Comparison

Plume! vs GBDev

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

Head to head
About

Plume!

This app allows you to play classic Dreamcast games on your iPhone. It offers a polished library, customizable graphics, and flexible control options for both handheld and TV play. Easily import your game titles and enhance their visuals for a modern gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Dreamcast emulation on iPhone
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Bluetooth gamepad support
  • Console mode for TV play
  • Advanced graphics tuning
  • Save states and VMU support
  • RetroAchievements integration
Features
Read full description

Plume is a Dreamcast emulator for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A polished library, deep graphics options, and controls for handheld play and couch co-op. Add games through the Files app, AirDrop, or the Share sheet. Supported formats include GDI, CDI, CHD, CUE, ISO, M3U, ELF, ZIP, and 7Z. Retail BIOS files are optional. Turn on Fast Boot to skip the splash, or add dc_boot.bin and dc_flash.bin from hardware you own for the full boot sequence. LIBRARY Your collection lives in one place with cover art, metadata, favorites, and play time. Every menu can show as Tiles or a List. After you run a game, Plume grades how it performs on your device (Excellent, Good, Playable, and more) so you know what to expect before you boot. Add any game to your Home Screen. CONTROLS Use fully customizable on-screen controls, or pair a Bluetooth gamepad in iOS Settings and remap every button in Plume. Dreamcast has four controller ports, and each port can hold a standard controller, arcade stick, twin stick, racing controller, fishing controller, light gun, maracas, train, rhythm or dance controller, keyboard, or mouse, each with its own touch layout. Touch controls fill port 1 when nothing else is connected. Rumble and haptics are built in. CONSOLE MODE Mirror your screen to a TV over AirPlay or HDMI. In Console mode the game renders on the big screen while your iPhone stays the controller. GRAPHICS AND PERFORMANCE Tune internal resolution, aspect ratio, CRT shaders, texture filtering, HDR, and upscaling. MetalFX upscaling and FSR 3 frame generation are available on supported devices. HD texture packs, neural upscale models, and Upscale Studio help older games look sharper. A live HUD shows FPS, frame time, CPU, RAM, and more. SAVE STATES AND VMU Save and load states from the in-game menu. Slots appear on library covers for quick resume. Per-game VMU files keep memory cards where they belong. CHEATS Add cheat codes by hand or import them for each game. RETROACHIEVEMENTS Sign in to RetroAchievements and earn badges while you play. Hardcore mode disables save states for a classic challenge. EXTRACT Hold a game in the library to extract its music, videos, and pictures from your own disc. CAPTURE AND SHARE Take screenshots and record gameplay in-game. Save them to Documents or Photos, or attach a capture to a save-state slot as a visual bookmark. SOUND AND STYLE Menu music from downloadable tracks, your own imports, or songs from your Apple Music library. Themes give you control over colors, fonts, corners, and accessibility, including Bold Text and Button Shapes when iOS has them on. REQUIREMENTS Plume runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later, and on Mac computers with Apple silicon running macOS 14 or later. Your device may warm up during play, and heavy 3D games may not reach full speed on older devices. LEGAL Plume does not include commercial games or a retail BIOS. You are responsible for content you import. Only use game files and firmware you legally own. Dreamcast is a trademark of SEGA. Plume is not affiliated with or endorsed by SEGA.

About

GBDev

Experience retro gaming with this multi-emulator, offering extensive customization for a personalized feel. Enjoy features like screen bleed, scanlines, and adjustable controls. Connect controllers and output to a TV for immersive retro gatherings.

Highlights
  • Multi-console emulation (GB, GBC, GBA, NES, SNES, DS, 3DS, GC, Wii)
  • Customizable screen effects (bleed, scanlines)
  • Adjustable screen and button layout
  • Animated themes and custom buttons
  • Bluetooth controller support
  • AirPlay TV output
  • Button haptics for immersion
Features
Read full description

GBDev is a fast multi emulator with an immersive feel and lots of good ways to customize your emulation experience. Emulates: GB • GBC • GBA • NES • SNES • DS • DSI • 3DS • GC • Wii Get cozy under the covers with our screen bleed and crt scanlines options. Reposition the screens and buttons to maximize the emulation feel. Enhance the look with animated themes and custom buttons. Landscape mode goes hard too especially when a bluetooth controller is connected. SNES Mouse works for mar10 pain7 too!! GBDev even has 3ds mii support. Connect to a tv with airplay, connect some controllers via bluetooth, and set the phone on charge for a night of retro gatherings. Button haptics make you feel more immersed so we have that too. Our game library is seperated by console. Thank you for using GBDev!!

Screenshots

Plume!4 screens
GBDev4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Plume! at 83% against GBDev's 36%. Plume! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.6) and chart position (#106 vs unranked). GBDev's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support 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

GBDev is free to download; Plume! costs $0.99 up front. Plume! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GBDev sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Plume! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Plume!'s written reviews are positive against 36% of GBDev's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plume! ships an update every 2 months, GBDev every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Plume! versus GBDev: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlume!GBDev
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (6 ratings) — better3.6 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better36.4% of reviews
Number of ratings623 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#106 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB100 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperDylan MathurinWinter Bagley

Customer experience

Plume!

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%

GBDev

All ratings23 ratings
Positive60.9%
Neutral8.7%
Negative30.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral18.2%
Negative45.5%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Plume!

One-time1
  • Tip $1$0.99
8 purchases

GBDev

One-time8
  • Theme Pack 1$1.99
  • Theme Pack 2$1.99
  • Visual Pack 1$1.99
Show 5 more
  • Visual Pack 2$1.99
  • Visual Pack 3$1.99
  • Theme Pack 4$1.99
  • Theme Pack 3$1.99
  • GBDev Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Plume! free?
Plume! costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is GBDev free?
GBDev is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Plume! or GBDev?
Plume! is rated higher. Plume! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while GBDev averages 3.6 from 23 ratings.
Do Plume! or GBDev have ads?
Neither Plume! nor GBDev shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plume! or GBDev?
Plume! ships an update every 2 months, and GBDev every 4 days. Most recently, Plume! was updated on October 31, 2026 and GBDev on November 1, 2026.

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