Best Android Emulators for PC: Do you have apps to run in your PC? For running those android apps, we definitely need the emulators for our PC. Usually, we have major confusion in emulators that which emulator do we need to install in our PC. Not at all a problem, here in this article, I am going to furnish you all the details regarding the best android emulators for PC. You can refer to this article and choose the best emulator which suits your PC. Stay tuned to our website for more information.
Android Emulators are 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 operating system with a mouse and keyboard, coupled with high specifications of the PC.
Maybe you are switching from iPhone to Android, or you merely want to test out a Custom ROM, the possibilities with Android Emulator are endless. While BlueStacks has always topped the list of Android Emulators for PC and MAC, few android emulators are catching up insanely fast. So let’s take a look at which emulators you can try.
Best Android Emulators for Your PC
BlueStacks
BlueStacks is probably the most known Android emulator among Android users. The emulator is preferred for gaming and is ridiculously easy to set up. Other than Play Store, you have the option of downloading BlueStacks optimized apps from its own app store. The newer version, called BlueStack 3, supports keyboard mapping but does not go well with gestures.
A major drawback of BlueStacks emulator is that it gets sluggish in productivity apps. Other than that, the sponsored ads make the emulator lose behind other top free emulators. BlueStacks Android emulator is currently based on Android Nougat. The premium version is entirely ad free and costs around $24.
Why use BlueStacks?
- Easy to set up with no technical knowledge required
- Multiple accounts support
- Latest Android version
Android Studio
Android Studio is a development IDE (Integrated development environment) from Google itself and especially caters to developers. It basically comes with a bunch of tools and plugins to help developers build and test their apps.
Android Studio has a built-in emulator but packs fewer features in comparison to Genymotion. The emulator is unquestionably not for general usage and playing heavy games. Android Studio is tough to set up but simultaneously favorite of many developers.
Why use Android Studio?
- Google’s official emulator
- Regular updates
Nox App Player
Nox App player especially targets Android gamers. Although the emulator is perfectly fine for other Android apps and enjoying the whole Android experience, it is best suited for playing massive games like PUBG or Justice League. And it’s absolutely free with no sponsored ads.
The Nox emulator allows you to map keys of Keyboard, Mouse, and Gamepad. You can even assign keyboard keys for gestures, for instance, mapping shortcut for swiping right.
You can specify the CPU and RAM usage in the settings option to get the best gaming results. Also, Nox App Player makes it easy to root the device under one minute. This Android emulator is currently based on Android 4.4.2 (KitKat). The only problem with Nox is that it puts a lot of load on the system. Thus, you can’t use tons of other apps.
Why use Nox App Player?
- Multiple windows on the single device
- Mapping shortcuts on controllers
- Easy to root
Ko Player
Just like other gaming emulators out there, Ko Player focuses on delivering lag-free gaming experience with a lightweight software.
As Ko player is free of cost yet you might see few ads here and there. The app player is easy to install and navigate through the apps. It does support keyboard mapping and gamepad emulation.
The downside of this Android emulator is that it sometimes freezes out of the blue. Also, the player is a little buggy and makes it difficult for the user to uninstall the Android emulator.
Why use Ko Player?
- Simple UI
- Set up any Android device
- Easy to set up
MeMu
MeMu is relatively a new app player in comparison to the others. Launched in 2015, the MeMu Play, again, is focused on gaming. Regarding the speed, this Android emulator gives similar results as Nox and BlueStacks.
One of the most important features of MeMu Android emulator is its support for both AMD and Nvidia chips. It also supports different Android versions like Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. While MeMu advocates for high-performance gaming, the graphics performance is relatively poor. You would notice little textures and smoothness missing when compared to other app players.
MeMu is currently based on Android Lollipop and works top of the class with productivity apps. And if you are looking forward to playing games like Ingress or Pokémon Go, this should be your choice.
Why use MeMu?
- Key Mapping
- Set your virtual location on Google Maps
- Support both AMD and NVidia
ARChon
ARChon is not some big shot Android emulator, nor it has a huge fan following, it’s more of fix to run Android apps on Chrome OS.
It started out when Google bought support for two or three Android apps on Chrome Web Browser. Following which, a GitHub developer took it a little notch further and released ARChon to run all Android apps on Chrome.
The ARChon Android emulator is not suited for hardcore gaming, but it is excellent for using productivity app due to its easy access.
Why use ARChons?
- Integrated into Chrome
- No troublesome installation
- Good for productivity apps
Genymotion
Genymotion is not your casual Android emulator; it is only targeted at developers. The Android emulator lets you test apps on a variety of virtual devices with different versions of Android. The emulator is compatible with Android SDK and Android Studio. It even works macOS and Linux.
Since Genymotion is inclined towards developers, it is equipped with lots of developer-friendly features. And it might not be the right choice for people looking for Android gaming experience.
Genymotion premium version cost around $136/year.
Why use Genymotion?
- Supports Android Studio
- Runs on MacOs and Linux
- Run versions from Android 4.1 to 8.0
Remix OS
Well, Remix OS is nothing like other Android emulators out there. It is an entire Android OS which you can boot into.
Remix OS is a Jide Technology product, a company formed by Google’s former employees. You can put Remix OS on a USB device and boot from there to any computer on the planet. The Android emulator is good for productivity apps but does not support heavy gaming.
Note: As of now, Jide technology has officially killed its support for Remix OS. But you can still download the last Android Marshmallow version
Why use Remix OS?
- Android OS experience
- New file manager
- Good for productivity apps
These are the various Android emulators you can run on your Windows. Before you install any of the above emulators, it is important to note that these emulators are not completely bug-free and may lag from time to time. The performance of these app players would be based on the specification of your PC.