Comparison

Lume Emulator vs Linking Boy

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

Head to head
About

Lume Emulator

Experience classic video games on your mobile device with this emulator. It offers high-quality emulation for multiple retro consoles, allowing you to save progress and enjoy seamless gameplay. Play legally with your own ROMs or free-to-play options.

Highlights
  • Wide console support
  • High-quality emulation
  • Save and load states
  • Fast and lightweight performance
  • Legal ROM usage
Features
Read full description

Lume: Retro Gaming Emulator Rediscover the classics with Lume, the ultimate retro gaming emulator. Play your favorite retro games on your mobile device with stunning accuracy and seamless performance. Lume supports a wide range of retro consoles and offers an intuitive interface, and high-quality emulation. Whether you're a nostalgic gamer or new to retro gaming, Lume delivers an unparalleled experience. Key Features: - Wide Console Support: Play games from multiple classic consoles. - High-Quality Emulation: Enjoy smooth and accurate gameplay. - Save and Load States: Save your progress and pick up where you left off. - Fast and Lightweight: Optimized for performance on all devices. - Legal Use: Use free to play ROMs or import your own games (you must own the original game to play). Keywords: retro gaming, gaming emulator, classic games, ROMs, console games, customizable controls, high-quality emulation, save states, mobile gaming, nostalgia games, lightweight emulator, legal emulation, old school games, Digitrend LLC, Lume app Download Lume today and step back into the golden age of gaming!

About

Linking Boy

Experience fast and feature-rich emulation for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy games. Enjoy multiplayer Link cable emulation, unlock achievements with RetroAchievements, and customize your gameplay with speed control, cheats, and enhanced visual options.

Highlights
  • Fast GBA/GBC/GB emulation
  • Link cable multiplayer
  • RetroAchievements support
  • Speed control (fast-forward/slow-down)
  • Cheat support
  • Customizable virtual controls
  • Save states
Features
Read full description

Linkboy is the successor to the popular My Boy! emulator, offering fastest GBA/GBC/GB emulation with unique features like Link and RetroAchievements. KEY FEATURES • Optimized performance — smooth, efficient emulation with minimal battery use • High compatibility — runs nearly all games flawlessly • Link cable emulation — play up to 4 players via local network or on the same device • RetroAchievements support — unlock achievements while you play • Speed control — fast-forward up to 100× or slow down for detailed play. • Cheat support — codes for multiple systems • Cartridge features emulation — gyroscope, light sensor, rumble • Controller & keyboard support — flexible many-to-many button mappings • Customizable virtual controls — move, resize, and configure buttons freely • Save states — multiple slots, save and load anytime • Visual enhancements — combine multiple GPU shaders for a new look • Manage game folders — easily add, remove, or organize your game collection • Modern UI — clean design with Material You styling DISCLAIMER This app is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed, or licensed in any way by Nintendo, its affiliates, or subsidiaries. No games are included. Screenshots feature either public domain titles or copyrighted works owned by their respective rights holders. IGRS Rating: 3+ — by the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS).

Screenshots

Lume Emulator4 screens
Linking Boy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Linking Boy at 78% against Lume Emulator's 38%. Linking Boy also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9). Lume Emulator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). 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. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lume Emulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Linking Boy holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 43 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Lume Emulator's written reviews are positive against 78% of Linking Boy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lume Emulator ships an update every 5 days, Linking Boy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Lume Emulator versus Linking Boy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLume EmulatorLinking Boy
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (34 ratings)4.2 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3443 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenjamin GrynblatPixel Respawn LLC

Customer experience

Lume Emulator

All ratings34 ratings
Positive73.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral20.8%
Negative41.7%

Linking Boy

All ratings43 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral10.9%
Negative10.9%

In-app purchases

None

Lume Emulator

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Linking Boy

One-time1
  • Premium Features$5.99

Questions

Is Lume Emulator free?
Lume Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Linking Boy free?
Linking Boy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lume Emulator or Linking Boy?
Linking Boy is rated higher. Lume Emulator averages 3.9 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Linking Boy averages 4.2 from 43 ratings.
Do Lume Emulator or Linking Boy have ads?
Neither Lume Emulator nor Linking Boy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lume Emulator or Linking Boy?
Lume Emulator ships an update every 5 days, and Linking Boy monthly. Most recently, Lume Emulator was updated on October 13, 2026 and Linking Boy on October 18, 2026.

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