SameBoy vs GenZD
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.
GenZD
Run classic idTech 1 games on your iOS device with enhanced modern features. Supports original WAD files and community MODs, offering improved graphics, lighting, and scripting. Requires users to provide their own game content.
- Modern 3D rendering
- Widescreen graphics
- Dynamic lighting
- Scriptable environment
- Game controller support
- Customizable touch controls
- Local multiplayer
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GenZD supports running games using the open-source idTech 1 game engine for iOS, and supports running its "WAD" game files as well as community-developed "MOD" files, all rendered natively using modern technology. It supports several capabilities beyond the original engine, such as modern 3D rendering, widescreen graphics, dynamic lighting, a fully scriptable environment, and much much more. Please note that GenZD does not include content and they must be provided by you. Please use the Files app to move or copy files to the GenZD folder under "On my iPhone" or "On my iPad". Configurations called "Launch Configurations" can be created using a base game file as well as additional MOD files (.pk3 and .zip files). A plethora of content developed by the community is available on the web, and almost all "mods" that use the UDMF or WAD formats are supported. Additional features: - Game controller support: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mFi - On-screen touch virtual gamepad and virtual keyboard - Customizable touch controls: Rearrange buttons, change color and size. Support for saving multiple layouts. - Gyroscope aiming - Widescreen Metal graphics rendering using MoltenVK - Add your own game and mod files via the Files app - Accessibility: Supports VoiceOver and mods that support accessibility - Local Multiplayer: Host a co-op or deathmatch game, discover hosts running GenZD automatically on the same network and join a game
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SameBoy at Free against GenZD's $2.99. SameBoy also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). GenZD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 months). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
SameBoy is free to download; GenZD costs $2.99 up front. SameBoy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. GenZD asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for SameBoy against 4.6 for GenZD. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105 and 56 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 84% and 84% positive.
SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, GenZD every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SameBoy | GenZD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (105 ratings) | 4.6 (56 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.6% of reviews | 83.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 105 — better | 56 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #189 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Lior Halphon | Infinite Evolution Technologies |
Customer experience
SameBoy
GenZD
User reviews
SameBoy
From 105 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
GenZD
From 56 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Full controller support
- 🔌 Works with all popular mods (DOOM, Brutal DOOM, Alien Trilogy, etc.)
- 🔍 Promising start for running GZDoom on iOS
- 💻 Portable experience on iPad with Magic Keyboard support
- 🙏 Developer is responsive to fixes and updates
Room to improve
- 🎮 Touchscreen aiming feels like controller input, not mouse-like
- 🔧 Lack of customization options for button layout and transparency
- 🐞 Crashes when switching between games
- ⌨️ Missing certain keys like underscore for entering commands
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
GenZD
No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.
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
GenZD
No in-app purchases
