Android is one of the most popular mobile platforms, which manages millions of smartphones and tablets around the world. Not surprisingly, hundreds of thousands of applications, both paid and free, have been developed for such a widespread system.
All these applications can be easily run on a regular computer. All that is needed for this is the installation file of the application and an Android emulator. Handy launch mobile applications maybe in different situations - to check their work in the development process or just to look before downloading to your phone or tablet.
You can run Android application on PC different ways, but using an emulator is the easiest and 100% working method. You just need to decide which emulator you should use - after all, there are a lot of such programs today. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages, which we will try to understand.
Consider eight free emulators, for each program there is a link to the official website of the developer:
Important Note: Emulators may require Intel VT-x or AMD-v virtualization, which runs in the BIOS, to work. Usually it is started by default, but if the programs do not work, it is worth checking this point.
Nox App Player
This emulator, according to many users, is the most the best option of all possible.
The program is compatible with all common versions of Windows - 7, 8.1 and 10. In addition, the emulator is very undemanding to computer resources and can work without brakes even on not very powerful laptops running modern operating system.
After starting the program, it will take a couple of minutes to fully load. The user will then see the standard android screen– system version 4.4.2 is emulated on a device with 30 GB of internal memory.
The system interface is no different from that on any mobile device - there are all the usual keys for control; among pre-installed programs you can find a standard browser and file manager.
Initially, the program English language, but in the settings you can enable the Russian version of the interface.
In the emulator settings, you can adjust the display mode and performance. By default, the program has a screen resolution of 1280x720, but if this size of the workspace does not suit you, you can choose one of three other options, including Full HD mode.
You can also switch the screen orientation between tablet and phone. Depending on the resources of the computer, the performance mode is selected; a low level allows you to run the emulator on weak PCs. If necessary, you can manually allocate a certain amount to the program random access memory and processor power.
System management does not differ from that on any device - the physical keyboard of the computer is initially connected, but you can also use its standard on-screen version. Sound and webcam are also connected automatically, without additional settings. Fully functional Play market- after logging in Google account you can freely download and install any application.
The functionality of the emulator extends the capabilities of the Android system. On the right side of the program window, you can see a series of icons with which you can perform the following actions:
- running third party .apk files with hard drive computer;
- simulation of any location that will be perceived by the system as a GPS-coordination;
- loading any files into the internal memory of the emulated device;
- taking screenshots;
- running multiple emulations at the same time.
In general, the emulator allows you to run almost any Android application on Windows without brakes - simple games, Instagram and others. The emulator is optimized almost perfectly, and nothing should hang. However, resource-intensive 3D games may not run if the machine's resources are insufficient.
Important: if the emulator does not work, check that the path to it is in English - there should not be Cyrillic in the names of files and folders.
You can download the best Android emulator Nox App Player from the official website: bignox.com.
BlueStacks is a Russian-language emulator that does not completely recreate the Android shell, but simply allows you to run applications designed for this platform. The program is aimed at games, and in them it shows better performance than its counterparts.
After launching the program, you will need to sign in to your Google account or create one. The emulator will then list the most popular games available for download.
The functionality is not limited to this - you can also launch third-party applications, either through the button in the emulator menu, or simply by dragging the file onto the program window.
If you have a mobile device under Android control, you can install the BlueStacks Cloud Connect program on it, which allows you to synchronize games between a smartphone or tablet and an emulator on Windows.
You can download BlueStacks from the official website: bluestacks.com/ru/
Koplayer is a free and very simple emulator that has only the most basic features that allow you to run Android games on a computer under Windows control.
Settings, interface and performance are almost the same as other emulators; you can also use .apk files downloaded not from the official store, and manual allocation of memory to applications is available.
A distinctive feature of this emulator is the ability to fine-tune the gaming keyboard. You can assign a variety of actions to the keys: pressing the screen and touchscreen gestures, simulating the operation of the accelerometer, and much more.
All settings can be made individual for each individual game.
You can download Koplayer from the official website.
Droid4x is an emulator that stands out from other similar programs with its quality of performance, nice interface and high speed. Belongs to a group of emulators that completely imitate shell android systems.
Droid4x is well optimized and generally sharpened for running games - convenient gameplay helps and opportunity fine tuning management. So, you can bind individual points of the emulated screen to the keys on the physical keyboard of the computer.
The program's arsenal includes a fully functional Play Market, the ability to launch third party applications from any folder file system Windows.
