Vion vs NBOX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Vion
Experience eighth-generation handheld gaming on your Apple device with this emulation app. It supports various game file formats and offers essential controls for a seamless gaming experience. Optimized for newer devices, it provides a robust platform for classic handheld titles.
- Eighth-gen handheld emulation
- Supports PUP, PKG, VPK, and ZIP game files
- Landscape and portrait orientation
- Pause, resume, and stop/exit controls
- Open-source code available
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Vion is a beautifully designed emulation app bringing eighth-generation handheld emulation to Apple devices For the best performance, newer devices are recommended Compatibility and performance varies depending on your device and the title being played Features - Install PUP firmware files - Install PKG, VPK and ZIP game files - Supports landscape and portrait - Supports pause, resume and stop and exit Source Code Vion is open-source, licensed under GPLv3 for people who want Vion free or to try before buying https://github.com/vion-app-org/vion Vion is in no way affiliated with Sony. "PlayStation" and all associated game controller names are registered trademarks of Sony Group Corporation
NBOX
This app lets you play classic retro games from various consoles on your modern devices. It supports multiple platforms, offers save states, and features customizable virtual or physical controllers for an immersive experience.
- Supports NES, GBA, SNES, Sega, Neo Geo, N64, NDS
- Manual and auto-save states
- Customizable virtual gamepad
- Bluetooth controller support
- Two-player local multiplayer
- Organized game library with search
- Multiple UI themes
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NBOX — Bring the cartridge console from your memory into modern devices With NBOX, insert the cartridge, power on, and press START to bring that console from your childhood back into your hands. 【More than the Famicom — relive the whole golden age of consoles】 NBOX is a lightweight emulator focused on classic consoles, covering platforms from 8-bit to 64-bit: · NES / FC (Famicom) · GB / GBC / GBA (Game Boy family) · SNES / SFC (Super Nintendo) · Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, Master System, Game Gear · Neo Geo · Nintendo 64 · Nintendo DS / DSi Import your legally owned cartridge backups and return to the living room of yesteryear anytime. 【Save anytime, never lose progress】 · 10 manual save slots + 1 auto-save slot — keep as many copies as you like · Auto-save when exiting a game; reopen and continue right where you left off · Fully preserves cartridge battery saves (SRAM); in-game records work as normal · One-tap reset to restart a session anytime 【Virtual gamepad born for touchscreens】 · D-pad + A / B / X / Y + START / SELECT, button layout auto-matches each platform · Switch freely between one-handed portrait and two-handed landscape; landscape hold feels closer to a real controller · Two button styles — 3D and flat — choose by feel 【Connect a physical controller, rediscover the real feel】 · Supports Bluetooth gamepads · Touch and controller can be assigned to 1P or 2P separately · Play two-player games with a friend on one device — co-op or versus, on the same screen 【A tidy, manageable game library】 · Recent / Favorites / All — three views for quick locating · Keyword search, so even a large collection is never hard to find · Auto-generated cover thumbnails — no more a row of gray placeholders · Tracks cumulative playtime per game 【Appearance to match your mood】 · Dark, Light, or System — three themes switchable in one tap · Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese / English / Japanese — four-language UI 【Simple, clean, lightweight】 No fussy settings or account barriers — import and play. A restrained interface and fast launch keep the focus on the game itself. 【About game content】 NBOX is an emulator and provides no games itself. Please import cartridge files you legally own backups of (supports common formats such as .nes / .gba / .gb / .gbc / .sfc / .smc / .md / .sms / .gg / .neo / .nds / .n64 / .v64 / .z64), and take responsibility for the content you import.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: NBOX at Free against Vion's $2.99. NBOX also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.2) and device support (3 vs 1). Vion's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#43 vs unranked). On in-app purchases 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
NBOX is free to download; Vion costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NBOX holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vion has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Vion | NBOX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.2 (12 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #43 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 87 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Jarrod Norwell | 广州唬啊科技有限公司 |
Customer experience
Vion
NBOX
In-app purchases
Vion
No in-app purchases
NBOX
No in-app purchases









