- Bluestacks is probably one of the most popular names in Android emulators, if not the most popular. Bluestacks has been around for a while now, and people know that it is a solid emulator. Bluestacks 4 is the latest version of this Android emulator, and it is available for both PC and Mac users.
- If you want to run Android apps on your PC and Mac, you will need an emulator. So here are the Top 15 Best Android Emulators on the market Free and Paid.
Although there are cool Android OS for computers which mimic the Windows interface and runs way faster, sometimes you just need to deploy Android on your computer, here are some options. When you use an android emulator on pc it allows installing android apps from the google play store. No google play store? sideload your favorite android app or game on one of these android emulators.
There are numerous reasons to use an Android emulator on a Windows computer. The most common reason is using chat messaging apps like WhatsApp and Google Allo. Or you just want to use any particular Android application on your computer. And for that, you don’t need a real Android smartphone. With the best Android Emulator, you can do almost everything you could do on an actual Android phone. Interested? In this post find out some best android emulators for your computer. In this post find out some best android emulators for your computer.
LDPlayer
Minimum requirements: 5GB storage, 32-bit i3 CPU or newer, Virtualization (vt-x).
The next lightest Android emulator is Droid4x, Droid4x has various advantages compared to other android emulators. In addition to its small and light size, this emulator can be used for game recording and it supports a touchscreen if your laptop screen can be operated with a touch screen. An Android emulator is a software application that allows your mobile to imitate Android OS features into your PC. It allows you to install Android Apps on your computer or laptop and use them. This is a variation of the VBA or Visual Boy Advance specifically made for the Mac system. It is a bit low on our GBA emulators for Mac list since we are looking for alternatives. The thing is that this emulator is too good to pass on when you just want to play those games on your Mac.
Most people probably use an emulator to play android games such as what is trending right now PUBG, Fortnite, Black desert and strike of king. LDPlayer is the best Android Emulator for playing PUBG mobile. Tested on i5 (Gtx 1060) computer, it was able to run the game at 60fps, HDR extreme graphics, and 2K resolution. This is the best you can get from this game. Because it is a royale battle game, you may notice frame drops at certain times.
Quickfever.com runs a YouTube channel that uploads Android customization videos as well as gaming videos, and most of the videos are of PUBG gameplay which is recorded on LD player. The emulator allows you to customize the critical mapping; For example, running the game at 720p resolution by default, you get crucial pre-configured mapping. There are few options to choose in key mapping settings for 720p and 1080p, and you can toggle the right mouse click to AIM and CTRL to toggle the mouse cursor. The new latest LD Player version embeds video recording functionality, allowing to record the gameplay seamlessly and then upload them to YouTube. There is also a situation where your is not fast; then at the time of the stream, you get high pings. You will not be able to play games and flow at the same time. So one better solution is to record your gameplay and then upload.
From this article.
Memuplay
The company claims a higher antutu benchmark comparing with flagship Android Emulators such as BlueStacks and rest. Lemme tell you one thing that this Android Emulator is compatible with Intel HD graphics, AMD graphics, that means utilizing your hardware to give you best Android gaming on your computer. It is compatible with the new Windows 10 along with joypad support.
Remix OS Player
Minimum requirements: 8GB storage, 64-bit i3 CPU or newer, Virtualization (vt-x).
Remix OS is hit as an operating system, the company who brought Remix OS also released the “Remix OS Player” which is an android emulator and works with Windows. Remix OS Player is new, advanced and supported by a dedicated community. While most of the other android emulator is stuck with KitKat and Lollipop, Remix OS player runs on Android Marshmallow. However, You need to enable the “Virtualization” feature from BIOS and Hyper-V in Windows. Activation Hyper-V is easy but getting into BIOS will be a bit hard especially if you have a laptop from HP or Dell, both are known to prevent users from getting into Advanced BIOS options by adding a pre-password to the BIOS. But most of the time you’ll able to enable the Virtualization feature from BIOS. If not you should contact your laptop support team. Otherwise, Remix OS Player is robust and lets you play high-end Android games on a computer. The download file size is just 1GB (and 6GB when extracted). Suffice to say it’s the best android emulator in the shape of a complete operating system. The only downside of this project is now that it is discontinued, the last release was of 15 November 2016 and is based on the android marshmallow. it’s sad that you won’t get the latest security patches or anything at all.