Like Nox App Player, the program can simulate any GPS coordinates. The program has an English interface, but Android system can be configured to any convenient language.
The performance of the emulator in games is tied to the resources of the computer; thanks to good optimization, you can run heavy 3D games (for example, Asphalt) on weak laptops and old desktop computers. Graphics and speed of work will differ slightly from this when you run the application on a modern mobile device.
You can download the Droid4x Android emulator from the developer portal.
One of the main features of the Genymotion emulator (formerly known as Android VM) is multiplatform, that is, it can be run on computers running not only Windows 7, 8.1 and 10, but also Linux with macOS.
In addition, the program has a built-in hardware acceleration charts. The emulator allows you to run a simulation mobile devices on Android platform many versions, up to the latest - 6.0, and the base of available devices is constantly expanding.
It should be noted that the functionality of the emulator is not designed for ordinary users, who want to run Android applications and games on a computer, but for software developers for mobile devices. The following advantages of Genymotion will help programmers:
- simulation of calls, SMS, battery consumption and other functions typical of smartphones and tablets;
integration with many popular application development environments; - Wi-Fi connection emulation;
- imitation of the work of both the rear and front cameras;
- the ability to create screencasts.
After registering on the official website, you will be offered several links to download the emulator. It is advisable to download the version with the built-in virtual machine so as not to run it separately; in addition, this option will automatically select the necessary settings.
After starting the program, you will need to create a new virtual device. To do this, enter your registration data and select suitable device from the list of available. Apart from android versions, you can select the screen resolution, number of cores, and allocate RAM manually. Then the emulator will download all the software components for the simulation from the site, after which the desktop will open, which is familiar to the user of mobile devices.
The main functions are available immediately and their additional parsing is not required. You can learn more about advanced features for the application developer in the help for the emulator; Please note that some of the functions are available only in the paid version of the program.
Important: so that the emulator does not give errors during operation, it should be run as an administrator.
You can download the Genymotion Android emulator from the official website:.
Chinese program, available for Windows XP, 7 and 8.1. It differs from analogues by a significantly higher speed, which is achieved due to the fact that Windroy does not emulate Android in literally words, but porting the main components of the system to the computer, during which all its resources go to work.
Apart from accelerated work, this leads to a large number of bugs; however, the program is under development, so some of the errors will be corrected over time.
Unlike other emulators, you need to install Windroy in the root directory on your computer's hard drive.
You can download Windroy here:.
A very easy to understand and use program, which is one of the most used Android emulators among users.
Nothing special stands out, but it works quickly and has good compatibility With Windows different versions. Suitable if none of the analogs starts.
This program is downloaded from the official website for Android application developers and is not an emulator, but rather a development environment. But applications can be run - this is important for checking and debugging programs written by a programmer.
All in all, this is the official way to run Android apps on personal computer, which can be difficult to master for an inexperienced user.
If none of the emulators starts, you can use other ways to run Android applications on your computer. For example, install mobile system on HDD PC, creating for this separate section. Also possible android launch from a flash disk or installing the system in virtual machine. If you are interested, write in the comments, we will tell you how to do it.
If you are unable to do something on your own, then we advise you to contact the ambulance computer help - pchelp24.com, reasonable prices, experienced specialists, free call and diagnostics.
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. Per use third party android emulator, there is a possibility of imposing sanctions 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. Great program to create a full-fledged Android device on Windows base. Perfectly compatible with almost all available in Google Play applications. The internal memory that is emulated by the device is quite capacious, which allows you not to worry about its lack. 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. mobile programs. 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 voice call. The program has a lot of advantages, it is important that it is the fastest emulator available, it emulates WiFi, GPRS, 3G, LTE, back and front camera, 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. PossibilitiesAndroid 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 desired parameters Android devices, for example, the amount of RAM. The application is worthy of praise for being able to work correctly even on low-powered PCs.
The product of Chinese developers, which appeared not so long ago, but has already gained popularity among active users similar 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;
- gigabyte free space on disk.
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 support for a gamepad and a 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 pulls heavy games well, but the graphics quality is full screen mode leaves much to be desired. There is root access and a good catalog of optimized games.
This is far from full list and whichbetter 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.
Hello friends! In this article, we will choose the best android emulator out of 7 popular applications among users. The functionality of each program allows you to run almost all software from Google Play, as well as from third party stores applications. This article will be useful for those who want to play Android games, as well as for those who are more comfortable working in this mobile OS.
