MyDS emulator vs SpatialEMU
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MyDS emulator
Experience classic Nintendo DS games on your iOS device with this emulator. It offers high-performance emulation, flexible game import, and instant save functionality. Enjoy a smooth, ad-free gaming experience with customizable controls and dual-screen display.
- High-performance emulation
- Import .nds and .zip game files
- 9 save slots for game progress
- Fast-forward and slow-motion
- Built-in cheat function
- Customizable touch controls
- Dual-screen display
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MyDS Emulator - Carry Classic Games with You The perfect solution to experience classic Nintendo DS games on iOS devices! NDS Emulator allows you to play your childhood favorites anytime, anywhere. Key Features High-performance emulation: Provides a smooth and stable gaming experience Flexible import: Supports importing .nds and .zip format game files, and you can easily add your games through various methods Instant save: Offers 9 save slots to save or load your game progress at any time, no more worries about interruptions Game acceleration: Unique fast-forward and slow-motion functions, allowing you to adjust the game speed flexibly Cheats support: Built-in cheat function, easy to add and manage game codes Custom controls: Full touch screen operation, adapted to the gaming experience on iOS devices Interface Features Beautiful interface: Modern design user interface, simple and intuitive operation Dual-screen display: Perfectly recreates the DS upper and lower dual-screen experience Chinese support: Fully Chinese interface, more convenient to use Privacy and Security Local operation: All game and save data are stored locally, protecting your privacy and security No ad interference: Pure gaming experience, no ads to disturb Turn your iOS device into a portable game console and relive the good old days of classic games! Please note that this app only provides emulator functionality, and you need to obtain the legal game ROM files by yourself.
SpatialEMU
This app allows you to play your personal retro game collection on iPhone and iPad. It supports a wide range of classic systems and offers flexible control options, including virtual buttons and physical controllers. You can load games locally or connect to a self-hosted server for library management.
- Play retro games on iOS devices
- Supports NES, SNES, PlayStation, PSP, and more
- Load local game files or use a self-hosted server
- Virtual and physical controller support
- Customizable controller mapping
- Local save states and progress syncing
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SpatialEMU brings your own retro game library to iPhone and iPad. Organize a personal local collection, choose how each game is presented, and play with touch controls or supported physical game controllers. SUPPORTED SYSTEMS Play user-provided games for NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Mega Drive / Genesis, SEGA 32X, Master System, Game Gear, SG-1000, PlayStation, PSP, DOS, Neo Geo, CPS arcade systems, SEGA Model 2, SEGA Model 3, and supported MAME arcade hardware. Compatibility varies by title, file format, and required system files. LOAD LOCAL FILES OR USE YOUR OWN SERVER No server is required: open local games directly with the system document picker. FolioSpace Library is an optional, self-hosted personal library and is not part of the SpatialEMU client. It can run on a NAS or on a Docker-capable Mac, PC, or Linux host. Connect to your own server to browse, search, filter, and selectively download your catalog, save multiple server profiles, and synchronize supported battery saves and play records. PLAY YOUR WAY Use the app's virtual controls or supported Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and other game controllers. Universal controller mapping supports global, per-system, and per-game profiles, button reassignment, axis inversion, dead zones, and sensitivity. SpatialEMU also provides Nintendo DS touch input, DOS keyboard and mouse controls, and specialized controls for supported arcade and mahjong titles. LOCAL-NETWORK CABINET LINK Supported SEGA Model 3 titles can create native cabinet-link sessions across multiple devices. Every device runs the same user-provided game locally while the LAN carries only cabinet-link data. Some larger room layouts remain clearly labeled experimental. LOCAL PROGRESS Keep local battery saves and save states for supported systems. Store separate progress for each game and synchronize supported save records through your own FolioSpace Library. IMPORTANT SpatialEMU does not include games, ROMs, BIOS files, firmware, encryption keys, copyrighted game content, or downloads for such content. You must provide files you have the right to use. Compatibility does not imply affiliation with the relevant hardware or game publishers. FolioSpace connection guide: https://spatialemu.com/guides/foliospace-connection/ Open-source notices and corresponding source: https://github.com/funland/SpatialEMU-Source Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ FREE FEATURES AND OPTIONAL PURCHASES Supported NES, SNES, Mega Drive / Genesis, GB, GBC, GBA, and all supported FBNeo systems (including CPS1, CPS2, CPS3 and Neo Geo) do not require Prime. Prime unlocks additional supported systems through a monthly subscription, annual subscription, or one-time lifetime purchase. Compatibility varies by game and platform. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. Eligible earlier purchasers retain permanent Prime access after purchase-history verification. Purchasing lifetime Prime does not automatically cancel an existing subscription. Prices and purchase options appear in the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SpatialEMU at Free against MyDS emulator's $3.99. SpatialEMU also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (6 vs 3). MyDS emulator's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
SpatialEMU is free to download; MyDS emulator costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SpatialEMU holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | MyDS emulator | SpatialEMU |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 11 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 388 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 滨 李 | 晓东 傅 |
Customer experience
MyDS emulator
SpatialEMU
In-app purchases
MyDS emulator
No in-app purchases
SpatialEMU
No in-app purchases








