Comparison

Linking Boy vs Pocket Swap

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

Head to head
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).

About

Pocket Swap

Easily trade collectible cards to complete your sets. Find the right trading partner by offering duplicates for cards you need. Streamline your trading experience and finish your collection.

Highlights
  • Smart matching system
  • Manage trade requests
  • Use Friend IDs for trades
  • Complete card collections
  • Find trading partners
Features
Read full description

Find your trading partner and complete your collection with Pocket Swap! Pocket Swap is the perfect app for all collectible card enthusiasts. Select the card you need, offer your duplicate, and connect with other players to complete trades quickly and easily. Key Features: - Smart matching system to find the right trade for you. - Manage trade requests for a smooth and organized experience. - Easily use Friend IDs to finalize trades on the official platform. Start trading today and complete your collection with Pocket Swap!

Screenshots

Linking Boy4 screens
Pocket Swap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pocket Swap at none against Linking Boy's 1. Pocket Swap also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Linking Boy's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 55%) and rating (4.2 vs 3.9). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pocket Swap 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 — 42 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Linking Boy's written reviews are positive against 55% of Pocket Swap's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Linking Boy ships an update monthly, Pocket Swap every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Linking Boy versus Pocket Swap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLinking BoyPocket Swap
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (42 ratings) — better3.9 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better54.8% of reviews
Number of ratings42 — better11
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPixel Respawn LLCTels.one Interactive

Customer experience

Linking Boy

All ratings42 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral10.9%
Negative10.9%

Pocket Swap

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral19.4%
Negative25.8%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Linking Boy

One-time1
  • Premium Features$5.99
None

Pocket Swap

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Linking Boy free?
Linking Boy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pocket Swap free?
Pocket Swap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Linking Boy or Pocket Swap?
Linking Boy is rated higher. Linking Boy averages 4.2 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Pocket Swap averages 3.9 from 11 ratings.
Do Linking Boy or Pocket Swap have ads?
Neither Linking Boy nor Pocket Swap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Linking Boy or Pocket Swap?
Linking Boy ships an update monthly, and Pocket Swap every 9 days. Most recently, Linking Boy was updated on October 25, 2026 and Pocket Swap on October 18, 2026.

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