Play apk on PC with best Android Emulator - free Nox App Player. Be compatible with Windows, and faster and more stable than Bluestacks.
Nowadays gaming has evolved from the old pixelated graphics to almost life-like visuals. However, great graphics doesn’t always mean that the games will be better. There were times when even the games with most pixelated graphics would offer one of the greatest experiences of your life. Consoles in the older days didn’t focus much on graphics because it was all about gameplay and stories in the games. If you want to experience how it was like to play a game on old-school consoles then you don’t need to buy individual consoles anymore because now you can enjoy all the goodness of these consoles right on your PC. All you need are emulators that would emulate your preferred consoles without any problems. Below are the best emulators for PC that will let you enjoy some of the best games in the gaming history.
Sony
Playstation (PS1 & PSX)
If you have been missing the classic games that you enjoyed on the first generation of Sony’s popular Playstation consoles then you will be glad to know that you can still enjoy some of the classic titles on your computer. All you need in order to play the amazing Playstation 1 and PSX games on your computer is a simple emulator that emulates all the old-school games without any problems. It’s pretty hard to find the best emulator out there so we went out and found the perfect one for you so you don’t have to do it yourself. Just download and install the amazing ePSXe emulator on your computer and enjoy all the classic PS1 & PSX games on your computer. Most of the games are compatible with the emulator and more are being added to the compatibility list each day. You can map your controller in the emulator and enjoy the games as if you were playing it on the console itself.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux
Playstation 2 (PS2)
The iconic Playstation 2 needs no introduction because anyone who’s remotely interested in gaming already knows what an outstanding console the Playstation 2 was in its days. If you missed out on this glorious console back in the golden days then fret not because you still have a shot at redemption and you can get to enjoy all the amazing games this great console has to offer. You don’t have to buy a used Playstation 2 off of eBay because you can now just download and install the amazing PCSX2 and emulate all the games that were available for this console. The PCSX2 will emulate almost all of the games that were released on the PS2. You will still need to buy the games so you can play them in this emulator, but at least you don’t have to shell out any money for the console.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac
Playstation Portable (PSP)
Playstation Portable commonly known as PSP is one of the best handheld consoles ever created in the gaming world. It’s powerful features made it possible to play some of the greatest games with amazing graphics on the go. If you want to enjoy the amazing games and titles the PSP had to offer back in the days then you can do that now easily by downloading the PPSSPP emulator on your computer. The best thing about this emulator is the fact that you can even download it on your smartphones like Android, iOS, etc and enjoy all the PSP games on the go. You will need a powerful smartphone that is capable of handling all the graphically intensive games available on the PSP.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac
Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
The old-school days of amazing games and 32-bit games, no one can ever forget such wonderful days in the gaming history. If you had always wanted to own a SNES when you were a child but couldn’t get it for any reason then you did miss out on some of the best games of the century, however, all’s not lost yet. We have the best emulator for SNES that will fulfil your desire to play some of the best SNES games on your computer. Just download and install ZSNES emulator on your PC and enjoy all the greatest titles that the Super Nintendo has to offer. You don’t want to miss out on the greatest hits like, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, All-Star Mario, and many more.
