Best emulators for Android
Emulators play games made for older consoles on a phone or tablet, loading game files and mapping touch or controller input to the original buttons.
8 apps ranked · How we rank
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A free, browsable catalog of over 300 PS2-era games that suits nostalgic players, with ads, purchases and a beta label to weigh.
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A free, ad-supported multi-system emulator that suits anyone who already owns game files and wants one place to play them.
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Number 3: Gamu: Retro Game Emulator
Protector & Security for Mobile Ltd
4.1 out of 5 (328.2K) 10M+ installs
A free, widely used Android emulator that suits players who already own retro game files and want save states, gamepad support and adjustable controls.
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A paid, ad-free Android emulator for people who own their classic games and want save states, controller support and adjustable controls.
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A free, ad-supported PS2 emulator for ARM devices, best suited to players who already have their own ROM files and capable hardware.
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A free, narrowly focused plugin package for PS2 emulation on 64-bit ARM Android devices, best suited to users who already know their hardware.
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A free, ad-supported retro front end for Android that shines when you already have a collection to organize.
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A free, ad-supported PS2 emulator for Android that suits readers who already own ROM files and do not mind some tinkering.
About emulators
They let cartridges and discs you already own be played on a screen you carry everywhere, and suit people with a library of game files or a taste for older titles. They differ in which consoles they cover, how accurately they reproduce the original hardware, how much setup they demand and how well they cope with phones of very different speeds. A focused emulator for one system tends to be simpler, while a multi-system app saves space but asks more of the user. Some are designed around touch controls; others assume a physical gamepad.
What to look for
- Confirm which consoles the app supports and whether that list matches the systems your game files come from, since an emulator built for one machine will not open another's files.
- Check how the app handles a physical controller, including button remapping and analog stick support, because touchscreen overlays are awkward for anything that needs precise timing.
- Look at how save states and memory card files are stored, so a crash or a phone change does not wipe progress you cannot easily repeat.
- See whether the app asks for payment once, shows ads, or charges for features behind a subscription, and decide if the free version still gives you a usable emulator.
- Read what permissions the app requests and whether it needs access to your storage, since game files often sit in folders the app must be allowed to read.
How we rank
Apps are ranked by their Google Play rating (weighted by how many people rated them), their number of installs, how recently they were updated and how closely they fit the category. Only apps we've reviewed are included.