Best Sega emulators for Android

The console and several dozen of its games have become truly iconic, as evidenced by the millions of sales of the device. Now you don't have to buy an old console at auctions or use Chinese analogues from Aliexpress to play the global hits of that time.

Modern mobile applications are capable of fully emulating the work of old consoles with full access to the game library, which can be downloaded from the internet.

GENPlusDroid

Free mobile emulator for Sega Genesis with support for Master System and Mega Drive. Provides high compatibility with almost the entire game library, including demanding projects like Virtual Racing and Phantasy Star.

To use the GENPlusDroid emulator, you will need to:

• Download and install the application;
• Allow access to photos, multimedia, and files on your device when prompted;
• Download game ROM files from reputable websites;
• In the emulator, click on "Load ROM" and navigate to the folder where the downloaded games are stored;
• Launch the game.

There is no need to specify the path to the games in the internal memory every time. If a game has been launched before, you can find its path in the "History" folder. It is worth noting that GENPlusDroid supports loading games from compressed archives in ".zip" and ".7z" formats.

To download cheat codes, you will need to download a file in the ".cht" format and place it anywhere convenient on the storage. Then, in the emulator, select the "Cheats" section and choose the file.

Gensoid

One of the earliest Sega Mega Drive emulators for Android. Supports operation on devices from version 1.5. It is distributed for free. Currently, it is not available for download on Google Play, but you can download a working version of the utility on our website.

To configure Gensoid, you will need to:

• Grant the application all the requested permissions;
• Copy the unpacked game files to the internal storage of your smartphone/tablet;
• In the main menu, go to the folder with the downloaded games;
• Select the game of interest and start it.

The emulator does not support loading games from archives. Before copying, you need to unpack the game files on the computer and then transfer them to the mobile device.

MD.emu

A paid emulator for Japanese Sega Genesis/Mega Drive consoles, as well as the enhanced version CD&Master System. Sega CD support is currently in beta testing. Developed based on open-source emulators - Gens, Picodrive, and Mednafen. The cost for users in Russia is 349 rubles.

Among the features of MD.emu are:

• Formats - .bin / .smd / .gen / .sms, launching from ZIP and RAR archives;
• SVP support - full emulation of the Sega Virtua processor for playing Virtual Racing;
• Audio tracks - playback of audio and music in FLAC and Wav formats;
• Controller - emulation and connection of a 6-button joystick (Bluetooth/USB);
• Screen orientation - landscape and portrait;
• Cheat codes - in .pad format.

Memory card emulation is not included in the application. When launching, grant access to the storage, SD card, or external USB drive. If necessary, you can connect up to 4 players in multiplayer games.

After launching the emulator, go to "Load Game" and find the folder with the pre-downloaded game ROMs. To access the menu during the game, use the icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

ClassicBoy Lite Games Emulator

A universal free emulator for PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, GBA, GBC, SNES, Atari 2000, and Sega Game Gear/Genesis. All emulation cores are already included in the free version of the application. The cost of the extended PRO version for users in Russia is 179 rubles.

If necessary, you can connect external extensions for SNES, Nintendo DS, and Sega 32X. According to the developers, the emulator is constantly being improved, and in the future, support for even more retro consoles can be expected.

To set up and run games, you will need to:

• Download, install, and allow access to the internal storage;
• Launch the emulator and grant it access to your smartphone/tablet files;
• Download game ROM files to the device's internal memory;
• In the main menu, scroll down slightly and select the "Sega 8/16-bit" section;
• Then, in the "Select Game" section, click on the folder icon and go to the preloaded folder with games;
• In the upper part of the same section, click on "Start New Game";
• Screen controller settings can be done in the "Core Options" section.

The menu for saving during gameplay is accessed through the button in the center at the bottom of the screen. From this menu, you can also access advanced settings, cheat code lists, reset, etc.

Additional instructions for working with the emulator can be found in the "Help" section. To access it, return to the main screen of the program, then click on the gear icon in the upper menu and scroll down.

The Lite version of the emulator supports multiplayer for up to 4 players using external gamepads, including PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

SuperMD (MD/GEN Emulator)

A free utility for playing games from the Sega Mega Drive 16-bit console. Supports all common formats: gen, md, bin. Does not have built-in ROMs - to install them, grant access to the storage.

The process of launching games is as follows:

• Download and install the application on your smartphone or tablet;
• Download game ROM files from a trusted website, copy them to any folder on your device;
• In the main menu, select "Load ROM" and go to the folder with the games;
• Launch the desired file.

Saving and loading is done through the top menu. If the application is not fully closed and remains in the tray, you can continue the game from the main menu.

The application is distributed under a freemium model with ads, but no video ads were found during testing. The PRO version of the program can be downloaded from Google Play, and the cost for Russia is 240 rubles.

MD Emu Games Gen

A free program for emulating games from the Sega Genesis console in ".gen/.bin/.md/.zip" format. Supports saving/loading game progress, full customization of the on-screen controller buttons, and the ability to connect an external gamepad.

To launch games using the utility, you will need to:

• Download and install the emulator from Google Play or our website;
• Grant the emulator access to media files and storage during the first launch;
• Download and place the game ROMs in a separate folder on the device or SD card;
• In the main menu, go to "Load ROM", then to the root directory of the internal memory, and select the folder with the ROMs;
• Launch the game.

The save/load progress is done by pressing the "Menu" button in the upper right corner of the screen and selecting the appropriate option from the dropdown menu. You can also go to "Settings" to change the control buttons.

RetroArch

A universal open-source emulator for retro games on Android. It is an interface or shell called Libretro, designed to create cross-platform applications.

The preparation and launch of RetroArch is divided into several stages:

1. Download, install, and grant access to the internal storage.
2. Launch the emulator and go from the main menu to "Load Core".
3. In the "Download Core" section, find the file "Sega - MS/MD/CD...".
4. Download the core and wait for it to install.
5. Return to the main menu, go to the "Load Content" section, click on "Initial Directory", then "/storage/emulated/0", and find the folder with the ROM files.
6. Click on the desired file; if the game is in an archive, confirm its extraction.
7. Saving/loading is done through the menu accessed with the center button on the screen.

Switching to landscape screen orientation is done through the phone's bottom menu in real-time. Other RetroArch settings can be found in the "Options" section.

EmuMD XL

A freemium application for playing games from Sega Genesis/Megadrive. Supports full graphics, sound, and control emulation. Works in full-screen landscape mode.

Among the advantages of the utility are:

• Fast rendering;
• Stereo sound support;
• Launching files with extensions ".bin/.gen/.smd/.md/.sgd";
• Emulation of 3 and 6-button controllers;
• Ability to connect external gamepads and keyboards;
• Support for Android 11+.

After downloading, grant the emulator access to the internal storage. To launch games, select "Select ROM..." and click "Rescan Device".

If the games are in archive files, they should be extracted before scanning; otherwise, they will not be displayed. Manual loading of ROM files into the application is not supported.