Update: If ZSNES seems too old and outdated for you then don’t worry because we have a much newer alternaative for you (Thanks to our reader, Michael). Download ZMZ emulator which offers the same GUI as ZSNES but uses a much better emulation technology
Compatibility: Windows, Linux
GameBoy Color/Advance (GBC/GBA)
Nintendo knows how to make people buy their handhelds. All they have to do is release another Pokemon, Smash Bros., or Zelda game and people start buying their consoles like they are hot cakes. Well, if you want to play the classic games that were launched for the original GameBoy or the GameBoy color then you don’t have to look any further. All you have to do is just download the Visualboy Advance a.k.a VBA emulator and enjoy the amazing games. In addition to that you can also enjoy the amazing GameBoy Advance games on this emulator such as Pokemon Emerald, Legend of Zelda Minnish Cap, etc. This single emulator plays all the GameBoy games from the original to the advance smoothly and without any problems at all.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux
Nintendo DS
This has been a very hard find, but we’ve still managed to find the two best emulators to play all the Nintendo DS games that you have wanted to play for a long time. All the titles available on the Nintendo DS are not yet playable but by switching between these two emulators you can play a lot of DS games without any problems. Download No$GBA or DeSmuME on your device and enjoy the great games available for the Nintendo DS. No$GBA has more games that are compatible with the emulator, however, some games that are not compatible with the emulator may work on DeSmuMe, so it’s always safer to have both of these emulators installed on your PC at the same time, it doesn’t cost you anything anyways. Both of these emulators are available for free.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64 was the most advanced Nintendo console with superior graphics for its time. It wasn’t only better in terms of graphics and power but also it had one of the greatest games lineups in the gaming history. With classics like Golden Eye, Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, and Mario Kart, Nintendo 64 is definitely one of the most amazing consoles with a list of awesome game titles. If you want to enjoy all these games without having to own a Nintendo 64 console then you will need an emulator on your PC for this purpose. Fortunately for you, we have 2 different emulators for you instead of one. Project64 and Mupen64+. Both these emulators work flawlessly on all devices, so you don’t have to worry about choosing between them. You can choose any one of the above and you will be able to enjoy all the games available for Nintendo 64 on your PC. Attach a controller to your PC for some added advantage and extra fun.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac
Sega
Sega Mega Drive II (Sega Genesis)
The console that introduced us to Sonic The Hedgehog and his friends. The console that started a war with Nintendo and gave it a run for its money. Sega Genesis was one of the most successful consoles back in the day and it made Sega one of the gaming giants in those days. There is a plethora of amazing games that deserve to be played on this console and if you didn’t own one back in the day then you definitely have to play those games right now. Even if you owned one then you know how great these games were and it wouldn’t hurt to try them out again on your computer. Just download Kega emulator on your computer and start playing some of the classic gems from the golden era of gaming.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Sandbox Games Like Minecraft
The software mentioned above are only emulators and these don’t come with any type of games or software. You must own the game in order to play it with any one of the emulators. There are different ways of acquiring games, but we totally advise against any illegal means to acquire games or ROMs for such games. You can always rip your own games from the discs that you own. If you are planning to use any of the above-mentioned emulators then feel free to let us know which games you would be playing in the comments below. What are your favorite games for each console? Let us know by sharing them in the comment section.
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There are a lot of valid reasons why someone would want to run Android emulators on their PC. App developers may be trying to test their application before shipping it out. Gamers may want to use a mouse and keyboard on their games. Maybe you just want it there to have it. In any case, Android emulation on PC is possible and we’re going to take a look at the best Android emulators for PC. Please note, the process can get quite technical and some of these require some technical knowledge. The market slowed down a lot in recent years with many old favorites (Andy, AmiduOS, and Leapdroid) permanently leaving the space or becoming unusable without tons of issues. You can find out about their fates at the bottom of the article.
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Who uses emulators?
There are three main uses for emulators. The first is the most common and it’s for gaming. Gamers can use emulators on their computers to make some games easier to play. They don’t have to rely on the battery life of their devices and the existence of macros and other tricks help the process. In most cases, these little tricks aren’t illegal (in most games) so nobody really has a problem with it. The best Android emulators for gaming include Bluestacks, MeMu, KoPlayer, and Nox.
The second most common use case is development. Android app and game developers like to test apps and games on as many devices a possible before launch. Usually the Android Studio emulator is fine for this kind of work. However, Xamarin and Genymotion are excellent for this type of use as well.
The final main type is productivity. This isn’t nearly as common because Chromebooks are cheaper and better for using Android apps on something other than a phone and most productivity tools are cross-platform. Any gaming emulator works as a productivity emulator to an extent. However, those with hyper specific use cases and a little knowledge can try ARChon and Bliss. The full list is below. Enjoy!
Android Studio's emulator
Android Studio is the default development console for Android. It comes with a bunch of tools to help developers make apps and games specifically for Android. As it turns out, there is also a built-in emulator that you can use to test out your app or game. The setup is rather complicated and it can take a long time. Thus, it's not one we would recommend for consumer level use. However, developers can simply use this tool as their emulator for testing their apps. It also supports Kotlin in case developers want to try that out. It's too much of a pain for regular people, but it's excellent for developers.
