Best PC emulators to emulate vintage and retro video games on Windows, Mac and Linux and find your favorite games.
Are you looking for retro games? Fortunately, there are PC emulators for nostalgic gamers who are looking for old games and who want to have fun and become children again. Below is a list of the best PC emulators to install with titles that have made gaming history.
You will find arcade games and point and click games, but above all you will be able to switch from dated platforms to modern consoles. To download the games you can search on the Google search engine, alternatively there are many dedicated portals. To find out the best ones, I suggest you take a look at our guide on where to download ROMs for emulators .
Index
- Best emulator for PC (Windows, Mac and Linux)
- ePSXe: PlayStation emulator
- PCSX2: PlayStation 2 emulator
- PPSSPP: PSP emulator
- FCEUX: NES emulator
- ZSNES: Super Nintendo emulator
- RetroArch: cross-platform emulator
- DOSBox: MS-DOS emulator
- Dolphin: GameCube / Wii emulator
- VisualBoy Advance: Game Boy Color / Advance emulator
- Project64: Nintendo 64 emulator
- No $ GBA: Nintendo DS emulator
- Kega: Mega Drive / Genesis emulator
- MAME: Arcade emulator
Best emulator for PC (Windows, Mac and Linux)
If you are a PC gamer you know very well how much potential this machine has to run titles from different consoles. Since there are so many emulators available for the PC world, we will try to summarize the best ones by listing you precisely, take a pen and paper and prepare the installation files.
1. ePSXe: PlayStation emulator
If you loved the first generation PlayStation with all your heart, ePSXe is the best emulator to rely on. You will be able to play original games or ROMs directly from your computer screen with no special system requirements. It is compatible with all the most famous titles, including the lesser known ones. From the same site, you can download and install plugins that improve the performance of your PC.
Read also: PS3 emulator for PC
2. PCSX2: PlayStation 2 emulator
If you have had a PS1 we have no doubt that you also enjoyed the PlayStation 2. In case you feel like playing the great classics the PCSX2 emulator is a great solution. For more information on how to install it, read our tutorial on how to emulate PS2 games on PC .
3. PPSSPP: PSP emulator
PSP owners have enjoyed exclusive games for years. With the extremely light PPSSPP software , you can relive the experience of time and why not let your friends know it. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, but also on mobile smartphones and tablets. You can also import original PSP saves.
4. FCEUX: NES emulator
Among the great classics of the past we cannot avoid mentioning the FCEUX emulator . Nintendo platform capable of giving pearls such as Mario, Zelda and Final Fantasy.
5. ZSNES: Super Nintendo emulator
A clear evolution of the NES, the ZSNES emulator allows you to manage any game on this console without lag. Finally 16-bit graphics are handled without problems even if you have an older computer.
6. RetroArch: cross-platform emulator
RetroArch is the most flexible emulator around. Not only does it have very wide compatibility, but you can install it on any operating system (Windows, Linux and Mac) and on any mobile device (Android and iOS). It has a modular structure with the cores each dedicated to a specific console.
7. DOSBox: MS-DOS emulator
DOSBox is a free open source emulator of old x86 PCs compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. It works for all those old software and games that you can play in an MS-DOS environment on new Personal Computers.
8. Dolphin: GameCube / Wii emulator
There are consoles that remain in the hearts of the most experienced gamers, among them certainly the Wii and the GameCube. If you have any hidden games you can try it on Dolphin , it is a truly extraordinary emulator and able to play games on the latest generation consoles, including PS3 and Xbox 360. It also holds HD resolution very well and is also compatible with the Nintendo Wi- system. Fi Connection.
9. VisualBoy Advance: Game Boy Color / Advance emulator
The infinite versions of the Game Boy can all be reproduced by the VisualBoy Advance software . Did you have a Game Boy Advance, Color or original? Then you know which emulator to aim for.
10. Project64: Nintendo 64 emulator
You know very well how difficult it is to find software that runs a Nintendo 64 game well, luckily we have selected the absolute best for you: Project 64 .
11. No $ GBA: Nintendo DS emulator
To say that the Nintendo DS is Nintendo’s most famous product is certainly not an exaggeration. Along with the PS2 it’s the best-selling console of all time and we’re sure you can’t wait to brush up on old games with No $ GBA .
12. Kega: Mega Drive / Genesis emulator
The magical 90s represent the turning point for the videogame world, the legendary Sonic and company have given birth to wonderful products, one of the few emulators that can help you is Kega .
13. MAME: Arcade emulator
If you have ever bought a small oriental portable console you will know very well how the MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) emulator is the most used. Luckily there is also a PC version and we highly recommend it if you want to replay the great Arcade classics. It is a free and open source program developed by enthusiasts from the genre that recalls videogames in arcades. After downloading the rom in zip format (which you can find on any search engine), copy it to the Roms folder where you extracted the Mame . Then start mame.exe and start playing.
