There are a lot of legitimate causes why anyone would need to run Android emulators on their computer. App developers is also seeking to test their application before delivery it out. Gamers may want to use a mouse and keyboard on their video games. Maybe you simply need it there to have it. In any case, Android emulation on computer is possible and we’re going to take a look on the 15 best Android emulators for computer.

Android Emulators are one of the most amazing things for Windows PC and Mac users. Your computer becomes a dynamic device which can run other apps and software which are only compatible with. Status of the PS2 Emulator on Mac with the M1 Chip Since Apple’s new silicon chip is still relatively new, the compatibility of PCSX2 on M1 chips is still a hit or miss. The good news is that users across the PCSX2 forums have been sharing their experiences running games using PS2 emulator on Mac natively. It takes some sifting to find an Android emulator you can use around for Mac and PC. Here is a list of the good ones you’d like to take a look at.

What is Emulator ?

In computing, an emulator is hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the host) to behave like another computer system (called the guest). An emulator typically enables the host system to run software or use peripheral devices designed for the guest system. Emulation refers to the ability of a computer program in an electronic device to emulate (or imitate) another program or device. Many printers, for example, are designed to emulate Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printers because so much software is written for HP printers. If a non-HP printer emulates an HP printer, any software written for a real HP printer will also run in the non-HP printer emulation and produce equivalent printing. Since at least the 1990s, many video game enthusiasts have used emulators to play classic (and/or forgotten) arcade games from the 1980s using the games’ original 1980s machine code and data, which is interpreted by a current-era system.

What is Emulator ?

An Android emulator is an Android Virtual Device (AVD) that represents a specific Android device. You can use an Android emulator as a target platform to run and test your Android applications on your PC. Android Emulator is used to run, debug and test the android application. If you don’t have the real device, it can be the best way to run, debug and test the application.

The Android Emulator simulates Android devices on your computer so that you can test your application on a variety of devices and Android API levels without needing to have each physical device. The emulator provides almost all of the capabilities of a real Android device. You can simulate incoming phone calls and text messages, specify the location of the device, simulate different network speeds, simulate rotation and other hardware sensors, access the Google Play Store, and much more.

Testing your app on the emulator is in some ways faster and easier than doing so on a physical device. For example, you can transfer data faster to the emulator than to a device connected over USB. The emulator comes with predefined configurations for various Android phone, tablet, Wear OS, and Android TV devices.

Android Emulators are seemingly becoming more popular as Android’s popularity keeps growing. From developers testing apps to Gamers playing on a large screen, users yearn for experiencing Android OS on a Windows PC, complimented with a mouse and keyboard.

Who uses emulators?

There are three foremost uses for emulators. The first is the most original and it’s for gaming. Gamers can use emulators on their computer systems to make some video games less difficult to play. They don’t ought to depend on the battery life of their devices and the existence of macros and other tricks aid the system. Probably, these little tips aren’t unlawful (in most video games) so no person quite has a problem with it. The quality Android emulators for gaming comprise Bluestacks, MeMu, KoPlayer, and Nox.

The 2nd most customary use case is development. Android app and game developers like to test apps and video games on as many gadgets a viable before launch. Traditionally the Android Studio emulator is pleasant for this kind of work. However, Xamarin and Genymotion are excellent for this style of use as good.

The final most important type is productivity. This isn’t nearly as original considering that Chromebooks are more cost effective and better for using Android apps on whatever as opposed to a telephone and most productiveness tools are cross-platform. Any gaming emulator works as a productiveness emulator to an extent. Nevertheless, those with hyper precise use instances and a little bit knowledge can are trying ARChon and Bliss. The full list is below. Revel in!

There are some great emulators available in the market; some are free while others cost money. Here i am listing the best android emulators for PC and Mac that you can download and use.

Android Studio Emulator

Android Studio is a development IDE that Google approves and recommends to people who want to develop their apps. The software offers a lot of features that help the developers make their apps and games.

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.

One such feature is the ability to use a full-fledged Android operating system through emulation. This emulator is for developers who want to test out their apps now and then.

ARChon

You cannot call ARChon an emulator per say, but it does work as one. Users have to install it in Google Chrome, and once the installation is complete, you can load APK files and use them as you would please. It is neither made for gaming, nor for development.

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.

However, it is excellent when it comes to quickly running and testing your apps to see if they work. The installation process is tricky, but the fact that you only need Google Chrome, and some basic knowledge to get it working is the reason why it is here.

Bluestacks

Bluestacks or is perhaps one of the oldest Android simulators available in the market at the moment. Apart from being oldest, it is also one of the most common emulators, and for all the right reasons.

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.

