Android The BEST emulators for android?

[dekuleon]

Retroarch for everything except N64> Mupen64 Plus AE and NDS > Drastic

 

[dario14]

Snes9x ex
GBA.emu
Drastic
Mupen64plus are
Reicast -Dreamcast
ePSXe

 

[the_randomizer]

I'm confused at the recommendation Super GNES as it's based off of Snes 1.51/1.43 (which equates to horrid SPC700/S-SMP emulation). Snes9x EX+ however is based off of 1.53, which in terms of emulation, is far, far superior in every respect. Just an observation For lower end Android devices, the former would work better, but if you've at least 1 GHz, EX+ is the way to go.

 

[granville]

I'm confused at the recommendation Super GNES as it's based off of Snes 1.51/1.43 (which equates to horrid SPC700/S-SMP emulation). Snes9x EX+ however is based off of 1.53, which in terms of emulation, is far, far superior in every respect. Just an observation For lower end Android devices, the former would work better, but if you've at least 1 GHz, EX+ is the way to go.

Bit late of a response so sorry. I only half agree. SNES9x EX is indeed considerably more accurate/compatible with fewer glitches. Even the older and faster non-plus version (based on older SNES9x versions) in my experience is less glitchy than Super GNES (the plus version is a little too slow for someone like me who is still hobbling along with an older 2010 Galaxy S1 phone so I generally stick with the regular EX until I get a better device). Star Ocean for example has crippling sound glitches in Super GNES, so it definitely requires SNES9x EX.

HOWEVER, SNES9x EX unfortunately has some very noticeable and obnoxious button lag when using an external controller. I've tried two different controllers (ipega-9017 and a brand new Moga Hero) and they both suffer the same problem. It is also a common issue i've seen mentioned online numerous times from people with many different devices, controllers, Android OSes etc so I've eliminated it being a potential problem caused by my particular scenario/configuration. I attempted to play the DKC trilogy, Mario World and Yoshi's Island using SNES9x EX but the lag was instantly noticeable and too annoying for me to tolerate. It led to a lot of deaths that were definitely not my fault and would never have happened with lag-free controls. Switching to Super GNES immediately eliminated that problem completely. I don't know if the issue still persists in the plus version, but it is still present in updated builds of the regular non-plus EX emulator. As a result, i've been forced to make Super GNES my primary SNES emulator for any games requiring precise control. Despite definitely being a "worse" emulator for numerous other reasons.

For now I can tolerate some very minor sound glitches (and even more minor graphical ones), but I cannot tolerate input lag as bad as what SNES9x EX suffers from. I don't know if that's why other people in this thread are recommending Super GNES (because honestly it IS inferior in every other way), but that's why i'm recommending it with hesitation. Star Ocean does require SNES9x though (at least precise control isn't super important for that game). I'll try the EX+ version soon to see if they've fixed the lag there, but i'll still need to get a new device to satisfy its speed requirements.

 

[the_randomizer]

Bit late of a response so sorry. I only half agree. SNES9x EX is indeed considerably more accurate/compatible with fewer glitches. Even the older and faster non-plus version in my experience is less glitchy than Super GNES (the plus version is a little too slow for someone like me who is still hobbling along with an older 2010 Galaxy S1 phone so I generally stick with the regular EX until I get a better device). Star Ocean for example has crippling sound glitches in Super GNES, so it definitely requires SNES9x EX.

HOWEVER, SNES9x EX unfortunately has some very noticeable and obnoxious button lag when using an external controller. I've tried two different controllers (ipega-9017 and a brand new Moga Hero) and they both suffer the same problem. It is also a common issue i've seen mentioned online numerous times from people with many different devices, controllers, Android OSes etc so I've eliminated it being a potential problem caused by my particular scenario/configuration. I attempted to play the DKC trilogy, Mario World and Yoshi's Island using SNES9x EX but the lag was instantly noticeable and too annoying for me to tolerate. It led to a lot of deaths that were definitely not my fault and would never have happened with lag-free controls. Switching to Super GNES immediately eliminated that problem completely. I don't know if the issue still persists in the plus version, but it is still present in updated builds of the regular non-plus EX emulator. As a result, i've been forced to make Super GNES my primary SNES emulator for any games requiring precise control. Despite definitely being a "worse" emulator for numerous other reasons.

