Best Game Console Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: Azahar is ranked #1 of 35 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of RetroArch and Panda3DS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is RetroArch.
To run games made for supported console systems on a desktop, you can compare emulators by the systems they support and the operating systems they run on. Graphics upscaling and netplay are additional features to weigh against the way you plan to play. Azahar, RetroArch, and Panda3DS are among the options shown. Check license type and open-source status for distinctions in how each emulator is made available, and compare free-plan availability with the listed paid-from price. The supported console systems are central to choosing what to explore; desktop compatibility and the listed features help narrow options for your setup.
35 game console emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
20 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AzaharWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | RetroArchWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 3 | Panda3DSWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 4 | PPSSPPWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 5 | VisualBoyAdvance-MWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 6 | BlastEmWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 7 | bsnesWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 8 | DolphinWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 9 | DuckStationWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 10 | melonDSWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 11 | Snes9xWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 12 | aresWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 13 | DeSmuMEWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 14 | EmuliciousWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 15 | PCSX2Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 16 | RPCS3Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 17 | xemuWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 18 | Project64Windows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 19 | OpenEmuMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 20 | Play!Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 21 | FlycastWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 22 | BizHawkWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 23 | RedreamWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 24 | MednafenWindows · Linux | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 25 | Vita3KWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 5.5 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported console systems | Desktop operating systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azahar | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo 3DS | cross-platform |
| 2 | RetroArch | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | Panda3DS | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo 3DS | cross-platform |
| 4 | PPSSPP | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) | cross-platform |
| 5 | VisualBoyAdvance-M | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance | cross-platform |
| 6 | BlastEm | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Master System, Game Gear, SG-1000, SC-3000, Sega Pico, Yamaha Copera | cross-platform |
| 7 | bsnes | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Super Nintendo, Super Famicom, Super Game Boy, Satellaview | cross-platform |
| 8 | Dolphin | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 3 | — |
| 9 | DuckStation | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Sony PlayStation 1 (PS1/PSX) | cross-platform |
| 10 | melonDS | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo DS; DSi emulation in progress | cross-platform |
| 11 | Snes9x | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Super Famicom | cross-platform |
| 12 | ares | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 34 | — |
| 13 | DeSmuME | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite | cross-platform |
| 14 | Emulicious | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 5 | — |
| 15 | PCSX2 | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | PlayStation 2 | cross-platform |
| 16 | RPCS3 | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | PlayStation 3 | cross-platform |
| 17 | xemu | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Original Microsoft Xbox | cross-platform |
| 18 | Project64 | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 64 Disk Drive (64DD) | windows |
| 19 | OpenEmu | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 31 | — |
| 20 | Play! | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | PlayStation 2 | cross-platform |
| 21 | Flycast | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave | cross-platform |
| 22 | BizHawk | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 23 | Redream | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | 6 one-time | Sega Dreamcast | cross-platform |
| 24 | Mednafen | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | 17 | — |
| 25 | Vita3K | 5.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | PlayStation Vita | cross-platform |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which game console emulator is ranked first on Freedom251?
Azahar is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 6.8. RetroArch is second and Panda3DS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
20 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.