ARChon
ARChon isn't a traditional emulator. You install it as a Google Chrome extension. It then gives Chrome the ability to run Android apps and games (albeit with limited support). It's not an easy emulator to get running. You'll have to install the thing to Chrome. From there, you have to obtain APKs and load them in. As an added rub, you may need to use a tool to change the APK in order to make it compatible. There are a lot more steps to make this work than most other Android emulators for PC. On the plus side, though, it works with any operating system that can run an instance of Chrome (Mac OS, Linux, Windows, etc). We linked to the official GitHub where you can find detailed instructions for its use.
Bliss
Bliss is something a little bit different. It works as an Android emulator for PC via virtual machine. However, it can also just flat run on your computer through a USB stick. This is definitely a power user option and not recommended for simple. As a VM install, the process is fairly simple, if tedious. The USB installation method is even more complicated, but it lets your computer actually run Android natively from boot. That makes Bliss a super unique emulator if you can make it through the steps to the end. Of course, it only really runs well if your system is compatible so be prepared with a backup of your current operating system. The system runs Android Oreo and that's among the newer versions of Android offered on an emulator. This is a bit of a diamond in the rough, but again, we only recommend this one to the tech savvy.
Bluestacks 4
Bluestacks is the most mainstream of all Android emulators. There are several reasons for that. For starters, it's compatible with Windows and Mac. It was also one of the first that worked really well that still gets regular updates. The emulator targets mobile gamers. There is a stigma with Bluestacks because it can feel a little bloated at times. Bluestacks 4 (launched in 2018) aimed to fix that with mixed results. However, it has the ability to launch multiple instances so you can play multiple games at once (or the same game multiple times). It also includes key-mapping and settings for many games installed. That should help make things much easier. It's one of the heaviest emulators on the list. However, it also has the most features for better or for worse. Recent updates put Bluestacks at Android 7.1.2 (Nougat), one of the most recent of any emulator. The update to Bluestacks 4 also improved speed, even on older computers. It should work well on most reasonably recent computers and laptops.
Stock your emulator with only the best Android apps and games!
15 best Android apps of 2019!
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Droid4X
Droid4X is currently available, but it's a tough one to recommend. It's one of the classic Android emulators for PC and t features a simple design that should easily work for a lot of people. It markets itself towards gamers and boasts support for simpler, casual games. However, like most Android emulators, you can do productivity stuff if you want to. This one is not in active development anymore. Its last update was March 28th, 2016. Thus, we recommend you tread with caution as this could be a buggy and unstable product. Droid4x is also Mac compatible. We have the Windows version linked up, so Mac users will need to search a bit for it.
Genymotion
This Android emulator is mostly for developers. It lets you test your apps on a variety of devices without owning them. You can configure the emulator for a variety of devices with various versions of Android to help suit your needs. For instance, you can run a Nexus One with Android 4.2 or a Nexus 6 with Android 6.0. You can easily switch between virtual devices at will. It’s not great for consumer uses, but Genymotion does offer their services for free for personal use. It's most useful feature is its availability on both your desktop computer and the cloud. Those without powerful computers can make Genymotion's servers do all the work for them.
KoPlayer
KoPlayer is a newer Android emulator for PC (comparatively speaking). It has also managed to fly under most radars until recently. Its main focus is for gaming. You'll be able to use key-mapping to emulate a controller with your keyboard. Players will also be able to record game play and upload it wherever they want. The install process is easy enough and it seems to work okay. It runs in a virtual machine like most other Android emulators for PC. It's a middle of the road option and it's also usable for productivity. There is the occasional but, but most emulators on the list have them. It's not bad for a free option.
MEmu
MEmu is another of the up and coming Android emulators that seems to do quite well with gamers. One of its biggest features is support for both AMD and Intel chipsets. Most work on AMD processors, but it's nice to see developers specifically pay attention to AMD's platform. Additionally, it supports Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. You can even run multiple instances at once for multiple games or testing features. It aims itself at gamers much like Bluestacks and similar emulators. However, it's also quite usable as a productivity tool as well. Its most recent update was in late December 2018 according to its blog and that means its development is still in full swing. We appreciate that.
