Best Android emulators on PC

This is a convenient and simple way to use familiar programs on powerful computer hardware, especially when it comes to modern mobile games.

Let's consider several Android emulators for Windows: BlueStacks, NoxPlayer, Andy, MEmu Play, Genymotion, GameLoop, etc. We will try to highlight the key features and competitive advantages of each of them.

Installing an Android emulator on a PC

Prior to installation, you need to download the distribution from the official developer's website or a trusted resource. Usually, this is an installation file with the extension "program_name.exe".

The official emulator website also specifies the minimum and recommended system requirements for running it on a PC. Below, you can find average data for all the programs mentioned in this material.

Follow the instructions before installation - choose the installation path, check the option to create shortcuts in the taskbar/desktop, and wait for the process to complete.

BlueStacks

The most popular Android emulator for PC, created in 2011 in Silicon Valley. Initially, the program was designed as a cross-platform player.

Today, BlueStacks is the market leader, supported and developed by a team of over 400 specialists. The client base has 500 million users in 200 countries around the world.

It is presented in two versions - BlueStacks 5 and BlueStacks X. The first one is a fast and optimized launcher for Android apps and games.

The second one is a launcher for launching Android apps using hybrid cloud. Unlike classic cloud computing, BlueStacks X is based on artificial intelligence, allowing you to choose how to launch the app - locally or from the cloud. This eliminates the need to download games to your PC, which is especially relevant for laptops and computers with limited storage.

Most users prefer using the classic BlueStacks 5.

As for advantages over competitors:

• By optimizing the program, it consumes 50% less RAM, allowing you to run two or more windows;
• In multi-window mode, BlueStacks reduces CPU and GPU usage by up to 87%;
• The library of games and apps exceeds 2 million;
• The emulator remains stable even with 6-8 hours of use;
• Manual frame rate adjustment is supported.

BlueStacks is versatile and offers fine-tuning of controls for each application or game. The ECO feature is available, reducing resource consumption on low-performance systems. The emulator is GDPR certified, ensuring user data security.

NoxPlayer

NoxPlayer is an Android emulator designed as a soft player and developed by a team of enthusiasts from Hong Kong. As of 2022, the user base has exceeded 150 million worldwide.

It offers the ability to freely remap control keys, create detailed and complex macros, as well as connect and configure gamepads, steering wheels, and pedals.

Despite this, the program supports running regular apps with full functionality. NoxPlayer implements all modern smartphone features such as zoom, slide, shake, screen rotation, etc.

If needed, you can choose the resolution of the most popular Android smartphones and tablets, set your own resolution, and select the graphics engine (OpenGL, OpenGL+, and DirectX).

The emulator is free and does not have a paid subscription. This is both a plus and a minus of the program - periodically, users will see pop-up ads in the upper right corner of the screen.

In 2021, a critical vulnerability was found in the emulator, and some users' devices were infected with Malware, but the developers promptly fixed the issue. Moreover, it had no impact on the majority of users. This case was the only known security issue with the program.

MEmu Play

MEmu Play is a partially free emulator for Windows computers that allows you to run most apps from the Google Play Store. It does not require a physical smartphone to work.

The emulator falls under the adware category - it distributes advertising materials inside the program, allowing developers to monetize it while users can use the software for free.

Additionally, two advertising shortcuts are fixed at the bottom of the desktop for monetization purposes.

Advantages of MEmu Play include:

• Performance on par with BlueStacks and NoxPlayer, with screen recording capability;
• Support for keyboards, mice, gamepads, as well as detailed key and control customization;
• The presence of a "File Explorer" for installing apps from APK files and viewing files through the emulator;
• Multi-window function and geolocation spoofing for augmented reality games.

One drawback is relatively high CPU and GPU requirements if stable 60 FPS is desired in modern resource-intensive games.

LDPlayer

LDPlayer is a free Android emulator for Windows developed by the Chinese company XuanZhi. It supports game downloads from Google Play Store, AMD AppZone, and Amazon Appstore.

For virtualization, it uses Oracle VM VirtualBox, which requires a compatible central processor to run the program on a PC.

The advantages of LDPlayer are:

1. Full localization in Russian, including reference materials on the official developer's website. There is a VKontakte group for user communication and support.
2. The emulator comes with Google Play and its own app store. This allows running apps without connecting a Google account, enabling app usage without a smartphone.
3. Support for keyboard and mouse, customization of complex macros. For shooters, presets for settings and controls are provided, including support for gamepads.
4. The settings include the option to allocate additional CPU and RAM resources to enhance emulator performance. Root access is available.
5. Running multiple synchronized windows and resource allocation among them.

