A program to play android games on a computer. How to run Android apps on PC? MEmu is a fast android emulator with functional side toolbar
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It would seem why you need an android emulator on your computer if you are not developing applications. Everything is very simple. There are many games for Android that are not available for PC. Some games are too demanding and your phone or tablet just won't hold up. The graphics will be better on the computer, because with high-quality graphics and a large screen it is easier to play. There are many more reasons to download an android emulator on your computer. We will consider the best emulators in this article below, emulators are suitable even for a weak computer.
Emulator android application for computer
Bluestacks emulator download for computer
bluestacks emulator
The bluestacks emulator is one of the very first emulators that is still developing rapidly. The bluestacks emulator is quite popular, regular improvements are made to both the engine itself and the interface in Russian.
Almost all games and applications are compatible with bluestacks. That's what the developers say. They have their own library of applications, games that are optimized to work on the emulator, such games will definitely work in the emulator. By installing a third party apk file, the game can also work well. The emulator has all the functions, as in the phone. Screen rotation, screen shake, phone screen screenshot. Convenient work with files, you can drag and drop from your computer to the emulator.
In this emulator, you can switch between applications using tabs. In addition, there is virtualization of the gamepad. The game can be controlled using the keyboard. Installing the bluestacks emulator is quite simple. You just need to follow the installation instructions. You can download the emulator from the official site
Nox App Player Emulator
Nox App Player - made in a more minimalistic style, there are no large menus, such as bluestacks. After starting the emulator, you will see the usual android desktop, with a side control panel. In this sidebar, all the functions that are in the phone, as well as buttons, home, back.
When you start a program or game, the emulator automatically adjusts the screen size and rotates it if necessary. In the emulator settings, you can independently set the screen size and adjust the performance. By adding processor cores, RAM and more.
If you need root rights, then you can get them without any problems. It is enough to turn the toggle switch to the on position in the settings and the root rights are received. You can set your own keyboard shortcuts. It is possible to record video from the screen.
You can download the Nox App Player emulator from the official website of the developer.
Genymotion
This emulator is more intended for application and game developers, but ordinary people can also use it. The emulator can be installed on such operating systems as Windows, OS X and Linux.
Templates for various devices are available in this emulator. You can emulate any device from the list. Each template has its own characteristics like a real device, resolution, processor, video accelerator, RAM.
You can download the emulator on the official website.
Android emulator on PC for weak computers
MEMU emulator
But this emulator is just the same designed for games. It has a comfortable keyboard and gamepad emulation. For example, to click on the screen, you can bind keystrokes on the keyboard, thereby you can play by controlling the keyboard. Such a function is often not enough for a full and convenient game. The rest of the emulator has the same functions as other emulators.
There are several features in this emulator. This is sending the game from the computer to the emulator, quick change of screen orientation and full screen mode. Of course, in full-screen mode, the quality of the graphics is worse, but you can play it and it depends on the game itself. Most of the top heavy games run on this emulator with ease.
Root rights are arranged in the MEMU emulator, which makes life easier for those who need root rights. The emulator has its own catalog of games and applications, but it's better not to use it, since everything is in Chinese. It's better to download the game from Google Play or from third party resources. All in all, it's not a bad emulator, compact, full of features and no ads. You can download the memu android emulator on the developer's website
Andy android emulator for pc
A good emulator, practically no different from the same Memu. The same simple interface awaits you, in this case this is a plus, not a minus.
But there is a small drawback, the emulator does not always cope with heavy games. Therefore, this emulator is more designed for applications. It can also be noted that this emulator has ads, which is not entirely good. In the folders with files, it is suggested to install any application, such applications are marked with A AD. You can download from the official site.
A couple of years ago, I didn’t even have a thought to download an android emulator for my usual Windows computer. But the popularity of the brainchild of Google cannot but surprise, of course, this has affected the entire information technology industry - it’s simply unrealistic that many different applications and games have come out that work exclusively on Android and you can download them from, which I wrote about recently. That is why it was decided to write this guide to choosing the best emulator - in a nutshell it will not work, there is plenty to choose from.
In fact, there are really many reasons why it becomes necessary to run the Android Emulator on your personal computer or laptop. For example, app developers can test their software before publishing it to the App Store on various configurations. Fans of a wide variety of games can use their favorite mice and keyboards over the years as game controls - and this is really necessary (however, I do not think that they will replace the gyroscope control). In any case, emulating Android applications on Windows is possible, and my task is to tell you about the best in this niche.
