2024 Top 5 GBA Emulator for PC You Should Try

If you were born in the 90s or early 2000s, you spent your childhood playing Pokemon or Mario Kart on your Nintendo Gameboy. The Gameboy was very popular back in the day, and there were hundreds of games to choose from. The Gameboy is gaining popularity as many Y2K trends are making a comeback.

Because they have a nostalgic appeal and are a lot of fun to play, many people still enjoy playing their Gameboy games. However, the Gameboy was discontinued in 2008. So if you don't already own one, the only thing you can do is buy it second-hand or from a reseller. If you don't want to buy one, you can always play the games on a GBA emulator for PC. Let's go over your options.

Part 1: Can You Play GBA Emulators On PC?

Yes, you can use GBA emulators to play your old GBA games on a PC. The GBA emulator or a Gameboy Advance emulator is software that you can run on your PC to play games that were not meant for PC play. Nintendo itself releases emulators, and there are plenty of third-party emulators that you can use to play Nintendo games on your PC.

If you use a Windows PC, then you can install a GBA emulator for a Windows computer or get one for MAC if you use that. There are even Linux versions of some emulators. Gameboy emulators are an amazing way for PC gamers to play the games they want on a platform they prefer.

These emulators are legal and legit. So you don't have to be concerned about pirated, shady software. There are also emulators for tablets, smartphones, etc. So no matter what device you have, you'll probably find an emulator that allows you to play your favorite console games on another device.

Part 2: Best 5 GBA Emulators For PC

There are many options when it comes to choosing Gameboy emulators, and you'll be spoiled for choice. It's even harder to choose the best GBA emulator Windows because the best one really depends on your preference. But here's a list of the top 5 emulators for GBA games. You can choose the one you like best.

VisualBoy Advance

This feature-rich Gameboy emulator advance can, in some cases, even be better than the real thing. You will get to play with features that you can't use on standard Gameboys. You can enjoy the game exactly how you want to and save your progress whenever you want. It is one of the oldest emulators out there, and there has been a lot of optimization done on it.

It's completely free and easy to set up. You can use it on older PCs as well, and it doesn't require a high-end gaming setup. You can play pretty much any GBA game you want on here, and it gets constant updates. So your experience is optimized to suit your hardware, and you can have a seamless gaming experience.

mGBA

mGBA was designed for gamers that did not have a high-end gaming PC. You do not have to compromise on quality and gameplay if you don't have a great PC. It is a new generation GBA emulator PC that allows you to apply cheat codes while you play a game.

It's very easy to use and set up, and you can load up ROMS just by downloading them and opening them through the toolbar. There are plenty of other features to play around with as well, and the software gets regular updates. So if you face any bugs, they will usually be fixed soon enough. The interface is smooth and fun to play with.

No$GBA

You might have heard of this name if you're in the gaming world. No Cash GBA or simply NoGBA is a cool game boy emulator that allows you to run not only Gameboy games but also Nintendo DS games. So you can play Animal Crossing on it as well! You can play on the emulator just like you would on a console by using a controller or joystick.

It's a very powerful emulator, and it runs very smoothly on most PCs. You can get a lot of options when you're playing with this emulator as it offers both Nintendo and GBA games. However, it does not support all Nintendo DS games yet, but you can run pretty much any GBA game without any issues.

BatGBA

If you want a no-hassle, minimal emulator, then BatGBA is the best Gameboy emulator for you. There aren't a lot of advanced features, and this can be a con for some. But for people who don't want the extra bling, this is perfect. It's simple and easy to set up and does not take up a lot of storage space. So you can pretty much use it with any hardware you might have.

You can play any commercial or non-commercial game rather smoothly, and you don't have to face any bugs or lags. It's great for those of you who don't like a very heavy setup and just want to relax with some GBA games when you're free.

Boycott Advance

If you're a MAC user, then this one's for you. It's a great option for all macOS users, and it's very easy to use and set up. The user experience is pretty smooth and does not have any lags. It supports even older versions of MAC, and you can play any GBA game on it.

There's an Emulator Enhancer add-on that allows you to add several extra features if you want. With this add-on, you can get Joystick support or use gamepads to play your games. You can go full-screen and even rotate your screen for a fully optimized gaming experience.

Part 3: Android Games Emulators

If you aren't a fan of the GBA emu and you don't want to run an emulator on your PC, then you can mirror and run Android games on your PC with AirDroid Cast. AirDroid Cast is a screen mirroring app that allows you to use your Android phone from your PC.

There's a remote control feature that you can use to run Android apps and games on your smartphone but use them from your PC. You can navigate your entire phone's screen with your PC keyboard and play Android games without having to be restricted to the small screen of a smartphone.

Conclusion

Having a GBA emulator for PC can be very fun as it can bring back the memories you had while playing games on your Gameboy when you were a child. Even for people who never had that experience, it can be a fun way to check out different consoles and play some classics.

FAQs

Can you download ROMS legally?

Elsa

No, it is illegal to download Nintendo ROMS from the Internet. Even though you can legally download Nintendo emulators, and that's completely fine, you cannot download the ROM online because of Nintendo's copyright policy. The ROM is the chip that contains the game software. As a result, you are not permitted to illegally download or copy it from the internet. That is piracy.

How do you play games on a GBA emulator for PC?

Elsa

Once you have installed and launched the emulator, you will need to buy a ROM file of the game you want to play if you don't already possess it. You can extract the ROM from a legal copy. Load them onto the emulator, and then you can play the game on your PC!

Are emulators GBA safe?

Elsa

Yes, most Gameboy emulators for PCs are pretty safe. They do not contain any malware or viruses. You just have to be careful about the source from which you're downloading the software. A reputable source and a legal emulator shouldn't cause any harm to your PC.