Game Emulators For Pc

Best Gameboy Advance Emulators for PC 2017. The GBA Emulators let you play all the Game Boy Advance games on your Windows PC with ease and also provide some features that were missing from the Handheld Console itself. 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.

Android emulators serve a variety of purposes: from developers testing apps to gamers playing on a large screen. Regular users also yearn to experience Android OS on a Windows PC, complimented with a mouse and keyboard. Some iOS emulators for PC and Mac are also available but Android ones offer better performance.

Maybe you are switching from iPhone to Android, or you merely want to test out a Custom ROM, the possibilities with Android Emulator are endless. While BlueStacks has always topped the list of phone emulators for PC, few others are catching up insanely fast. So, here is the list of the top Android Emulators for your Windows PC. Further down the article, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of these emulators in detail.

Top Android Emulators

Nox Player
BlueStacks
MEmu
Ko Player
Genymotion
Android Studio
Remix OS
ARChon
Bliss OS

Best Android Emulators for Your PC And Mac: 2019 Edition

1. Nox Player

Nox Player especially targets Android gamers. Although the emulator works perfectly fine for other Android apps and enjoying the whole Android experience, it is best suited for playing massive games like PUBG or Justice League. The best part of Nox Emulator is that it’s absolutely free with no sponsored ads at all.

The Nox Player allows you to map keys of Keyboard, Mouse, and Gamepad. You can even assign keyboard keys for gestures, for instance, mapping shortcut for swiping right.

Also, you can specify the CPU and RAM usage in the settings option to get the best gaming results. If rooting Android is your focus, Nox Player makes it easy to root the virtual device under one minute.

The only problem with Nox is that it puts a lot of load on the system. Thus, you can’t use tons of other apps. Another thing is it is based on Android 5 Lollipop which might be a concern for you.

Price: Free

Why use Nox Player?

Multiple windows on the single device
Mapping shortcuts on controllers
Easy to root

Also Read: Best Nintendo DS Emulators For PC To Play Pokemon Games

2. BlueStacks

Important: Dear readers, Occasionally we add affiliate links in our articles to support our work and pay the bills, but it doesn’t affect the independence of our coverage in any manner. Fossbytes has denied requests made by BlueStacks representatives on multiple occasions to place their product at the #1 position in exchange for higher affiliate payouts. They are still listed here because their product is good, but we believe that it’s important to highlight the unethical methods being practiced by companies in the technology industry.

BlueStacks is probably the most known Android emulator among Android users. The emulator is preferred for gaming and is ridiculously easy to set up. Other than Play Store, you have the option of downloading BlueStacks optimized apps from its own app store. Although, BlueStacks supports keyboard mapping but does not go well with gestures. A major drawback of BlueStacks emulator is that it gets sluggish in productivity apps. Other than that, the sponsored ads make the emulator lose behind other best free Android emulators for Windows.

Talking specifically about BlueStacks 4, it brings an excellent gaming performance, thanks to low CPU and memory usage. It also claims to be 6x faster than Samsung Galaxy S9+.

BlueStacks Android emulator is currently based on Android 7.1.2 (Nougat).

Price: Free/ Premium $24

Why use BlueStacks?

Easy to set up with no technical knowledge required
Multiple accounts support
Latest Android version

3. MEmu

MEmu is relatively a new app player in comparison to the others. Launched in 2015, the MeMu Play, again, is focused on gaming. Regarding the speed, this Android emulator gives similar results as Nox and BlueStacks.

One of the most important features of MeMu Android emulator is its support for both AMD and Nvidia chips. It also supports different Android versions like Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. While MeMu advocates for high-performance gaming, the graphics performance is relatively poor. I saw textures and smoothness missing in comparison to other app players.

MEmu is currently based on Android Lollipop and works top of the class with productivity apps. And if you are looking forward to playing games like Ingress or Pokémon Go, this should be your choice.

Price: Free

Why use MEmu?

Key Mapping
Set your virtual location on Google Maps
Support both AMD and NVidia

4. Ko Player

Just like other Android gaming emulators out there, Ko Player focuses on delivering lag-free gaming experience with a lightweight software.

As Ko Player is free of cost yet you might see few ads here and there. The app player is easy to install and navigate through the apps. It also supports keyboard mapping and gamepad emulation.

The downside of this Android emulator is that it sometimes freezes out of the blue. Also, the player is a little buggy and makes it difficult for the user to uninstall the Android emulator.

Price: Free

Why use Ko Player?

