The ultimate emulator list [2026]

Here are the best emulators for any system (well the most popular systems at least)! At least according to me.

Darlene Sonalder
Darlene SonalderList by Darlene Sonalder, last updated 
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  1. OS

  2. Recalbox icon
     Like

    Turn a Raspberry Pi into a retro gaming emulation computer and have Kodi icon Kodi integrated.

    Worth mentioning: Retropie icon Retropie

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Odroid
    Recalbox screenshot 1
    Recalbox screenshot 1
    Recalbox screenshot 2
  3. An operating system that can (but is not limited to) run on a USB flashdrive to turn any PC into an emulation machine ! Really awesome

    Worth mentioning: Lakka icon Lakka RetroArch as an OS.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Odroid
    Batocera.linux screenshot 1
  4. Kazeta icon
     Like

    This does not emulate a specific system but is a Linux kernel icon Linux kernel based OS that emulate the tactile nostalgia of 90s-2000 retro-gaming era by being simple. Own your DRM-Free games on SD cards, plug them, boot your machine, play.

    As it's linux-based it does support emulators.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Kazeta screenshot 1
    Kazeta screenshot 1
  5. Multi System

  6. RetroArch icon
     Like

    THE KING !!! You can run this on almost everything, I wouldn't be surprised if your microwave supports it. Not super user friendly but you have tons of ressources and tutorials online on how to use it.

    Worth mentioning: Ares Emulator icon Ares Emulator

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • iPad
    • F-Droid
    • Steam
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Main view
    Online updater
    Screen keyboard
    +6
    Playlist
  7. OpenEmu icon
     Like

    The best for macOS icon macOS , really user friendly and super complete!

    For iOS icon iOS : Delta Emulator icon Delta Emulator Previously known as GBA4iOS ! It now support NDS and N64 emulation too! Folium icon Folium for GBA, NDS & 3DS!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    OpenEmu screenshot 1
    OpenEmu screenshot 1
    OpenEmu screenshot 2
    +4
    http://openemu.org/img/intro-list.png
  8. Lemuroid icon
     Like

    For Android icon Android this is my go to as it's user friendly and pretty complete ! It's basically a simpler retroarch with MaterialYou Design

    A26, A78, Lynx, NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA, Megadrive, Mega CD, SMS, GG, N64, PSX, PSP, Arcade, NDS, PCE, NGP, NGC support.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Lemuroid screenshot 1
    Lemuroid screenshot 2
    Lemuroid screenshot 3
  9. Mame icon
     Like

    This is a multi-system emulator that is specific for Arcade but I love also using it for Master System, Saturn and GameGear. Works on macOS, Windows and Linux ! For Android icon Android - MAME4droid icon MAME4droid

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • AmigaOS
    • MorphOS
    Mame screenshot 1
    Mame screenshot 1
  10. EmuDeck icon
     Like

    Emulator configurator for Linux kernel icon Linux kernel based OSes ( SteamOS icon SteamOS and ChimeraOS icon ChimeraOS ), Windows 11 icon Windows 11 , and Android icon Android . Includes features such as pre-configured controls, RetroArch aspect ratios, universal hotkeys, auto save / load and steam ROM manager integration.

    Worth mentioning: RetroDECK icon RetroDECK

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • SteamOS
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    EmuDeck screenshot 1
    EmuDeck screenshot 1
  11. A ProgressiveWebApps multi-system emulator to run in your web browser. NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA, SMS, and GG support.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Eclipse emu screenshot 1
    Eclipse emu screenshot 1
  12. ScummVM icon
     Like

    For classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs - such as SCUMM games (like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle)

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Windows Mobile
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Symbian S60
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    • AmigaOS
    • MorphOS
    Myst: Masterpiece Edition (Windows/German)
    Myst III: Exile (Windows/English)
    The Neverhood (Windows/English)
    +2
    ScummVM screenshot 3
  13. Adobe Flash

  14. The flash emulator and flash creation archive

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Flashpoint Archive screenshot 1
    Flashpoint Archive screenshot 1
    Flashpoint Archive screenshot 2
  15. Ruffle icon
     Like

    A promising Flash Emulator that is cross-plateform

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Ruffle screenshot 1
  16. Nintendo

  17. NES & FamiCom

  18. Mesen icon
     Like

    The NES emulator if you want to run games with texture packs so your NES games looks more like SNES games.

    The macOS build still has a number of limitations (e.g no gamepad support).

