SameBoy vs GBA Emulator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SameBoy
Experience classic handheld gaming with a highly accurate emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy. Enjoy advanced features like save states, rumble support, and controller compatibility. Play on your Apple Watch and customize your experience with various filters and themes.
- Accurate Game Boy emulation
- Save states with gesture support
- Rumble support
- Apple Watch playability
- Scaling filters
- Game Boy Camera emulation
- Controller support
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SameBoy is a user friendly, powerful and open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy emulator. Features: - World's most accurate Game Boy emulation core - Save states, with gesture support for quick saving and loading - Rumble support, even for games without a Rumble Pak - Play on your Apple Watch - A wide range of scaling filters - Game Boy Camera emulation - Motion controls emulation - Fast forward, rewind, and slow motion - Game Boy Printer emulation - Use cheat codes - Support for MFi, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox controllers - Interface themes - No ads, no tracking - A lot more! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sameboy.github.io/privacy/ SameBoy is in no way affiliated with Nintendo. Game Boy is a trademark of Nintendo.
GBA Emulator
Relive classic gaming with this comprehensive emulator supporting a vast array of retro consoles. Save progress, fast-forward, customize controls, and even play with friends. Explore game facts and quizzes to enhance your retro experience.
- Supports multiple classic game consoles
- Save and load game states
- Fast forward gameplay
- Customizable controller skins
- Multiplayer support
- Community game sharing
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GBA Emulator: Retro Games is an ultimate emulator for iOS that supports a wide range of classic gaming systems, including GB, GBA, GBC, DS, NES, SNES, N64, PSP, PSX, PS1 and more. FEATURES 1. Support Various Game Consoles: • Game Boy (GB) • Game Boy Color (GBC) • Game Boy Advance (GBA) • Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) • Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) • Nintendo DS (DS) • Nintendo 64 (N64) • PlayStation (PSP, PSX, PS1) • And even more is coming soon! 2. Game Menu: • Save States & Load States: Effortlessly save and load your game progress from the pause menu. Enjoy unlimited save slots for multiple game saves. • Fast Forward: Speed up through slower sections with a quick toggle from the pause menu. • Mute: Silence the game audio whenever you need a moment of peace. 3. Custom Controllers Skin: Personalize your gameplay with a variety of sleek and stylish controller skins. 4. Multi-players: Challenge your friends and enjoy the fun together with multiplayer capabilities. 5. Community: Boast your game levels and share your game states with others. Download and explore levels shared by fellow gamers. 6. Fun Fact & Quizzes: Discover fun facts about your favorite games and test your knowledge with game quizzes ***Note: Gameboy Emulator: Retro Games should only be used with legally obtained game files. We do not support or condone piracy. This emulator is independently developed and is not affiliated with any console manufacturers.*** To support us you can choose to subscribe to our auto-renewing subscriptions: • Users can subscribe for one week (USD 4.99$) or one month (USD 6.99$) or lifetime access (USD 29.99$). After the free trial, the total amount for the subscription will be charged to your iTunes Account. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal at the total subscription price within 24 hours before the end of the current period. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited after purchase. Special introductory offers only apply to the first billing term. Subscriptions and auto-renewal may be managed or canceled via your iTunes Account settings: Setting > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > manage subscription after purchase. We would love to receive all your feedback to improve our app. • Terms of Use: https://smartwidgetlabs.com/terms-of-use/ • Privacy Policy: https://smartwidgetlabs.com/privacy-policy/ • You are welcome to contact us at support@smartwidgetlabs.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SameBoy at 84% against GBA Emulator's 40%. SameBoy also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.7) and ads (none vs shown). GBA Emulator's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 110). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. SameBoy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and GBA Emulator sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SameBoy holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GBA Emulator has 1.2K ratings behind it against 110, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of SameBoy's written reviews are positive against 40% of GBA Emulator's.
SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, GBA Emulator fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SameBoy | GBA Emulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (110 ratings) — better | 3.7 (1.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.6% of reviews — better | 39.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 110 | 1.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #196 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 314 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lior Halphon | SMART WIDGET LABS COMPANY LIMITED |
Customer experience
SameBoy
GBA Emulator
User reviews
SameBoy
From 110 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 No ads or intrusive monetization
- 🎮 Highly accurate Game Boy/GBC emulation
- 💡 Innovative gesture controls (swipe to save/load/fast-forward)
- 🎨 Beautiful, authentic design with multiple themes
- ⚙️ Extensive customization and emulation options
Room to improve
- 💰 Apple Watch support requires paid subscription
- 🐛 iPad portrait mode menu bug
- ❌ No Game Boy Advance emulation despite claims
- 🎮 Small button sizes for large hands
- ⚠️ Cheats feature limited or non-functional
GBA Emulator
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💖 Great game
- 🎮 Enjoyable emulation experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with ROMs
- 🚫 Doesn't work as expected
- 💸 Excessive ads and premium paywall
- 🔇 Missing audio/sound
Bugs and requests
SameBoy
Reported bugs
12 issues- iPad portrait mode triggers menu on A button/Up arrow press
- Game Boy Camera crashes on iPhone 17 Pro Max when switching cameras
- Rewind function causes game data loss in some titles
- 200% and 400% speed boost settings don't work
- Cheats don't function properly for certain games
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- ROM import fails with .zip files
- GBA ROM files show 'not in ROM archive' error
- Auto-save/auto-load switches between emulator cores unexpectedly
- Turbo feature doesn't work without screen swiping
- Tips popup appears too frequently during gameplay
- PS4 controller recognized but non-functional in games
- ROM sharing from Files app doesn't always work
Requested features
18 requests- Game Boy Advance emulation support
- Cheat code functionality
- Multiplayer/wireless linking for Pokémon games
- Online multiplayer support
- Adjustable screen and button sizes
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- Separate save/load toggle options
- Slow-motion feature (free version)
- Game Boy Printer output to photo gallery
- iCloud synchronization
- Retro achievements system
- One-time theme purchase option instead of subscription
- Apple Watch complication support
- Turbo button hold functionality
- ZIP and 7z file format support
- Fullscreen mode with scaling options
- Language selection for interface
- Super Game Boy border display
- PS4/Backbone controller improvements
GBA Emulator
Reported bugs
2 issues- White screen on startup
- Inability to download/play certain games
Requested features
2 requests- Option to adjust controller transparency
- Support for more game systems (N64, DS)
In-app purchases
SameBoy
- Supporter$0.991 Month
- Supporter Plus$2.991 Month
- Supporter Premium$7.991 Month
- Lifetime Theme Access$4.99
- SameBoy for Apple Watch$4.99
GBA Emulator
- Weekly Premium Game Emulator$0.997 Days
- Weekly Premium Game Emulator$3.997 Days
- Weekly Premium Game Emulator$4.997 Days
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- Weekly Premium Game Emulator3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Yearly Premium Game Emulator$6.991 Year
- Weekly Premium Game Emulator3 Days trial$6.997 Days
- Monthly Premium Game Emulator$6.991 Month
- Weekly Premium Game Emulator3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Yearly Premium Game Emulator$12.991 Year
- Yearly Pro$14.991 Year
- Yearly Plus$15.991 Year
- Lifetime Premium Game Emulator$19.99
- Lifetime Premium Game Emulator$29.99