Being rewarded the best emulator time and again, Bluestacks brings the ease of access to the consumer level. The emulator is extremely easy to use, comes with a lot of features, and has free and paid versions available.

Droid4X

For many, the Droid4X has some ups and downs, and it is not the perfect emulator. However, its simplicity means that it works well in all situations. The emulator is created with Android gamers in mind. Hence, the focus primarily lies on the games.

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.
Since Droid4X is mainly for Android games, it can run the entire Android game library with ease. However, if you want to, you can use it for productivity purpose as well. Sure, your experience may vary, but it should work smoothly.

Genymotion

If you are a developer who always needs a device running a different version of Android just so you can efficiently check your apps, then Genymotion is excellent. This emulator is for developers who need to test their apps and games on multiple devices without having the devices.

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.

The developers can configure the emulator to emulate different versions of Android like 4.2 or 6.0. While this may not be very important for the general consumer, it is fantastic for developers. They can make sure their app works on all Android versions without any issue.

KoPlayer

So far, KoPlayer is the emulator that not a lot of people pay attention to or let it fly under their radar. That is because it is the newer kid on the block, but shows a lot of promise at the same time. It is a gamer-centric Android emulator for windows.

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.

Since the emulator caters more towards the gamer, you get features like the ability to remap. You can even emulate a controller with your keyboard. One unique feature about KoPlayer is that it allows players to record their gaming footage, and upload it anywhere.

MEmu

It is hard to find Android simulators for PC that are focusing more on making the lives more comfortable. For instance, several emulators that I check do not support AMD chips. Well, MEmu is among the few that does. It is a relatively new emulator, meaning it has some miles to cover.

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.
It comes with support for Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Lollipop. I hope to see more of the latest OS versions in an update. It also supports the ability to run multiple instances of different apps or the same ones.

This feature is particularly important for developers who want to test the same app on different OS versions. MEmu lets them do the testing without creating any hiccups. Even after that, it does not tout itself as a developer-centred emulator.

Nox Player (BigNox)

If you want an Android simulator strictly for playing games, then Nox is the right option for you. Available for free, this Android emulator for windows pc aims to bring a right amount of control to the gamers. It gives the user some a slew of advanced features and controls.

The features revolve around making sure that gamers get the most out of their experience. Nox is one of the few emulators that will allow you to use a full-sized game controller to play your games. Talk about having a good experience.

Remix OS Player

Remix OS Player was a surprise as soon as its arrival, and that too for many reasons. For starters, it was one of the first few Android simulators for windows that were running Android 6.x Marshmallow. Other emulators were still on the older OS versions.

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.

That is not all; Remix OS Player is also incredibly simple and straightforward when it comes to setting up. Once you are done, you can start using it the way you would want it to use. There are some handful of features in this Android emulator.

Xamarin

Xamarin more of an IDE than an emulator; you can say that it is like Android Studio, but there are quite some differences. To begin with, Xamarin has a list of different features than Android Studio.

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.

For starters, the Xamarin can plug into the Microsoft Visual Studio, and for those wondering, it does offer emulation just like Android Studio does. It caters to both developers and gamers alike.

YouWave

YouWave can be considered as an Android emulator from the Jurassic era. That is because it is one of the older Android simulators for PC. However, the good thing is that it is still relevant since it got an update last year. The emulator is available for free and paid versions.

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.

The free version does get you pretty much everything, but your OS will be Ice Cream Sandwich. However, paying $29.99 will get you Android Lollipop, and I hope it gets the update to the latest Android OS.

Andy

Andy is a handy little emulator for PC that has been around for some time now. While the early version had some issues, most of the bugs do not exist anymore. Ever since its release, there have been a handful of fixes.

At this point, Andy is the perfect replacement for people who do not want to use Bluestacks or some other Android emulator that is available. Andy is capable of running the entire catalogue of Andriod apps that are available.

You can even grant root access if you want to test the apps that require root access to work. Andy can also run on Mac, providing the best possible experience to the users on both operating systems.

Windroy

Most of the emulators that are in the list focus more on the modern hardware, and play well with it as well. This means that older machines do not get much love from the emulators. Windroy does things differently as it is made for older computers.

It is highly focused on productivity, and you can run the majority of your office apps on it with ease. It does not go well with games and is not very reliable. However, if you have a machine with dated hardware, Windroy is a perfect fit.
It will be hard to say that Windroy is the perfect Android emulator, but it is excellent, and there is no denying that. It comes for free, works well on older machines, and is suitable for productivity.

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.

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 2020 from an Indian start-up. We’ll update the article if we noticed anything peculiar about it.

Phoenix

Phoenix OS is a private computer operating system based on the Android platform. When you are searching for an alternative to your default OS, this utility software is worth checking out.