In comparison with competitors, LDPlayer works great on low-performance PCs and laptops, but detailed configuration may be required to achieve maximum FPS in games. Otherwise, LDPlayer is one of the "lightest" Android emulators for gaming.

GameLoop

GameLoop is an emulator from Tencent, a conglomerate focusing on online games, social networks, and advertising. Despite the company's activity being concentrated in mainland China, the emulator is localized and freely available in Russia and the CIS countries.

The primary task of the emulator is to run demanding and resource-intensive Android games on a PC, such as PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, etc. The ability to install apps is severely limited, especially for inexperienced users. It is better to choose another program for these purposes.

The emulator lacks extensive settings like BlueStacks, but it ensures high performance through code optimization and resource allocation. The developers believe that technical superiority outweighs austerity and minimalism. The program has its own game store.

GameLoop supports game recording with subsequent streaming to Twitch, Youtube, and Facebook.

The software allows you to choose HD, Full HD, Ultra HD, or other custom resolutions to achieve the desired number of FPS, which depends solely on your PC's performance.

Andy

Andy Player is a free minimalist and easy-to-use emulator for virtualizing Android applications. During installation, it offers to install the Opera browser and third-party antivirus, but you can decline. It presents a clean Android interface with limited fine-tuning.

It is recommended for use when a simple and accessible emulator is needed for working with Android applications and basic games like Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, Fruit Ninja, etc.

Genymotion

Genymotion is an Android emulator used for app development and testing. It is positioned as professional software. It supports various versions of the operating system and devices.

You can launch the program through cloud services, but this feature is only available in the paid version. All screen sizes on different platforms are available, including AWS, Google, MS Azure, and Alibaba.

The official emulator website also lists the minimum and recommended PC system requirements for running it. The table below provides average data for all the programs mentioned in this material.

BlueStacks

The most popular Android emulator for PC, created in 2011 in Silicon Valley. Initially, the program was developed as a cross-platform player.

Today, BlueStacks is the market leader, serviced and developed by a team of over 400 specialists. The client base has 500 million users in 200 countries around the world.

It is presented in two versions - BlueStacks 5 and BlueStacks X. The first one is a fast and optimized launcher for Android apps and games.

The second one is a launcher for running Android apps using hybrid cloud technology. Unlike classic cloud computing, BlueStacks X is based on artificial intelligence, allowing you to choose how to launch an app - locally or from the cloud. This eliminates the need to download games to a PC, which is particularly relevant for laptops and computers with limited storage capacity.

Most users prefer to use the classic BlueStacks 5.

Advantages over competitors include:

• thanks to optimization, the program uses 50% less RAM, allowing you to run two or more windows;
• in multi-window mode, BlueStacks reduces the use of CPU and GPU resources by up to 87%;
• the game and app library exceeds 2 million items;
• the emulator is stable even when used for 6-8 hours;
• manual frame rate adjustment is supported.

BlueStacks is versatile and offers fine-tuning of controls for each app or game. The ECO function is available, reducing resource consumption on low-performance systems. The emulator is GDPR-certified, ensuring data security for users.

NoxPlayer

NoxPlayer is an Android emulator designed as software player and developed by a team of enthusiasts from Hong Kong. As of 2022, the user base exceeds 150 million people worldwide.

The emulator allows for free key remapping, creation of detailed and complex macros, as well as connection and configuration of gamepads, wheels, and pedals.

Despite this, the program supports running regular apps with their full functionality. NoxPlayer implements all modern smartphone features - zooming, sliding, shaking, screen rotation, etc.

If necessary, you can choose the resolutions of the most popular Android smartphones and tablets, set your own resolution, and choose a graphics engine (OpenGL, OpenGL+, and DirectX).

The emulator is free and does not have a paid subscription. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage of the program - occasionally, users will see pop-up ads in the top right corner of the screen.

In 2021, a critical vulnerability was found in the emulator, and some users' devices were infected with malware. However, the developers quickly fixed the issue. Moreover, it had no impact on the majority of users. This case was the only known security issue related to the program.

MEmu Play

MEmu Play is a partially free emulator for Windows computers that can run most applications from the Google Play Store. It does not require a physical smartphone for operation.

The emulator falls into the adware category - advertising materials are distributed within the program, allowing developers to generate income while users can use the software for free.

In addition, two advertising shortcuts are fixed at the bottom of the desktop as a means of monetization.

Advantages of MEmu Play:

• performance on par with BlueStacks and NoxPlayer with screen recording capability;
• support for keyboard, mouse, gamepad, and detailed key and control customization;
• "File Manager" for installing apps from APK and viewing files through the emulator;
• multi-window function and geolocation spoofing for augmented reality games.

