Emulator is the software that helps us to run multiple OS on a single hardware. It typically helps one OS to behave as another for as much amount of time as we want and then switch back to our original OS. This in turn helps people to run different apllications exclusively for various OS on a single platform. Like if you have an Windows PC emulator, or the iOS one, you can run Windows or iOS appliactions on your Mac computer, especially good for app developers.
It’s something of an oddity that Mac owners are able to emulate Windows, but Windows users aren’t able to do the same with Mac. Regardless, we at Appamatix are all about versatility, and we’re here with the best recommendations we can find to help you emulate a Windows PC environment on your Mac computer. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the amount of software available for Windows. One of the easiest and best ways to play PC games on a Mac is to use Nvidia's cloud-based game streaming service for macOS users, GeForce Now.GeForce Now for Mac is available right now across. As Android’s popularity is increasing, the Android emulators are also becoming popular among the people. From testing apps to playing online games on the big screen, more and more people are craved to experience the Android OS on their Windows PC or Mac.
Mac PC is now common around the world, and it’s not surprising that some people would want to play game with it. But there are some games that only built for Windows, Nintendo or other devices, and hence you may need the game emulator for these games to run on Mac OS. So, here in this article, we will show you some of the best Game Console Emulators for macOS.
Tips: If you ever lost important notes or messages on iPhone, you can also use Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery for Mac to get them back easily even without backup.
Also read: 6 Best iOS Emulator For Windows To Build & Run iOS Apps
Top 15 Gaming Emulators for Mac Computers
1. Virtual PC for Mac
This emulator by Microsoft aims to emulate Windows OS on your Mac giveing you the freedom to run those programs specifical for Windows OS that you can not use on your Mac OS.
This game emulator will successfully take out your worry about the fact that you cannot run your Windows games on Mac. This Windows emulator will work as Windows 7 version, which may be a bit outdated but still it can do your job perfectly.
Download: Virtual PC for Mac
2. XBOX 360 Emulator for Mac
As the name suggests this is an XBOX oriented emulator completely made for Mac OS. For playing XBOX games, XeMu360 emulator is the most widely used emulator. This is comparatively a new software and it does support almost all XBOX games.
This is a very powerful emulator so that Mac OS users can enjoy playing XBOX games on it flawlessly.
Download: XBOX 360 Emulator for Mac
3. Playstation Emulators for Mac
PCSX-Reloaded is one of the the best emulator that can be installed on your Mac OS ideal for playing Playstation games. As an open source software, this emulator gives you the freedom to install it on all versions of Mac OS. Things become much simpler and easier after its installation process has been modified recently.
It would be better to keep all your playstation games inside one folder on Mac. Then after installing PCSX-Reloaded all you have to do is to drop the game you want to play in it. The emulator also has a built-in BIOS and the ability to edit memory cards as well.
Download: Playstation Emulators for Mac
4. Nintendo 64 Emulator for Mac
Mupen64 is one of the well-known emulator for Nintendo 64 to use on Mac OS. This emulator is very stable and compatible with all types of Mac OS.
However, you will require to install the GTK+ for this Nitendo 64 emulator to work smoothly. GTK+ is a graphical toolkit that needs to be installed on the Mac to process graphics. GTK+ will remains in the background and rightly handles the graphics of the N64 ROMS on Mac.
Download: Nintendo 64 Emulator for Mac
5. GameCube and Wii Games Emulator for Mac
Dolphin is one of the best game emulator for macOS to run GameCube, Wii and Triforce games. This emulator is very much compatible with multiple platforms including the macOS. It is also free to use as an open source project. The emulator works well with macOS 10.6 to 10.8 and is very user friendly as well.
The only thing the user needs to do is to specifiy the BIOS file which comes always with the ROM. When you start playing the game, Dolphin emulator automatically senses the game file and starts playing it on Mac.
Download: GameCube and Wii Games Emulator for Mac
6. OpenEmu
OpenEmu emulator is one of the most reliable emulators in the market, compatible with Mac OS 10.7 and higher. Being very user friendly, it also has an iTunes type menu. This is the ultimate gaming emulator that detects the game Roms according to their requirement.
OpenEmu – How To Run Emulators on a Mac N64 PSP SNES NES And More!
OpenEmu supports a great number of consoles like:
- Game Boy
- NeoGeo Pocket
- Game Gear
- Sega Genesis and lot more
Download: OpenEmu
7. RetroArch
RetroArch seems to be an all-in-one emulator for macOS that helps the users to play any kind of retro games. The emulator even can be used to play PlayStation 1 games and older ones as well. In the handheld game console RetroArch even supports Game Boy Advance games. It is totally based on the number of cores with each of the core emulating a console.
Download: RetroArch
8. PPSSPP
The name PPSSPP stands for Playstation Portable Simulator Suitable for Playing Portably, which is an emulator for playing PSP games. The emulator was originally created by Dolphin developers and is widely used across the globe. PPSSPP is very easy to install and to use on Mac, and also it supports a wide number of PSP games.