Unlike the most android emulators, the Remix OS player is a full-fledged Android operating system that works on the Windows operating system. In addition, it requires the Virtualization feature to be enabled on your computer (from the bios settings). At first glance, it looks like other Android Emulators, there will be some buttons next to the box that you can use to control this android os better. In a shell, it is just like the whole Remix OS, but running on Windows. If you do not want to switch more than one operating system, you can get the remix os player that runs on Windows. But in some cases when you BIOS is locked and you don’t know your computer’s BIOS admin password, you have to reset the BIOS password in order to get into BIOS settings and turn the VT feature on. There is one drawback that it doesn’t support AMD chip computers. Just like Remix OS, the Player is also abandoned.
BONUS: Remix OS is a different product from Jide, can be installed on your computer along with Windows as an Android operating system, or simply boot from a USB drive. When you boot from a USB the persistence mode saves seasons (anything you do or apps you install).
MoMo PLayer
It looks just like LDplayer but in Chinese
TianTian
Ever heard of KoPlayer, TianTian is one step ahead in development.
Youwave
Minimum requirements: Intel Pentium 1.6GHz CPU, 2.0GB RAM, 500MB disk space. (64 bit and VT-x support).
One of the best alternative if you have used the heavy blue-steak android emulator before. It’s tiny in size around 150MB which is the Android 4 version setup. The lollipop version is paid which costs around $29. If you need more flexibility and newer version of Android, you may want to try Android on an operating system on your computer. Consider Remix OS and Phoenix OS which can be installed on your computer just like you install’s Windows. Read more about them here. Or Check other alternative operating systems as well.
AMIDuOS
This is a new android emulator in this list that comes in two variants the first one is JellyBean and the second is based on Lollipop. The difference between both is price, the lollipop is $5 more compared to the older Android version. The price of the JellyBean variant is 10$ which is a one-time charge. AMIDuos runs without any hassle and serves multiple purposes. The features it has are for productivity and fewer features are present for gaming. If you want to use this in office and do work this is a nice choice. The app developers do tests of their apps but it’s nothing far than that. Do not expect to run this for advanced stuff. This is based on an old android version but it offers you a stable android environment and no bugs.
The download page is giving an error when opening.
LeapDroid
Update: Nov 6, 2016: Leapdroid team Joined Google and discontinued it.
Download the archived installer (GDrive)
LeapDroid is one best lightweight, and a full-featured android emulator runs on Android KitKat. Overall this is recommended so you can install it without reading all sorts of other emulators. This is your choice. Despite it is a free emulator, and have lots of options like installing apk from your hard drive or mapping keys. You can also resize the screen as per your convenience, and this does not require restarting the program. When you install it for the first time, you’ll see 2 shortcuts on your desktop, they are both same but different environment, so you can have like, alright pretend that you have 2 Android environments on your computer. Like 2 account of everything that matter, WhatsApp for instance. It comes pre-loaded with Google Play store, So install any app from the humongous app store. One thing I noticed that if you add a Google account to it, your contacts won’t be sync. I don’t know this is only mine case or it is for everyone. Maybe you have to see this for yourself. It may work or may not. Rest it does everything that a typical KitKat Android phone does. LeapDroid has it own VM Manager (Virtual Machine) using it you can also install Windows and Linux operating system and launch them directly just like you use this Android emulator.NOX Android Emulator
Nox is our second favorite Android emulator which I used some months ago. It has features and interfaces like the leapdroid. Both Nox and Leapdroid have Pokemon Go game pre-installed, sure go outside with your laptop and try to catch some.
Best Android emulator for pc?
Once you chose any android emulator you’ll be able to tune into Google play store and do all sort of thing you can do on a real Android smartphone. If you are confused because you just read about a dozen ofAndroidd emulators just go with Remix OS player if your computer has a Virtualization Feature enabled computer. Our second favorite is LeapDroid which is based on Android KitKat.
I want to get this straight before anyone tries any of these mentioned best Android emulators. Yes, the emulators I mentioned in the starting are very likely recommended and rest is up to you. Or do whatever you want to. Everything is possible. These emulators create an Android environment on your computer, so you can simultaneously run your Windows programs along with an android emulator which runs any Android apps. Sure, the hardest part is still yet to come. Placing these android emulators at their right place in this post. Sorting and adjusting have always been my biggest nightmare. I just hate it. I don’t know. I do it. Because I want my authentic voice in my articles. In fact, I still don’t know what is my best emulators for Android apps to run them on my windows 10. Sometimes I just toggle them. let’s make a leap and go straight to the fastest and lightweight Android emulators some are my favorite and some may not. because everyone has their needs, I added all sorts of the promising and helpful Android environment you can install on your Windows Computer. You can test some of the android emulators to come up with the best android emulator for your PC.
