SameBoy vs TinyEmulator
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.
TinyEmulator
Play classic retro games on your device with this emulator. Enjoy solo or multiplayer experiences, with support for a wide range of classic gaming systems. Save your progress, use controllers, and even chat with friends during netplay sessions.
- Multi-platform support
- Solo and multiplayer netplay
- State save and load
- Gamepad controller support
- Voice and message chat during netplay
- Controller skins and haptics
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TinyEmulator - TinyEmulator is an emulator designed for playing classic retro games, with multi-platform supported. It supports both solo play and multiplayer netplay with friends. Additionally, it runs on multiple platforms and is continuously expanding its compatibility. Systems: - Nintendo Entertainment System - Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Game Boy - Game Boy (Color) - Game Boy Advance - Sega Master System - Sega Genesis/Mega Drive - Sega Game Gear - Arcade: PolyGame Master - Arcade: NeoGeo - Arcade: Capcom Play System - Arcade: Konami Features: - Netplay with multiplayers - State save&load supported - Gamepad controller supported - Controller skins - Haptics feedback supported - Voice talk while netplay - Messages while netplay - Share your rom to netplay parterners - System suite overlay controller - Keyboard mapping on mac
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SameBoy at 4.5 against TinyEmulator's 3.9. SameBoy also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 55%) and ratings volume (110 vs 14). TinyEmulator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. TinyEmulator asks for nothing beyond the download.
SameBoy holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SameBoy has 110 ratings behind it against 14, 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 55% of TinyEmulator's.
SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, TinyEmulator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SameBoy | TinyEmulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (110 ratings) — better | 3.9 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.6% of reviews — better | 54.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 110 — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lior Halphon | 兴海 刘 |
Customer experience
SameBoy
TinyEmulator
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
TinyEmulator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
TinyEmulator
No in-app purchases