It comes with the best functions and features of classic operating systems while also supporting millions of mainstream Android applications. You can play with it freely in any environment may it be for your home, office, or at school.

As mentioned, Phoenix OS is an Android-based OS. Emulator based on the Android-x86 project, it is GPL-2.0 compliant and installs on many kinds of 86-based hardware. It is fully compatible with the Android ecosystem which allows you to download and use Android applications and games. You don’t need to install a separate emulator. Moreover, with Phoenix OS, you can use and play any Android game on your PC with 30+ fps—that is, if you’ve met the requirements of Pentium 4 cores with 8 GB RAM. Even Intel GFX would also run which is a heavy game like MC5, Kritika, and PUBG. Usually, however, puzzle games never lag on this OS.

LDPlayer

LDPlayer is a unique android OS emulator that is fully determined on providing you with one functionality – flawless running the most recent and popular Android smartphone games directly on your PC.

Optimized with great things to take full benefits of your PC hardware (such as much stronger CPU, GPU, Storage, and RAM hardware than on any portable Android device), and with great things taken to provide perfect compatibility with the latest gaming titles, the app represents the best way you can transform your home PC or laptop into a gaming machine that runs the latest mobile software.

In addition to an excellent experience in handling the latest gaming titles, LDPlayer Emulator also prides itself on its full online compatibility. You can play both solo and multiplayer games on your device, like a Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Brawl Stars, Arena of Valor, Free Fire, etc, with very good latency and bandwidth speeds that are offered by your landline connection to the online world.

Gameloop

Gameloop is an Android emulator and gaming platform. The gaming utility tool will allow you to play games published by Tencent and other mobile games on your PC.

At that time, you can use it to discover, download, and play popular Android games. GameCenter is a platform that allows you to install Android games such as Call of Duty, PUBG, Clash of Clans, and Clash Royale. You will see that Gameloop is capable to display sharp and vibrant graphics. This is made possible by PC rendering hardware. It delivers the same visual standard quality as a smartphone, allowing mobile gamers to enjoy their game on any screen.

PUBG Mobile is designed exclusively from the official Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds teams for mobile. PUBG Mobile is an online multiplayer battle royale game designed developed by Tencent Games with the most intense free-to-play multiplayer action. It is a player vs player shooter game in which up to one hundred players fight in a battle royale, a type of large-scale last man standing deathmatch where players fight to remain the last alive. Survival is the key and the last one standing wins. Fast and Accurate Controller with Mouse and Keyboard.

The Android Operating System is today one of the most important and advanced in the world. It has a lot of functions and features that have led it to become one of the most popular.

In this way many users choose to install softwares that are capable of running the Android operating system from the Mac computer . This in order to work with the operating system of Google for mobile.

In order to run this system on a computer it will be necessary to make use of an emulator . It is important to mention that today there are many softwares of this type that will help you carry this out. However, not all of them are really effective. That is why here we present a list of the best emulation programs.

List of the 10 best fast emulators for Android l livOS for Android ready to download

In general, the Android operating system is one of the most sought after in the world, it is characterized by being highly customizable and having a wide range of technology. This is how many users especially iOS or Mac, want to start testing this Android system on their computers.

For this there are emulators that can help you run Android on your Mac computer in a very simple way. They are characterized by presenting all the functions of Android, even many emulators already work with the latest version of the Android operating system .

However, there are many softwares available of this type, but not all of them are able to meet the needs of their users or simply do not have all the necessary features to be placed among the best programs of this guy.

In this way, here is a list of the 10 best emulators to install on your Mac PC:

Bluestacks Android Emulator

Download BlueStacks 4

It is important to mention that these emulators are capable of running both applications and games of all kinds and with them you can do whatever you want. Most of these softwares are characterized mainly by being very simple to install and manage as is the case of Android Bluestacks Emulator . It currently has more than 130 million users currently and is integrated with Layercake technology to make its operation more optimal.

In addition, Bluestacks Android Emulator is backed by the investment of Samsung, Qualcomm and Intel , which ensures you a very well designed and very professional software with which You can get really good results. All this has made many users of Mac or iOS interested in trying or managing a bit what is the Google operating system, which they can use directly from your Mac computers.

Andyroid emulator

Download Andy

Andyroid emulator is a software that has open GL hardware support. It is characterized by its easy operation and is very easy to install. Ideal for those Mac users who want to start using Android from their computer.

In this way, you can start turning your PC into a phone to start enjoying all those Google Play apps , be it games or some special tools . It should be mentioned that Andyroid Emulator has a customer service with which you can interact to clarify any doubt you have about the program and its operation.

Therefore, if you are looking for software that is able to help you get results from another level and far superior to those of other emulators, then your best option is Emulator Andyroid.

