Comparison

Remote Gamepad 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

Remote Gamepad

Transform your iPhone into a wireless game controller for Mac. Enjoy smooth, low-latency input with customizable controls and per-game profiles. Ideal for Mac games that use keyboard and mouse controls, offering a gamepad experience without extra hardware.

Highlights
  • Wireless iPhone game controller for Mac
  • Low-latency input and fast pairing
  • Dual analog sticks and ABXY buttons
  • Tap-to-click and mouse-look support
  • Optional gyro steering
  • Per-game profiles and custom key mapping
  • Secure pairing and encrypted sessions
Features
Read full description

Play Mac games with your pocket game pad. iDrift turns your iPhone into a premium wireless game pad for Mac games, built for smooth control, fast pairing, and per-game customization. Pair your iPhone to your Mac in seconds using a QR code, connect automatically when nearby, and start playing with low-latency input. iDrift is designed for Mac games that use keyboard + mouse controls. Your phone becomes the controller. Console-style controls, made for Mac • Dual analog sticks for movement + camera/mouse-look • ABXY action buttons and L1/L2/R1/R2 triggers • Tap-to-click and mouse-look support for aiming and camera control • Optional gyro steering for tilt-based control (great for driving) Per-game profiles and custom key mapping Create profiles for each game with your own keymap: • Map buttons, triggers, and movement to any keyboard keys • Save multiple layouts and switch instantly while you play • Personalize the look with themed controller styles per profile Built for speed, stability, and privacy • Streams controller state at high refresh for responsive gameplay • Reliable button taps + low-latency analog motion • Secure pairing with encrypted MultipeerConnectivity sessions • “Forget device” support on iPhone or Mac to keep trusted devices in sync Mac receiver: lightweight menu-bar app The Mac companion app runs from the menu bar and converts iDrift inputs into keyboard + mouse events. It also manages pairing, trusted devices, and connection status. Ideal for Mac games, emulators, and any title that plays best with a game pad feel, without buying extra hardware.

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

Remote Gamepad4 screens
Phosphor Emulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Phosphor Emulator at Free against Remote Gamepad's $3.99. Phosphor Emulator also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.0) and review sentiment (80% vs 40%). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Phosphor Emulator is free to download; Remote Gamepad costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phosphor Emulator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phosphor Emulator has 35 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Remote Gamepad's written reviews are positive against 80% of Phosphor Emulator's.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Remote Gamepad versus Phosphor Emulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRemote GamepadPhosphor Emulator
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.6 (35 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings135 — better
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperParth AntalaSquatchCraft LLC

Customer experience

Remote Gamepad

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Phosphor Emulator

All ratings35 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative6.7%

In-app purchases

None

Remote Gamepad

No in-app purchases

None

Phosphor Emulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Remote Gamepad free?
Remote Gamepad costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phosphor Emulator free?
Phosphor Emulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Remote Gamepad or Phosphor Emulator?
Phosphor Emulator is rated higher. Remote Gamepad averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Phosphor Emulator averages 4.6 from 35 ratings.
Do Remote Gamepad or Phosphor Emulator have ads?
Neither Remote Gamepad nor Phosphor Emulator shows ads.

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