Best Game Console Emulators in 2026
Updated
In short: Azahar is ranked #1 of 35 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of bsnes and melonDS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is bsnes.
Running console software on a desktop starts with compatibility: check which supported systems and operating systems matter for your setup. Compared on those areas, these emulators can also be weighed by graphics upscaling, netplay, license type, and open-source status. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add access details to the comparison. Azahar, melonDS, and Panda3DS are among the entries to assess against the consoles you care about and the play features you want.
35 game console emulators ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Game Console Emulators, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 0 of the 25 on this page have a public API.
- 01 Azahar API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 02 bsnes API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 03 melonDS API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 04 Panda3DS API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 05 RetroArch API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 06 VisualBoyAdvance-M API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 07 BlastEm API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 08 DeSmuME API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 09 Dolphin API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 10 DuckStation API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 11 Emulicious API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 12 PCSX2 API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 13 PPSSPP API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 14 Project64 API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 15 RPCS3 API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 16 Snes9x API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 17 xemu API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 18 ares API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 19 OpenEmu API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 20 Flycast API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.6
- 21 Mednafen API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.6
- 22 Play! API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.6
- 23 BizHawk API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5
- 24 Redream API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 25 Cemu API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported console systems | Desktop operating systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azahar | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo 3DS | cross-platform |
| 2 | bsnes | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Super Nintendo, Super Famicom, Super Game Boy, Satellaview | cross-platform |
| 3 | melonDS | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo DS; DSi emulation in progress | cross-platform |
| 4 | Panda3DS | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo 3DS | cross-platform |
| 5 | RetroArch | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | VisualBoyAdvance-M | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance | cross-platform |
| 7 | BlastEm | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Master System, Game Gear, SG-1000, SC-3000, Sega Pico, Yamaha Copera | cross-platform |
| 8 | DeSmuME | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite | cross-platform |
| 9 | Dolphin | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 3 | — |
| 10 | DuckStation | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Sony PlayStation 1 (PS1/PSX) | cross-platform |
| 11 | Emulicious | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 5 | — |
| 12 | PCSX2 | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | PlayStation 2 | cross-platform |
| 13 | PPSSPP | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) | cross-platform |
| 14 | Project64 | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 64 Disk Drive (64DD) | windows |
| 15 | RPCS3 | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | PlayStation 3 | cross-platform |
| 16 | Snes9x | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Super Famicom | cross-platform |
| 17 | xemu | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Original Microsoft Xbox | cross-platform |
| 18 | ares | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 34 | — |
| 19 | OpenEmu | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | 31 | — |
| 20 | Flycast | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave | cross-platform |
| 21 | Mednafen | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | 17 | — |
| 22 | Play! | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | PlayStation 2 | cross-platform |
| 23 | BizHawk | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 24 | Redream | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | 6 one-time | Sega Dreamcast | cross-platform |
| 25 | Cemu | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Wii U | cross-platform |
Is your platform 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 Inferse?
Azahar is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 6.0. bsnes is second and melonDS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
19 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.