Can you run Android apps on a PC or Mac? Apple will tell you that you can’t. But in truth, if you get a decent emulator, you can run Android apps and games on both Windows and Mac.
But how do you find a decent emulator? There are so many to choose from. Rather than experiment with random emulators, some of which may infect your PC with malware, you might as well choose an emulator from this list:
List of Best Android Emulator for PC (Low/High-end)
1. BlueStacks
You cannot talk about Android emulators without mentioning BlueStacks. This is easily the best emulator in the world. It guarantees amazing graphics and smooth performance. You can play multiple games at the same time. Gamers will appreciate the live recording and replay features.
The Android Emulator can be run in a variety of configurations to simulate different devices. Each configuration is called a virtual device. When you deploy and test your app on the emulator, you select a pre-configured or custom virtual device that simulates a physical Android device such as a Nexus or Pixel phone. Allows you to use Android apps on Windows. The Andy Android emulator allows you to use android apps on Windows! Do you ever get frustrated with the small screen on your phone when playing games. Android Emulators are required to play android apps on windows.Here, we listed 9 top free android emulator for PC Windows as well as MAC. The Best Android Emulators (FREE, Mac, PC & More!) We’ve tested and reviewed the best Android emulators, and are bringing you our top picks for 2020. Most worked flawlessly, but a few emulators got sneaky and installed programs in the background of.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Safe
- It is compatible with numerous Android apps
Cons
- It requires a computer with good specs. It is slow on computers that don’t have enough ram.
2. Nox Player
If you can’t use BlueStacks, Nox Player is a great alternative. It allows gamers to use external controllers. You can also customize your keyboard and mouse controls.
Despite all the features it brings to the table, the emulator is free to use. You can use it to record gameplay.
Pros
- You can play multiple games at the same time
- Free
- Easy to use
- You can customize your controls
3. Game Loop
This is another free emulator that people use to play games like Call of Duty Mobile. You don’t have to register or open an account to use the emulator. Developed by Tencent, you can only find it on the Game Loop website. You cannot download it from the Google Play Store. But this is a minor inconvenience.
Pros Red dead redemption free pc.
- The emulator guarantees the security of your data
- It is free
- You can play high-end games like Call of Duty and PUBG
Cons
- It doesn’t support other types of apps
4. Android Studio
This emulator was created with developers in mind. Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, it has a code emulator and compiler. You can still use it as an Android emulator. It will download and run Android apps. But it also doubles as an app development tool.
Pros
- It supports app development
- It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- You can use the logcat tool to identify runtime errors
Cons
- It is slow on older machines. You need a laptop with decent specs
5. Andy
This is a simple emulator that can sync across your connected devices, simplifying the process of transferring apps from your android device to the emulator on your computer. You can also download apps from a desktop browser on a mac.
The emulator is free despite all the features it offers. It can run hundreds of games.
Pros
- You play games on a computer using your mobile phone as the controller
- You can access social media and messaging apps
- It supports PlayStation and Xbox controllers
- Easy to use
Cons
- The setup file is large
6. Genymotion
This is a great emulator for developers that want to test their apps before they upload them to an app store. The emulator allows visitors to use it for 60 minutes for free.
Once that period expires, they must pay 5 cents per minute. It has over three thousand Android devices for developers to choose from. Genymotion isn’t for gamers. You can’t download games.
Pros
- It is compatible with Eclipse and Android Studio
- It can emulate thousands of Android device configurations
- You can use the webcam on a desktop to record screencasts.
Cons
- It isn’t cheap
- You can’t play games
7. Prime OS
This emulator has a desktop interface that gives users access to a whole slew of Android applications. It makes dual-booting easy (Just one click). Unlike Genymotion, Prime OS provides a memorable gaming experience.
Pros
- Promises a better performance than its rivals
- Great gaming experience
- Dual boot with a single click
Cons
- It doesn’t have official support
- It runs the Android LTS build which is dated
8. ARChon
This is a free emulator that works on windows, mac, and Linux. Rather than an independent program, ARChon is a Chrome extension. It takes a while to master the emulator. But on the positive side, as an extension, the emulator is as lightweight as they come. It supports every Android system. You can run applications and play games.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Installation is easy because the emulator is a browser extension
- You can run apps and play games
Cons
- The emulator is complicated. It may take beginners a while to understand the process of editing APK files.
9. Ko Player
This free emulator will bring all the applications, features, and functions of an Android device to your Windows or macOS computer. It has an intuitive user interface and functions that enable users to record videos. You can play games using the keyboard and mouse or a gamepad. For the most part, it is lag-free.
Pros
- It doesn’t have ads despite being free
- You can record and share gameplay
- The emulator is safe and secure
Cons
- The design requires additional refinement
10. Bliss
Bliss isn’t an ordinary emulator. If you boot your computer from a USB stick, Bliss will run your computer. Though, the USB installation method is complicated and not worth it for people that do not understand what they are doing.
The open-source emulator has numerous customization and power-saving options.
Pros
- The emulator has reliable security features
- It can reduce your battery consumption
- It can run your computer
Cons
- The taskbar has problems
- The sleep state is unreliable
Related: Droid4X Emulator for low-end PCs
Conclusion
Despite what some people think, emulators are not illegal. You can use them to run Android apps and games on your PC and Mac without facing any legal repercussions. The applications above are definitely the best android emulators for PC and Mac on the internet.