P.S. If your android emulator is not listed here, Slap us with its name in comments.
P.P.S. You can check out more articles you may find helpful and interesting here.
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Article Contents
For those who are not satisfied with the screen of an Android phone, an Android emulator can be an option because the screen is much bigger and also the performance is clearly much better. You can play your favorite games much better than if you use a cellphone.
But still you have to pay attention so that your android emulator doesn’t take up too much space due to too many app installs. Android emulator that we will share here is light enough to be used on a laptop or PC, but even though it is lightweight it still has a very good performance for playing playstore games.
Moreover you want to play a game but are hindered by the limited capabilities of your Android phone. If you have this, the emulator is the best way out. Following are the recommendations of the best lightweight Android Emulator for PCs in 2021.
12 Best Android Emulator for PCs in 2021
1.Leapdroid Emulator
In first place is Leapdroid which is a newcomer to the world of android emulator. Although newcomers, but Leapdroid has the ability to be very okay.
In addition you can also play using two different accounts on one screen, aka side by side with a gaming benchmark score with a pretty impressive value. Playing COC with two accounts and exchanging troops can really use this leapdroid.
Not only that, Leapdroid has root access that can make you do many things. In addition Leapdroid is supported by active developers, so this application always gets the latest version all the time which supports all Android applications.
Leapdroid is equipped with lots of tweaks for optimization making Leapdroid very popular among the lightest Android emulators for PCs, so if you like to hack Android, Leapdroid can be your top choice ..
Leapdroid Specifications
Leapdroid Minimum Specifications
OS : Windows 7 and above (32-bit / 64-bit)
The CPU : Intel / AMD dual core processor
The GPU : OpenGL 2.1 and above
RAM : 2GB
Memory : 2GB
File Size : 271MB
2.Remix OS Emulator
If the Android emulator is usually installed on the Operating System and is used to run various Android applications, it is slightly different from Remix OS because this is actually not an emulator but an Operating System.
If you are now using another Operating System such as Windows or Linux, Remix can be used side by side with this Operating System. In other words you can use dual boot to be able to use it simultaneously. But Remix OS is not very recommended for playing heavy games.
Remix OS Specifications
Minimum Specifications Remix OS
OS : Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer
The CPU : Core i3 (Recommend Core i5 or Core i7) / No support for AMD Chipsets
RAM : 4GB RAM
Memory : 8GB Storage (Recommend 16GB)
3.Droid4x Emulator
What makes Droid4x interesting is the support of add-ons, one of which is to use your cell phone as a controller. Very good for playing games like Asphalt 9: Legends. Apart from that, its simple and easy to understand form makes you have to try this android emulator.
Droid4x Base is VirtualBox-Based just like GenyMotion has. This means that Droid4x has capabilities that are equivalent to GenyMotion which has been widely trusted by mobile application developers. In addition you will also get the root version so you can do a lot of tweaking with Droid4x.
Droid4x specifications
Droid4x Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel / AMD Dual core processor
GPU: OpenGL 2.0 and above
RAM: 1GB / 4GB (recommended)
Memory: 4GB
File Size: 8MB
4.NoxPlayer Emulator
Best Android Emulator For Mac
NoxPlayer is the best Android game emulator that is widely recommended, this means you should immediately try NoxPlayer for your best game quality. Additionally NoxPlayer has utilities and extras that specifically help players control the game using the keyboard and mouse.
If you have used Remix OS, Nox’s ability can be said to be almost equivalent to Remix and currently above all existing Android emulators. Can run on a variety of hardware without significant obstacles. This is the best Android emulator ever.
NoxPlayer specifications
NoxPlayer Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel / AMD Dual core processor
GPU: OpenGL 2.0 and above
RAM: 1.5GB / 4GB (recommended)
Memory: 1.5GB
File Size: 310MB
5.AMIDUOS emulator
AmiDuos has two android OS versions that you can choose Jellybean and Lollipop at once which can run on Windows 32 bit and 64 bit. One of the advantages of AmiDuos is the very user friendly interface that supports multi touch and pinch zooming. So if you have a touch screen this android emulator could be your choice.
If said by most users, AmiDuos is the best choice if you are looking for Bluestacks alternatives. Unfortunately now only the Lite version is available because the AmiDuos version is no longer continuing the development of this product. Even so the Lite version is tough enough for you to use everyday
AmiDuos specifications
AMIDUOS Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 and above (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel x86 processor
GPU: OpenGL 3.0 and above
RAM: 2GB / 3GB (recommended)
Memory: 2GB
File Size: 226MB
6.Genymotion Emulator
If you are a developer, then Genymotion is the choice that suits you best, because you can test applications or games on different devices. So you can adjust your application or game to the actual state of the cellphone without having to own the cellphone.