Download: PPSSPP
9. ScummVM
This emulator is speifically designed for those people who like to play point-and-click games. SucmmVM is supported by macOS and uses the Scumm scripting language shown as its name. The emulator also supports many of the adventure games like the Monkey Island 1-3, Sam & Max and much more.
Download: ScummVM
10. DeSmuME
DeSmuMe is another emulator for macOS that helps users to play with the dual screens of Nintendo, i.e. by simulating dual screens on the monitor itself. The emulator also supports games that we want play on the devices sideways.
The best part of this emulator is that its constantly being modified by developers and new features are getting added to it on a regular basis. And now over the years this has become one of the best game emulators for Mac in the market.
Download: DeSmuME
11. DosBox
As the name suggests this emulator is purposefuly made for DOS based programs. Many DOS based games are still played by users; so to make those games available even on macOS this emulator has been created.
Download: DosBox
12. Xamarian Android Player for Mac
This is an Android emulator that can be run on macOS so that you can play the millions of Android games onto your Mac. Xamarain Android player also supports OpenGL and actually virtualizes the device instead of simply emulating it.
This also helps to enhance the performance of your Mac. The emulator has a great integration with both the Visual Studio and the Xamarin Studio, and this one has a native user interface.
Download: Xamarian Android Player for Mac
13. PS3 Emulator for Mac
PS3 emulator typically supports macOS and allows users to play PlayStation 3 games on Mac. It is completely free and only need you to have any PS3 supported game. This gives complete freedom for users to choose whatever PS3 game they want to play on their Mac.
Download: PS3 Emulator for Mac
14. iOS Emulator iPadian for Mac
As its name suggests, this is an emulator that helps you run iOS applications on your Mac. By downloading this simulator, users can use iPad applications on a Mac as well. The best iOS emulator currently available is the iPadian.
This emulator is based on Adobe AIR and readily creates an interface similar to iPad on your Mac. iPadian is a very good emulator if you are just looking to run iOS appliactios and games on your Mac flawlessly.
Download: iOS Emulator iPadian for Mac
15. Visual Boy Advance
The Visual Boy Advance, also known to be the Mac Boy advance, can play almost all games of the Nintendo consoles on Mac. This GBA is written and developed specifically for the OS X and is compatibile with almost all kinds of macOS.
Download: Visual Boy Advance
So, here are our top 15 picks of game consloe emulators that you can readily download onto your Mac and seamlessly enjoy Android, DOS, Windows, iOS and much more experiences. By this way, you do not have to buy other kinds of OS, but just an emulator that will help you to run other applications on the single macOS.
Each of these emulators for Mac has its own advantage, and gaming on them is another treat to be honest. With such wide variety of support for games, you can download each of them and find out your favorite one and play all along. If you have any other good suggestion or question, welcome to comment down.
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Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.It’s something of an oddity that Mac owners are able to emulate Windows, but Windows users aren’t able to do the same with Mac. Regardless, we at Appamatix are all about versatility, and we’re here with the best recommendations we can find to help you emulate a Windows PC environment on your Mac computer. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the amount of software available for Windows (it’s a considerably larger pool than the Mac-friendly variety), then you can follow our guide to remove that barrier and gain access to more programs and apps than ever before.
I still remember when the Windows and Mac war raging and…oh, wait. I sometimes forget that this particular war never stopped, and with each successive iteration of Apple’s and Microsoft’s respective operating systems, the fires of conflict are continually re-stoked. I remember shopping for my first computer when I was beginning college and the plague of indecisiveness that kept me from actually making a purchase for a handful of months.
Finding a good Windows emulator for your Mac is an excellent way to overcome this particular anxiety, and while Windows users aren’t left with any corresponding alternative…we’re not terribly worried about them in this article. We’re talking to Mac owners, and the following list of emulators will give you access to a huge range of programs and applications that were previously only available on Windows.
Emulation is still an ambiguous subject for many people, especially if you’ve never used it before. To put it simply, emulation is the process of using your computer’s resources to simulate a virtual environment that mimics another operating system altogether. We’ve written extensively about Android emulators before, and each time that we do, we make a point to stress that emulation is entirely legal. There are legality matters to keep in consideration, but the process of emulating itself is not punishable in any way, shape, or form.
It is illegal, however, to acquire services that you’d normally have to pay for at no cost. For example, while it’s entirely legal to emulate the Windows operating system on a Mac, it is illegal to acquire a copy of Windows without paying for it. The same goes for those who are emulating the Android OS; you can certainly run the operating system, but you’re always expected to pay for the apps and other content that would normally have a price attached to them.
In short, emulation is not a way to circumvent price tags; it’s a way to harness accessibility and broaden your use of a particular platform. Using it, you can remove obstacles that would normally be put in place by the proprietary nature of certain software with certain operating systems. Apple may be known for this more than Windows is, but ask anyone in a professional environment that has both Mac and Windows computers, and they’ll explain the frequent need to be able to use file types specific to either platform.