For now I can tolerate some very minor sound glitches (and even more minor graphical ones), but I cannot tolerate input lag as bad as what SNES9x EX suffers from. I don't know if that's why other people in this thread are recommending Super GNES (because honestly it IS inferior in every other way), but that's why i'm recommending it with hesitation. Star Ocean does require SNES9x though (at least precise control isn't super important for that game). I'll try the EX+ version soon to see if they've fixed the lag there, but i'll still need to get a new device to satisfy its speed requirements.

Snes9x EX+ does get regular updates, and I'm sure they addressed the issues by now or at least alleviated them. The sound core is the major deal-breaker for me, if it doesn't have Blargg's DSP/S-SMP emulator in it, I can't use it, it's just too painful for my hypersensitive ears, which have been attuned to how a real console sounds, so Snes9x and an Snes are actually spot on when it comes to accuracy, it's that good. I know with the nVidia Shield, controller issues don't seem to be an issue with the same emulators as the controller is built in to the machine, so that might overcome that part of the equation. For wireless controllers, there's going to be lag no matter what, can't be helped as Bluetooth/RF/WiFi will always introduce lag, so that will only exacerbate the issue. USB controllers have lag, but not as severe as wireless controllers will, so that could be the issue you're experiencing. But on devices with already-existing controllers, shouldn't be too much of a problem. all emulators have a degree of lag, some worse than others, also depends on the controllers if they're wired or wireless, then the brand of controllers, esp. if they're no-name brands, yeah, that can be a problem. I would try the emulator another shot, with a wired controller, touchscreen controller or something.

The plus version is the superior version, but requires at least a 1 GHz device to run at full speed, due to the higher level of emulation accuracy. Older Snes9x versions remind me of the horrid SPC700 emulation of Zsnes lol.

 

[raulpica]

Gotta add something to this thread as a lot of time has passed.

I've tried My Boy! and it's a really excellent emu. gba.emu somehow lags for me and I've got a freakin' Snapdragon 800, so I should have lots of oomph for it to run.

I have not noticed any controller lag (I have a Moga Pro) with Snes9x EX+. Gotta admit I didn't play much with it.

Right now I'm using RIN for Super Gameboy emulation (needed to play Pokemon Red in SGB gloriousness) and it's awful. I can't wait to run back to MyOldBoy / GBC.emu as soon as possible.

 

[VashTS]

Heres what I got:
Dolphin Emulator
DraStic
ePSXe
FPse
GBCoid
Gensoid
MAME4Droid Reloader
MD.Emu
Mupen 64 Plus AE
N64oid
Neo.Emu (never got this working)
NES.Emu
Nesoid
NGP.Emu
PPSSPP
reicast (Dreamcast)
RetroArch
SNES 9x EX
SNESoid

 

[Gamer]

I agree, My Boy! is awesome. It's faster than GBA.emu, it has link support and it even supports motion sensor games (like WarioWare Twisted or the Yoshi game) and solar sensor games (Boktai) without patching, meaning that you are able to use your phone's sensors like on real hw.

MyOldBoy! is also awesome, as it also supports Kirby's Tilt & Tumble.

Edit. For some Arcade games, like CPS3 or the big NeoGeo ones, you can use Tiger Arcade, it runs them fast and without issues.

