Comparison

Nova Emulator vs Pixel a Go

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

Head to head
About

Nova Emulator

Play classic console games on your smartphone with this high-performance emulator. Enjoy smooth gameplay, save states, fast forward, and display filters. Supports a wide range of retro consoles and offers cheat code functionality.

Highlights
  • High-performance emulation (60fps)
  • Virtual gamepad with radial dial
  • Save and load game states
  • Fast forward gameplay (2x-4x)
  • Display filters (CRT, LCD)
  • Cheat code support
  • Play time statistics
Features
Read full description

Play your favorite emulator games again on your smartphone. A high-performance retro game emulator that lets you play game ROMs. SUPPORTED CONSOLES • GBA, GB, GBC, NES, N64, NDS, PSX, PCE, Lynx, NGP, NGPC KEY FEATURES • High-Performance Emulation — 60fps smooth gameplay powered by libretro cores • Virtual Gamepad — Lemuroid-style radial dial with glass morphism design • Save & Load States — Save your progress anytime • Fast Forward — Speed up gameplay from 2x to 4x • Display Filters — Sharp, Smooth, CRT scanline, LCD pixel grid • Cheat Codes — GameShark, Action Replay, Game Genie and more • 11 Languages — English, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, French, German, Chinese (Traditional) NOVA PREMIUM Upgrade to Nova Premium and enjoy all features. • Remove all ads • Unlimited game library • Cheat mode activation • Unlock all save & load slots • Full weekly play time statistics PLAY HISTORY Track your gaming habits with weekly play time charts, daily breakdowns, and per-game statistics. LEGAL NOTICE • Nova does NOT provide or distribute any ROM files • You must only use ROMs of games you legally own • Downloading or distributing copyrighted ROMs is your responsibility • Nova does not encourage the use of illegal ROMs • Nova does not transmit any of your game data externally This app is subject to Apple's Standard End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Pixel a Go

Features
Read full description

Tiny retro screenshots, blown up beautifully. Pixel a Go-Go! rescues your Game Boy Camera photo captures and retro game screenshots from blurry stretching — and turns them into crisp, oversized art worth sharing. PIXEL-PERFECT UPSCALING • Pixel Perfect — true nearest-neighbor scaling that keeps every pixel a perfect square • Lanczos upscaling for newer consoles — clean, photographic resampling for softer enlargements IMPORT FROM EVERYWHERE • Print your Game Boy Camera photos directly to your device with the GameBoy Camera Adapter Duo cable. • Bring in captures from Analogue Pocket, Nintendo Switch 2, Game Boy Camera, your Photos, and Files • Automatic system detection tags each shot: Game Boy, GBA, NES, SNES, Genesis, Neo Geo, and more RESTYLE LIKE IT'S 198X • Retro color filters: DMG green, amber phosphor, cyberpunk, rainbow, glow, and custom duotones • Flip on CRT scanlines for true arcade-cabinet vibes • Remove backgrounds to pop a sprite onto a clean canvas MORE RETRO MAGIC • Decode classic Game Boy Printer photos • Turn favorite frames into iMessage stickers • Upscale right from the Share Sheet or with Shortcuts and Siri PRIVATE BY DESIGN • 100% on-device — your images never leave your iPhone • No account, no ads, no tracking FREE TO PLAY, PRO TO FLEX Start free with pixel-perfect upscaling. Unlock Go-Go! Pro for unlimited upscales, Lanczos upscaling, every retro filter, background removal, and stickers. Level up your screenshots. Pixel a Go-Go! Pro is an auto-renewing subscription. Your subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Price and billing period are shown in theapp before purchase. Privacy Policy: https://pixel.cameron.software/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://pixel.cameron.software/terms.html

Screenshots

Nova Emulator4 screens
Pixel a Go4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel a Go at none against Nova Emulator's shown. Pixel a Go also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Nova Emulator's advantage is iOS requirement (16 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Nova Emulator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pixel a Go sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nova Emulator ships an update every 3 weeks, Pixel a Go every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Nova Emulator versus Pixel a Go: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNova EmulatorPixel a Go
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIDEATAG STUDIOCameron Banga

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Nova Emulator

Subscriptions3
  • NOVA Premium$1.991 Month
  • NOVA Premium$4.993 Months
  • NOVA Premium$7.996 Months
4 purchases

Pixel a Go

Subscriptions3
  • Pixel a Go-Go! Pro - Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Pixel a Go-Go! Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Pixel a Go-Go! Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pixel a Go-Go! Pro - Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Nova Emulator free?
Nova Emulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pixel a Go free?
Pixel a Go is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nova Emulator or Pixel a Go have ads?
Nova Emulator shows ads; Pixel a Go does not.
Which is updated more often, Nova Emulator or Pixel a Go?
Nova Emulator ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pixel a Go every 2 days. Most recently, Nova Emulator was updated on October 16, 2026 and Pixel a Go on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons