Nowadays, we have fantastic android games and applications that we want to use on our PC or Macbook. But it is not possible because that application doesn’t have Windows or iOS software. But Android emulators can do the job for you.
What are Android Emulators?
Android emulators are nothing but Virtual Android devices. They are used to create an android environment on other Operating systems, including Windows and iOS. You can use Android applications on your PC or MAC using Android emulators.
Android emulators create a virtual android platform on PCs and Macbooks so that android apps can be used without any problem. It mimics the android device’s hardware and fulfills its software requirements.
Need for Android Emulators
You may wonder why we need an emulator when android devices are available for low cost and provide excellent features that meet significant performance levels. Whatever you say, the user experience with computers cannot match that of smartphones or tablets.
Here are a few major reasons why people use Android Emulators
- Android Emulators provide the same feature as the android devices on your computer.
- You will get a large display on a PC or MAC, and hence it is more convenient to use.
- Computers have substantial resources and reduce the lags that happen in android devices due to limited resources.
- There is no need to worry about battery life like Android devices.
- PCs provide better performance compared to less powerful Android devices. You can play massive games with High definition at a decent speed on PCs.
- Playing games on PCs is a wholesome experience which you can’t get on mobile or tabs.
- The android developers use them to develop applications, adding features, and testing them.
Comparison of Top 5 Android Emulators
| Android Emulator | Performance | Supported Platforms | Best suited for |
| BlueStacks | High | Windows and MacOs | Gaming – offers custom key mapping for keyboard and mouse controls |
| GameLoop | High | Windows and MacOs | Tencent Games including COD and PUBG |
| Nox Player | Medium | Microsoft Windows & MacOs | hassle-free usage of multiple apps simultaneously |
| Android Studio | High | MacOS and Windows | Android App development and testing |
| MEmu | Medium | Microsoft Windows | Great Gaming experience |
Best Android Emulators for PC and MAC
Here are a few that can be downloaded and installed on your PC or MAC to run Android applications smoothly.
Bluestacks
is one of the oldest Android emulators and still stands on the top. It allows you to use any android app on your PC. You can play High definition games or run large android apps without any inconvenience on PC using Bluestacks.
It enhances your experience with the android app on your PC and makes it very simple to use. With its excellent graphics, it gives a great environment to use. You can customize the gaming controls and also run multiple applications at once.
It supports most Android apps to run on a PC and doesn’t occupy much storage space. You can get the basic version for free, which is enough for you to use android apps and do the required functions.
It is available for both Windows and Mac OS.
Android Studio Emulator
is Google’s official IDE. It comes with flexible features that help you to use any android app on your PC very comfortably. You can expect fast service and an excellent performance compared to other Android emulators.
It occupies significantly less memory space and delivers high performance. You can play heavy high definition games without any lag and enjoy the game with amazing graphics. It has an excellent Graphical user interface and provides a good experience for the user.
You can use multiple apps at the same time without any decrease in performance or speed. It also has a free basic version that is more than enough to do the required job.
Android Studio can also be used to develop and test Android applications.
LD Player
is yet another popular Android emulator that provides a lot of interface features for the easy use of android applications on your PC. Very famous among gamers, this tool offers easy control mapping and ultimate graphical support.
The developers of this emulator release the updates regularly to be compatible with all the new games and apps. It has a performance optimization feature and is best suited for Free Fire players.
Remix OS Player
provides a unique android experience on your Windows PC. the Key Mapping tool available in this android emulator helps to map the keyboard and mouse controls to the touch controls and improves your experience.
It provides a good desktop view of the android apps and supports large games with HD graphics. You can use most of the android apps on your PC using Remix OS Player. It also helps using multiple apps at the same time, without any lag.
Nox Player
is an Android emulator which highly used by Gamers. Being used by more than 150 million users worldwide, Nox Player is one of the most used emulators.
It has an option to map gaming touch controls to keyboard and mouse consoles and makes it easy for the gamers to play according to their convenience. You can run complex android apps without any inconvenience.
It also supports using multiple apps simultaneously and gives a pleasant user experience with its simple GUI. You can customize themes according to your taste.
MEmu Android Emulator
is one of the fastest Android emulators. You can play games, use chat apps, or any other android apps on your PC conveniently. You can optimize the graphics of the platform as per your requirement to use various Android apps.
It also allows you to share files between the Android and Windows platforms easily. You can install the apps merely using the drag and drop feature. It provides a good user experience and customizable keypad and mouse controls.
Genymotion
is mainly used by the developers to test their Android apps before launching them. It provides a safe virtual environment for testing applications. However, you can use this tool to use any android app of your choice.
You can also use this tool to monitor the performances of various android apps. It supports the use of multiple apps, heavy apps with high definition graphics, and a fantastic user experience.
It is a paid app that costs up to 136 – 412USD per user per year and available for both Windows and MAC OS. We recommend you this emulator for high-end applications like app testing and performance monitoring.
ARChon
Android emulator is known for its capability of working in Chrome browser. It is very fast, and you can run android applications and games which need a quicker response time very conveniently. Since it works directly on the Google Chrome browser, you don’t have to download and install any software on your computer. You can access this Arcon tool for free using this link.
Ko Player
android emulator is easy and straightforward to use tool which allows you to use any android apps on your computer. You can use the keyboard, gamepad, mouse, microphone, and camera conveniently with all the android apps.
It also provides an option for video recording that allows you to record videos. You can get easy access to volume adjustment, screen capture, resolution modification, etc., on its toolbar.
It is free to use emulator, which is available for both Windows and MAC OS.
Bliss Android Emulator
You can use most of the android applications on seamlessly. It has custom options that allow you to change themes and controls as per your convenience. It saves the computer battery while you run any android application on it.
Amiduos
is best suited for gamers since it provides a full-screen interface, which has no difference between using a PC application and an android app. It gives the same experience as that of a PC game, which all gamers seek.
You can also share files between the emulator and the parent device easily. It occupies very little space yet provides high performance and runs all the applications smoothly.
AndY
offers easy communication between the virtual android platform and the hardware of the device. You can use your phone as a joystick with this android emulator. It is simple to handle and easy to understand tool that can be used for multiple purposes.
Droid4x
application is mainly developed for the Windows environment that allows using Android apps on your desktop. It ensures the smooth running of apps on PC and supports keyboard and mouse interfaces for gaming. You can also record everything that is happening on the emulator with an inbuilt record button.
GameLoop
is an official android emulator for the Tencent games like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile. Even though it works with other mobile games and apps, it is best suited for Tencent apps and delivers high performance.
PrimeOS Android Emulator
provides the best gaming experience on PC. You can use all the android apps on your desktop with outstanding performance with PrimeOS making you feel like you are using a mobile with a big screen.
Phoenix OS
has a simple and easy to use interface and offers smooth integration between android and the PC. It works well, particularly for x86 operating systems. It provides a fantastic visual experience, which makes it famous among the users.
Other Android Emulators
Those were the best Android Emulators that you can use on your PC or MAC. We also have a few more emulator tools like , , , . These tools are user friendly and provide high performance.
Conclusion:
Those were a few of the best Android emulators. Choose the one depending upon your requirement. Also, make sure that the emulator supports the latest Android apps; otherwise, it reduces the system performance, and your experience will be harmed.
The emulator you download must be compatible with your device and support keyboard, mouse, and other necessary hardware devices. Consider these factors before selecting an Android emulator and enjoy Android apps on your desktop screen.
I hope this article was helpful. Thank you for reading.