Linking Boy vs GamePod XL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Fast GBA/GBC/GB emulation
- Link cable multiplayer
- RetroAchievements support
- Speed control (fast-forward/slow-down)
- Cheat support
- Customizable virtual controls
- Save states
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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).
GamePod XL
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a console for playing arcade games on your TV or device. Enjoy a collection of free-to-play indie games with no ads, and use your device as a controller.
- Play on TV or iPhone/iPad
- Collection of indie mini-games
- Free-to-play games
- No ads
- Use iPhone/iPad as controller
- External controller support
- Keyboard support
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Gamepod XL turns your iPhone into a super Game Console that you can play on your TV or your iPhone Play multiple mini-games from several Indie developers and all the games are Free-to-Play and have no ads!!!! If you don't have a Smart TV, you can also play the Pocket version where you play directly on your iPhone/iPad screen Follow our official Instagram, Youtube, or Twitter page @GamePodXL, where you can get sneak peeks of the new version, and engage with the GamePod XL community. By following our Instagram, Youtube, or Twitter page, you'll never miss out on important updates. We Support External Controllers (MFi Controllers, etc ) Enhance your gaming experience with GamePod XL's keyboard support! [arrows keys] - Directions [z] - Action 1 [x] - Action 2 [select] - Enter or Spacebar [option] - Backspace or Esc ---- Can you do screen mirroring from iOS to your TV? If yes that is called AirPlay and you can download and enjoy this app. One of the cool stuff about Apple AirPlay is that allows supporting dual-screen technology. How does it work? - Open the controller panel on your iPhone/iPad and select Screen Mirroring, choose your AirPlay TV. - Open the GamePod app on your device - Use your iPhone/iPad as a game controller or external controller and start playing games. AirPlay supported TVs: Airplay is supported by Apple TV but also the Smart TVs. You can also use it on your MacBook it is the version higher than Monterey, for this you just need to: On a Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sharing, then select and turn on AirPlay Receiver and Allow AirPlay for "Everyone" or "Anyone on the same network". Now just start the airplay from your iPhone/iPad GamePod XL used Apple Taptic Engine to improve the game controller usage. Now you can play this game on your TV using your iPhone or iPad as a game controller. Terms & Conditions https://www.watt-app.com/privacy/gamepod_terms_conditions.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GamePod XL at none against Linking Boy's 1. Linking Boy's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). 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
Both are free to download. Linking Boy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GamePod XL asks for nothing beyond the download.
Linking Boy ships an update monthly, GamePod XL every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Linking Boy | GamePod XL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (43 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 43 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Pixel Respawn LLC | Tiago Mendes |
In-app purchases
Linking Boy
- Premium Features$5.99
GamePod XL
No in-app purchases









