Did you ever get tired of holding your mobile phone while playing some of your favourite games and ask yourself how great it would be if you had the opportunity to play them on your Windows or macOS desktop?
There is a solution for that, and it's called the App player or Emulator. One of the best solutions is using a free Android operating system emulator on the Windows or macOS desktop, which allows you to run Android apps on your PC.
One of the famous and well-known Android Emulator is the bluestacks, It works by creating a virtual Android tablet on your desktop. The well-known one is the BlueStacks App Player produced by an American company which also provides other cloud-based products.
The BlueStacks App Player is designed to enable Android applications to run on PCs running Microsoft Windows and Apple's macOS. You can easily download any Apps through BlueStacks, which no doubt is the great tools for gamers.
Performance of BlueStacks usual faster than the mobile! Though it mainly based on your PC's configuration of hardware. Although it has custom key mapping, gives the ability to run multiple games, it carries with itself occasional performance bugs. We can agree that this could annoy any of us. Moreover, it lacks a full Android interface.
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But if you are not satisfied with this one because it is no longer a sufficient Android emulator, you can try alternative software like bluestacks for pc that could be very satisfying such as these:
10 Best Android Emulators Alternative to BlueStacks: Run Android Apps On PC
Navigation of Contents
1. Nox Player
This is another popular Android emulator for Windows. Although its user interface is quite different compared to other bluestacks related apps, you will love it once you get the drift. NoX Player runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, and you can adjust the amount of RAM, FPS, and the CPU cores you would like to allocate the emulator on its settings. If you experience compatibility issues when you are playing your favorite games, you can switch between OpenGL and DirectX rendering modes.
Besides coming with a pre-installed Google Play Store App, you can install your favorite apps and games by dragging and dropping them on the emulator.
NoX Player: Pros
- The emulator supports keyboard mapping
- The ‘script record’ feature enables you to record important screen events and replay or share them later
- It has a multi-player feature
- The emulator is free
Download: https://noxofficial.com/nox-for-pc/
2. Remix OS Player
Remix OS Player is one of the relatively new Android emulators in the market. It runs on Android Marshmallow and has a pretty straightforward installation process. The emulator offers a customizable toolbar along with gamer-specific features.
Remix OS Player: Pros
- The emulator is free
- It has a multiplayer feature
- You can run multiple applications on the emulator without slowing down the system’s performance
Remix OS Player: Cons
- The emulator has not had an update for quite some time. However, it runs just fine.
Download: https://www.fosshub.com/Remix-OS.html
3. YouWave Emulator
YouWave is a popular Bluestacks emulator which is available for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and Windows XP. It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. Once you download and install YouWave, you get ten days of free trial which is sufficient time to get a feel of what the emulator offers. Unlike Bluestacks, this emulator provides a complete Android system which includes a home screen and an app menu.
While it doesn’t include many apps, you can install Google Play on YouWave to get more apps.
YouWave Emulator: Pros
- The emulator has a multiplayer gaming feature
- You can switch from portrait to landscape or vice versa through the dynamic rotation
- You can simulate an SD card
YouWave Emulator: Cons
- It is a paid emulator
- The display is quite poor
Download: https://youwave.com/download/
4. LeapDroid
This is a powerful emulator that was acquired by Google in 2018 but was eventually shut down. Despite its discontinuation, LeapDroid continues to be one of the best emulators on the internet, and you can download it from other sources.
The emulator runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and comes with common apps such as music, camera, browser, and so on. The home screen has shortcuts to popular game shortcuts such as Pokemon Go and Clash of clans. You can download more games by downloading the Google Play Store.
LeapDroid: Pros
- The emulator is free
- It supports keyboard mapping which enables gamers to play using the keyboard
LeapDroid: Cons
- As it was discontinued, do not expect to get any support after downloading it.
Download: https://leapdroid.en.softonic.com/
5. Genymotion
Genymotion has turned out to be one of the best Android emulators in the market today. However, you will need to have the latest version of Virtual Box and enable “virtualization technology” in the BIOS before you download it. You also need to register an account before using it.
With Genymotion, you can select whichever Android phone you want to simulate. You can also install Android versions ranging from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 7.0 Nougat. On the free version, you get features such as a camera. The free version also allows you to manually set your GPS coordinates and battery level. The premium version allows you to remotely control the emulator using your phone.