Two years ago, I had the imprudence to install the Hay Day game on my tablet, well, I hung there for several days. The habit did its job - playing on a computer is more familiar and convenient for me, but the online version does not exist in nature and it was decided to install the Bluestacks emulator. At that time, probably the only adequate option for launching games for android on a PC running Windows.
Important note: Some emulators require the BIOS (or UEFI) to enable support for Intel VT-x or AMD-v hardware virtualization. Usually they are always active, but if you are experiencing problems with some of the emulators from the list, then check these options. However, that's not all, I noticed that when installing the Hyper-V component in the system, many of the above emulators simply refused to start - I did not find a solution to this problem, so choose what is more important for you. (There are a lot of alternatives to Hyper-V and they do not conflict - this is not said to offend Microsoft)
Since we are talking about virtualization in general, it should be understood that the android emulator is a rather gluttonous thing and requires a sufficient amount of random access memory. You can see its amount in the properties of the system (for beginners, there is a detailed note on how to determine computer parameters -), if you have less than 4 gigabytes of RAM, then most likely you may not achieve comfortable work.
Do not forget that for correct operation and maximum performance, it is recommended to install the latest drivers for the graphics adapter. I did not include commercial versions in this review, because I understand that most likely it is needed to satisfy interest, and indeed, to see how it happens there.
Nox App Player - perhaps the best emulator
To be honest, I met this emulator quite recently, but nevertheless it deserves the first line in our review. More recently, I thought that "Bluestacks" is the best thing for our tasks, but I was very wrong. (although it probably did before). Now in this segment there is healthy competition and a lot of really worthy options. Most likely, if you do not have problems with NOX App Player, then your acquaintance with android virtualization will end here - you simply will not find a better one. Everything works great even on modern Windows 10 and I did not find any problems with installation or settings, everything is intuitively simple and clear.
After installing and running the program, and it installs quite quickly - just a couple of minutes, we will see the familiar Android screen in front of us (unfortunately, not the latest version, but only 4.4.2, but this is enough to run a huge number of games and applications). Google Play Market is already preinstalled in the system, so there should be no problems with choosing what to play. There is a small note: be prepared to confirm your Google account, authorization in NOX App Player causes distrust among the “corporation of goodness”.
Unfortunately, the program does not have localization into Russian, but the android itself is allowed to switch to Russian - you can do this in the same way as on a phone or tablet. But all the program settings will remain in English, but this is not the biggest problem, once set up and forgotten.
Now let's move on to the settings (you can open them by clicking on the gear icon at the top of the program). We are interested in the “Advanced” tab - by default, the emulator will start at a resolution of 1280 × 720, for some it may turn out to be a lot, or vice versa - too small, just select the one you need and restart the application. You can also configure your emulated device here, for example, Performance Setting - these are performance settings, as it turned out, nothing slowed me down even in the minimum configuration, which indicates good optimization.
For the test, I tried to install the game Need For Speed: No Limits - everything works exceptionally smoothly and there are no issues with the management. Of course, racing is not the best example, but as far as I know, this game is quite demanding on resources, but everything works just fine.
I would like to write a few words about the action icons that are located to the right of the emulator window, let's go over some of them:
- There is the ability to install applications from APK files from a computer, this feature is useful if you have problems with the Google Play Store.
- You can select your location manually and the emulator will think that it is receiving the real GPS coordinates of the receiver, but we set them ourselves.
- Creating screenshots, I think there is nothing special to explain here - the most common picture with the contents of the window at a certain moment.
What can be summed up after the mini description of the android emulator Nox App Player? If you need to install Prescope, Instagram or similar programs, then this emulator is ideal for these purposes. There are no questions about the speed of work, even heavy 3D toys work great, but you should understand that a lot depends on the performance of your computer.
UPD: If Nox App Player does not start or refuses to install, then most likely the username contains Russian characters. You can create a new user using only English characters or rename an existing one
You can download NOX App Player for free on the official website http://en.bignox.com/
Andy is my choice
I can’t say why, but I settled on this emulator - it seemed to me the most thoughtful and convenient. Unfortunately, the interface is similar to the previous one - in English, but Android itself is in Russian, which is familiar to us. No special problems with installation and launch were found, everything went like clockwork.