They stand out because they have been thoroughly tested. Some emulators, such as BlueStacks, have stood the test of time. People trust them because they have spent so many years providing a reliable service. If you need an Android emulator for your PC and Mac, one of the options above will satisfy your needs.
Here is the Top 15 PC Emulators for Mac
1.Virtual PC for Mac
This software lets you run Windows software on your Mac and gives you the freedom to run programs specifically meant for Windows OS. This helps a computer user from possessing two different machines running on two different OS or even completely changing the OS. In this way, the user saves money and time. The user can use Microsoft virtul PC for Mac 7.0.
Link :http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=7833
2.XBOX emulator for Mac
For playing XBOX, the most widely used emulator is XeMu360 emulator. This is a new software and it supports all XBOX games. This is a powerful emulator which can give you the joy of enjoying your game flawlessly.
Link :http://xbox360emulator.net/download.html
3.Playstation Emulators
PCSX-Reloaded is the best emulator for playstation games. This emulator is an open source software and gives you the compatibility with all Mac OS. Recently it has modified its installation process as well, making the process simpler and easier. You can keep all your playstation games in a folder and after installing PCSX-Reloaded you can drag and drop the game and play. It has a built-in BIOS and the ability to edit memory cards.
Link :http://pcsxr.codeplex.com/downloads/get/722143
4.Nintendo 64 Emulator for Mac
Mupen64 is the most popular emulator for Nintendo 64 .This is by far the most stable and compatible emulator. This is a cross-platform plug in-based N64 emulator which is capable of playing most of the games accurately. However, the user must install a GTK+ for the emulator to work properly. GTK+ is a graphical toolkit which helps in processing the graphics. It stays in the background and manages the graphics of the N64 ROMS.
Link :http://mupen64plus.software.informer.com/download/
5.GameCube and Wii games emulator for Mac
By far, Dolphin is the best game emulator for GameCube, Wii and Triforce games. It is compatible with multiple platforms including Mac. Another advantage is it is open source and free to use.For Mac, it works for OS 10.6 to 10.8 and is user friendly. The user may have to use a specific BIOS file which almost always comes with the ROM . Once you start playing, Dolphin automatically senses the file and starts playing it.
Link :https://dolphin-emu.org/download/?ref=btn
6.OpenEmu
OpenEmu is one if the most reliable emulator for Mac OS 10.7 and up. It is extremely user friendly and has an iTunes type menu. This is one emulator which can sense the emulations and detect them as per the requirement.
As of now, OpenEmu supports a number of consoles; few are numbered below:
- Game Boy
- NeoGeo Pocket
- Game Gear
- Sega Genesis and many more
Link :http://coolrom.com/emulators/mac/35/OpenEmu.php
7.RetroArch
It is an all-in-one emulator which can help the user to play almost any retro game. It can play PlayStation 1 and older games and in handheld game console it supports Game Boy Advance games. It is based on cores with each core emulating a console.
Link :http://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/
8.PPSSPP
Playstation Portable Simulator Suitable for Playing Portably is an emulator for playing PSP games. It was created by Dolphin developers and is widely used. It is easy to install and use. It supports a large number of PSP games.
Android Phone Emulator For Mac Computer
Link :http://www.ppsspp.org/downloads.html
9.ScummVM
This one is for those users who are fond of playing the point-and-click games. This is designed specifically for them. It is named as such, because it uses Scumm scripting language. It supports many adventure games like Monkey Island 1-3, Sam & Max and many more.
Link :http://scummvm.org/downloads/
10.DeSmuME
It helps the users to play with the dual screens of Nintendo, simulating dual screen on the monitor. It also supports games that play on the devices sideways. It is being constantly developed by developers adding new features to it on a regular basis and it has around for long. Over the years, it has developed into a flawless program.
Link :http://desmume.org/download/
11.DosBox
This is developed to run DOS based programs. There are many DOS based games which are still quite popular among users. So in order to make those available, this emulator is designed. All those DOS based games which have been kept unused can be given a try using this emulator.
Link :http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
12.Xamarian Android Player for Mac
This is another Android emulator which supports a variety of devices. It supports OpenGL and virtualizes a device instead of simply emulating it. This way, it greatly enhances the performance of the device. Xamarin Android Player has great integration with Visual Studio and Xamarin Studio and is a native user interface.
Android Phone Emulator For Mac Windows 10
Link :https://xamarin.com/android-player
Android Phone Emulator For Mac Computers
13.PS3 Emulator for Mac
PS3 emulator is the next generation emulator which allows the user to play Palystation 3 games absolutely free. And it gives the user the complete freedom to choose the PS3 games and play those on his Mac or PC.
Link :http://mediafiles.us/yWkkdj
14.iOS emulator
Android Phone Emulator For Mac Computer
It is not easy to run an iPad application on a Mac. The best solution is to download a simulator, which can help the user to use iPad applications on a Mac. Thebest one that is currently available is called iPadian. This is based on Adobe AIR and creates an iPad style interface on the Mac. This is a very good simulator, which can make the iPad applications to look almost similar on the Mac.
Link :http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/download/system-desktop-tools/ipadian-02-3249967/
15.Visual Boy Advance
Visual Buy Advance is also known as Mac Boy advance plays almost all games of Nintendo consoles. This GBA is written specifically for OS X and has a very high degree of compatibility.
Android Emulator For Mac Big Sur
Link :http://m.en.softonic.com/app/visualboyadvance/mac/download