Ever remember playing Super Mario on your NES or Metroid on your GameBoy? There are so many amazing classic retro games. And there can be times when we feel like visiting the old times by playing such games. That is if your old console is still working, or if you have the best console emulators installed in your PC.
These console emulators are programs designed to emulate the game systems of gaming consoles. All you need to do is to pick up an emulator that emulates your preferred console, install it on your computer, and then run the program.
But since there are hundreds of emulators on the internet, we decided to put up a list of the best console emulators for Microsoft Windows and Linux PC and Mac devices. Some of these console emulators can even be downloaded for Android and iOS devices.
Here are the 10 best console emulators for PC that you can install to play your favorite console games:
PS3 Mobi – PS3 Emulator
PS3 Mobi is an emulator that lets you run PS3 games on your Microsoft Windows PC, and even on iOS and Android phones. And the best thing about PS3 Mobi is you don’t have to modify anything in the BIOS file due to its program design. All you have to do is to run the emulator on your PC, and you’re ready to play any of your favorite PS3 titles.
PS4 Emus – PS4 Emulator
PS4 Emus are from the same team who developed PS3 Mobi. This emulator can also run on Windows and Mac desktops, Android and iOS phones. Installing the emulator is easy since its BIOS file is already included in its program. And once it’s installed, you can simply run the emulator and start playing. And what most users love about it is its clean GUI.
PPSSPP – PSP Emulator
Ever wonder if you can play PSP games on your PC or gaming laptop? Well, PPSSPP is the perfect emulator for you. You can use it to play your favorite PSP games, and even dump games in .cso or .iso format. It features autosave, an external gamepad, and joystick support. PPSSPP also happens to be one of the best and stable emulators and has been around for years.
BolXEmu – Xbox One and Xbox 360 Emulator
BolXEmu is the perfect choice for games who’d like to run Xbox One and Xbox 360 games on their PC. It even uses vSync technology to support high frame rates. Users can also increase the FPS if the game can’t be handled by your desktop. Plus, you can also adjust its screen resolution. A BIOS file is also included in its package for an easy install-and-run program.
Dolphin – Wii and GameCube Emulator
Dolphin is an emulator you can use to play Wii and GameCube games on your PC, whether you’re running it on Windows, Linux, or Mac. It was developed in 2008, and its developers are still active even on this day. Its website also has a lot of documentation about the emulator, including rip games and configure controllers.
DeSmuME – Nintendo DS Emulator
DeSmuME is one of those rare emulators that allows you to play Nintendo DS on your desktop. This emulator can let you play a good number of Nintendo DS classics. And the best thing about it is it’s for free! It also has a lot of great features, including recording gameplay footage — something you wouldn’t find in any other emulators.
MAME – Arcade Emulator
MAME is an arcade emulator programmed to emulate the arcade game system on your PC. The idea behind it was to have a software that could mimic the hardware of retro games and help preserve its history. MAME allows you to play several classic games that run in different arcade systems without the need to install different emulators.
OpenEmu – Retro Consoles Emulator
OpenEmu is a multiple video game system emulator for a lot of classic video consoles including VirtualBox, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Nintendo DS, NES, NeoGeo, and Sega Game Gear. It allows players to have this one central hub for all these classic emulations using their desktop PC. And aside from that, it features a beautiful gaming library browser.
Citra – Nintendo 3DS Emulator
Citra is an emulator of Nintendo 3DS and is programmed to run on Mac and Windows. And the great thing about this emulator is it can run games on the same level of performance as if you’re playing it from the console. Citra can even display higher resolutions than the console. Unlike other emulators, the team behind Citra keeps updating it for it to run smoothly regardless of your PC build.
Kega – Sega Mega Drive Emulator
Kega is an emulator designed to run games launched for several Sega emulators such as Game Gear, Master System, Mega-CD, and Sega Mega Drive. You can install this emulator on your Mac or Windows PC. The best feature of Kega is that it can run smoothly and efficiently on different PC systems, and is highly optimized. It even has no problem running a Sega game at 60 frames per second on a Pentium 3 computer. Plus, Kega features a higher rate of compatibility compared to other current emulators. This makes it one of the best emulators you can find online.
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By using these console emulators, we hope that you can once again find joy in playing your favorite classic games. We also hope that you can use these console emulators to introduce the best classic retro games to the younger generation.
Do you know any console emulators that weren’t mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below, and we will gladly check it out and share it with everyone. Happy gaming!