This android emulator has a pre-installed application store and for the test I tried to install Township and check how everything works. To be honest, I got stuck and lost for about an hour - everything works smoothly, does not crash or buggy.
There is nothing special to configure, I think it’s worth highlighting the emulator’s screen resolution settings, if suddenly the window turns out to be too large or small. The settings are called by clicking on the program icon in the taskbar next to the clock, the menu item is called Set [email protected], here the resolution we cherish is chosen. Naturally, after applying the settings, the program must be restarted for the settings to take effect.
If you are worried that this emulator has few settings, then you are mistaken, everything you need is here. You can also configure the allocated amount of RAM (do not forget that it cannot be more than physically installed in your computer) and the number of processor cores. On this I think we can finish the description of this wonderful application.
You can download Andy Emulator Android by going to the official website http://www.andyroid.net/
Bluestacks - former favorite
Bluestacks is probably the most popular and well-known Android operating system emulator for a Windows computer. A big plus of this program is the presence of the Russian language, but this is not quite an emulator - rather an environment for running games. This is probably why Bluestacks shows just excellent performance in gaming applications, if you don’t need anything else, then you can stop at this option.
Unfortunately, after the update, it has ceased to be completely free - you will be forced to install certain applications every day or offered to pay a subscription of $ 2 per month. However, no one bothers us to remove unnecessary programs immediately after installation, but as they say, the sediment remains ...
The test game Hay Day installed and launched without problems and synced perfectly with the facebook account. I didn’t have a desire to play, but there were no problems with this emulator before and I don’t think there will be now.
The main feature of Bluestacks TV is the ability to stream the game online on Twitch, I think this feature will be especially in demand by streamers and will help make Android game reviews easier than ever before.
Complex and demanding games also run without problems, but it feels slower than the same Andy or Nox App Player, so the choice is yours.
You can download the Bluestacks emulator by going to the official website of the program http://www.bluestacks.com/ru/index.html
Droid4x - Gamer's Choice
I often saw the Droid4X emulator in the comments - so I decided to test it too. As it turned out, he has enough problems - this concerns stability, I constantly had problems during testing. However, it has a lot of useful and necessary functions, so we will not discount it.
Of course, I can not say that my computer is weak. (Core i5 and 24GB RAM, HD5870 graphics card), but the configuration is quite old by the standards of computers, but I did not notice any hints of brakes in games, everything is going very smoothly. There is a fly in the ointment, I could not launch Plants VS Zombie 2 - the game constantly crashed and under no circumstances did not want to start, there were some problems with the keyboard that resolved themselves. The most annoying thing is that the emulator just freezes completely several times in just half an hour of work, for sure it will be very annoying. Maybe I have these problems specifically - it is quite possible that everything will work stably for you, but, unfortunately, it did not suit me.
Of course, he also has a bright side - this concerns management. The fact is that it is already remarkably adapted to the familiar keyboard and mouse out of the box (swiping left or right, zooming in or out using the mouse wheel - this is all native and familiar to us for a long time).
Droid4X also allows you to bind the computer keyboard buttons to the desired areas of the screen, this can be very useful for games, in my opinion this emulator was conceived for games - there were no problems with the Play Market.
In general, the verdict is a solid and productive Android emulator for a computer, but I have problems with it, I can’t say how it will be for you, try it.
You can download Droid4X on the official website http://www.droid4x.com/
Genymotion is the best for developers
The Genymotion emulator is very different from all the programs presented in today's list, it allows you to emulate not only Android itself, but a wide range of real-life devices. It works fast enough and supports hardware graphics acceleration, which is good news. The Russian language is not provided here, so some users may have difficulty learning.
The audience of this emulator is not avid gamers, but most likely software developers, and I just couldn’t launch a lot of games. To get the desired program, we need to be sure to register on the site and we will be able to download the distribution kit for personal use. I recommend using the version with VirtualBox - it's the first one on the list. A separate launch of VirtualBox is not needed - you launch Genymotion and it does everything without your intervention.
So, as I already wrote, there is an opportunity to choose the version of Android and the model of a real device, I don’t think that this is a necessary function for an ordinary user, and developers will surely be happy with such functionality. Click Next and the emulator automatically pulls everything from the Internet, we just have to make fine tuning applications.
In the configuration, we can choose the number of cores and the amount of RAM for the device, and we can also change the resolution - everything is only the most necessary.
