Comparison

iMSX2 vs Vion

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

Head to head
About

iMSX2

Play classic MSX and MSX2 games on your iPhone or iPad. Load games from ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK, or ZIP files. Features include save states, Bluetooth controller support, customizable buttons, and screen filters for an authentic retro experience.

Highlights
  • Play classic MSX/MSX2 games
  • Load games from ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK, ZIP
  • Save and load game states
  • Bluetooth keyboard and controller support
  • Customizable button layouts
  • CRT and scanline screen filters
  • Load BASIC programs
Features
Read full description

Experience Classic MSX and MSX2 Games on your iPhone/iPad with iMSX2! Turn your iPhone/iPad into a portable MSX2 emulator with iMSX2! Emulate classic MSX and MSX2 games in ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK or ZIP format Key Features: · Play Classic Games: Relive the nostalgia of playing your favorite MSX and MSX2 games right on your iPhone/iPad. · Run Your Cartridges: Reproduce MSX and MSX2 cartridges from ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK and ZIP files and enjoy them on your device anytime, anywhere. · Save States: Save and load game states and the configuration type easily (iCloud) · Bluetooth Compatibility: Support for Bluetooth keyboards and game controllers. · Customizable button layouts: Edit the button positions for each orientation and enjoy full compatibility with shells like GAMEBABY and PlayCase. · Choose Your ROM Type: If your rom is not loaded correctly, try to select from various ROM configurations including "Normal", "Type K", "Type K SCC", "Type ASC16", "Type ASC16 SRAM", "Type ASC8", "Type ASC8 SRAM" and "Type ASCII16-X". · Screen filters: Enjoy a more authentic and customizable retro experience with CRT and scanline filters. · Fast forward: Speed through gameplay with the new fast forward mode. · Load Your Own BASIC Programs: Run your own programs in BASIC format directly on your iPhone/iPad. · Powered by C-bios: iMSX2 is built using C-bios for the utmost accuracy and compatibility. · Custom BIOS support: Import your own BIOS files to enhance compatibility and personalize your emulation experience. · Improved Disk Support: Play more MSX disk games with improved DSK compatibility, multi-disk support, on-the-fly disk swapping, and user disks for saving data in supported games. · Auto-fire: Added switches to enable auto-fire for the A and B buttons. · Designed to be very basic: With a beautiful and user-friendly interface for both portrait and landscape orientations. · The app does not require an internet connection, contains no ads, and does not store user data. It also takes up little space. What's Next: Stay tuned for even more enhancements! Constantly working on improving iMSX2 and adding new features to provide you with the best MSX experience on iOS. LZ4 Library Copyright (c) 2011-2020, Yann Collet C-BIOS Copyright (c) 2002-2005 BouKiCHi. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2003 Reikan. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006,2008-2010 Maarten ter Huurne. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006,2008-2011 Albert Beevendorp. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2005 Patrick van Arkel. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004,2010-2011 Manuel Bilderbeek. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006 Joost Yervante Damad. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2006 Jussi Pitkänen. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2004-2007 Eric Boon. All rights reserved. emu2413 Copyright (c) 2001-2019 Mitsutaka Okazaki Z80 Emulator micro MSX2+ Copyright (c) 2023 Yoji Suzuki.

About

Vion

Experience eighth-generation handheld gaming on your Apple device with this emulation app. It supports various game file formats and offers essential controls for a seamless gaming experience. Optimized for newer devices, it provides a robust platform for classic handheld titles.

Highlights
  • Eighth-gen handheld emulation
  • Supports PUP, PKG, VPK, and ZIP game files
  • Landscape and portrait orientation
  • Pause, resume, and stop/exit controls
  • Open-source code available
Features
Read full description

Vion is a beautifully designed emulation app bringing eighth-generation handheld emulation to Apple devices For the best performance, newer devices are recommended Compatibility and performance varies depending on your device and the title being played Features - Install PUP firmware files - Install PKG, VPK and ZIP game files - Supports landscape and portrait - Supports pause, resume and stop and exit Source Code Vion is open-source, licensed under GPLv3 for people who want Vion free or to try before buying https://github.com/vion-app-org/vion Vion is in no way affiliated with Sony. "PlayStation" and all associated game controller names are registered trademarks of Sony Group Corporation

Screenshots

iMSX24 screens
Vion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Vion at 4.3 against iMSX2's 3.4. iMSX2's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

iMSX2 costs $1.99 and Vion $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Vion holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of iMSX2's written reviews are positive against 67% of Vion's.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iMSX2 versus Vion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMSX2Vion
Price$1.99 — better$2.99
Rating3.4 (10 ratings)4.3 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.3% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEnrique EnguixJarrod Norwell

Customer experience

iMSX2

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral22.2%
Negative18.5%

Vion

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

None

iMSX2

No in-app purchases

None

Vion

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iMSX2 free?
iMSX2 costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vion free?
Vion costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iMSX2 or Vion?
Vion is rated higher. iMSX2 averages 3.4 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Vion averages 4.3 from 4 ratings.
Do iMSX2 or Vion have ads?
Neither iMSX2 nor Vion shows ads.

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