Comparison

SimulatorArcade vs Indigo

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

Head to head
About

SimulatorArcade

This application emulates classic arcade and console systems, allowing users to play ROM files they legally own. It offers fast and accurate emulation with support for various controllers and customizable on-screen controls. Enjoy multiple screen scaling options and automatic game saves for a seamless retro gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Supports CPS-1, CPS-2, Neo Geo, NES, GBA, PlayStation
  • Fast and accurate emulation
  • Bluetooth controller support
  • Save & Load States
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Automatic game save
Features
Read full description

Arcade Emulator is a high-performance emulator designed for classic arcade systems. Supports CPS-1, CPS-2, Neo Geo, NES, GBA, PlayStation... hardware platforms, allowing users to run ROM files they legally own. Features Supports CPS-1, CPS-2, Neo Geo, NES, GBA, PlayStation... Fast and accurate emulation Bluetooth controller support Landscape and portrait modes Save & Load States Customizable on-screen controls External keyboard and game controller support Multiple screen scaling options and filters Automatic game save Simple and user-friendly interface This application does not include any game ROMs, copyrighted game content, or downloadable games. Users must provide their own legally obtained ROM files.

About

Indigo

Play classic Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles on your iPhone and iPad. This emulator offers accurate hardware reproduction, versatile save options, and local or online multiplayer.

Highlights
  • Plays Game Boy, GBC, and GBA files
  • Accurate hardware emulation
  • Save anywhere and autosave
  • Link cable and online multiplayer
  • Physical controller support
  • Customizable screen filters
  • Automatic library sorting
Features
Read full description

Indigo plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance game files on your iPhone and iPad. You bring the files. Indigo brings a carefully built emulator—and a game of its own, so there's something to play the moment you open it. ACCURATE, NOT APPROXIMATE Indigo is built for correctness first. Its timing is validated against standard hardware test suites and, where those tests run out, against measurements from a real Game Boy Advance—including cycle-level contention between the processor and display. The result is an emulator designed to reproduce the behavior of the original hardware, including the quirks that some games depend on. SAVE ANYWHERE, UNDO ANYTHING • A save-state slot with its own screenshot, free—five more slots with Pro • Autosave, so the app reopens exactly where you left off • Rewind the last 30 seconds to undo a bad jump or a missed move (Pro) • Fast-forward at 2×; Pro raises it to 4× and adds hold-to-run • Multiple named battery saves per cartridge, each with its own states—so two people can play the same game without sharing a save A save state you have already made always loads, with or without Pro. PLAY TOGETHER • Link cable multiplayer over your local network, with automatic discovery • Online multiplayer with a room code, so a friend anywhere can join • Phones can link with the browser version too All of it is included. There is no multiplayer subscription. MADE FOR THE HARDWARE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE • Physical controllers and keyboards, with touch controls stepping aside automatically when one connects • Multitouch on-screen controls you can slide between without lifting a thumb • Screen filters: sharp, smooth, or an LCD grid inspired by the original display • Screenshots saved straight to Photos, at native size or up to 6× with Pro • Siri and Spotlight shortcuts, plus Home Screen quick actions, to jump into a game by name A LIBRARY THAT SORTS ITSELF Indigo reads the cartridge header instead of relying on the filename. Even a file named with a hash can appear under its real title with the correct cover art. Search your library, or let Indigo keep your most recently played games close at hand. THE DETAILS • Force Game Boy Color games to run as original Game Boy hardware, or the reverse, on a per-game basis • Per-game clock offsets for cartridges with a real-time clock • Cheat codes in GameShark, Action Replay, CodeBreaker and Game Genie formats (Pro) • Cartridge sensors—tilt, gyro, rumble and solar—for the carts that shipped with them (Pro) • The Game Boy Printer, with pages saved to Files (Pro) • Optional BIOS support if you have your own dump; a BIOS is not required INDIGO PRO The free app is a complete console. Every game runs at full speed, battery saves are never touched, and nothing about playing is held back. Pro is one purchase—no subscription—for the enthusiast extras: • Cheats: GameShark, Action Replay, CodeBreaker, Game Genie • Rewind, up to 30 seconds back • Six save-state slots per game instead of one • Fast-forward to 4×, and hold-to-run • Cartridge hardware: tilt, gyro, rumble, solar sensor • Game Boy Printer, with pages saved to Files • Screenshots up to 6× native size It unlocks on every device you sign in to, and it is shared with your family. Indigo collects nothing about you and sends nothing anywhere, apart from looking up cover art for games you've added and, when you use it, pairing two players for link-cable multiplayer. BRING YOUR OWN GAMES Indigo does not include, sell, link to, or help you find game files. Add your own through the Files app, AirDrop, or iTunes File Sharing. The one game included is Indigo Demo, a small brick-breaker made for Indigo. Indigo is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo, used here only to describe which game files Indigo can open.

Screenshots

SimulatorArcade4 screens
Indigo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SimulatorArcade at none against Indigo's 1. SimulatorArcade also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Indigo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SimulatorArcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SimulatorArcade against 5.0 for Indigo. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
SimulatorArcade versus Indigo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimulatorArcadeIndigo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer鹏 孙John Haas

Customer experience

SimulatorArcade

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Indigo

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SimulatorArcade

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Indigo

One-time1
  • Indigo Pro$4.99

Questions

Is SimulatorArcade free?
SimulatorArcade is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Indigo free?
Indigo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SimulatorArcade or Indigo?
SimulatorArcade and Indigo are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do SimulatorArcade or Indigo have ads?
Neither SimulatorArcade nor Indigo shows ads.

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