Comparison

emu98 vs emu

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

Head to head
About

emu98

This app is a compatibility environment for running PC-98 programs on iOS devices. It allows users to import and manage disk images, configure settings for different software, and customize controls. It includes interactive demos and supports game controllers.

Highlights
  • Run PC-98 programs on iPhone/iPad
  • Import floppy, hard disk, and CD-ROM images
  • Organize and run local software library
  • Configure font ROMs, graphics, and controls
  • Real-time saving and loading
  • Customize virtual keyboard and layout
  • Supports game controllers
Features
Read full description

emu98 is a compatibility environment for running PC-98 programs on iPhone and iPad. It is designed for retro-computing enthusiasts, software authors, and anyone who wants to organize local program files. Import floppy-disk, hard-disk, and optical-disc images that you created, compiled, or lawfully possess, then organize and run them in the on-device software library. emu98 does not provide commercial software, BIOS or ROM downloads, or an online content catalog. Key features: • Includes two fully original interactive demos • Manages PC-98 floppy-disk, hard-disk, optical-disc, and ZIP files • Supports per-software font ROM, display, performance, and control settings • Supports quick save, quick load, and save-state import and export • Customizable on-screen controls, opacity, size, and layout • External keyboard, mouse, and controller mapping support • Simplified Chinese, English, and Japanese interfaces • Imported software, ROMs, artwork, settings, and save states remain on the device The free version allows one user-imported local program. A one-time non-consumable purchase unlocks additional software slots and can be restored through your Apple ID. emu98 has no user accounts, online resource catalog, or user-generated-content platform. Except for purchases, purchase restoration, and entitlement verification, the app does not upload user-imported files to a server. Import only files that you created or lawfully possess. emu98 is not affiliated with or endorsed by the official NP2 project.

About

emu

This app allows you to play classic games from seventeen different systems on your iPhone without complex setup. It supports various file formats and offers features like a unified library, customizable controls, and rollback saves. Enjoy local or online multiplayer with friends.

Highlights
  • Supports seventeen retro game systems
  • No downloads or configuration needed
  • Unified game library with search and favorites
  • Customizable on-screen and gamepad controls
  • Automatic saves and rewind functionality
  • Two-player online multiplayer
  • Supports various archive and disc image formats
Features
Read full description

emu runs seventeen game systems on one iPhone, from 8-bit cartridges to the disc-based 3D era. There are no cores to download and no configuration files to write. GETTING STARTED TAKES THREE STEPS 1. Pick a backup of a game you own from the Files app. 2. The system is identified from the file's contents, so you never choose one. 3. Tap it in your library and play. Files can stay inside a ZIP or 7z archive, and a CUE and its BIN files can be selected together. If a CUE points at a filename that no longer matches, emu repairs it on import. Large disc images are streamed into place rather than expanded in memory. ONE LIBRARY FOR EVERYTHING Search by name, star what you keep coming back to, and resume from the recent row. Import the same game under a different filename, or as both an archive and its extracted copy, and the CRC-and-size fingerprint still leaves you with a single entry. THE LAYOUT MOVES TO YOUR THUMBS The on-screen pad is multi-touch, with true diagonals and slide-to-change between buttons. Move the pad up or down, and pull the landscape buttons inward or outward. ANY GAMEPAD, MAPPED YOUR WAY Bluetooth and USB controllers connect on their own. Buttons are matched by position rather than by the vendor's printed labels, so a different controller still plays the same way. Reassign a button by pressing it, keep sticky 1P/2P assignment, and tune the stick dead zone. Touch input stays live alongside the gamepad. SAVES HAPPEN QUIETLY, MISTAKES ROLL BACK In-game and memory-card saves are written every 30 seconds, and again when you leave the player. SAVE and LOAD give you a quick state at any moment, and holding REWIND rolls the last seconds back for one more attempt at the jump you just missed. TWO IPHONES, TWO PLAYERS One player hosts and a code appears; the other types it in and joins as player 2. The player joining does not need a copy of the game. The two devices connect directly — gameplay never passes through a server, and a relayed route is detected after connecting and torn down. Two-player games for NES, SNES, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Mega Drive, Master System and PC Engine can be hosted. BRING YOUR OWN GAMES — REQUIREMENTS DIFFER BY SYSTEM No games and no BIOS files are bundled, and nothing can be obtained from inside the app. Use backups of software you are legally entitled to use. Runs with just your game file: NES, SNES, Game Boy / Color, Mega Drive / Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16, WonderSwan / Color, Nintendo 64, GameCube, PlayStation 2, PSP Also needs a BIOS you dumped from your own console: PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket / Color If you are here for Xbox: It needs three files you supply yourself — an MCPX ROM, a compatible Flash BIOS, and a hard-disk image. An unmodified retail Flash BIOS will not boot. Treat Xbox as experimental and for advanced users. ABOUT SPEED GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Sega Saturn support is experimental. The App Store build runs without a JIT, so how well a game plays depends on the title and your device. Please don't buy on the assumption that a particular game will run smoothly. FREE TO START The free version shows one banner and needs an internet connection. That banner only ever promotes the developer's own apps; there is no tracking-based advertising. A one-time in-app purchase hides it on every device signed in to your Apple Account. iPhone, iOS 17 or later. English and Japanese. emu is built on open-source emulators including ares, PPSSPP, Mupen64Plus, Dolphin, xemu, Play! and Yaba Sanshiro. Licenses and corresponding source links are under Settings > Licenses. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. emu is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any hardware manufacturer.

Screenshots

emu984 screens
emu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: emu at free against emu98's free with in-app purchases. emu also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. emu98 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and emu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

emu holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

emu98 ships an update every 3 days, emu every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
emu98 versus emu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameteremu98emu
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB145 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCaner (Chongqing) Computer System Co., Ltd.Code and DESIGN inc

Customer experience

emu98

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

emu

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

In-app purchases

1 purchases

emu98

One-time1
  • Unlock More Software Slots$0.99
1 purchases

emu

One-time1
  • Hide Ads$4.99

Questions

Is emu98 free?
emu98 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is emu free?
emu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, emu98 or emu?
emu is rated higher. emu98 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while emu averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do emu98 or emu have ads?
Neither emu98 nor emu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, emu98 or emu?
emu98 ships an update every 3 days, and emu every 2 days. Most recently, emu98 was updated on October 31, 2026 and emu on October 31, 2026.

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