Nox
Nox is another Android emulator for PC for gamers. That includes the usual stuff like key-mapping with your keyboard, actual controller support, and even the ability to key-map gesture controls. For instance, you can assign the function to swipe right to an arrow key and use that in a game without actual hardware controller support. It’s a lot of fun and seems to work rather well most of the time. It’s also entirely free and in active development. The demo video below is rather old and it definitely ran better than that on my laptop.
We've got a couple more app lists if you're looking for some good stuff!
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PrimeOS
PrimeOS is kind of a standout in the Android emulator space. It's not actually an emulator. You install this as a partition on your computer and it boots up running native Android. It's a gamer-focused Android experience, although you can totally use this for productivity if you really want to. PrimeOS includes a gaming center, support for mouse and keyboard, and access to most Android apps and games. To be frank, it almost runs like ChromeOS minus all the Chrome parts. You can multitask, watch video content, or play games as you choose. We haven't tested this one in-depth yet as it is new in 2019 from an Indian start-up. We'll update the article if we noticed anything peculiar about it.
Remix OS Player
Remix OS Player by Jide is one of the newer Android emulators for PC (comparatively speaking). It runs Android Marshmallow and that's still relatively new compared to many of the others on the list. The installation process is pretty simple and using it also fairly easy. It caters mostly to gamers. There are a few gamer specific features along with a customizable toolbar. It boasts features like running multiple games at once. That said, it's a fairly clean emulator so it's still perfectly usable as a productivity tool. The site runs a little slow, though, and it hasn't received a substantial update in a while and its social media accounts have been inactive since 2017. We're concerned about this one in the long term, but it still works for now.
Xamarin
Xamarin is an IDE similar to Android Studio. The difference is that it can plug into things like Microsoft Visual Studio for an even larger development environment (for better or for worse). Also, like the Android Studio, this comes with a built-in emulator for app or game testing. In case it wasn't readily apparent, we only recommend this one to developers. The setup is simply too tedious for regular consume use. Xamarin's emulator is not as powerful as something like Genymotion, but it'll get the job done if you intend on using this and it's also configurable for your needs. It's free for personal use. Companies and larger teams may have to negotiate a payment plan.
YouWave
YouWave is one of the older Android emulators for PC. It's been around for a long time. Its last update was in 2016, though. That makes it fairly current. The free version uses Ice Cream Sandwich. Forking out the $29.99 will get you the Lollipop version. We didn't experience any major issues with either one. The installation process was easy enough. It doesn't have any game specific features but it will still play games. That makes it good for light gaming and productivity. We haven't seen a meaningful update in quite a long time, though, so even its Lollipop version is woefully out of date. We don't recommend the premium version, but the free version works nicely for those who want an older emulator that runs older Android.
Make Your Own
As it turns out, you can build your own emulator. Here's how it works. You need to download VirtualBox (linked above). You then have to download an image from Android-x86.org. From there, it's just a matter of finding one of the many guides online and following the steps. This is easily one of the more difficult methods, but still not quite as tedious or difficult as setting up a whole IDE like Android Studio or Xamarin. We don't recommend you try without a tutorial and a little prior knowledge. It won't work well, it'll be buggy, and unless you're a coder, it'll be difficult to fix. Still, it'll be yours to customize as you please and who knows, maybe you'll make and release an emulator that'll adorn this list someday.
Thanks for reading! Here are a few more app lists to check out!
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10 best cloud storage services and apps for Android!
If we missed any of the best Android emulators for PC, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists! Here are what happened to some old classics from the list:
- Leapdroid was purchased by Google and no longer operates.
- AMIDuOS closed its doors officially on March 7th, 2018. Those who bought it can still get an installer if you follow this link and follow the instructions.
- Andy began using some seriously not great development tactics, including suspected bitcoin mining without user permission. Until they get their stuff together, they are exempt from this list.
- Most of the rest simply haven’t been updated or in active development in years and don’t really work well anymore with newer operating systems and hardware.