Comparison

SameBoy vs GenZD Zero

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

GenZD Zero

Run classic idTech 1 games and community mods on your iOS device with modern rendering capabilities. Enjoy enhanced graphics, custom controls, and controller support. You must provide your own game files.

Highlights
  • idTech 1 game engine support
  • Modern 3D rendering
  • Widescreen graphics
  • Dynamic lighting
  • Customizable touch controls
  • Game controller support
  • Local multiplayer
Features
Read full description

GenZD Zero 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 Zero 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. GenZD Zero supports any "WAD"s and "mods", but is limited to 3 launch configurations and supports one touch configuration layout. Upgrading to the full version will unlock unlimited launch configurations and custom touch control layouts. 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

SameBoy4 screens
GenZD Zero3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GenZD Zero at every 10 days against SameBoy's every 4 months. SameBoy's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 69%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SameBoy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and GenZD Zero sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for SameBoy against 4.4 for GenZD Zero. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105 and 39 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of SameBoy's written reviews are positive against 69% of GenZD Zero's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, GenZD Zero every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 18, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SameBoy versus GenZD Zero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSameBoyGenZD Zero
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (105 ratings) — better4.4 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews83.6% of reviews — better69.0% of reviews
Number of ratings105 — better39
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB56 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLior HalphonInfinite Evolution Technologies

Customer experience

SameBoy

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

GenZD Zero

All ratings39 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral7.7%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral13.8%
Negative17.2%

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

GenZD Zero

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
1 purchases

GenZD Zero

One-time1
  • Full Version Upgrade$2.99

Questions

Is SameBoy free?
SameBoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GenZD Zero free?
GenZD Zero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SameBoy or GenZD Zero?
SameBoy is rated higher. SameBoy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 105 ratings, while GenZD Zero averages 4.4 from 39 ratings.
Do SameBoy or GenZD Zero have ads?
Neither SameBoy nor GenZD Zero shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SameBoy or GenZD Zero?
SameBoy ships an update every 4 months, and GenZD Zero every 10 days. Most recently, SameBoy was updated on September 18, 2026 and GenZD Zero on September 18, 2026.

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