The emulator has relatively high requirements for the processor and graphics card if you want to achieve a stable 60 FPS in modern demanding games.

LDPlayer

LDPlayer is a free Android emulator for Windows developed by XuanZhi, a Chinese company. It supports game downloads from Google Play Store, AMD AppZone, and Amazon Appstore.

Oracle VM VirtualBox is used for virtualization, requiring a compatible CPU for running the program on a PC.

LDPlayer's advantages include:

1. Full localization in Russian, including help materials on the official developer's website. There is a VKontakte group for user communication and support.
2. The emulator includes Google Play and its own app store, eliminating the need to connect a Google account and allowing apps to be launched without using a smartphone.
3. Support for keyboard and mouse, advanced key and control customization. Presets for settings and controls are available for shooters, including gamepad support.
4. The settings include the option to allocate CPU and RAM resources to improve emulator performance. Root access is available.
5. Running multiple synchronized windows and resource allocation among them.

Compared to its competitors, LDPlayer works well on low-performance PCs and laptops, but detailed adjustment may be required to achieve maximum FPS in games. Otherwise, LDPlayer is one of the "lightest" Android emulators for games.

GameLoop

GameLoop is an emulator from Tencent, a major holding company engaged in online games, social networks, and advertising. Despite the fact that the company's activities are primarily focused on mainland China, the emulator is localized and freely operates in Russia and CIS countries.

The primary task of the emulator is to run demanding and resource-intensive Android games on PC, such as PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, etc. The ability to install applications is greatly limited, especially for inexperienced users. For these purposes, it is better to choose another program.

The emulator lacks a wide range of settings like BlueStacks, but it provides high performance due to optimized code and resource allocation. The developers believe that technical superiority more than compensates for asceticism and minimalism. The program includes its own game store.

The software allows you to choose HD, Full HD, Ultra HD, or other custom resolutions to achieve the desired FPS, which depends solely on the performance of your PC.

Andy

Andy Player is a free minimalist and user-friendly emulator for virtualizing Android applications. During installation, Opera browser and third-party antivirus software are offered, but you can opt out of them. It features a clean Android interface with minimal customization options.

It is recommended to use Andy when a simple and accessible emulator is required for working with Android applications and simple games like Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, Fruit Ninja, etc.

Genymotion

Genymotion is an Android emulator used for app development and testing. It is positioned as software for professionals. It supports different Android OS versions and devices.

Launching the program through cloud services is available, but this feature is only implemented in the paid version. All screen sizes on various platforms are available, including AWS, Google, MS Azure, and Alibaba.

Genymotion supports scalability through virtual devices, providing opportunities for parallel app testing and report segmentation.

Genymotion is not recommended if your main need is messengers and games. For these purposes, it is better to choose another emulator mentioned above in this article.

PrimeOS

One of the current Android-based operating systems, exclusively oriented towards gamers. It is similar to Phoenix OS but can run and function properly even on low-performance PCs with 32-bit processors.

Three versions of the system have been developed:

1. PrimeOS Mainline 64 bit - for devices based on Intel and AMD processors that support SSE2 instructions.
2. PrimeOS Standard 64 bit - for computers and laptops with 2nd to 4th generation Intel processors.
3. PrimeOS Classic 32 bit - for weak PCs based on components released before 2011.

To assess the capabilities of PrimeOS, it can be run in LiveCD mode without direct installation on the hard drive. For a full installation, Windows Installer and ISO Image are provided.

Visually, PrimeOS is a minimalist system that presents familiar PC windows and a taskbar. The system is optimized for both keyboard and mouse input as well as touch input. Some applications and games come preinstalled in the system by default.

Phoenix OS

Phoenix OS is a free customized Android-based operating system. It is specifically designed for use on personal computers with a familiar desktop interface for users.

It features a Windows-like desktop, a proprietary Start menu, and a taskbar, but users can switch to classic Android settings if desired.

Notable features of the system include:

• clean and flat design;
• built-in file manager;
• support for NTFS HDD and SSD;
• availability of Russian language for the interface.

In 2022, the official Phoenix OS website is no longer functional, but installation files are still available on software internet portals. The OS based on 7.1 and 5.1 is available for installation as a Windows installer and as a bootable ISO image.

There are also many other emulators familiar to many people: Leapdroid, AMIDuOS, Droid4x, KoPlayer, etc. Some of them are no longer supported, while others lack competitive advantages and fail to run modern games. The emulators mentioned in this article are sufficient to meet the needs of both undemanding users and avid gamers.