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac
    Mesen screenshot 1
    Mesen screenshot 1
    Mesen screenshot 2
    +5
    Mesen screenshot 3
  19. For Android, Freemium

    Worth mentioning: NES.emu icon NES.emu (Paid App)

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    NostalgiaNes screenshot 1
    NostalgiaNes screenshot 1
    NostalgiaNes screenshot 2
    +1
    NostalgiaNes screenshot 3
  20. Super Nintendo

  21. Snes9x icon
     Like

    The SNES emulator you'll probably use

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Snes9x screenshot 1
    Snes9x screenshot 1
    Snes9x screenshot 2
  22. The SNES emulator for Android

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Snes9x EX+ screenshot 1
    Snes9x EX+ screenshot 1
    Snes9x EX+ screenshot 2
  23. 64

  24. gopher64 icon
     Like

    A WiP emulator written in Rust that is really promising from the devs of simple64 icon simple64

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    gopher64 screenshot 1
  25. Gamecube / Wii

  26. PrimeHack icon
     Like

    If you're planning on playing Metroid Prime (or other NGC FPS) PrimeHack is a dolphin fork made for that so you have a better PC experience !

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    PrimeHack screenshot 1
  27. Gameboy Color

  28. SameBoy icon
     Like

    The best Gameboy Color emulator

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
  29. GBC.emu icon
     Like

    Paid open source Gameboy emulator for Android

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    GBC.emu screenshot 1
    GBC.emu screenshot 1
    GBC.emu screenshot 2
  30. A great PWA GBC emulator for mobile such as iPhones as it runs in your web browser

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Game Play COLOR screenshot 1
  31. Gameboy Advance

  32. mGBA icon
     Like

    My go to standalone GBA emulator for macOS, Windows and Linux

    Worth mentioning : Visual Boy Advance-M icon Visual Boy Advance-M

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    mGBA screenshot 1
  33. GBA.emu icon
     Like

    Paid open source GBA emulator for Android

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    GBA.emu screenshot 1
    GBA.emu screenshot 1
    GBA.emu screenshot 2
    +1
    GBA.emu screenshot 3
  34. John GBA icon
     Like

    A really nice freemium GBA emulator for Android !

    Worth mentioning: Nostalgia.GBA icon Nostalgia.GBA

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    John GBA screenshot 1
    John GBA screenshot 1
    John GBA screenshot 2
  35. DS

  36. melonDS icon
     Like

    A really good NDS emulator for macOS, Windows and Linux with an unofficial Android port!

    Worth mentioning: DeSmuME icon DeSmuME NooDS icon NooDS

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Android
    melonDS screenshot 1
    melonDS screenshot 2
    melonDS screenshot 3
  37. 3DS

  38. Azahar icon
     Like

    A solid Citra icon Citra continuation for any system citra was available for. It is a common work from Lime3DS icon Lime3DS team and PabloMk7 who also maintained a popular and great citra fork known as Citra MK7's fork icon Citra MK7's fork .

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Azahar screenshot 1
    Azahar screenshot 2
    Azahar screenshot 3
  39. Panda3DS icon
     Like

    The best non-citra-based 3DS emulator. It has evolved so well in 2024 I can now recommend it as a nice option but is still a bit behind Citra icon Citra .

    Worth mentioning: Tanuki3DS icon Tanuki3DS

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    Panda3DS screenshot 1
    Panda3DS screenshot 2
    Panda3DS screenshot 3
  40. WiiU emulator

  41. Cemu icon
     Like

    THE WiiU emulator ! For Windows, Linux and now Mac! An unofficial Android port is in early development with impressive results (it starts to get almost fairly usable)

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Mac
    Cemu screenshot 1
    Cemu screenshot 1
    Cemu screenshot 2
  42. Switch emulators

  43. The best Ryujinx fork. It brings some QoL and bugfixes for Ryujinx. Might works better than Yuzu's forks for multiple games as it focus on getting better accuracy.

    Worth mentioning:  Kenji-NX icon Kenji-NX

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Ryubing (Ryujinx GreemDev) screenshot 1
  44. Eden icon
     Like

    The best Yuzu continuation project. Based on Citron icon Citron with part of their initial team. Unlike many Yuzu forks like Suyu icon Suyu it did bring some improvment regarding performance, optimization and compatibility. The team has been working with the torzu team and Sudachi dev.

    The Android version of Eden is probably the most advanced Switch emulator for Android devices. And they are experimenting with RetroArch icon RetroArch to make a Nintendo Switch core.

    Note that Citron icon Citron still perform better in several areas

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Mac
    Eden screenshot 1
    Eden screenshot 2
    Eden screenshot 3
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Comments

Gaian Terra Canis Rufus
0

please take Nox, Gameloop and LDPlayer down because all 3 of them are bundleware + some of them are bloatware or use SPYWARE (Tencent Program/Gameloop)

2 replies
Darlene Sonalder

I am aware of the bad state of Android Emulation on Computer but Stacks isn't much better in these regards, I've also linked debloating guide when I founded good updated ones but I'm going to put a stronger disclaimer.

Darlene Sonalder

I've also added Google Play Games icon Google Play Games as it got recently released for everyone and also WSABuilds icon WSABuilds which might both be better options for most people.

nonodie
0

just a heads up that cemu now has a linux version, so you might want to update your description on that one. although the alternativeto entry for this of course already reflects this.

1 reply
Darlene Sonalder

Amazing thanks for bringing that up

Gu