Comparison

Nova Retro vs RetroPocket

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

Head to head
About

Nova Retro

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Nova Retro brings six classic systems to iPhone and iPad: NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Genesis / Mega Drive. Bring your own games No games are included and no ROM downloads are provided. Import files you legally own and have the right to use through Files. Play on the same local network Create a room for friends to join or watch from devices on the same local network that can reach one another. The host runs the game; clients receive video and audio and send input for their assigned player slot, without importing the same ROM. Player limits depend on the system and game. Internet-based remote multiplayer is not available. Handheld systems currently support spectating only. Edit touch controls right in the game Freely add, remove and move buttons, with individual size and opacity settings. Duplicates are welcome. The default 8-way D-pad supports diagonals; a 4-way D-pad and an 8-way joystick are also available. Create normal, turbo or combo buttons. Choose a sequential combo, a simultaneous combo, or a hold-and-sequence combo. Sequential combos allow repeated steps. Normal and turbo buttons support automatic or slide-to-lock activation. Sequential and hold-and-sequence combos run once per tap. A simultaneous combo presses its buttons together while held and releases its own inputs when let go. Turbo is NES-only. AA and BB mean turbo A and turbo B, not A+A or B+B. Completing a hold-and-sequence combo releases only that combo's held and turbo inputs, not other independent button presses or locks. Save for a system or a game Choose the current system or game when you finish editing. Portrait, landscape and external-display controller layouts are stored separately for the active mode. Default Save and Load buttons use slot 1; custom buttons can target a specific slot. Move, proportionally resize or reset the game view. Local layout editing does not move the picture on an external display. The system means the emulated console, not the iPhone or iPad model. Game-specific layouts take priority; changing the system default does not overwrite them. Everyday tools Save states, load states, fast-forward, cheats, keyboards and game controllers. Choose Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, French or German. Games, saves and layouts stay on your device. Local multiplayer transmits video, audio and control data, not ROM or save files to clients.

About

RetroPocket

Features
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RetroPocket: Retro Games offers a simple and modern way to manage and play the retro games you own. Import your own game files, build your personal library, save your progress, and customize your gaming experience to match your style. Supported game file formats: - GBA-compatible files - GB-compatible files - GBC-compatible files Key Features: - Save & Resume: Use Save State to quickly save your current game state and Load State to return to the exact moment you want. - Automatic Progress Saving: RetroPocket helps preserve your latest game progress, making it easier to return to your games whenever you want. - Customizable Controls: Choose between left-handed or right-handed layouts, adjust button sizes and positions, and customize the appearance of your controls. - Multiple Controller Styles: Refresh your gaming experience with a variety of controller styles, colors, and themes. - Fast Forward: Speed up gameplay whenever you want to skip slow or repetitive sections. - Sound & Haptic Feedback: Customize your experience with sound and haptic feedback options. - Landscape Mode: Take advantage of a wider screen with a layout optimized for landscape mode. Important Notice: - RetroPocket is a tool for managing and playing game files imported by the user. - RetroPocket does not provide, sell, distribute, or host game files or ROMs. - Users should only use game files that they legally own or have the right to use. - Users are responsible for the content and files they import into the application. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/retrogbapocket/trang-ch%E1%BB%A7 Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560933465584 If you have any feedback about the RetroPocket: Retro Games, please leave a comment below or email the developer. We will always monitor your feedback to improve and create a better app.

Screenshots

Nova Retro4 screens
RetroPocket4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Nova Retro at none against RetroPocket's shown. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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 Retro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and RetroPocket sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nova Retro ships an update every 4 weeks, RetroPocket every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
Nova Retro versus RetroPocket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNova RetroRetroPocket
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer振东 史Duc Tran Trung

Customer experience

Nova Retro

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

RetroPocket

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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Nova Retro

One-time3
  • A Small Tip$0.99
  • Buy Me a Coffee$1.99
  • Big Support$12.99
3 purchases

RetroPocket

Subscriptions2
  • GBA Emulator Monthly$5.991 Month
  • GBA Emulator Yearly$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Membership$34.99

Questions

Is Nova Retro free?
Nova Retro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RetroPocket free?
RetroPocket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nova Retro or RetroPocket?
Nova Retro and RetroPocket are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Nova Retro or RetroPocket have ads?
RetroPocket shows ads; Nova Retro does not.
Which is updated more often, Nova Retro or RetroPocket?
Nova Retro ships an update every 4 weeks, and RetroPocket every 5 weeks. Most recently, Nova Retro was updated on October 24, 2026 and RetroPocket on October 25, 2026.

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