# Pocket8 vs RetroHandheld

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket8 at 4.5 against RetroHandheld's 3.8. Pocket8 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). RetroHandheld's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RetroHandheld sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pocket8 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pocket8 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket8 has 40 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Pocket8's written reviews are positive against 100% of RetroHandheld's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pocket8 ships an update daily, RetroHandheld every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket8 | RetroHandheld |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket8/id6758171942/reviews)** | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrohandheld/id6759585946/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **40** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jevon Lipsey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864554839) | [David Margot](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877555458) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket8

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket8/id6758171942)

This app brings the PICO-8 fantasy console experience to your mobile device, offering access to thousands of community-made games. Enjoy customizable touch controls or gamepad support, and never lose progress with an instant save system.

**Highlights:** Browse and play community-made PICO-8 games, Customizable touch controls and gamepad support, Instant save states for unlimited progress saving, Portrait and landscape orientation support, Locked 60FPS gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### RetroHandheld

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retrohandheld/id6759585946)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a classic gaming console. Play popular retro systems like Game Boy, NES, and PlayStation with controller support and save states. Bring your own legally owned game files for an offline, ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Plays 8 classic consoles, Controller support, Save states and auto-save, Offline play, Cheat code support, iCloud backup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket8 free?

Pocket8 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RetroHandheld free?

RetroHandheld is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket8 or RetroHandheld?

Pocket8 is rated higher. Pocket8 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while RetroHandheld averages 3.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Pocket8 or RetroHandheld have ads?

Neither Pocket8 nor RetroHandheld shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket8 or RetroHandheld?

Pocket8 ships an update daily, and RetroHandheld every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pocket8 was updated on October 25, 2026 and RetroHandheld on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*