 

[granville]

I wouldn't say the sound is as bad as ZSNES, but yeah definitely far from ideal. It'll be a while before I get a new device that can handle the EX+ version at constant speeds. Consistently buying into annual phone upgrades is something i've attempted to avoid (an expensive habit that i've no wish or intention of getting caught up in and over feeding), though i'm quickly approaching that point where it's necessary to upgrade now as i'm missing out on a lot of cool new emulators requiring better hardware. For now my preference is having non-choppy framerates. I'm more tolerant of mild sound inaccuracies (though not to Star Ocean's extent when played in Super GNES) than choppy framerates or input lag. I will try a newer version of the non-plus SNES9x EX again however. It's still preferable to Super GNES if the input lag remains as low as the other emulators.

As I mentioned though, i can't fathom that the lag i'm referring to is because of bluetooth wireless latency. I definitely know that any wireless is going to have some amount of lag, but as I stated i'm not running into the lag problem with other emulators or games. If the bluetooth were at fault, logic would dictate that every app would exhibit input lag just as badly. Not so however. Input lag with SNES9x EX has been commonly discussed online. There was actually a topic Rydian made about it some time back in fact, even the touch screen controls were laggier than other emulators (and i've seen others mention the Xperia Play has control lag on the emulator despite the buttons being built into the device, eliminating the potential for wireless lag being the culprit)-
http://gbatemp.net/threads/dat-emulation-input-delay.327543/

I'll again try out a newer version of SNES9x EX to see whether they've fixed things up. That version is still updated even with the plus version available, and from the changelog there seems to be some references to fixes regarding input lag. So we'll see.

 

[raulpica]

Also another addendum: FPSE is probably a lot better than ePSXe at this point. Although, I should compare them again as it seems like there's a new ePSXe version out now.

I agree, My Boy! is awesome. It's faster than GBA.emu, it has link support and it even supports motion sensor games (like WarioWare Twisted or the Yoshi game) and solar sensor games (Boktai) without patching, meaning that you are able to use your phone's sensors like on real hw.

Oh yes! I'm exactly playing that one on My Boy! right now. I can finally play it!

And the light sensor thing - that's AWESOME! I should try it some times.

MyOldBoy! is also awesome, as it also supports Kirby's Tilt & Tumble.

Another one I've always wanted to play

Edit. For some Arcade games, like CPS3 or the big NeoGeo ones, you can use Tiger Arcade, it runs them fast and without issues.

The only CPS3 games I want to play are the two JoJo ones, good to know there's something which runs them!

 

[the_randomizer]

I know ePSXe is on version 1.9.x, or something to that effect, never used FPSE before so I don't really have an opinion on which one is better, but if FPSE has a near-perfect (or cycle-accurate) audio plugin, I'll be happy.

 

[raulpica]

I know ePSXe is on version 1.9.x, or something to that effect, never used FPSE before so I don't really have an opinion on which one is better, but if FPSE has a near-perfect (or cycle-accurate) audio plugin, I'll be happy.

The FPSE sound plugin got a _lot_ better in the latest versions. You should try it out.

I'll again try out a newer version of SNES9x EX to see whether they've fixed things up. That version is still updated even with the plus version available, and from the changelog there seems to be some references to fixes regarding input lag. So we'll see.

Just tested it with MegaMan X - pretty much 1:1. Zero lag.

 

[the_randomizer]

The FPSE sound plugin got a _lot_ better in the latest versions. You should try it out.


Just tested it with MegaMan X - pretty much 1:1. Zero lag.

I currently don't have an Android device to test it out at the moment, but I'm very particular in how emulation is to be, sound being the biggest potential offender for my ears and such. I guess I could always look up videos on YouTube in the mean time The biggest sound issues PSX sound has in emulators is the lack of Gaussian interpolation and synced audio (Final Fantasy VII through IX especially). Squaresoft/Square Enix used some very unorthodox soundfonts and sound effects in those games, very few emulators get those sounds right. If FPSE gets the sound/sound effects right, I'll be impressed I know of two plugins that get the sound emulation spot on.

 

[Gamer]

The only CPS3 games I want to play are the two JoJo ones, good to know there's something which runs them!

