The best Android emulators for PC in 2024

Best Android emulators for PC in 2020

Tired of playing your favourite mobile games on a small screen? Want to run several mobile games at once? Do you dream of having your favourite mouse and keyboard back? Well, good news for all mobile gaming enthusiasts, you can simulate your Android mobile directly on your computer. To do this, you need to know which are the best Android emulators for PC in 2024, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs!

In this article, we take a look at the best Android phone emulators for mobile games, but also the top Android simulators for developers.

Comparison of Android emulators for mobile games

You're still wondering how to play mobile games on PC ? In this comparison, you will find the information that allowed us to rank Android emulators for mobile games in order of relevance. We've compiled this ranking according to the performance of each emulator, but more importantly according to the integrated features they offer, to guide you through the ocean of possibilities!

BlueStacks: the best Android emulator for PC

Granted, this is a bit of a spoiler, but the result of the analysis we conducted is clear: BlueStacks is definitely one of the best Android emulators for PC in 2024.

Bluestacks best Android emulator for PC 2020

It's simple, and it combines everything you'd expect from an emulator: performance, ease of use, security, multiple integrated features and not too heavy to run in terms of computer resources!

bluestacks logo

One could even go so far as to say that, today, BlueStacks is the reference Android emulator. Of course, its download is 100% free and its interface is very pleasant and intuitive.Download BlueStacks for Free

BlueStacks is now running on Android Nougat. It's easy to install and you can enjoy all the apps in the Google Play Store by logging into your Google account. 95% of the apps in the Play Store are compatible with BlueStacks, giving you access to thousands of mobile games and apps of all kinds.

Bluestacks Android emulator for PC: many games available

Very easy to use, the multiple features offered by BlueStacks make this emulator a must for Windows and iOS. Everything is designed to optimize the gaming experience and make it more comfortable and powerful:

  • Customizable game controls on keyboard, mouse and controller, depending on the style of game you play (MOBA, FPS, RPG, strategy, etc.) ;
  • Multi-instance : possibility to play several games at the same time or to play the same game with several accounts simultaneously ;
  • Multi-instance sync: faster to reroll in gacha games and maximize your resources in strategy games;
  • Creation of macros to automate repetitive tasks ;
  • High and adjustable FPS: no more lag! You'll finally have your life back in intense combat;
  • Real-time translation to play all mobile games without language limitations;
  • Full HD and QHD graphics for exceptional quality;
  • Defining a virtual GPS location ;
  • It's all in English.

LDPlayer : excellent Android emulator to play on PC

If you are looking for a very powerful emulator to play on PC, LDPlayer will meet all your expectations. It offers advanced features designed for gamers. Indeed, there are advanced control settings, multi-instance mode, macros to manage games automatically and high FPS, ideal for FPS fans.

More than 2 million daily active users have chosen LDPlayer to play their mobile games on PC. In addition, regular updates improve its operation to further optimise the resources used. Its interface is very pleasant, fluid and easy to use.

Play on Android for free on PC by emulator in 2022

Please note that, unlike BlueStacks (and NoxPlayer below), LDPlayer is not compatible with MacOS.

NoxPlayer: a powerful Android emulator

NoxPlayer is the emulator that makes it into the top 3 of this ranking of the best Android emulators for PC in 2024. Like its competitors BlueStacks and LDPlayer, it works with the Android Nougat version and performs particularly well on almost all mobile games in the Play Store.

noxplayer logo

Extremely complete, it offers interesting features. Like BlueStacks, it can be optimised (RAM, resolution, etc.) so that it can run on medium-powered configurations. If you are already used to using Android, you won't be lost thanks to its intuitive interface.

nox player emulator

Nox offers features that are essential to any good emulator, including :

  • controls: mouse adjustment and keyboard mapping changes at will;
  • Multi-instances: launch several instances at the same time to play different games or use several accounts on the same game ;
  • macro: recording of macros for complex operations and one-click script execution;
  • Precise settings according to its configuration to run computer resources heavy games ;
  • Easy screenshots and video recordings ;
  • Emulator in English.

MEmu: a stable and efficient Android emulator

MEmu is an Android emulator that is among our selection because it has several interesting features. First of all, it is very easy to use and, if your setup is powerful enough, it remains powerful, without draining resources. You will be able to run several games at the same time without having too much slowdown (there are still some, at times). You should not try to delve too far into the configuration, since its features focus on the essentials.

MEMu Play Android emulator for PC

We have noticed that, unlike BlueStacks, not all games are supported. Big constraint for us, who like to be able to test games, no questions asked.

MEmu's interface is clean and well designed. All controls are located in the right sidebar.

MEMu Play logo

Of course, this emulator for mobile games has its virtual keyboard and allows you to take screenshots. Finally, we like the fact that it is available in English and compatible with Windows 10 and Linux.

KOPlayer: a promising Android emulator

It's not the best Android emulator for PC, but it has nothing to envy to MEmu. Like its competitors, KOPlayer is a free PC emulator that works very well and shouldn't blush for its top 4 position. It offers strong stability as soon as it is well optimized, adapting to your setup but also to the Android games you want to run.

