Comparison

emu vs OpenSol

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

Head to head
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.

About

OpenSol

Experience a classic 8080 computer emulator inspired by the Sol-20 Terminal Computer. Interact with original firmware, customize display effects, and enjoy an immersive terminal experience. This independently developed app offers a unique retro computing simulation.

Highlights
  • Intel 8080 interpreter
  • Original OpenSol firmware
  • Sol Command Monitor
  • Customizable display effects (CRT, phosphor)
  • Full-screen immersive mode
  • External keyboard and controller support
  • Virtual cassette tools
Features
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OpenSol is an independently developed Intel 8080 computer emulator inspired by the Processor Technology Sol-20 Terminal Computer. Explore a 64-by-16 character display, type directly into the original OpenSol firmware, and use the built-in Sol Command Monitor. Choose white, green, amber, or red phosphor; switch between a sharp flat display and period-inspired CRT effects; and use full-screen mode for an immersive terminal experience. OpenSol includes: • A complete independently written Intel 8080 interpreter • Original OpenSol firmware and Sol Command Monitor • iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces • Direct typing, touch input, external keyboards, and compatible game controllers • User-selected ENT and raw-binary file import • Private on-device Recent Programs and session restoration • Experimental virtual cassette and USB-audio cassette tools OpenSol includes no SOLOS ROM, vintage applications, download catalog, advertising, analytics, tracking, accounts, or network service. Users provide their own lawfully obtained compatible files. OpenSol is not affiliated with or endorsed by Processor Technology Corporation or any successor rights holder. Historical product names are used only to describe compatibility and historical context.

Screenshots

emu4 screens
OpenSol3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenSol at none against emu's 1. OpenSol also leads on device support (3 vs 1). emu's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 8 days). 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. emu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. OpenSol 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 emu against 5.0 for OpenSol. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

emu ships an update every 2 days, OpenSol every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
emu versus OpenSol: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteremuOpenSol
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size145 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCode and DESIGN inc.Jordan Ruderman

Customer experience

emu

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

OpenSol

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

In-app purchases

1 purchases

emu

One-time1
  • Hide Ads$4.99
None

OpenSol

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is emu free?
emu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenSol free?
OpenSol is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, emu or OpenSol?
emu and OpenSol are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do emu or OpenSol have ads?
Neither emu nor OpenSol shows ads.
Which is updated more often, emu or OpenSol?
emu ships an update every 2 days, and OpenSol every 8 days. Most recently, emu was updated on October 22, 2026 and OpenSol on October 8, 2026.

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