♞ Coming up on 9TO5Linux ♞ Best Android Emulators for PC and Mac In 2022
The emulators presented in this list are all unique and serve their own purpose.
Some are obviously better than the others, but each one has a place
on this list. You might find an emulator which is more suitable for your needs.
BlueStacks (most popular Android emulator) BlueStacks is the most popular Android emulator
for PCs. It is preferred for gaming and is ridiculously easy to set up. Other
than the Google Play Store, you have the option to download optimized apps from its own app store.
As for gaming performance, it outperforms several other Android emulators. However,
you would still notice lags, especially on underpowered PCs. That being said,
it’s still one of the best Android emulators for PCs, especially if you are new to emulators.
BlueStacks Android emulator is currently based on
Android 7.1.2 (Nougat). Price: Free/ Premium $24
Pros Easy to set up with
no technical knowledge required Multiple account support
Best all-rounder Android Emulator Cons
Does not perform well on low-end PCs Needs at least 4GB of RAM to function smoothly
Nox Player (Best Emulator for PC) Nox Player specifically targets Android gamers.
While the emulator is excellent for using Android apps and enjoying the whole Android experience,
it is best suited for playing massive games like PUBG or Justice League.
It’s one of the best Android emulators for gaming.
The Nox Player allows you to map the keys of the keyboard, mouse, and gamepad. You
can even assign keyboard keys for gestures, for instance, mapping shortcuts or for swiping right.
You can also specify your CPU and RAM usage in the settings to get the best gaming results.
The Android emulator is based on Android 5 Lollipop, which might be a concern for many. While
it’s still free, the emulator comes bundled with unwanted software that users have described as
“difficult to delete.” Several popular antiviruses have described Nox system files as suspicious.
Price: Free Pros
Multiple windows on a single device Mapping shortcuts on controllers
Easy to root Stunning UI
Cons Poor security protocols and sketchy unknown files
Laggy when multiple windows are open
GameLoop (Tencent Gaming Buddy) Game Loop, previously known as
Tencent Gaming Buddy, recently made it to the best Android emulators for PCs,
thanks to exclusive support for Call of Duty Mobile. Before the launch of COD, the emulator
for Android only supported PUBG and a bunch of gaming titles from the Tencent Developer.
GameLoop is truly dedicated to Android gaming, hence the lack of support for other Android apps.
But the silver lining is that GameLoop is one of the best Android emulators
for Android gaming. You will notice the lack of numerous good gaming titles right away, not to
mention that the Gameloop Android emulator cannot be used for testing and other Android apps.
Price: Free Pros
Excellent keyboard and mouse integration Call of Duty and PUBG’s official partner
Great performance Cons
Limited to gaming Apps not related to gaming don’t run well
MEmu (Windows) MEmu is relatively a new app player in comparison
to the others. Launched in 2015, the MeMu Play, again, is focused on gaming. Regarding speed,
this Android emulator gives similar results as Nox and BlueStacks. One of the most important features
of the MeMu Android emulator is its support for both AMD and Nvidia chips.
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. Overall, it’s the best Android emulator if you want to experience Android on a PC.
Price: Free Pros
Key Mapping Set up your virtual location on Google Maps
Support both AMD and NVidia Cons
Limited to gaming Needs a decent PC
Android Studio (Windows, Mac, Linux) Android Studio is a development IDE
(Integrated development environment) from Google 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 a favorite of many developers.
Price: Free Pros
Google’s official emulator Regular updates
Cons Tough setup
Not for gaming Needs a decent PC
Genymotion (best Android emulator for Linux) Genymotion is not your casual Android emulator
for PCs; 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 on 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
to test Android apps on their PC. Price: Trail/Premium $136 per year.
Pros Supports Android Studio
Runs on MacOs and Linux Run versions from Android 4.1 to 8.0
Cons Not for gaming
No Play Store Requires VirtualBox to be installed
Phoenix OS (Windows)
Phoenix OS is one of the newer emulators in the market right now and runs on x86 OS.
It can run Android 7.1, which is quite rare as most emulators can only run older versions.
It is good for both gaming as well as productivity due to its simple user interface.
In terms of gaming, it is capable of running high-definition games
with high-speed performance. It also has multi-function support for gamers.
The emulator is great for those who have low-end PCs as even then, it can run games at 30+ FPS.
Pros Low system requirements
Simple user interface Cons
Only available for windows Supported through ads
PrimeOS (Windows, Mac) PrimeOS is the perfect alternative
for people that have been following RemixOS. The open-source Androidx86 based OS
can be booted using a USB drive, or dual booted on a PC. Gaming performance is good,
but the true potential of the emulator is to provide an Android-like experience on the desktop.