With that established, there’s one thing that you’re most likely going to need before you can emulate Windows on your Mac, and that’s a copy of the Windows operating system, itself. Not all of our recommendations are going to require this, but in the following list of recommendations, we’ll let you know where it is required so that you can be prepared.
Boot Camp
Pc Emulator For Mac To Play Games
It’s hard not to recommend Boot Camp as your first method of Windows operating system emulation since it’s an actual Mac application. Boot Camp allows your computer to create a partition specific to the installation of the Windows so that you can have every functionality of Microsoft’s operating system available on your Mac. This is also a more straightforward and comprehensive emulation option than many others that I’ve found, and because it’s coming straight from Apple, it’s also the most reliable.
If you opt to use Boot Camp, you’ll get the usual plethora of Mac support to go along with it, and the fact that the entire Windows operating system is installed on a partition means that you can even upgrade to newer versions of Windows rather seamlessly. Other emulators that focus more on individual apps, programs, and Windows features don’t offer the same throughput accessibility, which makes Boot Camp my #1 recommendation for Mac users that want to run anything Windows-related.
Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop lives up to its namesake by providing the Windows experience right on the desktop of your Mac. Whereas Boot Camp is going to require you to reboot your computer entirely before you’re able to access your partitioned version of Windows, Parallels Desktop is designed to bring Windows programs and applications right to your fingertips from the desktop of your Mac, without any need to reboot at all.
The concept behind the software is to give you the best of both worlds without the need for incessant switching between them–the versatility and software library of windows with the strength of Mac (and not to mention, Apple’s top-notch proprietary software like iMovie and GarageBand.) You can fine-tune the settings of Parallels Desktop for productivity, production, or even gaming, if that’s your thing.
While this “best of both worlds” take on emulation software is quite a good idea, and probably best-executed by Parallels Desktop, it isn’t without its share of problems and errors. Those withstanding, however, this is worth a look if you’re irritated by Boot Camp’s need to restart your computer whenever you want to access Windows.
VMware Fusion
If Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop are at two opposite ends of the emulation spectrum, VMware Fusion is somewhere in between those two. Like Parallels Desktop, it allows you to utilize the strengths of both operating systems at once, without requiring your computer to reboot. This can be a beneficial thing if it’s the operating system itself that you’re looking to take advantage of, but is a less fruitful option if it’s Windows’ software library that you want access to on your Mac.
Free Game Emulators For Pc
While VMware Fusion is definitely adept at what it promises, and if you’re wanting to get ahold of Windows applications and operating system functions, this will let you do just that from the comfort of your Mac desktop. It’s actually advertised as a good companion app to use alongside Boot Camp, to better manage the partition that it requires in order to install Windows.
Interestingly, VMware Fusion is a great choice for new Mac owners who are switching over from previously using a Windows desktop or laptop. It enables you to migrate your entire Windows computer onto your Mac, provided you’re not strapped for storage space. This makes transfer of your important files, documents, and applications easier than it ought to be.
Virtual PC for Mac
This is another odd-duck emulator that may not be suitable for everyone, but for those whose needs are met by its unique feature set, it’s perfect.
Rather than overburdening your Mac with an entire operating system installation, Virtual PC works by allowing you to run Windows-bound applications and access Windows-only network settings and tasks. This makes it a top solution for Mac users who frequently work in a business environment dominated by Windows machines, since it lets you work with file types commonly limited only to Windows users. Imagine a remote desktop connection through your Mac, but instead of controlling a separate PC from your own computer, you’re bringing that PC’s functionality temporarily onto your Mac for specific purposes.
Like VMware Fusion, Virtual PC for Mac is somewhat limited in its capability. Lightweight applications it can handle without flinching, but hardware-demanding games and other intensive applications (such as video editors and high-resolution image editors) might not work as well, and would function better in a more comprehensive emulation environment like Boot Camp. Therefore, it exists as an alternative way to access Windows applications, or an especially handy assistant to Boot Camp.
Of course, these methods aren’t the only ways that you can get access to Windows on your Mac, and you don’t only have to rely upon emulation either. Though it’s the method that I’d recommend most highly, you can also accomplish many of the same tasks with a remote desktop connection, but only if you also have a Windows computer for your Mac to connect to. Microsoft has even designed an app for the Mac app store that will help you to accomplish this exact feature. Alternatively, you can always condense the list of things that you want to accomplish in an emulated version of Windows, and see if there’s a Mac friendly software application that will allow you to skip the emulation process altogether.
Depending on your needs, it’s a safe bet that one of the above emulators is going to be precisely what you’re looking for. Though they each bridge the Mac OS X experience and Windows in different ways, they all do it concisely and reliably, making them the best Windows PC emulators that you’ll find. However, we’re wide open to some of your own recommendations (and questions, too!) so share your thoughts in the comments below!
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