All of the Android emulators listed below have fairly high system requirements for comfortable use. In general, emulating a system in a system is a rather resource-intensive task that requires a productive PC.
Games such as PUBG Mobile, Real Racing 3, Legends of Shadowgun are very demanding on a smartphone, not to mention a PC.
But I tested all the emulators on a bunch of Core i7 8750H and 16 GB DDR4, so I didn’t notice any friezes.
Which modern Android emulators are worth paying attention to?
All of them support at least some of the functions of a regular smartphone, although they have significant differences in control and visualization.
How does the powerful but demanding BlueStacks perform?
One of the oldest Android emulators with regular updates and Russian language support. Mostly BlueStacks is designed to run games and applications, having a well-integrated Google Play Store with direct APK installation. The program is able to offer other functions of the smartphone, supporting most of the old and new games with good emulation quality.
For stable operation of the system, you will need about 8 GB of RAM, in the case of less than 4 - BlueStacks will refuse to start in principle.
Some other benefits include:
- live streaming on Twitch;
- multitasking;
- the presence of a virtual SD card;
- and auto-updates.
Among the shortcomings, in addition to high requirements for iron, I also note strongly limited list features in the free version with copious amounts of ads.
LDPlayer - newcomer among the mastodons
One of the most noticeable drawbacks of large emulators is severe congestion, which worsens the stability of the program during the launch of games. Pretty "fresh" android emulator LDPlayer can be the best option, having an active development team with a minimum of bugs, glitches and bugs.
In terms of available functionality, the set is more than standard, games are installed from the Google Play Store or directly by copying APK files. The emulator does a good job with games, but practically does not offer other functions of the smartphone, and this can be considered both an advantage and a disadvantage.
LDPlayer is completely free and does not sell individual features for a subscription, offering everything immediately after downloading the program.
There is a simple but user-friendly interface, additional features Hardly ever. You can take screenshots, record videos, run multiple applications at the same time. Due to stable operation, it is suitable for those who just want to play Android games on a computer, but I recommend more demanding users to look at other solutions.
Koplayer - its strengths and weaknesses
Trying to compete with more powerful competitors, Koplayer Android emulator offers a number of popular features, but lacks stability.
I will list its advantages:
- convenient setting Root;
- support for hardware acceleration, allowing you to run demanding 3D games;
- no need for manual settings after installation;
- video recording directly from the Koplayer screen;
- the presence of the Russian language;
- and flexible control settings via keyboard, mouse or gamepad.
Koplayer receives regular updates with improvements, but stability suffers. When installing a new patch, users should prepare for possible mistakes. The program is free despite the support of many major gaming innovations, including multiplayer.
Service is temporarily unavailable.
A kind of Tencent and what it is for
The vast majority of analogues rely on the number of supported games, as well as the simulation of the maximum number of functions of a conventional smartphone. In this regard, the Android Tencent emulator is the complete opposite, working with only one game, but with the highest quality. Of course, I'm talking about PUBG Mobile, moreover, the emulator is officially published by its developers.
Tencent is of little interest to ordinary players, but it is worth paying attention to connoisseurs of multiplayer games and specifically PUBG.
Among the advantages I can mention:
- lack of complex settings with the ability to start the game immediately after opening;
- full-fledged servers for other users of the emulator;
- low system requirements compared to analogues or the PC version of PUBG;
- simple control system;
- high-quality hardware acceleration to display all 3D elements.
Tencent itself is not an Android emulator - it is rather an emulator of one specific game from the official developer.
Stable NoxPlayer with many features
NoxPlayer can be called the closest competitor to BlueStacks, but with less aggressive monetization. The system requirements are a little lower, even if the Android emulator refuses to run on computers or laptops with less than 3 GB of RAM.
Available features and benefits include:
- the presence of two graphic rendering: DirectX or OpenGL;
- simple control internal memory by simply dragging and dropping files from the emulator to the computer and back;
- convenient key setting;
- multitasking;
- as well as the "script recording" function that allows you to automate certain actions. For example, launching a specific game immediately after opening the program.
NoxPlayer does not require a lot of hard drive space and works great with most new and old games. There is also hardware 3D acceleration, standard functions conventional Android, flexible configuration of the graphic part and the system. I recommend that you first try this particular emulator, if for some reason it does not work, look at others.