Genymotion is an android emulator that uses Virtual Machine (VM). So if another emulator is an application that runs on the operating system, then Genymotion with its Virtual Machine already has its own operating system. In other words the operating system inside the operating system.
Lightest Emulator For Pc
Genymotion Specifications
Genymotion Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel / AMD 64-bit processor
GPU: OpenGL 2.0 and above
RAM: 2GB
Memory: 2GB
File Size: 117MB
7.Tencent Gaming Buddy Emulator
Initially Tencent Gaming Buddy was designed specifically for PUBG Mobile players who want to play on a laptop or PC, but in its development the Tencent Gaming Buddy emulator can be used to play more games like other android emulators.
The specialty of this emulator is that it has direct support from the developer to always be updated to make the game more friendly.
Specifications of Tencent Gaming Buddy
Tencent Gaming Buddy Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel / AMD Dual core processor
GPU: OpenGL 3.0 and above
RAM: 3GB / 8GB (recommended)
Memory: 6GB
File Size: 9MB
8.LDPlayer emulator
If you feel bored with the many Android emulators in circulation, you can try LDPlayer which is made specifically for gamers. Where speed, stability and multitasking capabilities are the main focus of this application. Already supports Android 5.1 and above makes LDPlayer very stable and very good.
Supporting multitasking that is really smooth and compatibility with most games, makes LDPlayer equivalent to NoxPlayer which is very popular today. One drawback is that it doesn’t have Google Play Services pre-installed, so you have to download it manually so it doesn’t interfere with the overall emulator’s capabilities.
LDPlayer Specifications
LDPlayer Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel / AMD Dual core processor
GPU: OpenGL 2.0 and above
RAM: 2GB
Memory: 2GB
File Size: 3MB
9.MEmu Emulator
MEmu very compatible with AMD or Intel chips, with an always-updated version to match the latest applications. Already have root access, besides that it has sidepar which is full of many additional features and functions.
If you see the benchmark results from several application providers, MEmu is better than Bluestacks and far better than Galaxy Note 5. It rarely happens when you use MEmu, it is quite okay to play games because it’s quite stable.
MEmu Specifications
MEmu Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 (32-bit / 64-bit)
CPU: Intel / AMD 64-bit processor
GPU: OpenGL 2.0 and above
RAM: 2GB
Memory: 2GB
File Size: 117MB
10.Andy Emulator
The next Android emulator is Andy, which gives users more flexibility to explore more Android features. Andy’s strengths include support for a very complete Android interface. In addition, using a wireless connection such as Wifi or Bluetooth can make a smartphone as a controller.
Andy is also very friendly with your potato pc because it uses less RAM than all the other emulators available. Stable and also has Full Native APK support making Andy supports all types of apk along with its resources.
Andy’s specifications
Andy Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7 / 8.1 and above or Ubuntu 14.04+ or Mac OSX 10.8+
CPU: Intel / AMD Dual core processor
GPU: OpenGL 2.1 and above
RAM: 1GB / 3GB (recommended)
Memory: 10GB
File Size: 871MB
11.Bluestacks 4 Emulator
Bluestacks is the most popular and most used Android emulator. This emulator has been around for a long time and has been updated frequently to improve performance. The latest version is Bluestacks 4 and you can download it for free from the official website that you can choose between offline installer or online installer.
Bluestacks 4 has 8x faster performance than the previous version and has a really good keymapping capability so that makes control better and easier.
Bluestacks 4 is designed specifically for gamers because of its good performance, it’s just that you have to be supported by a device with good hardware so that the results are really maximum.
Bluestacks 4 Specifications
BlueStack 4 Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows 7 and above
CPU: Intel / AMD processor
GPU: OpenGL 3.0 and above
RAM: 2GB
Memory: 5GB
File Size: 452MB
12.ARChons Emulator
When you feel that another emulator is too heavy for your PC, there is still another emulator that will feel more friendly to your potato pc. ARChons focuses on emulators that are web-based or rather emulators based on chrome, or nothing more than extensions on Chrome that you can open without burdening your pc.
ARChons was born from the idea of Google wanting to add an application that can support Android when someone is using a browser. From this idea was born ARChons that can be used through the Chrome browser.
Thus the reviews and recommendations on the 12 Best Lightweight Android Emulators for PCs in 2021, which one have you used? Or do you have other recommendations? Stay tuned for the latest news about gadgets and games only at bestgamingnews.com.