Comparison

GammaWave vs GBDev

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

Head to head
About

GammaWave

Play classic console and handheld games with this high-performance emulator. It offers fast load times, responsive controls, and a clean interface. Bring your own game files and enjoy a seamless retro gaming experience.

Highlights
  • High-performance emulation
  • Save states with thumbnails
  • Fast-forward and slow-motion
  • Customizable touch controls
  • Optional cloud sync
  • Ad-free experience
Features
Read full description

GammaWave is a premium, lightweight emulator for classic games, built for speed and a clean, modern experience. One app for your favorite handhelds and home consoles, powered by trusted, accurate open-source cores. Bring your own game files and play instantly. GammaWave focuses on doing the essentials brilliantly: fast load times, responsive controls, and an interface that gets out of your way. SUPPORTED SYSTEMS - Game Boy and Game Boy Color - Game Boy Advance - Nintendo DS - NES - Super Nintendo (SNES) - Nintendo 64 - Sega Genesis and Mega Drive - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear FEATURES - High-performance, accurate emulation across every system - Save states: save and resume anywhere, with preview thumbnails - Fast-forward and slow-motion for grinding or tricky sections - Import and export your battery save files - Fully customizable on-screen touch controls - Portrait and landscape play, edge to edge - Custom controller skins to make it yours - Optional Google Drive cloud sync: back up and restore your saves across devices, game by game - Organize your collection into folders, with instant search - Clean, fast, and completely ad-free PRIVACY AND OWNERSHIP GammaWave does not include, host, or distribute any games. You supply your own game files, and they stay private on your device. Cloud sync is optional and backs up only to your own Google Drive. Built by a solo developer who loves classic games. Feedback is always welcome. Thanks for trying GammaWave!

About

GBDev

Play your favorite Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on your iPhone with this emulator. It features a beautiful game library, responsive on-screen controls, and customizable palettes and themes for a comfortable gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Game Boy & Game Boy Color ROM support
  • Personalized game library with box art
  • Save states for instant progress capture
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Adjustable game palettes and app themes
  • Integrated cheat engine
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

GammaWave4 screens
GBDev4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GammaWave at 100% against GBDev's 13%. GammaWave also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). GBDev's advantage is ratings volume (19 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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. GBDev sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GammaWave asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GammaWave holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of GammaWave's written reviews are positive against 13% of GBDev's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GammaWave versus GBDev: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGammaWaveGBDev
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better3.3 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better12.5% of reviews
Number of ratings419 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPriya GoelWinter Bagley

Customer experience

GammaWave

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

GBDev

All ratings18 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral11.1%
Negative38.9%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative62.5%

In-app purchases

None

GammaWave

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

GBDev

One-time1
  • GBDev Pro$2.99

Questions

Is GammaWave free?
GammaWave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GBDev free?
GBDev is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GammaWave or GBDev?
GammaWave is rated higher. GammaWave averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while GBDev averages 3.3 from 19 ratings.
Do GammaWave or GBDev have ads?
Neither GammaWave nor GBDev shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GammaWave or GBDev?
GammaWave ships an update every 4 days, and GBDev every 4 days. Most recently, GammaWave was updated on October 11, 2026 and GBDev on October 24, 2026.

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