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.
The download links are updated whenever there is a new version of a specific android emulator is released. All the links we provide are direct download links and have resume support. We recommend using a download manager to download those files.Our Favorite is Internet Download Manager.
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
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 This Windows emulator will work as Windows 7 version, which may be a bit outdated but still it can do your job perfectly.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
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
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
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
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
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 supports a great number of consoles like:
Download: OpenEmu
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
We all love our Macs, even people who don’t have it, crave it! There is a lot about Mac that makes you fall in love with it. The screen, the resolution, the out-of-this-world neat design, the functionalities; list of loveable traits can just go on and on.
Not very often but there comes a time when you try to run an application on Mac only to find out that it is not compatible with it. Sometimes these apps are so important to run that we think about moving onto other operating system. I have had to deal with this situation when trying to build a complicated Excel model on my MS-office for Mac. New keyboard short cuts, Macros with different options that what you are used to on the Windows, it can be a bit daunting….But what about the love? It’s not easy, we know!
Contents
This is where a Windows emulator for Mac comes in handy, allowing us to seamlessly use windows-only apps on Mac. There are in fact many windows emulator for mac easily available, some are good and some are not as good. The best thing about most virtualization and emulation tools is that software like antivirus or firewall on your mac works fine with Windows OS installed.
The difference between virtualization and emulation
There is a thin line between virtualization and emulation. The main difference is that of the Apple system you’re using. Options that support Intel Macs are called virtualization and those that support Power PC Macs are emulations
We have selected the top 10 out of the lot and hope that you will find the one perfectly suited for your needs. So, without any further ado, let’s get down to our list…
This one is a built in tool for installing Windows on your Mac. It’s an easy process overall, all you need to have is a registered and licensed copy of Windows. First you need to install Boot Camp, for this you need to go to applications > utilities > boot camp. Quit all open programs and follow the on-screen instruction to install boot camp. During the installation, your system will create a separate partition for Windows.
After finishing with the boot camp’s installation, it is now time to install Windows. Insert the CD and just follow the easy setup instructions. Once done, you will now have the option to start your machine with Mac or Windows OS by pressing the “Option” key at startup.
To find out, which version is supported with your boot camp check out this article.
If you’re only looking to use and install a particular app that doesn’t work on mac, then Wine Bottler can be your perfect partner. You don’t have to install the whole Windows OS and thus no need to create a partition either.
Another great app that saves you from the hassle of installing Windows OS on mac. WinOnX (or Windows on OS X) is based on Wine and can be installed on OS X 10.6 and later. The application lets users install the most Windows app on Mac but still there are some that have compatibility issues. For all such cases, the always-active and highly responsive developer team of WinOnX comes in handy.
One of the coolest app that lets users enjoy any Windows application on Mac. Wait a sec, not only Mac but XenApp allows users to use any app on any device – now this sounds awesome, no? All the apps are stored, saved and can be accessed from a database. Probably the best thing about this app is that it even works when a user is offline.
This is the techiest of the apps among our list. Wineskin Winery creates ports, which tweaks the Windows apps in a way that they work seamlessly on Mac. AND the best part? The application is completely free!
Probably the most famous in our list, Virtual Box is famous for reasons. First, VB is open source and thus free! The application is also continuously developing, so if something on your system is not working smoothly, expect it to get resolved soon. Secondly, this application doesn’t only setup Windows virtually but also supports Linux and other OSs. Third, the synchronization between the hardware and operating system is close to perfect. Camera, CD drive, printer, etc all work perfectly on multiple operating systems.
The best emulator for users who are more “network focused”. Virtual PC for Mac can save our love for Mac and we can use Windows apps without having to completely say good bye to Mac. No matter what operating system they are using, you can share information on the network when using Virtual PC for Mac. The application is a little pricey though and can be bought at $129.
Get CrossOver Mac for only $39 to $59 and start using any Window app on your Mac, without the need of creating a virtual environment or installing a fresh/registered copy of Windows. No reboot required, just run the program and with it, the Windows app you need to use.
Do you like the idea of having a full Windows view, opening Windows and Mac apps in a separate window and more? If yes, then try VMware Fusion. Using Windows apps on your Mac through VMware Fusion gives users a native feel. Compared with all the benefits and functionalities of this app, the $34.95 price tag is not too much.
As the name suggests, Parallels let you use Windows app parallel on Mac OS. Available for around $69, Parallels is very easy to install and can be used without rebooting the system. Combine all the benefits and features of VMware Fusion and add the fact that options such as parental control you have set on Mac will even work on Windows interface – the result is Parallels.
** 64 bit Windows OS are not compatible with certain Macs.
** Always backup your data before trying to attempt installing Windows on Mac.