There are a lot of reasons to use an Android emulator on your Windows or Mac PC, with emulators you can run a couple of Android games or apps on your PC and it will even look more advanced than how they appear to look on a normal Android device.
We’ve seen games like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite being played on computers and laptops, and you’d be wondering why they don’t look like the standard PC edition, well it’s because they’re being played using emulators.
In this article on Naijaknowhow, I’ll be writing on some Android emulators you can use on your windows or mac pc, with these emulators you can run any Android apps or games you want.
List of the Best Android Emulators for Windows and Mac Computers
1. Bluestacks
Bluestacks is my favourite Android emulator and without a doubt, it’s one of the best Android emulators out there with special features and perfect compatibility on my PC. Bluestacks has seen a rise in downloads and user reviews over the years, from the first edition of Bluestacks 1 to the current version which is Bluestacks 4. Bluestacks 4 runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS, one of the commonly used OS versions on Android devices.
You can use Bluestacks to run any Android apps or games of your choice, it’s even a good emulator to play PUBG mobile, one thing about this software is that it lags on low-end PC, so if you want to enjoy better performance from Bluestacks, you need to have a strong high-end PC. Bluestacks emulator isn’t always the best for PC with 4GB RAM. If you’re using a low-end PC, you might want to consider emulators like LDPlayer ot MuMu Emulator for playing Android games on your PC for free.
2. Tencent Gaming Buddy
This might come as a surprise to many though, yes Tencent Gaming Buddy is PUBG Mobile recommended Android emulator to play PUBG Mobile on PC, but this emulator can also work normally just like Bluestacks and other emulators that’ll be listed here. Though I’ll like to say for the gaming aspect, Tencent Gaming Buddy is much superior to Bluestacks, they’re somehow on par with each other. Tencent Gaming Buddy has had a change in name and now it’s known a Gameloop. It’s still the same emulator only that the interface has changed to something new and new features have been introduced as well.
Tencent Gaming Buddy also runs on Android version 7.1.2 OS and also has different settings which you can tweak to get better performance on apps and games you run on it. Tencent Gaming Buddy only works for Windows PC, it’s one of the best Android emulators you can use on your Windows PC. Although there has been a change in name for Tencent Gaming Buddy, and now it’s called Gameloop, it’s much faster and it’s being labelled as one of the best Android emulators for 4GB RAM Windows and Mac PC.
3. Android Studio Emulator
If you’re a casual user of Android apps and games, I’ll tell you this emulator is not recommended for someone like you, perhaps you can consider picking a different Android emulator from the list. Android Studio Emulator is for developers who engage in the development of Android apps, it’s an emulator that can be used to run tests on an unfinished Android development project or to see how good your app is before it goes public.
Android Studio Emulator also has developer tools and you easily make codings to apps or games you’re developing, it’s the perfect emulator for developers, it’s one of the best Android emulators for Windows and Mac users, it’s not a fun emulator though. Android Studio Emulator makes Android app development very easy and that’s why it is widely used by most Android app developers. You’ll be able to enjoy a virtual environment for building and testing Android apps on your PC.
4. NOX Player 6
When it comes to Android gaming on Windows PC or MC, Nox Player 6 is the better suitor to run Android games perfectly on PCs. I’m not saying other emulators aren’t as good as Nox Player 6, they all are but Nox Player 6 is just different and offers smooth gaming performance when you play Android games on it. If you use an AMD system like mine, then you’ll enjoy Nox Player 6 much better.
Nox Player 6 is based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and also 5.0.1 lollipop, but it can run any high-end Android games with ease, it also supports controllers, which means you can add gamepads to it and enjoy a better controlling system when you play games. Nox Player is one of the best Android emulators for Windows and Mac.
5. Remix OS Player
Remix OS Player is a light Android emulator for Windows and Mac users, not strongly recommended for playing high-end games due to lags and black screen that occurs most times, but it’s a good emulator to run mostly Android apps and maybe a few Android games can be played on it, Remis OS player has good UI to display your apps and games and it even looks more like a real Android OS.
Remix OS Player runs on Android 6.0 marshmallow os and it also supports PCs with Intel processors only. You can use it on only Windows and for now, there is no Mac support for it. Remix OS Player is one of the best Android emulators to use on Windows and Mac pc.
6. MEmu
MEmu emulator is another top-rated Android emulator for Windows users, this emulator is cool to use and it runs smoothly because it’s a light Android emulator software. You can use MEmu to run your favourite Android apps and games, but there are varieties of games you can play on it, but for apps, it runs all with ease and no lags or crashes. If you’re considering speed from an emulator, Memu Emulator is one of the fastest Android emulators on PC. You’ll enjoy the features it has, the emulator also has a simple and smooth interface.