To stand up to their competitors, the developers have worked on a pleasant interface allowing to easily map the keys of the keyboard or a joystick.

KOPlayer logo

KOPlayer runs many mobile applications and games downloaded from the Play Store, but also APK files. Some basic features:

  • Webcam support;
  • Setting the keys to play with the keyboard or joystick ;
  • Quick checks with the toolbar ;
  • Integrated button to take screenshots ;

Downside: is only available in English for its users, and its updates lack regularity which naturally places it at the bottom of our ranking.

Why is BlueStacks the best Android emulator for PC?

Performance tests have been carried out between the 4 Android emulators we have just presented. The result is clear, BlueStacks is far ahead!

Benchmark best Android emulators for PC
Benchmark of the best Android emulators

Here is the configuration used to perform this analysis:

  • processor: Intel Core i7 ;
  • RAM: 32 Gb (DDR3) ;
  • graphics card : Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 ;
  • Operating system: Windows 10.

BlueStacks performed better than Nox especially on emulator speed criteria.
KOPlayer crashed twice (blue screen and PC reboot).
MEmu failed to handle some popular mobile games.

Download BlueStacks for Free Moreover, with Bluestacks, you can be sure that your personal information will remain confidential. As a US-based company, BlueStacks follows strict US data security laws (which is not always the case with other emulators).

Bluestacks logo

Proprietary emulators: X-Legend and Plarium

Some mobile game creators have developed their own emulators to allow their fans to play on the PC. This is the case of X-Legend and Plarium, the famous mobile MMO, RPG and strategy game development companies. They can't really be ranked among the best Android emulators for PC in 2024 as they are reserved for a very specific use.

Plarium Play : the emulator to play Raid: Shadow Legends

Plarium Play is an emulator developed by Plarium, the creators of the famous mobile RAID: Shadow Legends game.

Plarium logo

By the way, we've written a full tutorial on how to install Plarium Play and play RAID: Shadow Legends on PC (we're fans, so we're sharing our tips)!

raid shadow legends logo

Please note that Plarium Play is a platform where you can also play other MMOs and free-to-play strategy games offered by the company :

  • Vikings: War of Clans ;
  • Throne: Kingdom at War ;
  • Stormfall: Rise of Balur ;
  • Pirates: Tides of Fortune ;
  • Sparta: War of Empires ;
  • And so on.
Play Raid: Shadow Legends on PC

X-Legend : the emulator to play Aura Kingdom 2

X-Legend Entertainment has also developed its own emulator so that fans of the Aura Kingdom series could play directly on their PC.

Aura Kingdom 2 X-Legends emulator to play on PC
Play Aura Kingdom 2 with the dedicated X-Legends emulator

Players of the fantasy MMORPG can therefore directly download the Aura Kingdom 2 PC client, install it on their PC and play their favourite game on the big screen. Remember that it is also possible to play Aura Kingdom 2 on PC through the BlueStacks emulator for example.

logo x legends

It should be noted that, even if these emulators are well optimised for their dedicated games, they do not allow you to play other mobile games!

The best Android emulators for PC for developers

The developer emulators below provide you with different features to allow for a simulation of the Android environment on PC and easy testing of your applications.

Genymotion

genymotion logo

Genymotion is an emulator developed by a French company that is mainly aimed at developers. This software allows you to emulate any smartphone very easily. Indeed, many mobile phone and tablet brands are already set up, enabling you to test Android applications on several devices.

Genymotion Android emulator for application developers

This program is not free but will prove very useful for anyone wanting to learn how to develop on Android. The tests can be performed quickly, and many mobile features are available (simulating SMS, mobile network, GPS, etc.).

Android Studio

Android Studio is well known to Android developers as it is the IDE (integrated development environment) designed by Google. Available for free on all operating systems, Android Studio is not an emulator in the strict sense of the word.

android studio logo

This software integrates all the tools to create applications and games on mobiles and tablets. It then offers an emulator to allow developers to directly test the behaviour of their game or app on the chosen version of Android (the latest versions are available and you can easily switch from one to another).

Big downside: the client is heavy to install (several gigabytes), consumes a lot of resources and the installation is a bit complex. One quickly realizes the limits of the software as a mobile game emulator, not everything is as well thought out as in its competitors specialized in Android device emulation. It is sometimes much simpler to use an online emulator!

Conclusion: which Android emulator to choose?

You now have a lot of information about the best Android emulators for PC in 2024 on the market. If you use MacOS, don't panic, we have also selected the best Android emulators for Mac!

Whether it is for professional purposes, video games or both, there is an emulator adapted to everyone's needs. As you can see, if we had to choose the most powerful emulator that suits the widest audience, we recommend BlueStacks without hesitation! Download BlueStacks for free

Marjo
Marjo Former editor-in-chief of JeuMobi and a real sniper of spelling mistakes. Very good audience, laughter is my fuel. Life is a game, isn't it!

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