Next, you need to select our newly created device in the list, and click "Play", in a couple of minutes the image of the system we have chosen will be ready for use. The capabilities of the emulator are well documented, but again, the language barrier can prevent you from working with the program.
You can download Genymotion as usual on the official website of the program https://www.genymotion.com/. This emulator also has a paid version with advanced functionality, but we are not interested, we are looking for the one that For Personal Use and rejoice.
Test results and my thoughts
Currently, there are a lot of android emulators, for almost every taste and color. I distributed them based on my subjective opinion and it is not necessarily the only true one - it is possible that for you, the presence of some functions will be decisive and then the favorite of this review will not be Nox App Player or Andy, but perhaps Bluestacks - he is the only one who can stream to Twitch out of the box , and the price of 2 bucks, in general, is rather symbolic and does not hit the pocket of a modern gamer much.
The most famous Android emulator that many users stop at. BlueStacks is really good. It is compatible with almost all programs and games from Google Play, and in the "App Center" tab, it shows recommendations according to other users' ratings.
The emulator has a Pika Points reward system. To earn points, you need to install applications and play. Earned points can be redeemed for Google Play gift cards, premium memberships, t-shirts, and more.
There are no problems when working with files: documents, photos and other data can be transferred from Windows Explorer or Finder macOS by simple drag and drop. Between running applications You can switch between tabs in a browser.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Nox App Player is a minimalistic emulator that offers the familiar Android workspace with control buttons on the sidebar. In the program settings, you can adjust performance by adding processor cores and the amount of dedicated RAM, as well as change the orientation and size of the window.
Some games in Nox App Player start with errors, but it works great for working with applications. The program has integration with Windows 10 notifications, so you can install the same instant messengers and chat easily through the emulator.
3.Memu
- Platforms: Windows, macOS.
This emulator in Russian is designed primarily for games. A focus on gamers gives a special keyboard layout and gamepad emulation. The program supports both programs from Google Play and installation of applications via APK.
On MEmu, you can emulate "heavy" games - there are no problems with performance, but the picture quality suffers a little.
Music, videos, images, and downloads are shared with Windows, so you can quickly transfer files between the emulator and your computer.
There is root access and a built-in application directory. But there is nothing interesting in the catalog: games and programs in Chinese of dubious origin.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS.
A free emulator for games that runs on due to its undemanding resources. If other programs need at least 4 GB of RAM for normal operation, then Koplayer will suffice with 2 GB. It is installed with an English interface, but there is a Russian language in the settings, as in regular Android.
Google Play and APK files are available for installing applications. The main advantage of Koplayer is the ability to customize the keyboard layout for each game. You can also control it with a mouse or a gamepad: just mark a virtual button on the screen and assign it a physical counterpart on the controller.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Genymotion is a program for developers that can emulate a large number of Android devices with real characteristics: from the flagships of popular brands to unknown budget employees. Before downloading, you need to create a free account - its data will be needed at the first start for authorization.
For ordinary users, Genymotion is unlikely to be a convenient solution: there is no Russian interface, games and programs from Google Play often do not start.
But if you are starting on Android, then this emulator will help you conduct all kinds of tests. When you launch an app or game, the device settings control panel is available. Thanks to it, you can see how the application behaves in a different screen orientation, without a GPS connection, Bluetooth turned on, and other conditions.
Which computer can I put an android emulator on
There are no special requirements for installing the emulator on Linux and macOS.
For the emulator to work on a Windows computer, AMD-v or Intel VT-x virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS. This is usually done by default. But if the android emulator won't start, check your settings.
Under Advanced BIOS → Features or Advanced → CPU Configuration (look for something similar), there should be an option called Virtualization or Intel Virtual Technology. Make sure it is set to Enabled.
Most emulators are demanding on RAM resources. If the computer has less than 4 GB of RAM, then the program may slow down.
Also pay attention to the graphics adapter drivers. They must be the latest version, otherwise the emulators will not start. To check the driver version on Windows, press on your keyboard, type dxdiag, and click Run. Go to the "Display" tab and in the "Drivers" field, look at the version.
Go to the graphics card manufacturer's website and check which driver version is available for your graphics adapter. If new drivers are available, install them.
You can simplify the process with the help of the program. Once launched, the utility will scan all the components of the computer and show which drivers need to be updated. You just have to open the "Drivers" tab and click "Install".
