Comparison

SameBoy vs Game Emulator

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Accurate Game Boy emulation
  • Save states with gesture support
  • Rumble support
  • Apple Watch playability
  • Scaling filters
  • Game Boy Camera emulation
  • Controller support
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Game Emulator

Relive the golden age of gaming with this emulator that supports multiple classic game formats. Enjoy perfect emulation, speed-up functions, cheat support, and save states to enhance your gameplay. Discover a vast library of classic titles and play without limits.

Highlights
  • Supports NDS, GBA, GBC, and GB formats
  • Perfect emulation of gameplay and visuals
  • Speed-up function for faster progression
  • Cheat code support
  • Intuitive game list interface
  • Save game progress anytime
Features
Read full description

Whether you're a nostalgic veteran gamer or a new player interested in classic games, this emulator will open the door to the golden age of gaming for you. Featuring multiple classic games, it lets you relive those wonderful gaming moments! FEATURES Multiple Classic Games: The emulator brings together a variety of classic games and supports *.nds, *.gba, *.gbc, and *.gb formats, allowing you to fully enjoy these nostalgic classics on your phone. Perfect Emulation Experience: Utilizing advanced emulation technology, the emulator perfectly recreates the gameplay and visual effects of each game, letting you enjoy the fun of the past on your mobile device. Speed-Up Function, Uninterrupted Play: A unique speed-up feature allows you to increase game speed, progress quickly, and easily skip through game dialogues. Cheat Support: You can import and use cheats for *.nds, *.gba, *.gbc, and *.gb formats, enhancing your gameplay with added fun and flexibility. Game List: The clean and intuitive game list interface lets you easily see all imported game covers and titles at a glance, so you can quickly pick a game and start playing. Save State: Save your game progress anytime and anywhere, without worrying about unexpected interruptions. You can pause and resume your game at your convenience. Whether you're a dedicated fan of classic games or interested in gaming history, this emulator will provide you with an unparalleled gaming experience. Come and relive the classics, play without limits! DISCLAIMER This app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo. It is solely an emulator service that allows users to play classic games on their mobile devices. The name "Nintendo" is a registered trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd. and is used in this description only to indicate compatibility with the supported game environment. There is no association with Nintendo. ABOUT SUBSCRIPTION - Subscription periods are available for 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year. Your subscription will automatically renew on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis, depending on the selected period. - Payment will be charged to your Apple Account upon confirmation of purchase. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - You can cancel your subscription via this URL: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 - Privacy Policy : https://multi.baseun.com/ln/GameEmulator/PrivacyPolicy/ - Terms of Service : https://multi.baseun.com/ln/GameEmulator/UserAgreement/

Screenshots

SameBoy4 screens
Game Emulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: SameBoy at free with in-app purchases against Game Emulator's subscription. SameBoy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Game Emulator's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, 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

Both are free to download. SameBoy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Game Emulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Game Emulator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Game Emulator has 1.1K ratings behind it against 105, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of SameBoy's written reviews are positive against 77% of Game Emulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, Game Emulator monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SameBoy versus Game Emulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSameBoyGame Emulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (105 ratings)4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.6% of reviews — better76.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1051.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLior Halphon彩连 刘

Customer experience

SameBoy

All ratings105 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive83.6%
Neutral8.2%
Negative8.2%

Game Emulator

All ratings1,089 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews575 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral8.9%
Negative14.6%

User reviews

SameBoy

From 105 App Store ratings

What 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

Game Emulator

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fully playable games
  • 🚀 Easy to use and install
  • 💡 Provides access to retro games
  • 👍 Wide selection of games

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
  • 🔋 Ads can be intrusive
  • 🔒 Potential legal concerns with downloading ROMs

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
Show 7 more
  • 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
Show 13 more
  • 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

Game Emulator

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Certain games fail to load or crash
  • Screen freezes or black screens on some games

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for Bluetooth controllers
  • Improve in-game save functionality
  • Implement cheat code support

In-app purchases

5 purchases

SameBoy

Subscriptions3
  • Supporter$0.991 Month
  • Supporter Plus$2.991 Month
  • Supporter Premium$7.991 Month
One-time2
  • Lifetime Theme Access$4.99
  • SameBoy for Apple Watch$4.99
3 purchases

Game Emulator

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Member$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Member$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Membership3 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is SameBoy free?
SameBoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Game Emulator free?
Game Emulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SameBoy or Game Emulator?
Game Emulator is rated higher. SameBoy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 105 ratings, while Game Emulator averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.
Do SameBoy or Game Emulator have ads?
Game Emulator shows ads; SameBoy does not.
Which is updated more often, SameBoy or Game Emulator?
SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, and Game Emulator monthly. Most recently, SameBoy was updated on September 18, 2026 and Game Emulator on September 25, 2026.

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