Simple UI
Set up any Android device
Easy to set up

Pokemon Game Emulators For Pc

5. Genymotion

Genymotion is not your casual Android emulator; it is only targeted at developers. The Android simulator lets you test apps on a variety of virtual devices with different versions of Android. The emulator is compatible with Android SDK and Android Studio. It even works macOS and Linux.

Since Genymotion is inclined towards developers, it is equipped with lots of developer-friendly features. And it might not be the right choice for people looking for Android gaming experience.

Price: Trail/Premium $136 per year.

Why use Genymotion?

Supports Android Studio
Runs on MacOs and Linux
Run versions from Android 4.1 to 8.0

6. Android Studio

Android Studio is a development IDE (Integrated development environment) from Google itself and especially caters to developers. It basically comes with a bunch of tools and plugins to help developers build and test their apps.

Android Studio has a built-in emulator but packs fewer features in comparison to Genymotion. The emulator is unquestionably not for general usage and playing heavy games. Android Studio is tough to set up but simultaneously favorite of many developers.

Price: Free

Why use Android Studio?

Google’s official emulator
Regular updates

7. Remix OS

Well, Remix OS is nothing like other Android emulators out there. It is an entire Android OS which you can boot into. Unlike the other emulators that can easily on top of the Window, Remix OS needs to be installed on a separate partition.

Remix OS is a Jide Technology product, a company formed by Google’s former employees. You can put Remix OS on a USB device and boot from there to any computer on the planet. The Android emulator is good for productivity apps but does not support heavy gaming.

Although Jide technology has killed its support, you can still download the last Android Marshmallow version. Meanwhile, a similar project known as Phoenix OS is being well-liked among the Remix OS fans. And recently, the project was updated to Android 7 Nougat.

Price: Free

Why use Remix OS?

Android OS experience
New file manager
Good for productivity apps

8. ARChon

ARChon is not some big shot Android emulator, nor it has a huge fan following, it’s more of a fix to run Android apps on Chrome OS.

It started out when Google brought support for two or three Android apps on Chrome Web Browser. Following which, a GitHub developer took it a little notch further and released ARChon to run all Android apps on Chrome.

The ARChon Android emulator is not suited for hardcore gaming, but it is excellent for using productivity app due to its easy access.

Price: Free

Why use ARChons?

Integrated into Chrome
No troublesome installation
Good for productivity apps

9. Bliss OS

Bliss OS is a little different from the above emulators. Where ‘Android Emulators’ emulate Android on your Windows PC, Bliss OS, on the other hand, is Android itself and needs to be installed as a separate OS.

As for its installation, you could use a Virtual Box or you can create a bootable USB drive and install the Bliss OS ROM on the external storage.

Now, installing Bliss OS or any other Android x86 based projects is always better if you are looking for the exact Android experience on your PC. Not to mention the fact is Bliss OS is open source and don’t encompass ads or any Android emulator clutter.

Price: Free

Why use Bliss OS?

Open-source and ad-free
Beta version running on Android 9 Pie
Supports Substratum Theme engine

Android Emulators that didn’t make it to the top

These are the some of the best Android emulators that you can run on your Windows 10. Before you install any of the above emulators, it is important to note that these emulators are not completely bug-free and may lag from time to time. Also, the performance of these app players would be based on the specification of your PC.

And here are few of the emulators who are no longer supported or have been shut down:

AMIDuOS
Remix OS
Leapdroid

I have restrained myself to put Andy in this list of top Android emulators since they were involved in some cheap tricks. Andy was accused of bitcoin mining on users PC without their consent. Do give the other recommended tools a try and share your views with us.

Also Read: 22 Best Android P Features: What’s New In The Latest Version?

Recently we covered the best Android emulators where we highlighted the features of most popular emulators for Android and today we come up the best GBA emulators or Gameboy advance emulators will allow you to play all-time favorite GBA games right on your PC. GBA was perhaps one of the most significant successes by Nintendo; allowing the gamers to play their favorite games anywhere they want.

In case you are wondering, GBA (Game Boy Advance) was an upgraded version of Game Boy Colour and was able to run games that were more advanced. The handheld also had better color quality and more powerful hardware.

Best GBA (Game Boy Advance) Emulators For PC 2019

These GBA emulators are specifically designed to let you play GBA games on PC (Windows) with ease, and will also give you some features that are otherwise missing from the handheld console.

mGBA – Best GBA Emulator For Windows PC

The first emulator on the list is called mGBA. Now the thing about these emulators is that they extend the support for the game beyond what is usually supported. So, when you decide to play GBA ROMS on PC, you get some additional features.

