![The Best Emulators For PC Retro Gaming In 2026 [All Tested]](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/fd/58fdc82a-ad84-44e2-ad58-166d1b419bc4/content/images/size/w1600/format/webp/2026/05/best-emulators-for-pc-1.jpg)
Ditch the spreadsheets and work emails and discover the best emulators for PC to download for playing in the office, at home, or on the go!
Emulation is bigger now than it ever has been, with more and more people looking to replay nostalgic titles from their youth. The ROM hacking scene has also had a big part to play in people flocking to try out new emulators too, with gamers angling to find alternative adventures of their favourite titles/series and to play new concepts from the Retro Gaming community.
We've been using the following emulators for years now, so you can trust us when we say that we've picked the best of the best and the most reliable of the bunch. They've been with us through some boring times and helped us through lockdowns, illnesses, and boring work meetings galore!
1. RetroArch
RetroArch is one of the most all-inclusive emulation setups that a player can have. It’s probably the most well-known all-in-one emulator, and for good reason, thanks to its incredible reliability and community backing. It covers all of the retro consoles you could possibly need; it's an emulator that uses cores to emulate a variety of handheld and home consoles, allowing you to play titles from different systems all under one roof.
I want to make it clear that I've put RetroArch at the top of this list because it's the best free all-rounder emulator that plays games with ease and has simple functionality. It's by no means the best-looking emulator out there and doesn't have the same smart title display like LaunchBox or Afterplay, but it'll cope with whatever you throw at it. It's the workhorse of the emulation world, and for that, I salute it.
It also has lots of advanced options for experienced emulator users to change up the way they play, but you can still get straight into gameplay without delving into settings too much. Mapping controls is easy, and I've never had any problems with any of my games!
2. LaunchBox
LaunchBox looks a little like if you crossed an Emulator with Apple TV, which can ironically hold your emulators, too now. Their motto is 'We make your games beautiful,' and it's hard to argue with that fact after you've seen the user interface!
It looks very smart, as though it could be an Analogue product, and has space for you to house your Steam Library, ROM files, MS-DOS games, cover art, and video previews.
Like RetroArch, all of the emulators are built in, and everything is prepackaged. The game library is just one big, easy-to-use interface that gives you key information about your title, including the region, publisher, and how many times you've played it.
3. Project 64
If you’re looking to recreate N64 games on your PC, then Project 64 is one of the best and most reliable emulators out there. It’s simple to use, a breeze to set up, and works easily on your PC without draining all your power and battery. As an N64 fanatic, this has been one of my go-to emulators for years now
Lots of the plugins are ready to use in default mode and don’t take a lot of tinkering with, and it has support for cheats and multiplayer too! You can also size your screen to whatever Windows device you are using too.
The only downside is that there isn’t that much information on how to use the emulator on the website. Luckily for you, however, Project 64 has a dedicated fanbase all over the globe that shares its tips and tricks for you to take on board!
4. Afterplay
Afterplay feels like the iTunes of the emulator world. It's probably the cleanest emulator I've ever used, and it has a great little trick up its sleeve.
One of the best bits about Afterplay is that you can play a game using the downloaded program on your PC, and then access your collection and resume your progress by signing in on your browser no matter where you are. Carry on with Shadows of the Empire or Turok 2 at work, at a friend's house, or on holiday.
Afterplay also has a newly opened store that lets you purchase games from indie devs and play them instantly in the emulator, slotting them seamlessly into your collection. It even lets you order physical editions when the option is available. The emulator has a premium version that lets you access multiplayer functions and have multiple save files too, as well as an AI-powered translator for Japanese games. I don't really like AI in gaming settings, but it's a cool idea.
5. Dolphin Emulator
Dolphin Emulator is as much of an icon as the GameCube and the Wii, two consoles that have been notoriously hard to emulate over the years. Dolphin has cemented itself as the best in the business when it comes to emulating both consoles, with support for the Game Boy Player and Triforce Arcade Titles.
Dolphin Emulator was the first emulator to successfully run GameCube games back in 2003! But it took many years for 128-bit emulation to become anything worthwhile. Current compatibility statistics show that 69.7% of games are “Perfect” and 28.2% are “Playable", with 1.8% of titles starting but holding some major faults. Dolphin also upscales your games too!
