12 Best Android emulators in 2020- for PC and Mac

12 Best Android emulators in 2020

There are many reasons why one would want to run Android Emulator on their PC. App developers try to test their apps before they upload it. Players may want to use the mouse and keyboard for their games. You may want to have it there. However, the computer can emulate Android and is easier than ever. Here is the best Android Emulator for PC and Mac.

There are three main uses for emulators. 

The first is the most common and is for sports. Players can use the emulator on their computers to play certain games easily. They don't have to rely on the battery life of their devices, and macros and other tricks help them survive. 

In most cases, these little tricks are not illegal (as in most games), so no one has a problem with it. The best Android emulators for the game include LDPlayer, Bluestacks, MeMu, KoPlayer, and Nox.

The second most common use case is development. Android app and game developers love to test as many apps and games as possible before launch. Generally, Android Studio Emulator is good for this kind of work. However, Xamarin and Genymotion are also great for this type of use.

The last major type is tivity productivity. This is not very common as Chromebooks are cheaper and better for using Android apps other than the phone. Any sports emulator functions to some extent as an emulator. However, those with high-specific use cases and little knowledge can try ARChon and Bliss. 

However, in this day and age, we recommend going the Chromebook route if you want to run Android apps in a laptop or computer environment. It is much better.

#1. LD Player

LDPlayer is an Android emulator for players running Android Nougat 7.1. It features typical player-oriented features, including good keyboard mapping controls, multi-instance, macros, high FPS, and graphical support. This is one of the few emulators on the list that receive active updates almost every month.

 It supports a wide range of games, including Free Fire, Clash of Clans, Black Desert Mobile, and many more. In the latest versions, LDP Player optimizes FreeFire functionality and makes automatic headshot easy to remove.

#2. Android Studio’s emulator

The default console used for Android default development is Android Studio Emulator. It comes with a set of tools to help developers create apps and games for Android. It comes with a set of tools that help developers to create games. The setup is quite complex and will take a lot of time. 

Thus, it is not one we recommend for customer-level use. However, developers can use this tool as their emulator to test their applications. It also supports Kotlin if developers want to try it. It's painful for normal people, but it's great for developers.

#3. ARChon

ARChon is not a traditional emulator. You install it as an extension of Google Chrome. It then allows Chrome to run Android apps and games. It is not an easy emulator to drive. You will need to install it in Chrome. From there, you need to get the APK and load them. 

You may need to use a tool to modify the APK to be compatible. There are many more steps to do this work than many other Android emulators for PCs. It works with any operating system that can run Chrome (Mac OS, Linux, Windows, etc.).

#4. Bliss OS

Bliss is a little different. It acts as an Android emulator for the PC via a virtual machine. However, it can run flat on your computer with a USB stick. The boot-USB option is a power user option and not recommended for low-intensity use cases. As a VM installer, the process is easy, but exhausting if you've never built your virtual machine before. 

The USB installation method is much more complicated, but it allows your computer to run locally from the Android boot. It makes Bliss a super unique emulator if you can make it through the steps to the end. Of course, it only works fine if your system is compatible, so be prepared with a backup of your current operating system. The system runs Android Oreo and is among the latest Android versions offered in an emulator. You can find out more about this in its XDA-Developers thread.

#5. Bluestacks

Bluestacks is the main emulator of all Android emulators. There are several reasons for that. For starters, it is compatible with Windows and Mac. It was also the first well-executed program to receive regular updates. The Emulator targets mobile players. 

The notoriety with Bluestacks is that it can sometimes feel a little swollen. Bluestacks 4 (launched in 2018) aims to correct that with mixed results. It also includes keymapping and settings for most of the installed games. It helps make things easier. It is one of the heavier emulators on the list. However, it has the most features for better or worse. 

He also made the Bluestacks MSI App Player, another great emulator that works better with certain beliefs than Vanilla Bluestacks. You can try one, they are both Bluestacks.

#6. Genymotion

This Android emulator is mostly for developers. It allows you to test your apps on different devices without owning them. The emulator can be configured for different devices with different versions of Android to suit your needs. For example, you can run Nexus One with Android 4.2 or Nexus 6 with Android 6.0. You can easily switch between virtual devices. 

It's not great for consumer use, but Genymotion offers its services for personal use. The most useful feature is that it is available on your desktop and the cloud. For those who don't have powerful computers, Genymotion's clients can do everything for them.

#7. GameLoop

GameLoop, formerly known as Tencent Gaming Buddy, is an Android emulator for players. Tencent is enough to call it the official emulator for its games, including Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile. Of course, it has the features of other games besides Tencent, but its collection is not that big. 

The emulator has been downloaded and installed and the games we tested went well. This is not good for developmental testing. However, if you prefer mobile FPS games with certain titles, this is a fairly good game emulator, with a good collection of new titles. Plus, keyboard control and functionality are good.

#8. MEmu

MEmu is one of the up and coming Android emulators. One of its biggest features is the support for AMD and Intel chipsets. Most work on AMD processors, but it's nice to see developers paying particular attention to AMD's platform. Also, it supports Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. 

You can play multiple games or test features simultaneously. It targets players such as Bluestacks and similar emulators. Its latest update took place in mid-November 2019 and updated smart key mapping with the usual performance improvements and bug fixes.

#9. Nox

Nox is another Android emulator for PC for players. It includes the usual things like key mapping with your keyboard, real controller support, and the ability to control key map gestures. 

For example, you can assign the function to swipe to the right of an arrow key and use it in a game without actual hardware controller support. It's a lot of fun and often works well. It is also completely free and in active development.

#10. PrimeOS

PrimeOS is one of the highlights of the Android Emulator space. It's not an emulator. You install it as part of your computer and it starts running native Android. If you want to, you can use this for productivity, but it's a player-centric Android experience.

PrimeOS includes a gaming center, mouse and keyboard support, and access to many Android apps and games. Frankly, it runs all the Chrome components just like ChromeOS. You can multi-task, watch video content or play as you choose.

#11. Phoenix OS

Phoenix OS is one of the latest Android emulators for PC. Like most things these days, it has the feel of a game. However, it also works well for productivity, as it has a desktop-like experience. It has Google Play services, but updating those services can sometimes be a little painful. 

That means you'll get every app and game in the Google Play Store. The Phoenix operating system runs Android 7.1 and is relatively modern for an Android emulator. You can download the emulator from its official website and its forums are located on XDA-Developers.

#12. Remix OS Player

Remix OS Player is one of the latest Android emulators for PC (relatively speaking). It runs Android Marshmallow and is still relatively new compared to many others on the list. The installation process is very simple and easy to use. It mostly caters to the players. 

There are several features of the game along with a customizable toolbar. It boasts features such as playing multiple games at once. That said, it is still a fairly clean emulator so it can still be used perfectly as a productivity tool. The site seems to be out of date and we are confident that Remix OS Player is no longer in active development.