For starters, Android emulators can really help, a lot. If you are getting into Android development and wants to test it first on your PC before shipping the application out, Android emulators can lend a helping hand. Maybe you are an avid iPhone user but desires to give Android a try, you can test the platform right on your computer. You might be considering customizing your Android smartphone’s interface but don’t want to risk it, Android emulators will allow you to check it on your PC before you integrate it on your phone. Or you might be a full-fledged gamer who’s not contented with your handset’s tiny screen and seeks to use a mouse and keyboard to play more effectively. Whichever situation you can most relate to, you really need an Android emulator downloaded on your PC. Lucky for you, we’ve rounded off the best Android emulators available in the web. But before we get on to the real thing, let’s discuss the qualifications for a good, if not the best, Android emulator for Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows XP.
What makes a good Android emulator for Windows?
Nowadays, Windows Android emulators have crowded the industry and most of them are available for free! With such a wide variety to choose from, you might be left asking, “How do I know if this Android emulator is the best for me?” First off, you must consider the Android emulator’s stability. Simply put, it must not cause your system to slow down, lag, or freeze. Of course, your computer hardware plays an important role in this area. Find one that’s suitable for your PC’s internal makeup and platform. The next factor you should consider is its features. Most of the Android emulators take up a large space in your system, so you should make sure that it’s all worth it and that you can use all the features offered by the program. Also, there are some features that an Android emulator does not support. If one of your vital features gets blocked by your chosen emulator, you need to find another one. Or better yet, check the specifications first before you download anything on your PC.
Best Android Emulators for Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows XP
Considering that most of the computer users today use Windows 10, we’ll refer more to the platform. Apparently, all the Android emulators which will be mentioned in this article are compatible with older Windows versions including Windows 7, and Windows XP.
1. BlueStacks
BlueStacks is regarded as the most popular and widely-used Android emulator over the years since its arrival back in 2011. Using BlueStacks, you can run almost a hundred percent of the Google Play Store- 97 percent to be exact- to your personal computer as long as it makes use of Windows XP or later Windows versions. BlueStacks also boasts a user-friendly interface and hassle-free installation process, making it a very good Android emulator to start with for beginners. It also targets gamers more than app developers, which is why most of BlueStacks updates focus more on gaming. The latest version, the BlueStacks 3, allows users to run multiple Android apps and games at the same time. It also has Key Mapping and Settings for games included in the package. The only drawback is that BlueStacks is quite bloated compared to other advanced Android emulators. If you are going after productivity more than anything, you may want to choose from the rest of the emulators to be mentioned here.
2. Nox Player
The Nox Player is created mainly for gamers. However, it packs a slew of advanced features that you may find overwhelming at first. It is the preferred Android emulator for Windows 10 and Windows 7 for gamers and non-gamers alike because of its top-of-the-line performance. Moreover, the Nox Player offers additional utilities such as support for keyboard, mouse, and even gamepad. It means that you can simulate gestures directly on your computer’s peripherals to enable a more enjoyable gaming experience. Aside from that, you can modify the CPU and RAM processing size of the Nox Player like an actual emulator, which is a good thing for gamers and app developers.
3. Andy
Andy is considered to be one of the fastest Android emulators for Windows 10 and Windows 7 in terms of performance. The feature-packed emulator is fitted inside a lightweight program. It’s unique and boasts features which you can’t find from other Android emulators. For instance, Andy lets you use your smartphone as a remote control when you’re playing games. If you don’t have a phone with you, you can make use of your Xbox or PlayStation controller; it does the same thing. It also provides a seamless sync between your Windows PC and your mobile handset so you can readily access your computer files through your phone and vice-versa, all thanks to Andy. To top it off, you can customize the RAM usage via Andy’s virtual settings. Just open the Virtual Box and change the settings according to your liking!
4. Remix OS Player
Although it’s still quite new to the Android emulator industry, the Remix OS Player is something to watch out for. Despite the frequent bugs, the Remix OS Play has been titled as one of the fastest Android emulators, even better than most of the older emulators. It runs on Android Marshmallow platform instead of the older Android KitKat and Lollipop, which means that you can download the most recent games and apps on the Google Play Store. The main selling point of the Remix OS Player is its ability to multitask games. With its extra speed to spare, the Android emulator does this with no sweat.
5. Droid4X
The Droid4X is one of simplest Android emulators for Windows 10 and Windows 7. It is easy to use and targets casual gamers instead of the hardcore ones. You can also do productivity tasks efficiently with this emulator. What’s interesting with the Droid4X is that it comes with a pre-installed Google Play Store. It is also pre-rooted, fast, and lags are minimal. It also allows the user to configure the keyboard as a game controller.
6. Genymotion
At last, we have here an Android emulator specifically made for app developers! Genymotion is an advanced emulator which allows you to test your applications on various smartphones (with varying Android versions) without requiring you to own them. Although Genymotion is meant for developers, it still offers a bunch of free downloads for personal use. However, it doesn’t work as great as it is for the regular users. Genymotion works hand-in-hand with Virtual Box, so you have to enable the virtualization technology in your BIOS and install the latest version of the Virtual Box first before you can download and use Genymotion on your PC.
7. MEmu
Based on Android Lollipop, MEmu has a very simple user interface. It boasts a hassle-free installation process without compromising its features in any way. Aside from Lollipop, it also supports Android Jelly Bean and Kit Kat. The feature-rich MEmu comes with support for AMD and Intel chipsets as well as computers powered by NVIDIA. It also has a pre-loaded Google Play Store. It also supports one-click APK installation so you can simply open an APK file from anywhere and run it on MEmu. Keyboard mapping is also present, meaning you can click an area on the screen and assign a key for your game controls. Most of all, Android games can be played up to 4K resolution on MEmu and you can modify CPU and RAM usage to improve its speed even more.
8. Windroy
Windroy is a very unique Windows 10 Android emulator. Unlike other Android emulators, Windroy runs on Android kernel. It doesn’t need additional PC downloads such as VirtualBox. It fully supports the Google Play Store. Windroy has a simple and lightweight design which won’t push too hard on your PC. Apps and games run well on the emulator because of its internal makeup.
Finishing up
Android emulators for Windows offers a completely different user experience. Just by using your PC, you can do the things you seek to do with your Android smartphone. Whether it’s testing an app or casual gaming, a well-chosen Android emulator can do wonders. We hope that this article opened your mind to a whole new world of Android emulators. Have you tried one? Which Android emulator is your favorite? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