KO Player

Download KO Player

Another one of the most interesting Android emulators on the market, it specializes in the games area. Therefore, if you like gaming applications Android operating system, KO Player becomes a very good alternative to be able to use them from your Mac computer .

However, despite being especially focused on games, this software will also allow you to install any other application that is available on Google Play as long as it is compatible with the version of the emulator.

Usually, the most prominent applications within the emulator are the Clash of Clans, Super Mario games, messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, among many others. It also has features that will allow you to record games in case you want to use them without the need for the emulator.

Among its main features we find that it is almost compatible with all Android applications . In addition, KO Player has a completely free download and that will allow you to live an excellent experience when using the Android app on the Mac .

Genymotion

Download Genymotion

Genymotion is another of the most important emulators on the market, it has a lot of functions and tools that will allow you to have the best experience within of the Android . This is how it gives you the possibility to test how a device and a Android version would work with a specific app, this will let you know how the application works before installing it.

In this way, with Genymotion you can start running the Android emulator directly from the Mac or the cloud computer, being this a characteristic that very few softwares of this type can carry out, which gives it an advantage before the competition. This allows you to share the operation of the application with other users.

However, it is important to mention that Genymotion is not free, therefore, you will have to subscribe to some of their plans to start using it and each of its tools.

Android Studio

Download Android Studio

This emulator is not one of the most popular in the market when compared to other softwares . However, it has very important features that lead it to be located among the most attractive emulators for many users, and it has a system of update frequently that allows is always updated with the latest tools.

Android Studio is designed primarily for those users of Mac or other operating systems start testing the different Android applications from their computers, which can be downloaded from Play Store . It has all the necessary tools to start enjoying all these apps on the PC.

Nox Player

Download Nox Player

Other alternatives that you can find on the internet to start getting Android games from your Mac computer. Therefore, if you are a fan of games of this operating system you can start to make use of the Nox Player emulator, it has a number of very attractive features and functions.

In this way, you can start enjoying all the games available on the Play Store from your Mac. Among its main features we find that it allows you to create different accounts in the event that your PC is familiar. < / p>

This will allow you to have your own user with your favorite games privately. In addition, it also allows to record favorite games and in turn share them through social networks. A software that is specialized for games which can be very useful for those who they have heavy graphics and makes their speed a little slower than the rest.

VirtualBox

Download VirtualBox

Many of Mac users are unaware that VirtualBox can be used as an Android emulator. It will allow you to use almost all available applications in this operating system and which you can download from Play Store . It is considered as one of the most efficient emulators that allow you to play any type of game regardless of whether it is very heavy or not.

VirtualBox is responsible for controlling the amount of resources and hardware necessary to maintain excellent performance on the computer, this will prevent the computer from being damaged or inconvenience while running the emulator Android in background . It is recommended that at the time of installing this emulator you have at least 8 GB of RAM on your computer , it can be installed completely for free.

Android On M1 Mac

YouWave

Download Youwave

An emulator that has been designed so that it can be used by all people without the need to be a professional in this area. It has a very sophisticated interface and has unique and very professional tools.

This is how with YouWave you can start having your own Android on your Mac computer , where you can start running any application and in turn have background the desktop of the operating system simultaneously.

This software is ideal for running those Android games applications downloaded from Play Store, and in turn you will create a folder where all downloaded apps will be stored. It has dynamic controls and volume buttons that will help you have a better experience.

However, this emulator is not free , therefore, to be able to use it you will have to purchase one of its subscriptions and that way start enjoying its services.

ARChonte

Download ARChon

It is worth mentioning that ARChonte is an emulator very different from the rest, and not only because of its interface, but basically it is not a software that you have to download and install on your computer , it is an extension of the Google Chrome browser with which you can start working with Android from your Mac computer.

This becomes a great advantage for those users who have little space on their hard disk or do not like to be downloading programs to their computer. However, since it is not a program, it does not have the same number of functions and tools that can be found in such software.

Nox Android Emulator For Mac

But, in the same way it allows you to develop Android applications on your Mac in a very simple way, where you can start enjoying Android games, as well as of other apps of your choice. ARChonte you can install it in your Chrome browser completely free and which stands out for its easy operation.

Windroy

Download Windroy

Best Android Emulator For Mac M1 Without

Finally, we present this emulator called Windroy , it specializes in representing Android applications and functionalities on a Mac computer. This software is mainly used by young people, since it has a fairly youthful interface and where you can use almost all the Android games apps on your computer.

Windroy works with the Android 4.0.3 operating system and stands out for its great speed when running any program, which makes it one of < strong> the best Android emulators on the market for Mac . Currently competing with softwares such as YouWavw and BlueStacks, so its use is highly recommended.