[TUTORIAL] Emulation on Android: the right emulators in 2026, console by console

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[TUTORIAL] Emulation on Android: the right emulators in 2026, console by console

Post by Tgames »

Automatically translated from French.

[TUTO] Émulation sur Android : les bons émulateurs en 2026, console par console

A phone from 2024 runs the PSP without effort, the PS2 and the GameCube very decently, and even PC games. You still have to install the right software: in this field, projects are born, die and get replaced fast, and the first results from a search engine often lead to paid copies or fake-app sites. Here is where things stand on 3 October 2026.


Console by console
  • PSP → PPSSPP (1.20.4, May 2026). The most polished of the lot, on the Play Store, free, and with no BIOS needed. The paid “Gold” version is strictly the same emulator: it only serves to support the developer.
  • GameCube and Wii → Dolphin (version 2609, September 2026). On the Play Store, free, no BIOS. The same reference as on PC.
  • PlayStation 2 → ARMSX2 (2.7.2, September 2026) is today the most active project, with builds coming out almost daily. NetherSX2 remains more mature and more stable, but has not moved since late 2025. AetherSX2 has been abandoned since 2023: its author stopped development, and the builds going round under that name are no longer maintained. A PS2 BIOS is required in every case.
  • PlayStation 1 → go through RetroArch with the core SwanStation or Beetle PSX. The DuckStation app for Android still works but has not been updated since May 2025, its author having announced that he does not intend to pick it up again. A PS1 BIOS is required.
  • Nintendo DS → melonDS Android (Play Store, free). The fork WatermelonDS (0.8.0-rc2, September 2026) targets dual-screen devices and Android handhelds. The DS BIOS and firmware are required for the most faithful mode.
  • 3DS → Azahar, now the sole successor to Citra: the two projects that had followed it, PabloMK7's fork and Lime3DS, have merged into one.
  • Dreamcast, Naomi → Flycast, on its own or as a RetroArch core. A Dreamcast BIOS is required.
  • Retro in general (NES, SNES, Mega Drive, GBA, N64…) → RetroArch (1.22.2). One program, dozens of cores. Take mGBA for the GBA, Snes9x for the SNES, Mesen or Nestopia for the NES, Genesis Plus GX for the Mega Drive, Mupen64Plus-Next for the N64.

A detail that catches people out

The official RetroArch site still shows a version older than the one actually released. Trust the Play Store, F-Droid or the project's releases page, not the big button on the home page.


BIOS files, and the rule that does not change

Many emulators call for a BIOS, that is, the internal program of the original console. It must come from your own machine, dumped with the tools made for that. Downloading a BIOS, even for a console you own, is still an infringement — and the files offered on download sites often come with malware. Emulators that need no BIOS (PPSSPP, Dolphin, most retro cores) are the simplest ones to start with.


The settings that make all the difference
  1. Choose Vulkan as the rendering backend when it is offered: on recent chips, the gap with OpenGL is considerable.
  2. Do not push the internal resolution too high. ×2 is almost always enough on a phone screen, and ×3 makes it run hot without any visible difference.
  3. Be wary of “frameskip”: it gives the illusion of smoothness by dropping frames, and makes the game less pleasant to play. Better to lower the resolution.
  4. Connect a controller over Bluetooth: most recent models are recognised without installing anything. Touch controls are fine to get by, not to play.
  5. Keep your games in one clear folder and give the emulator access to it once and for all: Android is getting stricter and stricter about file permissions.

Playing PC games on Android

This is not emulation but a translation layer, and it works surprisingly well on recent chips:
  • Winlator (11.2, September 2026): the open-source reference, as an APK.
  • GameNative (1.2.1, September 2026): more comfortable, with Steam, GOG and Epic library integration.
In both cases, you have to own the games: these tools supply nothing.


And the recent consoles?
  • PS3 and Xbox 360: ports exist (ARMSX3 for the PS3, a port of Xenia for the 360), but compatibility remains very limited. One for curiosity only.
  • PS4: no. The Android port of shadPS4 runs no game at all to this day, the groundwork not being finished. Videos showing PS4 games on a phone are misleading.
  • Switch: almost all the existing emulators have left the public platforms after Nintendo's complaints of February and August 2026, and they require keys dumped from a console. So we give neither a link nor a procedure for them.

⚠ Careful: never download an emulator from the sites that imitate its name (by adding “-apk” or “.co” to the official address). They are the top search results for most of this software, and they distribute modified builds. Go through the Play Store, F-Droid, or the project's official page. Steer clear too of paid emulators that take an open-source project's work without saying so.


Sources and official guides: PPSSPP · Dolphin · ARMSX2 · NetherSX2 · melonDS Android · RetroArch · Azahar · Winlator

Tgames provides no games, no BIOS files and no keys: only use backups of your own games and your own console. Got a question? Reply to this topic.
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