macOS Emulator Apps

An emulator recreates one system on another, so software written for the original hardware can run somewhere it was never meant to. The programs here fall into two camps. Console emulators reproduce game machines — the PlayStation lineage, the PSP, older handheld and home systems. Android emulators run mobile apps and games on a desktop.

The two have different concerns. Console emulators are mature and accurate, but they depend on files you have to supply yourself: a console's internal firmware, and the game images themselves. Owning the original hardware and discs is what keeps that legal, and the emulators do not include those files for good reason.

Android emulators solve a different problem. They let you run mobile games with a keyboard and mouse on a larger screen, which is why they are popular for games that punish touch controls. Under the hood they run a full virtualized Android system, so they want a fair amount of memory and benefit from hardware virtualization being switched on.

Performance is the usual sticking point. Emulation rarely runs as cheaply as native software, and accuracy and speed pull against each other. A recent computer handles most older consoles comfortably; the demanding cases are newer systems and high internal resolutions. Check an emulator's stated requirements, and expect to spend time on settings before a game runs smoothly.