Genymotion: Pros
- The emulator is compatible with Android Studio, Android SDK, macOS, and Linux
- You can run the emulator on virtually any Android Version
Genymotion: Cons
- Although casual gamers can use the free version, you will need to pay for the premium version to unlock all its features
Download: https://www.genymotion.com/
6. Ko Player
Like most of the Android gaming emulators, Ko Player aims at providing gaming enthusiasts with a free but exceptional gaming experience through a lightweight software. The emulator is easy to install and navigate. It comes with such features as gamepad emulation and keyboard mapping.
Ko Player: Pros
- The emulator is free and has a simple UI
- Gamers can record gameplay for sharing or to view them later
Ko Player: Cons
- As it is free, expect to encounter some advertisements
- The emulator lags and freezes every once in a while
Download: http://www.koplayer.com/
7. Dolphin Emulator
Dolphin is another free BlueStacks alternative for Windows, Linux, and macOS users. It is an emulator for Nintendo video game consoles: the GameCube and the Wii.
After a few games tested, almost all of games run perfectly or with minor bugs. Dolphin is actively developed; new features are added, and bugs are fixed as well nearly every day. Also, games are playable at HD quality, with 1080p and more.
Dolphin keeps making improvements to compatibility and performances which are almost incredible. The important thing about this emulator to feature is that Dolphin has become one of the easiest to use emulator ever made.
Key Features of Dolphin Emulator:
- Play on the maximum resolution in high definition up to 1080p
- HD quality
- Compatibility
Dolphin Emulator: Cons
- Almost none
8. Andy Android Emulator
Apart from gaming, Andy Android emulator enables you to access your favorite social media accounts including Snapchat, Facebook, Whatsapp, Viber, and so on. You can use your phone to remotely control the emulator on your desktop or Mac.
Andy Android emulator syncs with your Google account, thus you do not lose your game’s progress when you take a break. Apart from the customization feature, the emulator’s interface is quite flexible.
Andy Android emulator: Pros
- It gives you a full Android OS experience as opposed to emulating specific applications
- The remote control feature comes in handy when you are playing video games
- You can download Google Play apps and games directly to your desktop
Andy Android emulator: Cons
- The installation process is quite tricky
- The emulator takes up a lot of space on your PC
Download: https://www.andyroid.net/
9. MEmu
This is a high-performance emulator that runs on Android Lollipop. However, the download version runs on Android Jellybean 4.2 and you will need to download other packages in order to upgrade it to Lollipop. The emulator is compatible with most versions of Windows, Nvidia, Intel, as well as AMD chipsets.
MEmu emulator is pre-loaded with Google Play Store so you can browse and download as many Android games and apps as you would like. Apart from supporting the full-screen mode, the emulator has such other features as screen record, screenshot tool, a kill process tool, among others.
MEmu: Pros
- The emulator is free
- It supports Android KitKat, Jelly Bean, and Lollipop
- You can run multiple instances of the emulator simultaneously which is ideal for multiple app testing or gaming
- It supports keyboard mapping
MEmu: Cons
- The emulator performs quite poorly when it comes to graphics performance
Download: http://www.memuplay.com/
10. AMIDuOS
AMIDuOS is the full Android experience. It has all the features that the latest version of the popular mobile operating system has to offer.
It runs fast and performs with no limitations. It can run almost all of the Android applications available in Android app markets. AMIDuOS supports 3D acceleration and supports OpenGL drivers for improved frame rates to help even the most graphics-intensive games so that you can enjoy an excellent gaming experience from AMIDuOS.
It supports necessary peripherals and sensors of the Windows hardware, including high-definition cameras, audio, and microphone. Sensor support includes Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Compass, and Orientation.
Key Features of AMIDuOS:
- It supports critical peripherals and sensors of the Windows hardware
- Supports 3D acceleration & support OpenGL drivers
- Great performance for graphics-intensive games
- Support Storage and File Sharing
AMIDuOS: Cons
- Not recommend having it running at all times in the background
Final thoughts
While all of the above emulators work quite well, it all boils down to what you are looking for. For instance, if you want an outstanding gaming experience, we recommend Nox Player.
However, we recommend that you download the free or trial versions and test the emulator out before moving on to the premium version. So, what emulator should have made it to this list? What’s your experience in using your favorite emulator?