Due to its stunning UI and Android support, the Android Emulator is
comparable to ChromeOS in several instances. In our in-depth review, PrimeOS came out
as a powerful alternative for Bluestacks and other best Android emulators for PCs. Coming
into gaming with heavy usage, PrimeOS features multi-window support and keyboard mapping
in games. Having said that, you would certainly see lags in graphically intense games.
Pros Best overall Android experience
Beautiful user-interface Multi-window support
Cons Lots of ads
Google Play service not updated Not all games are supported
Large file size AndY (Windows, Mac)
AndY is an Android emulator based on VMWare Player.
It is primarily made for Android gaming and supports both Xbox and PlayStation controllers.
It even allows our phone to act as a joystick. AndY is also great in terms of storage capacity
and can run nearly all apps imaginable. However, it does come with its disadvantages,
the most prevalent being that it was last updated in 2018.
Due to this, there are some bugs and inconsistencies here and there. However,
the application was previously accused of bitcoin mining on users’ PCs without their consent.
Pros Supports remapping of keyboard keys
Landscape and portrait mode
Emulates Android 7.1 Cons
Takes up too much space APK files not supported
LD Player (Windows) A fairly new Android emulator for PCs in
the market— LD Player prides itself on providing fast gaming performance and game optimization. It
supports essentials such as keyboard mapping, gamepad support, high-fps gaming, etc.
LD Player runs on Android Nougat 7.1, and the phone emulator is only available on Windows.
Regarding gaming performance, LD Player manages to hold out well against Nox
player and Bluestacks while playing PUBG. However, it wasn’t able to beat Gameloop.
Pros Customize resource allocation
Easy to access Android shortcuts
Cons Less features compared to others
ARChon (Windows, Mac, Linux) 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 when Google brought support for two or three Android apps on Chrome Web Browser.
Following this, the GitHub developer took it a little notch further and released it to run
all Android apps on Chrome. The ARChon Android emulator is not suited for hardcore gaming,
but it is excellent for getting Android apps on PC
due to its easy access. Price: Free
Pros Integrated into Chrome
Good for productivity apps Cons
Minimum developer support Rare updates
Bliss OS (Windows, Linux) 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 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 project
is always better if you are looking for the exact Android experience on your PC. Not to
mention that Bliss OS is open source and doesn’t encompass ads or any Android emulator clutter.
Price: Free Pros
Open-source and ad-free Beta version running on Android 9 Pie
Substratum Theme Engine Support Cons
Bugs and errors not fixed Not compatible with Apple products
KOPlayer (Windows, Mac) Like other Android gaming emulators out there,
Ko Player focuses on delivering a lag-free gaming experience with lightweight software. As Ko Player
is free of cost yet, you might see a 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.
It’s a good Android emulator for PCs but doesn’t stand out in the competition.
Price: Free Pros
Simple UI Set up any Android device
Easy to set up Cons
No customization options for usability
Remix OS (Windows) Remix OS is nothing like other Android
emulators out there. It is an entire Android OS that you can boot into. Unlike other emulators
that can easily be on top of the Window, Remix OS needs to be installed on a separate partition.
Although Jide technology has killed its support, you can still download the latest
Android Marshmallow version. Meanwhile, a similar project known as Phoenix OS is being well-liked
among Remix OS fans. And recently, developers have updated the project to Android 7 Nougat.
If you want to experience Android apps on PC, these two might be the perfect fit for you.
Price: Free
Pros Android OS experience
New file manager Good for productivity apps
MuMu App Player (Windows) After seeing overwhelming adware even among the
best emulators for PCs (Nox, Bluestacks), users are on the lookout for some good alternatives,
and Netease’s MuMu appears to have clicked with several.
Recently updated with English language support, the Android emulator for Windows 10
offers great performance. It is one of the few that supports gamepad input properly.
One reason to love MuMu is that there are fewer ads, unlike the few others who bombard users with
ads every few seconds. For now, MuMu’s English version is only available for Windows users.
However, mac can download the original Chinese language version. Here is a tutorial on
changing the language in MuMu. Price: Free
Pros Great performance
Fewer ads Cons
Basic level features Requires internet for installation
Android Emulators that didn’t make it to the top
The aforementioned were some of the best Android emulators that you can run on your
Windows PC. Here are a few of the emulators who could not make it onto the list.
Droid4x Arc Welder
AMIDuOS Android x86
Xamarin Before installing any of the above emulators,
it is important to note that they are not completely bug-free and may lag from time to time.
Also, the performance of these app players would be based on the specifications of your PC.
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