MEmu is the smallest brother in the family
The hallmark of MEmu is its simplicity. It was created by Chinese developers and distributed free of charge, with rare updates and a minimal number of features. This has at least one advantage - the emulator works even on old laptops with 2 GB of RAM, although it does not guarantee the launch of all games. We are talking about both new products and some old applications that are still not supported by MEmu.
The features and benefits of the program include:
- full-fledged GPS simulation;
- launching several Android shells at the same time, for example, to test the application being developed;
- the ability to install programs by dragging and dropping files;
- support of many even despite the low system requirements.
With 3D games, the MEmu emulator does not work as well as its competitors, there are also certain technical problems. Including the emulator does not want to work with the antivirus turned on and does not remove all files from the system upon deletion.
Andy OS is a good Android shell, but not for 3D games
The Andy OS emulator has become popular thanks to a good simulation of a regular smartphone on a free basis. There is full synchronization and flexible settings. Andy OS - a copy of your smartphone on the computer screen, allowing you to use it Accounts, data and applications on the desktop screen.
But it is worth mentioning a few drawbacks. Due to being free, the emulator has ads and refuses to run a significant number of 3D games. Some 2D ones don't work either, so Andy OS is more of a useful tool to control your smartphone via PC than a way to play Android games.
Among the most important advantages I will note:
- built-in Play Market;
- the ability to connect a smartphone as a controller;
- low RAM requirements (3 GB);
- the presence of the Multi-Touch function.
Anyway android emulator on the computer will be useful, not only for players, but also for developers. They most conveniently allow you to test any application, run exclusive games from Android, and use most of the daily functions of a smartphone on your PC.
Android emulator on PC is in demand by many. The need to run mobile applications and games on personal computers has led to the emergence of such programs. This allowed us to combine the power of a desktop PC with the capabilities of an android. Not every mobile phone or tablet with modest technical specifications, could run some applications or games.
In today's review, we will talk about popular emulators. Each of them has its own characteristics and advantages. All programs can be grouped in this way:
- Universal emulators. They cope well with their tasks, which are set before them by game lovers or android application developers;
- For game lovers;
- For testers and software developers.
Important: Most emulators require computer processors to support virtualization.
There is no Russian language in the list, click on English and wait for a while. A window opens with the activation of the Play Market.
We agree to all requests, the setup is completed and the desktop appears. The layout of the elements on it and the Start menu are very similar to the familiar Windows, everything is intuitive.
We launch the browser, the response is instant.
Application installation is also very fast.
On the right in the settings panel, you can control the location of the active window. By rotating it, the image also rotates.
This is convenient for games, Remix OS was created for them. Despite the fact that it is still officially being finalized, the emulator left a very pleasant impression. An important nuance is that it does not work on computers with an AMD processor.
Download Remix OS Player from the developer's site - http://cn.jide.com/remixos-player
This emulator was created by the well-known company Google. At the same time, it is a development environment (IDE) for the Android platform. The program includes a set of tools that help developers create software and games.
After installation on the computer, the program window opens. It prompts you to select a project or create a new one.
After selecting a project, the program itself opens.
It allows you to edit and build applications, rework code, and more.
Download Android Studio from the developer site - https://developer.android.com/studio/install.html
YouWave emulator is now offered in two versions - free (Free) and paid (Premium). Free version based on the old android platform. It can run significantly fewer programs than the newer Premium. Otherwise, there are no noticeable differences in capabilities between them.
The installation of the emulator is fast, it is not demanding on computer resources. Desktop opens after installation
and access to programs.
The program interface is only in English.
Of the unique features, it is worth noting the ability of YouWave to work with virtual SD memory. Often games for Android come out earlier than for Windows. YouWave allows you to take full advantage of this.
A free emulator that supports unique features that similar programs do not have.
These include:
- usage mobile phone like a remote remote control during games;
- installing android applications in AndyRoid directly from the operating system of your personal computer;
- low requirements for video resources. It can even work on the built-in Intel HD Graphics. This is due to the fact that the emulator is based on VirtualBox.
After starting the installation, the program downloads the necessary modules from the Internet, which will take some time. Next, the desktop and the program menu open. Interface in Russian.
To access the Play Store store, authorization through Google is required.
DuOS
Relatively new emulator Android for PC by American Megatrends is offered in two paid versions: Lollipop and JellyBean. Free testing of any of them is available for 30 days. Fully free programs not available.
After installation and launch, you can configure the emulator according to your requirements using the menu in Russian.
More suitable for home use, applications and games.
