Android emulators use for a variety of reasons. An app developer may want to test their application, gamers want to play on large screens, and some users desire to experience Android OS on a Windows PC, complimented with a mouse and keyboard. For this purpose, some iOS and Mac emulators are already available, but Android emulators are the best among all. If you are switching from iPhone to Android or want to check out a custom ROM, the options with an Android emulator are unlimited.
The Three Basic Uses of Android Emulators
- Gaming is the most common use of android emulators. These emulators make games easier to play.
- The second common use is development. Android app and game developers want to test games and apps before launch.
- The final type is productivity. Somehow, it is not considered common because any gaming emulator can be used as a productivity emulator.
Best Android Emulators for PC & macOS
| · Android Studio’s emulator· MEmu· BlueStacks· GameLoop· Nox Player· Ko Player· Genymotion· ARChon· Bliss OS· Remix OS Player· PrimeOS· Droid4X· LDPlayer· Andy· Xamarin· LeapDroid· Pheonix OS· YouWave· Windroy· AMIDuOS |
- Android Studio’s emulator
Andriod studio comes with a bundle of tools to aids the developers in making games and apps. Andriod studio owns a built-in emulator that is useful to test your app or game. This setup is unquestionably complicated for general usage, but it’s highly recommended for developers.
- MEmu
MEmu is another new app player launched in 2015; this emulator again focused on gaming. It’s biggest feature is to support both Intel and AMD chipsets. When we talk about the speed, this emulator gives you similar results as BlueStacks and NOX. Additionally, it supports other versions of Android like Android Jelly Bean, Lollipop, and Kit Kat. MEmu is also usable as a productivity tool.
BlueStacks is the most known Android emulator among all due to several reasons. First, this emulator also targets mobile gamers with easy setup. For beginners, it’s compatible with Mac and Windows. Although it supports keyboard mapping, it gets sluggish with gestures. Bluestacks also launched the MSI App Player, which is another good emulator.
It is also known as Tencent Gaming Buddy; GameLoop is another Android emulator for gamers. Moreover, Tencent announces the official Android emulator for its games, including PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile. However, it’s not suitable for developmental and product testing, but it has good performance and keyboard controls.
- Nox Player
Nox Player works perfectly fine for Android apps and complete Android experience, but it is best for playing heavy games like Justice League or PUBG. The best thing about this Emulator is that it’s free from all sponsored ads. Nox Player Emulator allows you to map keys of mouse, keyboard, and gamepad. Besides, you can assign keyboard keys to gestures controls.
This emulator is usually for developers as it helps you test apps on multiple devices with different Android versions. Genymotion is compatible with Android Studio Android SDK. It’s not good for general usage, but this emulator offers its services free of cost for personal use. Also, its most powerful feature is its availability on both your desktop and the cloud both.
- ARChon
ARChon has not a huge fan following, as it’s useful for fix and run Android apps. ARChon emulator is not good for hard-core gaming, but it is outstanding for using a productivity app. Moreover, It is compatible with the Mac and PC well.