Comparison

SameBoy vs Delta Legacy

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

Delta Legacy

This application allows users to play Nintendo DS games using a legacy emulator core. It supports importing old save states, offers extensive controller compatibility, and includes features like cheat codes and fast-forwarding.

Highlights
  • Legacy melonDS 0.9.1 core
  • Import old melonDS save states
  • Extensive controller support
  • Save/load and backup save states
  • Cheat code support (Action Replay)
  • Customizable controller skins
  • Fast forward and hold button features
Features
Read full description

Delta Legacy is a special version of Delta that uses "legacy" emulator cores. Specifically, this version includes melonDS 0.9.1, the original version of melonDS bundled with Delta until version 1.6. With Delta Legacy you can import your old melonDS save states from Delta and continue playing where you left off. FEATURES Supported Game Systems • Nintendo DS (melonDS 0.9.1) Controller Support • Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, Joy-Cons • Nintendo Switch Online controllers (NES, SNES, N64) • PS4, PS5 • Xbox One S, Xbox Series X • MFi game controllers • Bluetooth & wired keyboards Save States • Save and load save states for any game from the pause menu. • Lock save states to prevent them from being accidentally overwritten. • Automatically makes backup save states to ensure you never lose your progress. • Support for “Quick Saves,” save states that can be quickly saved/loaded with a single button press (requires external controller). Cheats • Supports various types of cheat codes for each supported system: • DS: Action Replay Custom Controller Skins • Beautiful built-in controller skins for all systems. • Import controller skins made by others, or even make your own to share with the world! Hold Button • Choose buttons for Delta to hold down on your behalf, freeing up your thumbs to press other buttons instead. • Perfect for games that typically require one button be held down constantly (e.g. run button in Mario games, or the A button in Mario Kart). Fast Forward • Speed through slower parts of games by running the game much faster than normal. • Easily enable or disable from the pause menu, or optionally with a mapped button on an external controller. 3D/Haptic Touch • Use 3D or Haptic Touch to “peek” at games, save states, and cheat codes. • App icon shortcuts allow quick access to your most recently played games, or optionally customize the shortcuts to always include certain games. Game Artwork • Automatically displays appropriate box art for imported games. • Change a game’s artwork to anything you want, or select from the built-in game artwork database. **Delta Legacy is in no way affiliated with Nintendo. The name "Nintendo" and all associated game console names are registered trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.**

Screenshots

SameBoy4 screens
Delta Legacy1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SameBoy at 4.5 against Delta Legacy's 3.2. SameBoy also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 47%). Delta Legacy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Delta Legacy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SameBoy holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105 and 78 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of SameBoy's written reviews are positive against 47% of Delta Legacy's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SameBoy versus Delta Legacy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSameBoyDelta Legacy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (105 ratings) — better3.2 (78 ratings)
Positive reviews83.6% of reviews — better46.9% of reviews
Number of ratings105 — better78
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLior HalphonTestut Tech

Customer experience

SameBoy

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

Delta Legacy

All ratings78 ratings
Positive52.6%
Neutral6.4%
Negative41.0%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive46.9%
Neutral4.7%
Negative48.4%

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

Delta Legacy

From 78 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Can play old saves
  • 👍 Mic support for DS
  • 👍 Free to use
  • 👍 Patched old glitches
  • 👍 Practical save solution

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Lost save states
  • 🐛 Can't import saves
  • 🐛 Confusing to use
  • 🐛 Only supports DS
  • 🐛 Crashes when loading saves

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

Delta Legacy

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Randomly crashes when loading saves
  • Emulator skins won't import correctly
  • White screen appears
  • Lost all save states after update
  • Save data corruption
Show 9 more
  • Cannot import save files
  • A button not working
  • Fast forward feature jumbles music
  • App crashes when trying to load a game
  • Missing files error for DS ROMs
  • Save states are incompatible
  • Save files are gone forever
  • App freezes when loading save state
  • Corrupted save data after update

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add Nintendo New 3DS, DSi, and 2DS emulation
  • Add fast forward function like original Delta
  • Emulate Game Boy Color, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance
  • Create a new Nintendo Network for DS (Delta Network)
  • Add 3DS emulation
Show 4 more
  • Add Wii U and 3DS emulators with skins
  • Add a donation section (PayPal)
  • Make the original app compatible with saves
  • Allow playing on other devices without re-purchasing

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
None

Delta Legacy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SameBoy free?
SameBoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Delta Legacy free?
Delta Legacy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SameBoy or Delta Legacy?
SameBoy is rated higher. SameBoy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 105 ratings, while Delta Legacy averages 3.2 from 78 ratings.
Do SameBoy or Delta Legacy have ads?
Neither SameBoy nor Delta Legacy shows ads.

Other comparisons