Best Android Emulators for PC & Mac [Ranked]

Blue Stacks

It's undeniable. Blue Stacks is currently the best Android emulator, and for good reasons too.

Not only can you play the most popular Android games on it, but you can have multiple instances of them too. For example, Clash of Clans, mobile gaming's best military game. Instead of having to rely on irresponsible teammates, simply run multiple instances of it and win the clan wars by yourself. On top of all that, while testing the emulator, I found no major bugs or hiccups. Everything ran smoothly and I could run any game I wanted on it. 

Game Loop

Game Loop is an Android emulator made by Tencent. Yes, the very same Tencent who made PUBG Mobile and CoD Mobile, some of the best Tencent games, and, honestly, some of the best mobile games in general.

The thing that makes Game Loop one of the best Android emulators is that it puts gaming at the forefront and it actually makes Android gaming viable, even better than on Android devices to be honest. Not only can you play games with Game Loop, but you can also run all the usual Android apps as well. All these factors combined make Game Loop one of the top Android emulators bar none. It's just slightly behind Blue Stacks as it doesn't get access to all the apps that you would otherwise have with something like Blue Stacks.

LDPlayer 9

Of course, if you don't like Tencent's business practices, you can always support their competition instead. LDPlayer 9 is probably the second best Android emulator for gaming on the market right now.

Not only does it run Android apps as any regular old emulator would, but it also offers custom control settings based on your hardware peripherals of choice. Plus you get access to the Google Play Store, which means an entire library of games is at your disposal. I know, Subway Surfer is one of the best survival games of all time (this is sarcasm), however, even it gets stale after a while. Even though LDPlayer 9 is good by itself, I'd wager that it'll be a few more years before it reaches its full potential.

MEmu Play

MEmu Play is one of the oldest emulators out there, but don't let that fact discourage you. There's a reason why it's still popular. The reason it's still relevant is because of the constant love and support that has gone into the app over the years.

The reason MEmu Play is such a great Android emulator tool is that it gives special focus to systems with lower-end specs, which is honestly one of the best features of the app. It also offers dedicated keyboard settings, perfect for playing the best fighting games or even the best shooters for that matter. No Android device can compare. The only downside to MEmu Play is the constant ads, which can only be removed with a subscription.

NoxPlayer

NoxPlayer is another vintage emulator. Again, don't let that fact turn you off, it's actually one of the best Android emulators available right now. Back in the day, Nox was the emulator that set the standards for what an Android emulator should look like.

Interestingly enough, it's still being supported to this very day. And it actually runs pretty well all things considered. The gaming experience is as smooth as on other gaming platforms, and because it has Google Play Store, you can download the latest Android apps without a hitch. Frankly, if you want a free all-around Android emulator. then NoxPlayer is one of the best Android emulators in that regard. Just keep in mind that it's a bit dated comparatively.

KoPlayer

If you want an easy-to-use, easy-to-set-up, and easy-to-navigate emulator, then KoPlayer is probably the Android emulator for you.

KoPlayer is the perfect Android emulator if you just want to get into your favorite soccer games without having to go through all the extra hassle of other emulators. Additionally, it also has this really cool recording feature built into the emulator, which is pretty neat. The only downside to it is that offers no customization options, which might hamper usability for some users.

ARChon

Don't you just love it when you don't even have to download an emulator to get an Android emulator? Introducing, ARChon, the Chrome extension that allows you to have just that.

ARChon gives you all the features that other emulators give you, but, without having to download or install anything directly on your PC. You get access to the Google Play Store and all the features that Android phones get. The only downside to ARChon is that it rarely gets updated, as such, it doesn't really have the most up-to-date Android version. Ah well, you can't have it all I guess.

Android Studio

Android Studio isn't a dedicated gaming emulator per se, but it sure as hell can be turned into one with the right know-how. It just takes a little while to acquire that know-how.

The thing is, Android Studio is the perfect Android emulator for developers to test out their apps and ideas on another platform that isn't an Android. The downside to that is that the emulator itself is quite difficult to navigate, as it has a ton of options and features. It'll probably take you a while to learn it, but it will be well worth it in the end.

Bliss OS

Certain operating systems can also be used to emulate Androids. Take Bliss OS for example. The beauty of Bliss is that you can run it in three ways: by performing a live boot with an external flash drive, by partitioning your PC, or, my personal favorite. By setting up an Android Virtual Device.

It offers all the features that the other emulators give you and more. You can install Android apps on it. You can play games on it. And, most impressive of all. You can test the latest Android versions on it, as it regularly gets updated. Honestly, if you don't mind going through the extra hassle of setting up an OS, then Bliss OS is probably one of the best Android emulators for you. However, if you just want an emulator to game on, then I'd advise some of the previous, as it's a bit of a hassle to get Bliss set up.

Prime OS

Prime OS is an OS that is specifically designed with gaming in mind. You can play some of the best adventure games on it... at least those that are available on mobile that is.

But, most important of all, you can tailor and customize the experience to your specific needs. Just be prepared for the onslaught of ads that come with the program. They have to make their money somehow I guess. As with the previous entry. If you just want to game and need an Android emulator to do so, consider the previous options before settling on Prime. Especially if your machine only has one dedicated hard drive for everything.