When downloading CPS3 games, which BTW the ones supported are from the MAME set, just make sure you get the "NO CD" rom versions as are the ones supported by the Tiger emu. I found out that when I tried SFIII Third Strike. Haven't tried others, but I guess the same applies to all the CPS3 games.

About FPSE and ePSXe, I used to love FPSE as it ran fine on the Xperia Play, which is the phone I use for old retro emulation. However, with recent versions it got slower and overly complicated (IMHO), so I decided to try ePSXe which now runs better than the other one in the phone (however, if you have a better device, I guess FPSE will work better for some of you).

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

When it comes to emulators on Android, you probably should try them all out and make up your own mind. Most of them are free and if your device is rooted and you know enough about it you can get even paid for stuff for free. (Really recommend buying it though if it works for you, most of this stuff is worked on by people at home and they only charge a few bucks so it's worth it and it keeps the fixes and updates coming.)

SNES is the only system I would recommend using both emulators, and for different reasons. (I love Super GNES but the sound is pretty bad in some games... So for those games I use the other one.) Unless your Android device is super constrained for storage space there is no reason to limit yourself to just one. They are like 3-4 MB's each so in terms of space it's almost nothing.

I will say that for PS1 emulation I haven't tried anything more than ePSXe, I have no reason to try anything else. Everything works flawlessly it even auto downloads cheat codes and covers for the game your playing if you tell it too. So no manual entry of codes if you want to cheat. Graphics are awesome (even support for all the plugins.)

Turbo Graphix AKA PC Engine.... Blllaarrgghh gave up on it for the time being.

Sega Genesis All the emulators on Android are pretty solid for this system.

I will pull out a rare one here. Atari 7800 emulation, can't get it from the Playstore as far as I know, google around on the net and you will have to side load it. Your AV program on your computer will give you a fit, lol ignore it... Works great, UI sucks but Food Fight FTW!

Edit: For MAME, right now in my mind... lol There are two possible ways to go. MAME4Droid and it's Rom set is something like 130MB's or something (its not huge but has most of the older 8-16 bit arcade games and things like NeoGeo.) or the 24GB+ monster, MAME .139 that has a lot more games, if you have the space for it... Totally worth it

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

When it comes to emulators on Android, you probably should try them all out and make up your own mind. Most of them are free and if your device is rooted and you know enough about it you can get even paid for stuff for free.

Your device doesn't need to be rooted to use pirated stuff. All stock non-rooted Android supports side-loading natively. All you need is a file explorer and that's it.

As for emulators, still using SNES9x, ePSXe, Mupen64+, and the .emu's on my Shield, all of them working fine and dandy.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Your device doesn't need to be rooted to use pirated stuff. All stock non-rooted Android supports side-loading natively. All you need is a file explorer and that's it.

As for emulators, still using SNES9x, ePSXe, Mupen64+, and the .emu's on my Shield, all of them working fine and dandy.

True true, but so much more can be done if you have root. Especially if your using a certain patching program. lol

 

[granville]

Just tested it with MegaMan X - pretty much 1:1. Zero lag.

I retested on a newer version. You're right, they seem to have corrected the lag within the past year or so since I tried an older version. Happy to see that it seems to be just as responsive as Super GNES now. So yup, SNES9x EX wins easily now. Glad the author seems to have ironed out the kinks. Plays fantastically even with my old Samsung Fascinate coupled with a Moga Hero. I even tested the increased difficulty romhack Mario RPG Armageddon and had no trouble with the precise timed button presses required in battle (I mention this hack here because the timed hits were altered to require far more precise timing than the original game, i've found it a rather good way to gauge input latency). I'm also plowing through action heavy games like Megaman X, DKC Trilogy, Mario World and Yoshi's Island as if I were playing on a real SNES (and the only mistakes i've made have been my own fault and not because of lag).