On macOS, to keep drivers up to date, it is enough to install system updates in a timely manner. On Linux, the procedure depends on the . For example, Ubuntu has a built-in Software and Update utility for updating drivers from third-party developers.
There are many reasons why you might need Android emulators for PC. App developers test their products on emulators before putting them on Google Play. Gamers use emulators to play Android games using a mouse and keyboard. In addition, in emulators, you can select a simulated device and specify settings such as Android version, number of CPU cores, RAM, SD card, etc.
In any case, it’s not so important why you need an Android emulator, you need to know that, firstly, such programs exist and there are many of them, secondly, emulators are very similar in their filling to each other and, thirdly , the installation and configuration process is not so simple and requires minimal technical literacy, so please be patient. Below are the top 15 Android emulators for PC with comments. Choose the one that suits you.
Comparison table of the main Android emulators for PC
| Bluestacks 3 | Andy | NoxPlayer | Genymotion | AMIDuOS | memu | Droid4X | |
| Price | Free / $2 per month | Free | Free | Free / $132-412 per year | 15$ / 10$ (one time) | Free | Free |
| Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Not | Yes |
| linux | Not | Yes | Not | Yes | Not | Not | Not |
| Applications and games | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Not | Not | Not |
| Changing screen sizes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes |
| Customization and setup | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| File sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Synchronization | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not |
| Connecting external devices | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual sensors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| multitasking | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes |
| Running applications as root | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Android Studio Emulator is an emulator for developers.
Free
Android Studio is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Android recommended by Google. In this environment, there is a large set of development tools specifically for Android. And, of course, the program has a built-in emulator so that you can test the developed application or game.
We can say for sure that this program is unlikely to suit those who want to play games or who need an ordinary “consumer” emulator. However, for developers, this is a real find, a powerful and at the same time free environment with the ability to test on the fly.
Installing this emulator is still a headache, but when you install and configure it, and then figure out all the features, you most likely won’t need anything else.
Bluestacks 3 is the most popular emulator.
There are free and paid ($2/month) versions
Bluestacks is the most popular Android emulation software for PC. According to the developer, Android apps are launched on Bluestacks more than a billion times a month! And there are several reasons for this. For starters, we can mention that there are versions for Windows and for Mac. They were the first to make a well-functioning multi-platform emulator. Mostly BlueStacks focused on gamers. Early versions were slightly bloated and complex. latest version(#3) was released in 2017 and differs from the previous ones in that it is noticeably simpler and faster. At the same time, it allows, for example, to work in multitasking mode and run several applications. You can even run multiple versions of the same game at the same time. In addition, the application supports the assignment of hot keys in games. Agree, for many games this can be a very good bonus. Although Bluestacks 3 is noticeably faster than previous versions, it still remains too bloated and overloaded when compared to the same Andy or Remix.
And yet, those who choose an emulator for games should take a closer look at Bluestacks 3.
If you need something simpler and faster, choose something else. Even though Bluestacks is number 1, there is a choice.
AMIDuOS is a relatively new emulator.
There is a free trial version and two paid versions (10$ and 15$)
AMIDuOS is a relatively recent emulator for Windows (Win 7, 8 and 10 are supported). Android version can be: Lollipop and Jelly Bean. Just the version of the program with Jelly Bean costs $10, and the version with Lollipop costs $15. And that seems to be the only difference. The good news is that these are one-time, not monthly payments.
AMIDuOS is tailored to fulfill a variety of needs (not just games). Its main feature is high performance. Therefore, this emulator will be a good choice for office or home needs. For example, for Instagram, Telegram ... The emulator does not have any special features for games, but games run relatively briskly on it. Developers can use AMIDuOS for some simple tests, but it is unlikely to be suitable for more complex exploitation. In general, in general, AMIDuOS is a good program and deserves attention.
Put a trial to see if it suits you or not.
Andy is one of the best emulators for gaming.
Free
The next one on our list is a completely free emulator called Andy. It appeared a long time ago and at the time of its appearance it was full of bugs and various surprises. However, a lot of time has passed since then, and the developers did not waste it: at the moment there are practically no bugs, and the program itself is an excellent lightweight alternative to such monstrous emulators as Bluestacks. On Andy you can run the whole gamut of Android apps. And while Andy is more focused on non-gaming use, it can be played just fine. Anyway, the emulator is free and works well.
