Comparison

Linking Boy vs Phosphor Emulator

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

Phosphor Emulator

This app provides a premium emulation experience for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games on modern iOS devices. It features advanced controls, instant save states, and unique functionalities like rewinding gameplay and AI play.

Highlights
  • Rewind and fast-forward gameplay
  • Instant save and load states
  • Customizable touch controls
  • MFi controller support
  • Game Boy Camera and Printer integration
  • AI Play feature
Features
Read full description

Phosphor is a free retro game emulator for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games, plus Nintendo DS games on iPhone and iPad, with save states, fast-forward, rewind, iCloud save sync, controller support, and community mods. No ads. No subscriptions. No accounts. No tracking. Import your own compatible ROM files through Files, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop. Organize your library, pick your controls, and take your favorite handheld games anywhere. WHY PHOSPHOR? Phosphor is designed to feel like a handheld console. Deep black screen wells, glowing CRT effects, responsive controls, and color themes bring classic games to modern Apple hardware. Play in portrait or landscape, adjust your speed with a scrolling dial, and return quickly to your last session. NINTENDO DS ON IPHONE AND IPAD Import compatible .nds files and choose single-screen or dual-screen play. Start with a focused single-screen layout, switch to both screens from the menu, and swap screens when you need to. Touch-screen input, microphone controls, and portrait and landscape layouts keep DS play flexible. MODS POWERED BY GEN1RECOMP Supported games can use the integrated gen1recomp engine to run compatible community mods inside Phosphor. Keep your library, controls, and display framing while exploring new ways to play. The updated engine brings gameplay and compatibility fixes. Features vary by game, engine, and mod. Rewind and cheat codes are available with Phosphor’s standard emulator core, not during gen1recomp play. FEATURES Classic handheld games Play compatible .gb, .gbc, and .gba ROMs, with .nds support on iPhone and iPad. Import individual games or supported ZIP archives and search your library. Link Cable trading Connect supported games over the same Wi-Fi network. Gen 3 Pokémon Link Cable support covers Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen. Compatible games, in-game progress, and normal trading restrictions apply. Fast-forward up to 15× Choose 1×, 2×, 3×, 5×, 10×, or 15× where supported to move through battles, travel, and repeated sections. Available speeds depend on the game, core, and device. Live rewind Hold rewind to return to an earlier moment and try again with the standard emulator core. Save states and quick resume Create quick saves and save-state slots, then return to your session with quick resume where supported. iCloud saves Sync compatible in-game saves, quick saves, and save-state slots across devices using the same Apple ID. Check for saved progress in Settings and choose which copy to keep when saves conflict. Game files are not backed up; after reinstalling, reimport them with their original filenames to reconnect your saves. CRT display and themes Customize your screen with scanlines, phosphor glow, dot-grid texture, vignette, contrast, and color themes. External controllers Play with compatible controllers or use responsive touch controls, haptics, and layouts designed for portrait and landscape. Cheat codes Use supported cheat formats with compatible games on Phosphor’s standard emulator core. Apple Watch play Take supported games to your wrist. Platform and feature availability vary by device; Nintendo DS play is available on iPhone and iPad. Live Activities See your current game, play time, and quick-resume status from the Lock Screen. BRING YOUR OWN GAMES Phosphor does not include games or ROMs. Provide your own legally obtained, compatible game files. Community mods have their own authors, licenses, and compatibility requirements. Save states and other features may vary between emulator cores, engine versions, and devices. A classic handheld feel. Modern Apple features. Your games, your library, your way to play.

Screenshots

Linking Boy4 screens
Phosphor Emulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Phosphor Emulator at 4.7 against Linking Boy's 4.2. Phosphor Emulator also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). Linking Boy's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Phosphor Emulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phosphor Emulator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Linking Boy's written reviews are positive against 80% of Phosphor Emulator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Linking Boy ships an update monthly, Phosphor Emulator every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Linking Boy versus Phosphor Emulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLinking BoyPhosphor Emulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (43 ratings)4.7 (30 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43 — better30
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPixel Respawn LLCSquatchCraft LLC

Customer experience

Linking Boy

All ratings43 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

Phosphor Emulator

All ratings30 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative6.7%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Linking Boy

One-time1
  • Premium Features$5.99
None

Phosphor Emulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Linking Boy free?
Linking Boy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Phosphor Emulator free?
Phosphor Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Linking Boy or Phosphor Emulator?
Phosphor Emulator is rated higher. Linking Boy averages 4.2 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Phosphor Emulator averages 4.7 from 30 ratings.
Do Linking Boy or Phosphor Emulator have ads?
Neither Linking Boy nor Phosphor Emulator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Linking Boy or Phosphor Emulator?
Linking Boy ships an update monthly, and Phosphor Emulator every 2 days. Most recently, Linking Boy was updated on October 10, 2026 and Phosphor Emulator on October 12, 2026.

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