The additional features usually include the ability to save the game whenever you prefer. Some patches for games that do not run that well, and cheat code support as well. Some of the highlighted features of mGBA are listed below.

The emulator supports cheat codes.
It features the ability to override the game and enable ROM patches.

The good thing is that GBA is simple and easy to use, however, the simplicity comes the cost of lack of features. It is not a bad thing, but I believe there should have been at least some advance level features for the sake of it.
Pros

Supports a huge catalogue of GBA games.
Allows you to use cheat codes.
It is simple to setup, and simpler to use.

Cons

Lacks some of the advanced features.

VisualBoy Advance – Most Stable Gameboy Advance Emulator

VisualBoy Advance is the oldest Game Boy Advance emulator I can think off. This is the one emulator I used to use when I did not own a GBA. At that time, there used to be some lag on slower hardware, but almost everything is now optimized for the different hardware.

VisualBoy Advance comes full of features that people will never get in a standard handheld console. This truly changes the gaming experience on this emulator and lets people enjoy the game just how they want to.

The emulator supports all the older and modern operating system.
VisualBoy Advance has a lot of advanced features to make the experience better.

In simpler words, the VisualBoy Advance just might be the best GBA emulator that is available for use. It is completely free, gets constant updates, and allows you to play every GBA game on PC.
Pros

Allows you to save the game whenever you want.
Supports controllers and button remapping.
Take screenshots or record your gameplay.
Use cheat codes to make the experience fun.

Cons

Might not run well on the really old hardware.

Higan GBA Emulator For PC

Higan GBA Emulator is another great emulator that lets you play GBA games on PC. The emulator in nature is simplistic to its core, allowing it to run on almost all the hardware you throw at it.

The ease of use allows the user to control the emulator however they want. Apart from having support for just GBA games, Higan GBA Emulator also supports emulation for Famicom, Super Famicom, and Gameboy Colour, Sega Master System, Mega Drive, and even Game Gear.

Supports emulation for multiple console types.
Can be set up in a matter of few seconds.

While the emulator is definitely a great option, I ran into some audio lag during my time with it. Albeit the issue was limited to a few games, it was still there and must be pointed out.
Pros

Supports a vast majority of ROMS to emulate.
The emulator is not difficult to setup at all.
Offers enhanced color reproduction.

Cons

The sound is a bit laggy in some games.

No$GBA Emulator – Best to run GBA ROMS

No Cash GBA or No$GBA Emulator is a rather popular emulator for GBA that found a lot of relevance, and fame due to the unconventional name. However, the name is not the only thing that the emulator has to show you.

Apart from just being able to run GBA games, the emulator can also run Nintendo DS games. While the DS part is still not getting proper development and perfection, there are several games that work perfectly.

The emulator can emulate both GBA and DS games.
Allows the use of the controller.
Lets the user configure the game any way they want.

There is no denying that No$GBA Emulator is a pretty powerful emulator that covers the majority of emulation with great ease. While it is not able to run all the DS games properly, every game on GBA can be played with ease.
Pros

The emulator has great optimization.
Runs both GBA and NDS games.
Allows support for a controller.

Cons

Not all NDS games run properly.

BatGBA – Great Emulator To Run GBA Games on PC

If you are looking for a GBA emulator that focuses on simplicity more than anything, you are looking at one right here. The BatGBA is perhaps the simplest GBA emulator in the list. So much so that you do not get a lot of advanced options.

The emulator takes a very small amount of space, and runs on almost any hardware with great ease. The emulator has been out for about a decade, and allows the user to play all commercial and noncommercial GBA games with ease.

Retro Game Emulators For Pc

No nonsense installation.
Support for all the non-commercial and commercial GBA games.

I cannot really complain a lot about the emulator as it does what it is supposed to do. It is sad that such a lightweight emulator lacks some of the advanced features, but that is how it is.
Pros

Best Game Emulators For Pc

The emulator is perfect for people who want simplicity.
Does not require a lot of knowledge.
Runs every GBA game.

Cons

The emulator has no advanced features whatsoever.

Conclusion

Best Game Emulators For Pc 2019

The good thing is that all the best GBA emulators are free, and will let you play GBA games on PC without any issue whatsoever. There are a few in the bunch that is not as good, however, while creating this list, I made sure that I test all the emulators that I list here.

The emulators that are on the list have gone through proper testing to make sure that they run all the games there are without crashing. While it was impossible for me to test the entire GBA catalog there is, I did test the games that were more demanding in a way.