In addition, Andy has a significant plus: applications can be run as root.
Available for Windows and Mac. Below is a video comparing Bluestacks and Andy (in English).
Remix OS Player is fresh for gamers.
Free
Remix OS Player (developed by Jide) is one of the newest PC emulators on the list. And it's the only emulator at the moment that runs Android version of Marshmallow instead of Lollipop or Kit Kat. The installation process is very simple. The program is also quite easy to use. Basically Remix focused on gamers. Inside the program there is a convenient sidebar where you can change the emulation settings.
Due to the fact that the program is relatively fresh and at the same time free, developers continue to catch some bugs. That said, the Remix is better than many on our list and performs relatively well. And besides, it's free.
Weak spots A: Remix OS Player only works on Windows 64-bit (7 and above) and does not support AMD processors.
ARChon is an emulator add-on for Google Chrome.
Free
ARChon is no ordinary emulator. Simply because it is not a program at all. This is an add-on for Google Chrome. You install this extension in Chrome and after that you can run Android applications directly in the browser. Sounds badass, right? In theory, yes, but in practice, installing an extension can turn into a real headache. Here is the installation instruction. Perhaps she will help. If you don't have minimal technical skills, then it might not be worth trying.
You need to install this extension (in developer mode). And then you need to convert using them APK utilities required application into a format that will work in chrome with the ARChon extension enabled. Sounds difficult? Then don't try. If you want to dig, then perhaps it will not be so difficult.
The extension works on Windows, Mac and even Linux. This is perhaps the most difficult emulator to install and configure. But also the most unique of its kind.
Genymotion is a fast emulator for developers.
Free for personal use (with paid options)
This option is more suitable for developers. It allows you to test your application on many different devices without owning them. You can select in the Genymotion options the device and version of Android you want to run on. For example, you can choose a Nexus One with Android 4.2 installed or a Nexus 6 with Android 6.0 installed. And at the same time, you can switch between devices on the fly.
Genymotion is not the most user-friendly program for consumer needs. But it's a bomb emulator for developers. In addition, the program is shareware for personal use. And only for those who really need it, there are paid options.
Droid4X is a simple emulator for games.
Free
Droid4X has its pros and cons. And for many people and their needs, it is not an ideal emulator.
However, it suits most people due to its ease of installation and simple, concise design. In addition, Droid4X was originally created for gamers. Therefore, the program is focused mainly on emulating simple games in terms of graphics. In principle, you can try to run something more heavy on it.
But remember that the program is a little outdated. So far, the page with the download of the emulator is “alive”, but apparently, the developers have stopped updating the program for a long time.
In general, download at your own risk: the emulator may fail. Yes, it seems like somewhere in nature there is a version for Mac, but it is not possible to find it.
KoPlayer is for gamers.
Free
KoPlayer is one of the new products. Perhaps that is why he has not yet enjoyed well-deserved popularity. This emulator is mainly aimed at gamers. The program supports the assignment of hot keys in games. In addition, KoPlayer supports a feature such as gameplay recording. So, streamers and game bloggers - take advantage. The installation process is quite simple and the emulator itself seems to work without errors. Although there are bug reports on the forums. But this is again a tribute to novelty.
All in all, KoPlayer is a good choice. And not only for games, but also for everyday use (for example, for instagram, whatsapp, telegram, etc.). But so far it has bugs. In the next versions, there will probably be fewer of them if the developers do not abandon their offspring.
MEmu - Supports Intel and AMD.
Free
MEmu is another newcomer to the list of emulators that has just entered the scene. But it has already won the hearts of users. The main feature of MEmu is that it supports not only Intel but also AMD processors. If you think that this is not so rare, then it is not. So if you have AMD, feel free to download MEmu.
MEmu emulates several versions of Android: Jelly Bean, Kit Kat and Lollipop. In addition, multitasking is supported and you can run several applications at the same time. In fact, there aren't many emulators that offer multitasking on Lollipop.
MEmu supports most games and applications. However, I recommend using it not for games.
NoxPlayer (bignox) is a bomb emulator for gamers (in Russian).
Free
NoxPlayer is an emulator designed specifically for gamers. It has utilities and settings in order to improve the interaction with the game. For example, in addition to the keyboard, the use of gamepads is supported. And it supports various native gestures (such as “swipe right”) that can be assigned to buttons on the keyboard or joystick. In general, this is cool and, apparently, it works with a bang.
