GBA, which stands for Game Boy Advance is one of the most popular retro consoles right now. And if you were born in the 90s, chances are that you have played with Game Boy Advance in your childhood. Unfortunately, this handheld console was discounted a long time ago, and getting your hands on one is quite difficult these days. This means that if you want to enjoy GBA game titles once again, it can be a little difficult. That being said, there is way to enjoy GBA games even today without actually owing GBA device. The thing which we are taking about is piece of software called as emulators which allow you to play Game Boy Advance games on platform like Windows and Android.
Therefore, today we are here with the Best GBA Emulators for Windows and Android. You will learn everything about these emulators including things like how do they work as well as their major features. Not only that but you can also find the download links to all of the GBA emulators mentioned in this article. So, if you are interested in playing Game Boy Advance games on your devices, make sure to go through the following emulators one by one:
Table of Contents
What is Game Boy Advance?
Game Boy Advance which is also known as GBA is one of the most popular hand held consoles ever released. Developed by Nintendo, it supports all major and popular Nintendo gaming titles. Released back in 2001, it offered one of the best hand held gaming experience at the time of its release. Not only that but it was one of the first hand held consoles with came with a color screen. And the list of features this console supported at the time of its release were one of the best at that time.
What is Game Boy Advance Emulator for Windows and Android?
If you have a Windows or an Android device, then by default you can only play the games made for these respective operating systems. Similarly, your favourite Game Boy Advance is officially supported only on a GBA handheld console. But an emulator basically runs the Game Boy Advance ROMs in your current operating system. It is able to do so by simulating the operating system which was installed in GBA. And since modern Windows computers, as well as Android devices, are much more powerful than the original Game Boy Advance, emulating your favourite retro console games should not be an issue at all regarding performance requirements.
GBA Emulators for Windows & Android
For those of you who want to enjoy their favourite GBA game titles on their PCs, it should not be a problem at all since there are various emulators available out there. Not only that but since a Windows PC is much more powerful than an Android device, you can smoothly enjoy any Game Boy Advance game without experiencing any sort of lag. But since there are many emulators available out there, choosing the correct one can be a little confusing. And in this article, we have included some of the best GBA Emulators for Windows along with features. Therefore, you can go through them one by one and choose one for yourself according to the features it provides:
Android devices are getting more and more powerful with time which means that they can do many things which were only possible on a Windows PC in the past. This also includes the ability to emulate retro console games on your Android device. But these days you can easily play your favourite Game Boy Advance games right on your Android smartphone using an emulator. Unfortunately, many GBA emulators for Android devices are quite unstable. Therefore, we are here with some of the most stable Game Boy Advance emulators for Android devices. You can go through these emulators one by one and choose one according to its features and stability:
Top 10 Best GBA Emulators for Windows and Android
1. VisualBoy Advance For Windows
VisualBoy Advance is considered as one of the most stable GBA emulators available for Windows. If you have a low power PC and want a lag free experience, then you should definitely try out VisualBoy Advance emulator for Game Boy Advance. Even though it is quite stable, it does not cut any corners regarding the features it provides. In fact, you will have an experience quite similar to playing games on the console itself. It even supports older versions of Windows which is a bonus for users who are not using Windows 10.
2. mGBA For Windows
mGBA is a straight forward Game Boy Advance emulator for Windows which allows you to run any GBA ROM quite easily. Unlike some other emulators available out there, mGBA even allows the user to save the game so that you continue your progress afterwards. It even offers patches for using cheats in your favourite GBA gaming titles right on your Windows PC. While mGBA is quite easy to use, it lacks some advanced features which means that it is targeted at basic users who just want to enjoy their favourite Game Boy Advance games on Windows.
3. Higan GBA Emulator For Windows
Higan GBA Emulator is one of the only emulators available out there which supports various operating systems and platforms. This means that whether you are using 32 bit or 64 bit Windows, it will work on your PC without any issues. Not only that but it even works on older versions of Windows as well as Linux. It allows you to play your favourite GBA titles in full-screen mode along with cheats if you want. And apart from supporting GBA games, you can even use it for playing NES and SNES games on your Windows PC.
4. Bat GBA Emulator for Windows
If you are looking for a lightweight solution for enjoying Game Boy Advance games on your Windows PC, then Bat GBA Emulator is a great choice. It is able to run on almost any PC irrespective of its processing power as it does not have any extra features. Unfortunately, it requires you to have the BIOS of a Game Boy Advanced in order to successfully work on a Windows computer. But you can easily get a BIOS for GBA along with several game ROMs from the internet. And once you have installed Bat GBA along with the BIOS, you will have a smooth experience playing retro console games on your PC.
5. Rascal Boy GBA Emulator for Windows
This Game Boy Advance emulator for Windows offers a lot of features and options to its user. If you are an advanced user and want every kind of feature for playing GBA games on your PC, then Rascal Boy GBA Emulator just might be for you. Since his emulator keeps getting timely updates, it keeps getting more and more new features. Even though it has several useful features, it is quite small in size. It offers features like multi-language support, multiplayer support, cheat codes, game save, and one of the most interactive user interfaces out there.
Download Rascal Boy GBA Emulator.
6. My Boy! For Android
My Boy is one of the most popular Game Boy Advance emulators available for Android devices out there. It is known for its timely updates and a smooth gaming experience since it is quite stable and works flawlessly on almost every Android smartphone. Not only that but it also provides multiple useful features to its users. While there are ads in this emulator, it is completely free to use and you can even buy its premium version to get rid of the kids. Thankfully, the free version has all of the features found in its paid counterpart.
7. GBA.emu For Android
GBA.emu is another well-known name when it comes to Game Boy Advance emulators for Android devices. And just like the My Boy emulator, even GBA.emu has two versions, one is free to use and another premium one which does not contain any ads. Thankfully, it also offers the same features and options to both free and premium users. But as this emulator is open-source, it keeps receiving updates from the community developers every now and then making it highly stable.
8. John GBA For Android
If you want an emulator that has just the right amount of features and provides a balance between stability and options, then John GBA can be a great option. It is one of the simplest Game Boy Advance emulators available for Android devices out there. You can even use cheats while playing your favourite GBA game title using the John GBA emulator. But the best part about the emulators has to be the cloud game saves which saves your game progress in your Dropbox so that you can continue your game where you left it anytime in the future. Apart from that, John GBA even provides controller support over Bluetooth if you are not comfortable with the on-screen touch controls.
9. GBAoid For Android
While GBAoid does not receive timely updates anymore, it is still one of the most stable and smooth Game Boy Advance emulators available out there. In fact, GBAoid is one of the first few GBA emulators available on Android that allow you to play GBA games without any lag issues. And since this emulator is completely free to use, you should definitely try out for all of the features it provides while being highly stable. But since this emulator is not updated that frequently, you might not find all of the latest features that the other emulators mentioned in this article may provide.
10. RetroArch For Android
Even though RetroArch is not a Game Boy Advance emulator itself, it is a great way to find one for your Android device. It is essentially an app which offers various emulators for Android for almost all retro consoles available out there. You can use this app to check their features as well as for downloading and installing them on your Android device. And if none of the emulators mentioned in this article was good enough for you, then you can try RetroArch and install a GBA emulator from there.
Check out the Best Android Emulators and NES Emulators for Windows.