Often on mobile platforms there are very interesting applications and games, which for some reason are not on the PC. And users are terrified of what they want to run such an application on their computer or laptop. But this is not so easy. First you have to install a special program called an emulator. And only then with its help it will be possible to launch android applications on a PC. We will consider the most interesting and popular emulators that currently exist.
No. 1. BlueStacks Emulator
Probably the most popular emulator for running Android OS applications on a computer with Windows on board. This software product uses the capabilities of hardware virtualization and therefore can provide high performance in games and applications. Also, the emulator has the ability to assign keyboard and mouse buttons to certain actions (swipe across the screen, gestures, and so on). This program for launching Android applications on a PC has good performance and a nice interface. Russian language is also included. All that is required of the user is to download the program from the official website of the developer and install it. Installing applications of the mobile platform can be carried out both from the built-in “Market” from “Google”, and with the help of special APK files (executable files of “Android” applications), which can be downloaded separately on any resource. This emulator is a cross-platform application and is able to work in Linux and Mac OS. The emulator itself is shareware. You can pay $ 24 a year for using all the options or install a couple of applications a week from sponsors.
No. 2. Droid4x
The second most popular emulator of the Android environment on Windows. This emulator also has the ability to hardware virtualize and provides high performance when starting games. The pre-installed programs include applications for downloading applications on Android. The emulator itself is absolutely free. It can be easily downloaded from the official website of the developer and installed on a computer. After installation, the interface will be English, but it is very easy to change to Russian. This emulator has the option of capturing the mouse and the function of assigning keyboard buttons to perform any action in the game. As for performance, it is almost the same as in Bluestacks. It is only necessary to set the desired type of graphics engine in the settings. For the Android OS, it will be OpenGL. DirectX is not recommended. This application is also cross-platform. There is a special version for use on computers with a Mac OS on board.
No. 3. Nox app player
The third most popular emulator for Windows. It is an Android OS 4.4 in miniature. The disadvantage of this emulator is that it does not know how to use the hardware virtualization option and does not know how to give the proper performance. Therefore, it is not particularly suitable for games. But the applications on it run just fine. But this application has an advantage: it works fine on low-end computers with different processors. Nox App Player does a great job launching Android apps on a PC. The emulator also has such useful options as:
- installation from the APK file;
- Downloading applications from the Market;
- substitution of location data (for launching especially capricious applications);
- Download and export files
- Create screenshots
- launching multiple emulator windows and much more.
As you can see, the set of these options is more suitable for applications than for games. This emulator orientation may upset some users. But there are other emulators.
Number 4. Memu
This small program is great for emulating games from Android to PC. He also knows how to use hardware virtualization options and provides high performance. But here is a picture of insufficient quality. Although, in the case of mobile games, this is not so important. There is no instant reaction required. And there aren’t so many “beauties” there. A key feature of MEmu is the ability to have shared folders with Windows. That is, you can easily transfer music and video to the emulator and vice versa. There is an option to download applications from the Market and install from the APK file. There is also an integrated store. But there are no interesting games and applications there. Nevertheless, the emulator boasts root access and other interesting things for geeks. However, for everyday use, this emulator is not suitable. It is better to use one of the above. Or search for the desired emulator in subsequent chapters.
No. 5. Koplayer
An emulator undemanding to system resources, thanks to which it is possible to quickly launch applications on Android in the Windows environment. This program has very modest system requirements. For its full-fledged work, only 2 gigabytes of RAM are enough. Using this emulator, you can install applications both from the Market and from the computer’s hard drive using the corresponding APK files. This emulator can work with the hardware virtualization option and is capable of producing good performance. However, it requires very little from a computer and operating system. There is also a special version for Mac OS. This software product is perfect for those who are looking for a high-quality, moderately demanding and free emulator. It can even play games. So gamers will definitely be pleased. Moreover, this emulator supports working with a mouse and a gamepad. However, consider other programs for emulating the Android environment on a PC.
No. 6. Genymotion
This emulator is not suitable for games. It is designed for serious application developers and is used to test products. The key feature of the emulator is that it can simulate any smartphone on Android: from a cool flagship to a weak budget employee. With it, you can install any music application on Android and test it. Of course, the program is also capable of reproducing toys, but it will be difficult to achieve special performance. Although the emulator is able to use hardware virtualization. This product is not suitable for gamers. But for developers and lovers of original applications - that’s it. The product is completely free. It can be easily downloaded on the official website of the developer. By the way, the application is fully cross-platform. There are special versions for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. This emulator is perfect for those who need to run some unique application from the Android platform on a PC. Now let's move on to the next software product.
Number 7. Leapdroid
This emulator appeared relatively recently. But in a short time I managed to win the love of users. It differs in that it can work efficiently without hardware virtualization. This has significantly reduced the system requirements of the emulator. This software product supports most of the games on Android and is perfectly able to work with applications. There is also an option to block launching applications on Android. But this is not the main thing. This emulator allows you to capture the keyboard and mouse to assign specific actions to these devices. This feature will be very useful in dynamic games. Also, this emulator is great for testing recently created programs. With it, you can easily install the music app on Android and test it. Great for developers. This is one of the few universal emulators. Also, the application is cross-platform. It works great on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. However, let's move on to the next software product.
Number 8. Tencent gaming buddy
This is a rather peculiar emulator of the Android environment for PC. It is optimized to run only one game - PUBG Mobile. And in it he shows very worthy results. Of course, there is the possibility of installing other games and applications, but their performance is pretty average. He does not know how to work with other games normally. But it copes with applications well. There is even an option to launch the application when you turn on "Android". This emulator is actively supported by developers. The new versions fix various errors and shortcomings. The software product is completely free. It can be easily downloaded from the official website of the developer. However, the cross-platform product is no different. He only knows how to work under Windows. There are no special versions for Linux and Mac OS. And until it is foreseen. In general, this software product will appeal to fans of the aforementioned game. But no more than that. Now consider the next emulator.
No. 9. AMIDuOS
A very advanced emulator from the famous company American Megatrends. A key feature is the optimization of applications every time you launch Android. This reduces the download time of the game or program. This emulator can use the processor virtualization options from Intel or AMD. This software product is capable of providing high performance in games, is able to capture the keyboard and mouse, is able to emulate a full-fledged Android OS of the latest version and can easily cope with the installation of applications from the Market. It is also possible to install using the APK file. Everything is good in this program. But only it is by no means free. But from the official site you can download a free trial for 30 days. In terms of functionality, it will not be limited. Only there will be a lot of advertising content. In any case, this emulator is worth a try.
No. 10. Windroy
A unique emulator of the Android environment for Windows. Its main feature is that all the main components of the mobile OS are ported to Windows (including Dalvik-Cache). This allows you to fully use all the hardware power of the computer. Games on this emulator work with chic performance. Launching "Android" applications on a PC using this program is very quick and easy. However, there is bad news: the developer forgot about his brainchild. The project is no longer supported and only old versions of the software product are available for download. Therefore, it is located in last place in our ranking.
Conclusion
So, we reviewed the best applications for launching Android games on a PC. Many of these software products are capable of providing excellent gaming performance. And almost everyone works perfectly with applications for this mobile OS.