6. PCSX2
One of the biggest questions we get on a daily basis is 'how can I emulate PS2 games'. While I can't tell you where to get PS2 ROMs other than the ones you've legally acquired, I can tell you that PSXC2 is the best go-to PS2 emulator out of the bunch. And if you've used AetherSX2 on Android devices, then that comes from the source code of PCSX2.
PCSX2 is free, open-source, and supports 2,679 games from the PS2 library, with 98.36% of games being playable and 1.23% currently perfect. The emulator is almost as old as the PS2 itself and is updated regularly, with the latest version '2.6.0' coming out back in January 2026.
7. PPSSPP
The Sony PSP is one of the most popular handheld consoles, even today. I use PPSSPP on my iPhone and handhelds like the Mangmi Air X to emulate my favourite PSP games, and it's also the best solution for PC emulation too.
set up
PPSSPP is easy to set up, easy to understand, and gets straight to the point. The team behind the legendary open-source emulator still updates it to this day. And with HD upscaling on your PC, there’s never been a better way to experience the PSP!
8. Flycast
If I'm a Nintendoid through and through, then Brandon, Retro Dodo's balding Founder, is the ultimate SEGA kid. So this one will surely be his speed. Flycast is one of the best Sega Dreamcast emulators out there, surpassing Redream in recent years thanks to its layout, ease of use, and high game compatibility rate. It just does what it sets out to do flawlessly, and I love how everything is laid out, from my game art to the settings.
Flycast provides such a smooth emulation process. It's an open-sourced emulator that's easy to install and boasts an optimised emulation core, dynamic processing, and performance optimisation that reduces lag. It's no nonsense, which is what I look for when I pick my emulators. It receives regular updates, and it's free - what more do you need to know!
9. melonDS
The Nintendo DS is the most popular handheld console of all time… and also notoriously difficult to emulate. And for good reason; you try emulating two screens at the same time, for crying out loud!
Recent retro handheld consoles, such as the AYN Thor can emulate Nintendo DS games incredibly well using melonDS, and you can turn to melonDS on the PC too. Even though the website still states that it's a 'work-in-progress' application, it's incredibly accurate and works with a wide range of games.
melonDS boasts a JIT recompiler for fast emulation, 3D upscaling, an OpenGL renderer, microphone support, a real-time clock, savestates, and joystick support. It's widely considered to be superior to Desmume these days, especially when it comes to its multiplayer functionality, which is a big feat!
10. FinalBurn Alpha
This one is for the arcade heads, the gamers who miss the glory days of being dropped off at the local bowling alley or mini golf course with a ÂŁ20 bill and a two-hour time limit.
FinalBurn Alpha is an all-in-one type emulation program aimed at the arcade cabinet platforms. That includes Capcom, Data East, Konami, Neo-Geo, Sega and Taito, to name a few.
While most of these platforms are not that difficult to emulate (many of the best retro handhelds can do it now), they are known for being notoriously fun to play. And if you are a gamer who is looking for arcade-specific titles, there is no better place to look than FinalBurn Alpha.
11. DOSBox
Let’s take things way back. Some of us still remember computers before Microsoft Windows. Unfortunately, some of you reading this now won't have a clue that that was ever a thing, which makes me feel super old.
Back in those ancient times, we had something called MS-DOS and floppy disks, which for our younger readers can probably be described best as the real version of those novelty coasters your parents use. This was in a time before CDs, WiFI, and DLCs.
For gamers like me hoping to revisit those classic games who don't have a compatible computer to blow dust off every time they want to use it, there's always DOSBox. It's a free and open source program that allows players on Windows, Linux, and MacOS to emulate MS-DOS games from the 80s and 90s.
12. Snes9x
The Super Nintendo console has one of the strongest collections of retro games. It is easily one of the most sought-after consoles for retro gaming fans looking to revisit their childhood, and it feels like the perfect emulator to end this list with.
For gamers who do not need a lot of extra features and just want to get straight to the fun, Snes9x is a SNES and Super Famicom-focused emulation program that has been around for a very long time. It gives users the ability to play nearly every one of the 1,700 titles from the Super Nintendo catalogue, including some that were only ever released in Japan. Snes9x opens up a bunch of new doors for retro gamers with an SNES itch to scratch.