For those who don't have powerful enough phones/tablets to run EX+, you can still get the older version from Robert Broglia's website. It might not be as compatible as the plus version but it's still a step up from Super GNES in terms of compatibility and accuracy. Google seems to have removed the emulator, but he still keeps it up to date for download on his own site-
http://www.explusalpha.com/home/snes9x-ex/downloads

Robert Broglia's other .emu emulators are also fantastic. I generally use them for all retro based systems- MD.emu, PCE.emu, NES.emu, GBC.emu etc. And if you've again got a device that can handle it, GBA.emu is about as good as it gets for Gameboy Advance, I believe it's based on VBA-M and shares that emulator's compatibility. It's unfortunately too much for my old Fascinate to handle. So until I get a better device i'm stuck using My Boy!, it runs perfectly and is still infinitely preferable to Gameboid at least (I haven't run into any graphical or sound glitches, or missing mosaic effects for instance that I found common on Gameboid). There are some minor rare glitches, i've found Rayman 3 to crash on some of the mode7 style race course for instance. And it actually runs some games TOO well, for instance it Doom 1 and 2 actually run far smoother than on the original GBA (i'm not complaining about this because it's actually pretty cool in practice, but it is probably a sign of underlying inaccuracies that is likely causing other things to break under the hood). But it does seem suitable for my purposes until I can opt for a superior option.

N64 using mupen64plus AE was very mixed, how well it runs depends on the game (and I have to keep internal resolution at the N64's native, increasing it seems to kill performance by a lot). Less hardware intensive games like Mario 64 and Kirby 64 run fairly well with some minor frameskipping (though some texture flickering in Kirby). Banjo Kazooie also ran ok. But more intensive games were too slow. Paper Mario requires a fair amount of frameskip to run at full speed, and frameskip causes flickering in this game (even with the glide plugin). Non-glide plugins are faster but much glitchier (same rule applies to N64 emulators on PC). Banjo Tooie is much too choppy for my tastes. Conker I recall being slow as molasses (no surprise given that it took quite a while for even PC's to run it relatively glitch free at full speed). Donkey Kong 64 I was initially surprised ran incredibly well, though I soon discovered that there are severe game-breaking collision detection issues. Most of the surrounding level geometry isn't solid on the sides and you can simply walk through the walls and get stuck where you're not supposed to be (even the first training area doesn't appear to be passable, I got stuck trying to throw barrels only to find they just rolled through the walls instead of breaking as they were supposed to). Still present in the latest version of the emulator. It's a damn shame because I was pleased to see how fast the game was. You can technically fix the issue by enabling interpreter in the settings, but it causes the game to run unplayable slow for me (again a more powerful device might help here, don't know).

I've also found that bluetooth pairing is somewhat unstable for me with mupen64plus ae. Doesn't seem to happen outside of this particular emulator, but numerous times i've had my wireless controllers disconnect on me when playing. I'm suspicious it's caused by my device being too old and not powerful enough to run this emulator ideally, as i've found it commonly disconnects whenever I run hardware intensive games or enable settings that cause slowdowns (enabling the interpreter in DK64 for instance caused it to disconnect, which also had the effect of causing cripplingly slow speed in the game and likely stressing the CPU). So I think it may be related to my phone just not being fast enough or possibly running out of memory. I've had it happen on two totally different controllers to rule out it being caused by the controller (iPega and Moga Hero) and having tried multiple different Android operating systems.

 

[Lakum]

Retroarch for everything except N64> Mupen64 Plus AE and NDS > Drastic

I think Retroarch mupen64plus is better because it seems squarepusher increased mupens and glide64 accuracy.

 

[zerofalcon]

Retroarch for almost everything minus GBA, MAME, N64 and maybe SNES (my device runs like crap with the SNES emu embedded in retroarch). Tincore keymapper for your joypad needs (I use a wiimote with a classic controller and an adapter for nes, snes, mega drive and atari joypads). It works better than other bluetooth IME's, less laggy and more responsive.