Android, as everyone knows, is the operating system open source created by Google for smartphones and tablets. Being “open source”, The source code can be taken and modified by any programmer.. This resulted in:
- in mobile area, to the creation of a good number of modified roms (EMUI, MIUI, etc.);
- tutoring in desktop environment at the birth of Android emulators, which is a PC version of this operating system (Androidx86) available for Windows and Mac. An Android emulator is a practical solution for play to your favorite titles on PC or for use the applications even on a desktop system.
iOS On the other hand (the iPhone and iPad operating system) is closed, so it has no PC version or emulator (except the one integrated into Apple's XCode).
In this article we will see all the best android emulators for PC or Mac divided by category and how they work. Specifically, we will first look at the Android emulators ideal for spinning applications and games like on an Android device and then the “emulators” that can be installed in dual boot, more effective, dedicated to a range of more expert users and/or Android application developers.
The best Android emulator for games and applications
Note: In all the emulators on the list, in order to use them to download video games and applications, the setup of a Google account is always required. Downloading Apps and Games is done through the Play Store, normally pre-installed with these programs. If it is not present, you can always download and install the latest version from the Play Store.
BlueStacks (Windows and Mac)
It is the first Android emulator that is easy to install on PC and completely free; Early versions of Bluestacks lacked performance and were loaded with junkware. Today the new versions are decidedly cleaner, more refined and more efficient.. The project is supported through advertising banners but it is possible to eliminate them through a subscription.
The emulator is suitable for Android games and is mainly used for that although, in the gaming sector, there are alternative solutions that we will talk about later. Bluestacks remains one of the best Android emulators for Windows and Mac and is also the most used for running Android apps and video games.
If you want to try it, simply download the appropriate executable for your platform from the official Bluestacks website. The emulator recently reached version 5 which promises to perform better 2 million Android games.
LDPlayer (Windows)
This is another great solution for those looking for a suitable Android emulator for the latest titles..
LDPlayer is free and although it is based on an older version of Google's system, it is frequently updated to fix bugs and continually improve compatibility with the latest games.
Also in this case we find excellent support for key mapping of keyboard games. LDPlayer is convenient and free; Unfortunately, as for GameLoop, we are faced with a solution in English and compatible only with Windows. If you want to try this convincing and fast emulator, you can download the latest version for free directly from the LDPlayer website in Spanish.
Nox (Windows and Mac)
It is one of the best emulators for games, it was one of the first solutions to achieve good performance in the most graphically complex titles..
Nowadays, Nox is continually updated and compatible with a large number of titles, it is also available in a macOS compatible version and supports many convenient features for gamers, such as joystick support, key mapping and even gestures.
Nox is also quite convenient to use with applications, but not good for testing them. You can download Nox for free for PC and Mac directly from the official website.
game loop (Windows) – Android emulator to play
It is one of the best emulators for gamers, the most modern titles such as Call of Duty: mobile, Fortnite and PUGB mobile are supported..
In addition to compatibility with the most popular titles, it is worth highlighting the excellent performance and full support for controls via keyboard or USB joystick.
Using it is very simple and this makes GameLoop very popular. Unfortunately this emulator is only available on PC with Windows system, and is not yet translated into Spanish:
To install it on your PC, just follow a few steps:
- go to this page, on the official website of the project;
- once the executable is downloaded, double click and press "Next";
- Once the installation is complete, our emulator will start;
- then we can choose which games are of interest to us and press the "Download" button to download them;
- Once the download is complete, you will be able to start the game.
If you want to change the settings, at the top you need to click on the icon with the three small segments next to the icon to close the window, and then on the "Settings" item. The emulator that is really spectacular for games is not a great solution for using Android apps, and is completely unsuitable for application testing.
Best Dual Boot Android Emulator and App Development
Phoenix OS
In this case we are not faced with a modified version of Android made to look like a desktop system, then adapted for use with a mouse and keyboard.
It is not a real emulator, but rather a version of Android that can be installed as a real operating system on any PC, in dual boot with Windows in parallel or as the main operating system.
In its setting, PhoenixOS is very similar to RemixOS, a famous project that wanted to create a comfortable solution Android PC version. PhoenixOS is fast, convenient, and compatible with the Google Play Store. It is, therefore, a practical solution both for playing and using apps.
This system is free and a practical one for Windows is also available. guided installation. After installation, restart your PC and you can choose which system to boot: Windows or PhoenixOS (double boot). You can also use it in a virtual machine or install it on a USB stick. Downloading the system is simple, just download the ISO or the executable directly from the official PhoenixOS project website.
Bliss OS
It is a cooked rom, which in its desktop version looks very similar to PhoenixOS and the abandoned RemixOS. This is a version of AndroidX86 modified to be easier to install and with an Android OS interface more suitable for use on PC.
As in the case of the previous solution, the installation is done in dual boot or in a virtual machine and the performance is on average better than emulators because the software runs directly from your PC hardware. If you want to know more about Bliss OS and its installation, you can consult the site dedicated to the Bliss OS project.
android studio
Android Studio is the development environment created by Google to allow developers to create and test applications for its mobile system. Among the many tools in Android Studio, one of the most interesting is thebuilt-in emulator.
This solution is great for testing Android apps, apk files, checking their performance and revealing bugs and performance issues. This emulator is too complex for the common user but it is really useful for developers. You can download it from the dedicated site.
If you are not a developer but still want to create your own Android application, there are practical solutions to create Android applications without knowing how to program.
Other emulators for Android
The list in the article is quite exhaustive and detailed. There are also other emulators that we haven't covered but mentioned in this paragraph:
- memi
Available only in the Windows version, this emulator is updated very frequently and allows launching multiple instances to run more than one application or game at the same time. Memu natively introduces the ability to enable root mode to grant root privileges to applications. - ARC welder
A limited emulator but capable of running directly as a Google Chrome extension. It is currently no longer available and we are awaiting more details.
