All of us have used Android devices at some point. Here at emulator info, we supply you with knowledge on emulators so you can get the amazing android experience on other devices too.
Some Android emulators are OS-exclusive, and some are big software. Some emulators are complete operating systems in themselves. So, Let’s explore the 5 Best Android Emulators for Mac in 2022
Let’s go Through the List:
- BlueStacks
- ARChon
- Bliss OS
- Android Studio
- NoxPlayer
Let’s Start Counting…
Beyond your Imagination!
Bluestacks
So the first emulator in the 5 Best Emulators for Mac is BlueStacks. The most powerful emulator is Bluestacks which is famous for its amazing performance, sleek interface, and its plethora of features like multi-instance, keymapping, etc. Faster than most Android phones, BlueStacks is a great way to access Android-only apps on your Macs.
- The latest v5.0 is faster than ever
- Runs Android v7.1.2 Nougat
- Unlike most virtual phones, you can play games in full screen
- Claims to be 6x faster than average Android devices
- Dedicated Google plays store to download any app
- Supports installation of APK from unknown sources too
- Powerful performance even in multiple instances
- The available cross-platform on Mac, Windows, and Linux
- Available in both 32bit and 64bit variants
- Cloud Connect feature syncs Android phones to BlueStacks
- Multi-instance sync mirrors actions and micros across instances
- Easily free up your storage with a disk clean-up feature
- Real-time translation and many language options
- Use macros by recording and replaying actions with a single keypress
- Keymapping assigns actions to buttons or mouse clicks
- Use Screenshots & screen recordings to save your achievements
- Eco mode optimizes CPU usage to add efficiency to all instances
Limitations of BlueStacks
- You need to have a good graphics card for it to work smoothly
- Pre-available onboard graphic card cause lags and performance issues
- You basically need a decently powerful PC for BlueStacks
- Heavy games and apps require PCs with higher specs
- Though it can run on 2GB, optimum working requires 8GB
- BlueStacks demands lots of resources like RAM, ROM, internet, etc
ARChon
Next in our list, we bring you an emulator which is independent of the operating system you use. Most of us have used various different Chrome extensions. ARChon emulator works like a chrome extension itself.
- Needs just the Google Chrome browser to work
- Bare minimum system requirements
- Uses powerful chrome runtime to efficiently run Android apps
- No extra software download is required
- Works on every device irrespective of the operating system
- Massive collection of supported android apps
- Completely free of cost with Regular updates
Limitations of ARChon
- Some (or many) apps may not respond
- APKs have to be converted to ChromeOS format before installation
- Full-screen mode is not supported most of the time
- Sometimes the loading is really slow which might result in crashing
- Launching every app from the extensions menu can be tedious
- Heavy games and apps require PCs with higher specs
Bliss OS
Bliss OS is not just an emulator. As the name tells, it is a complete OS (Operating System) in itself. Moreover, it is an Android-based OS that is completely free and open-source. Filled with numerous features and customizations, Bliss OS has a beautiful user interface. You have to boot/load BlissOS over your existing OS.
- Simple and beautiful interface
- Various theme-changing options.
- You can switch between Bliss and your native OS whenever you like.
- Superfast and lightweight emulator with good multitasking.
- Configuration and tweaks for performance, stability, visuals, etc.
- Battery-friendly platform with all the functionalities.
- Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- Remarkable safety and privacy options/features.
- Full support for Gamepad controllers.
- Video playback from streaming services like Netflix and Prime video
Limitations of Bliss OS
- You have to boot Bliss OS on your Mac
- Takes a lot of hard disk space which leaves less for MacOS to use
- Make sure you have a PC with strong hardware specs to run high-end games
Android Studio
Android apps are created using software called IDEs. They are a Google enterprise, the Google Android Development team designed It as the official IDE for Android apps and games. This IDE is fully equipped with all tools necessary to design, test, and debug your own android application and also runs other android apps/games quite efficiently.
- Free, open source, fast, lightweight, stable, safe, and battery-friendly.
- Cool features like smart editing and code re-factoring.
- Best application to create your own apps
- The emulator shows your code output on various devices in various resolutions.
- More than 3000 android environments to choose including watchOS, automotiveOS, tvOS, etc.
- Predefined configurations for various Android phones, tablets, Wear OS, and Android TV devices.
- Optimize and compare your Android app sizes with an APK analyzer.
Limitations of Android Studio
High-end games are unable to run as it is majorly made for the development
It is hard to know which virtual device will be suitable for which app.
Too many development features are unnecessary to someone who just wants to play pre-existing games
NoxPlayer
NoxPlayer is another amazing emulator with uncountable features and superb functionalities. It is quite lightweight and consumes considerably fewer resources than BlueStacks with pretty much all the features. It has great compatibility with macOS and Windows (Win7-11). The minimum RAM required is 2GB but 4GB is advisable for proper functioning. As we can see, NoxPlayer is perfect for someone who wishes to run an Android Emulator on an old and low-spec PC/Laptop.
Some of the many features are:
- Google Play Store is Built-in
- Easy Root access
- Runs on the latest Android version v9 Pie
- Custom Key-Mapping
- Supports Multiple Android Versions
- Play more than 1 game simultaneously with Multi-Instances
- Assign functions to keys and mouse buttons with a keymapping feature
- You can also create a repeating macro of complex operations
- Great compatibility with all games!
Limitations of NoxPlayer
- Running more than 4 apps in multi-instance might cause NoxPlayer to lag
- High-end games require better hardware specs
- Some Android Apps involve pinching or other multi-finger action. This is not possible with a mouse click
We do have,
5 Best Android Emulators for Linux in 2022
5 BEST Android Emulators for PC in 2022
Emulator Info’s Final Word
Android is the most popular operating system in the present day with billions of devices around the world in the form of mobile phones, digital cameras, media players, and tablets. This powerful OS features a sleek design and millions of apps/games exclusively designed for it. That being said, it is no surprise that users of other OS wish for the android experience. And this is accomplished with Android Emulators of all kinds.
We have seen and learned about some of these emulators for MacOS in the above 5 Best Emulators for Mac. We have done thorough research still you are entitled to do your own research too. Let us know if this was useful to you. Mention if we forgot any emulators in the 5 Best Emulators for Mac. Or just tell us if you liked it. Your reviews are valuable to us.