The program is free. There is a version for Windows and for Mac. Supports the game at 60 fps.
If you are looking for a powerful Android emulator for gaming, download Nox, you won't regret it!
YouWave is a dinosaur.
There are free and paid ($29.99) versions
YouWave is one of the oldest Android emulators for PC. He's been around for years, really. And although the last update was in 2016, it is still slightly outdated. The free version of the emulator uses Ice Cream Sandwich. If you shell out $29.99 for the paid version of the program, you will get a Lollipop emulator.
In general, the emulator works well and without failures. It's easy to install too.
And although YouWave does not have any special options for gamers (for example, assigning hotkeys or native gestures), you can still play on it. Perhaps this emulator will appeal to developers, especially beginners.
VirtualBox Party
Generally speaking, this is not just an Android emulator, it is an emulator of any operating systems. Like everything DIY on this list, installation and setup requires technical skills. Therefore, if they are not there, then look at the emulators out of the box.
Ok, how does it work. You need to download the VirtualBox file for your OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris) from the link above. Then you need to download the Android image from the site. And then you need to install the Android OS image in a virtual machine. Get ready for the fact that the likelihood that it will turn out right away is not so great. If it doesn’t work out, then you need to “smoke” specialized forums and search the Internet for step-by-step guides. Write in the comments if you need to make such a guide. We must do it.
To sum up, this emulation option is suitable for geeks and old school programmers.
What are the benefits then, you ask? In fact, there are a lot, and the main one is that you can install absolutely any version of Android and configure absolutely everything. Full customization.
Xamarin is a Microsoft IDE for developers.
There is a free version and paid options
Xamarin is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that is similar to Android Studio in many ways. The difference is that Xamarin can connect to a monstrous development environment like Microsoft Visual Studio.
Just like Android Studio, Xamarin has a built-in emulator for developers.
Xamarin is a tool for developers. Although theoretically it may suit you for personal use if you want to customize the entire Android infrastructure for yourself. Xamarin is not as powerful as Genymotion, but it can handle all applications at once.
Xamarin runs on Windows. It is free for personal use.
Development teams and companies can choose from different pricing plans.
Windroy is dinosaur #2.
Free
Windroy is a classic. This is one of the most ancient emulators in history. As such, it is difficult to recommend it to anyone.
Only use it if you've lost all hope and the newfangled programs can't solve your problems.
There is an opinion that Windroy works better on older versions of Windows (for example, on XP).
Windroy is more about non-gaming applications, such as office ones. Games on it can only go as ancient as he himself. And then with a stretch.
On the other hand, the emulator is free. And it's pretty easy to install.
If you (suddenly) have Win XP, install Windroy.
As a conclusion
Above are all the best Android emulators for PC currently available on the web. By and large, they are all good in their own way and it is up to you to decide on the choice. Compare the declared specifications and choose the one that best suits your needs. You need to understand that there is no one ideal program for all. One is good for a developer, another is good for a gamer, and the third is good for a Telegram channel admin. But we can definitely recommend that you do not rush to buy paid versions of programs. Install the trial, play around with the settings, and only then upgrade to the premium version.
Updated: January 25, 2018 by: admin
Reading 6 min. Views 1.8k. Published on 14.12.2017
What is it needed for ? The first thing that comes to mind is that developers need such programs. But often emulators are also used by ordinary users. This is due to the fact that there are a number of ecosystems, games and applications that were developed only for the Android platform and are not available for Windows. In order to be able to run your favorite programs on your PC, you need to install a suitable emulator. Let's talk about the latter in more detail, which ones exist and which one to choose depending on the needs of the user.
I want to draw your attention to the situation with some games. For example, to play pubg mobile on a computer, it is recommended to use the official emulator, which is already configured to the maximum for easy control and easy installation of the game on your PC. For using a third-party android emulator, there is a possibility of sanctions being imposed on your account.
Gaming BlueStacks 3
The emulator that comes to mind first when talking about such programs. Some users sincerely believe that this is the only program that can simulate Android on Windows. It is worth noting that the developers are constantly improving the application. Over time, the product began to position itself as a program capable of supporting high-quality mobile platform games.
The emulator has an extensive software library, and all applications and games in the catalog are specially optimized. Therefore, there are guarantees that they will function correctly on a computer. Some of the programs are built into the emulator interface. It is important to understand that installing applications from third-party resources cannot guarantee full operation.
