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; Plume! costs $0.99 up front. Plume! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ArcadeMania asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Plume! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcadeMania has 122 ratings behind it against 6, 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 83% of Plume!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcadeMania ships an update monthly, Plume! every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
ArcadeMania versus Plume!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcadeManiaPlume!
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.4 (122 ratings)4.7 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.2% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings122 — better6
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#45 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size300 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInfinite Evolution TechnologiesDylan Mathurin

Customer experience

ArcadeMania

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

Plume!

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%

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

Plume!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcadeMania

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Plume!

One-time1
  • Tip $1$0.99

Questions

Is ArcadeMania free?
ArcadeMania is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Plume! free?
Plume! costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ArcadeMania or Plume!?
Plume! is rated higher. ArcadeMania averages 4.4 out of 5 from 122 ratings, while Plume! averages 4.7 from 6 ratings.
Do ArcadeMania or Plume! have ads?
Neither ArcadeMania nor Plume! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcadeMania or Plume!?
ArcadeMania ships an update monthly, and Plume! every 3 months. Most recently, ArcadeMania was updated on October 18, 2026 and Plume! on October 17, 2026.

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