MEmu emulator doesn’t support Mac OS and it runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat, it’s an emulator that is suitable to use on both Intel Processors and AMD processors. The MEmu emulator is fast and very easy to use, its UI is just amazing and it looks cool. If you’re looking for one of the best Android emulators, then you should consider MEmu as one. Memu emulatpr os perfect for running and testing Android packages. Wether you’re trying out games for the first time, you can use Memu emulator to get started.
7. KO Player
KO Player is one of the better Android emulators out there, very light and runs games and apps with ease. Nothing much to say about this emulator but I’ll like to acknowledge it’s a good emulator with cool features and runs on both Intel and AMD processors. Despite all the cool features that came with KO Player, this emulator has some limits and that’s to macOS users only. Well, there are other Android emulators that work for macOS and you can check them out.
KO Player is known to be an emulator that isn’t strong for heavy Android games. But rumours have it down that KO Player can only play light games. You can use this emulator to play some casual Android games on your PC for free. It makes handling Android apps and games very easy for PC users.
8. LDPlayer
LDPlayer is a free Android emulator designed specifically for gaming. It boasts a wide range of features tailored for gamers, making it a popular choice for those looking to play Android games on their PC. LDPlayer is based on Android 7.1, providing users with a stable and smooth gaming experience. It supports multiple instances, allows users to run multiple games simultaneously, and provides a wide range of customization options to optimize performance. This emulator is based on Android 7.1 so it has no issues running any major Android app or games.
You’ll love LDPlayer because it is compatible with a lot of games. This is an emulator that’ll let you enjoy Android battle royale games on your PC for free. If you want to play games like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, Apex Legends Mobile and New State Mobile. LDPlayer is the perfect emulator you can use to play such games. Despite how good LDPlayer is, it does consume a lot of resources and that’s why it is not a suitable emulator for low-spec PC users. LDPlayer is perfect for gaming and you can also use it for streaming games to places like YouTube, Facebook and so on.
9. MuMu Player
MuMu Player is another great emulator you can have on your PC. It is one of the fastest Android emulators on PC. You’ll find this emulator to be compatible with most Android games and apps. There are two types of MuMu Player emulators. These two types are categorised as low-end PC users and high-end PC users. The high-end version is based on Android 12 and that makes it perfect for gaming and multitasking. One of the unique features of MuMu Player is its ability to multitask.
It also supports keyboard and mouse mapping, making it easy to customize controls for gaming. MuMu Player has a clean and user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and use. However, MuMu Player also has some disadvantages. As it is based on an older version of Android, it may not be compatible with some newer games and apps that require the latest version of Android. If you intend to play games with MuMu Player, then you should download the MuMu X version instead.
10. Genymotion
If you’re focused on developing Android apps, Genymotion is one of the perfect emulators you’ll need to have as a developer. Genymotio n is mainly used for testing and debugging Android apps. It provides a virtual Android environment that closely simulates a real Android device, allowing developers to test their apps on various virtual devices with different Android versions and hardware configurations.
Genymotion is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it suitable for users on different operating systems. However, Genymotion may not be the best option for gaming purposes, as it is primarily designed for app development and testing rather than gaming. Genymotion is completely free and that’s why it’s one of the best Android emulators for windows mac computers. It is a perfect emulator for Android app developers and you’ll love the features it offers.
11. Droid4X
Droid4X is another Android emulator that is known for its simplicity and ease of use. Droid4X supports keyboard and mouse mapping, allowing users to customize controls for gaming or app usage. It also supports screenshots and video recording, which can be handy for creating content or capturing gameplay. Droid4X has a user-friendly interface and offers smooth and stable performance for most apps and games.
However, Droid4X also has some disadvantages. It has limited customization options compared to some other emulators, which may be a limitation for users who want more advanced settings for performance optimization. Additionally, Droid4X has not been updated for a long time. This means it may not receive regular updates and bug fixes, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities or compatibility issues with newer apps and games.
12. PrimeOS
PrimeOS is a unique Android emulator that offers a complete operating system experience based on Android-x86, which is a project that aims to port Android to x86-based platforms. Unlike other emulators, PrimeOS can be installed as a standalone operating system on a PC, allowing users to boot into a dedicated Android environment without the need for a separate Windows or macOS installation.
One of the notable features of PrimeOS is its complete desktop-like interface, with a taskbar, start menu, and system tray, making it feel more like a traditional operating system rather than just an emulator. It also supports multi-window mode, allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously in resizable windows. PrimeOS provides a gaming-focused mode called GameCenter, which provides a dedicated gaming environment with optimizations for gaming performance.
Conclusion
These are the best Android emulators to use on your windows pc or mac pc. these emulators will play any game and run any apps you want with ease, they also have cool features as well. The above-listed Android emulators for windows mac can be downloaded for free and they all have different capabilities as well.