All necessary functions are implemented:
- screen orientation change;
- shaking simulation;
- screenshots;
- GPS;
- simplified work with files.
The disadvantages of this application include a cumbersome interface and low performance. In addition, this emulator requires appropriate characteristics from the PC itself, and on weak devices it may not support most applications.
Download BlueStacks 3 from the official website
It has a wide functionality, but an overloaded interface. An excellent program for creating a full-fledged Android device based on Windows. Perfectly compatible with almost all applications available on Google Play. Inner memory, which is emulated by the device, is quite capacious, which allows you not to worry about its shortage. It features high performance, multi-touch support and the ability to control from a smartphone.
The application is suitable for both ordinary users and developers of mobile applications. The former will appreciate the ability to launch the most demanding games, while the latter will be able to test their own development in a quality manner.
The internal interface also completely repeats the Android device. For correct operationAndroid emulator for PCrequires at least 2 GB of RAM and a processor capable of rendering.
You can download Droid4X on the developers website.
Genymotion is a developer's dream
Fast and recognized as one of the bestAndroid emulators for PC. Best Program for testing new mobile applications, and therefore enjoys increased popularity among developers. But this does not mean that the program is not suitable for users who are not busy creating and testing new applications.
The emulator is compatible not only with Windows, but also with Mac OS or Linux. In order for Genymotion to work as correctly as possible, a pre-installed VirtualBox is required. The program is freely available, but has functionality available for a fee. The second version of the program has much more extensive features and is suitable for large development companies.
The disadvantages include the lack of a Russified version and the inability to emulate a voice call. The program has a lot of advantages, it is important that it is the fastest emulator available, emulates WiFi, GPRS, 3G, LTE, rear and front cameras, flashes, changes IMEI and much more.
In general, the application differs little from analogues, it does not have a Russian-language interface, but there are open ROOT rights. CapabilitiesAndroid emulator for PC, the following:
- setting up the mouse and keyboard to simulate a sensor;
- screen orientation change;
- geodata imitation;
- recording video content in avi format;
- the ability to take a screenshot;
- screen capture;
- using a virtual camera;
- change screen resolution;
- installing applications from the Market;
- installation of third-party programs.
By default, the emulator has a browser installed that simplifies the search for programs and applications, in addition, there is a catalog with free optimized applications. KoPlayer allows the user to independently set the necessary parameters of the Android device, for example, the amount of RAM. The application is worthy of praise for being able to work correctly even on low-powered PCs.
A product of Chinese developers, which appeared not so long ago, but has already gained popularity among active users of such programs. According to the manufacturer, the emulator is one of the most stable and powerful offers among the existing competitors. Supported by all processors, even AMD. At the same time, it is freely available and completely free.
The interface of Nox APP Player resembles the functional Genymotion. Moreover, some points are borrowed from Droid4X, this is clearly seen in the keyboard settings, but gyroscope adjustments have been added. The application also allows you to set the desired parameters of the Android device that you want to simulate.
To install the emulator you need:
- XP/Vista/7/8/10;
- processor with visualization support;
- RAM from 512 MB;
- with OpenGL 2.0 and above;
- gigabytes of free disk space.
According to its characteristics, Nox APP Player can be an excellent alternative to emulators suitable for developing and testing applications. However, it has one huge advantage - it is free.
Download Nox APP Player from the official site.
Andy - simple and clear
A simple and convenient emulator designed to run simple programs. It is far from gaming applications, because it simply does not pull heavy games of modern gadgets. The rest of the emulator is quite good. There are no special bells and whistles in it, everything is extremely simple and no frills.
All simple applications run without problems through this emulator. Available features:
- simulated GPS;
- access to microphone and webcam;
- full screen mode.
The downside of the application is the presence of intrusive advertising. This is the only emulator with this feature.
MEMU - gaming
The development is focused on mobile games. A feature of the emulator is gamepad support and keyboard layout for gaming features (you can bind keys to on-screen buttons). It is worth noting that such opportunities are clearly lacking in the leading gaming application that imitates an Android device.
It handles heavy games well, but the graphics quality in full screen mode leaves much to be desired. There is root access and a good catalog of optimized games.
This is by no means a complete list, andbetter depends on the situation and the purpose of its use. In any case, all the developments presented above are worthy of the user's attention and will find application depending on the need for installation.