One of the oldest emulators. It is suitable for those who have ancient software installed on their computer. Windows versions. Lightweight and comfortable, only works when using Windows kernel and does not require Virtualbox support. It is necessary to take into account one nuance: there should not be spaces in the name of the folder where the emulator will be installed.
After starting, the desktop opens, select the menu and customize it to your liking.
Interface English or Chinese. The official site at the time of writing the review is not available, you can download the emulator from the resource library.
The popular gaming-focused emulator showed decent results even with computer-heavy applications. Its peculiarity is that you can bind your computer keyboard to the coordinates on the Droid4X screen. Agree, it is very convenient, especially in games.
After installing Droid4X and launching, you can customize the program according to your requirements.
Now this emulator can be downloaded only on unofficial resources. The developer's site is not available. Therefore, if you decide to use and download from unverified sources, check the antivirus before installing.
An interesting version of the android emulator, more suitable for playing games on a computer.
Has such advantages:
Now you can choose desktop settings and install games.
Although the interface is in English, it is intuitive. The emulator is not demanding on the power of the computer. Provided to users free of charge.
MEmu
Few emulator developers provide this kind of support for their programs. MEmu is "friends" with AMD processors and Intel. In addition, it supports Android versions of JellyBean, KitKat and Lollipop. It will run most software products and games, which is its significant advantage.
The developer focuses the attention of fans of his software products on the high performance and compatibility of this emulator. A plus is also the interface in Russian.
There is a display of the keyboard and joystick, as well as the transfer of information from virtual sensors. This is very handy in games. In addition, you can run different versions android at the same time.
Download MEmu from the developer site http://www.memuplay.com/
This emulator is positioned as a tool for application testers and developers. It supports hardware acceleration and Open GL. Plus, it is built on the x86 architecture, which makes it noticeably faster than its counterparts. The emulator can be configured for various devices and different versions of the Android OS. The list of supported devices is updated regularly.
When downloading the program, although it is free, you must register on the official website of the developer. Be sure to save them, in the future this data will be needed to run the emulator.
The name of the device will appear in Virtual Box, select the device and click "Start".
A window will open with Genymotion running, which you can customize according to your needs.
At the moment, BlueStacks can be considered one of the best android emulators for PC in Russian. The purpose of this program is games. It does not require Virtual Box virtualization. It supports multitasking software products and has built-in features such as screen shake and location selection. In addition, it is possible to install apk-applications double click mice. Allows you to install software and all kinds of games from the Play Market.
from where you can go to Play Store and install the game of interest.
Also, the required emulator settings are made on the desktop.
This is the most interesting and versatile Android emulator for PC today.
It shows decent results even on low-power computers and has such enviable functionality as:
- Display keyboard for touch input;
- Built-in GPS controller setting;
- The ability to disable or enable superuser mode (root rights) with a single click;
- Support for various processors;
- Gyro setting;
- Setting the number of processors and memory by size, model and IMEI.
After installation, you can select Russian or another suitable language and make the necessary settings for the emulator.
Summing up the review, let's say that the android emulator is indispensable program for many users. Game lovers are recommended to try Nox App Player, BlueStacks, KoPlayer, Droid4X, Remix OS Player. Developers creating and testing apps will definitely benefit from Genymotion and Android Studio. We have not forgotten about the owners of old computers and operating systems. We recommend the unpretentious Windroy emulator.
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 affected the entire industry. information technologies- it turned out just unrealistically many different applications and games 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 has done its job - playing on the computer is more familiar and convenient for me, but online versions 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 RAM. 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 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 verify your Google account, authorization in NOX App Player causes mistrust 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, even in the minimum configuration nothing slowed me down, 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 control. 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 possibility of installing applications from APK files from a computer, given function useful if you have problems with the Google Play Store.
- You can select your location manually and the emulator will think it is receiving real GPS coordinates 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 is stopping us from removing unnecessary programs immediately after installation, but as they say, the sediment remained ...
The test game Hay Day installed and launched without problems and synced perfectly with 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 online broadcasts games on Twitch, I think this feature will be especially in demand by streamers and will help make reviews on android games 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 start Plants VS Zombie 2 - the game constantly crashed and under no circumstances wanted 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 buttons of the computer keyboard 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 the real device, I don’t think it’s desired function for the average user, and developers will certainly 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 has paid version with extended 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 this review there will be no Nox App Player or Andy, but possibly 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.
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