7 Best GBA Emulators for PC

With new gaming consoles coming out constantly, it's easy to forget the classics that have been able to instill in us a love of gaming.

Nowadays there is always a new console coming out PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo. PC gaming, which you probably know, has also gained momentum.

One way to get attached to consoles is to remember the games that were on them, and there are plenty of classic Gameboy games that we can remember. You can look for a Gameboy to buy, but one way to not spend more money is to download an emulator.

Game Boy Advance or GBA. We have to admit that the name brings back a lot of memories, good memories of yesteryear. We have to admit that GBA games were the favorites at the time, and There are times when I still miss themThe GBA was Nintendo's biggest success.

You can also read: Top 8 Pokemon Emulators for PC

What is an emulator?

An emulator is a program that makes one console behave like another. For example, if you have a Gameboy emulator installed on your phone, it will make your phone mimic the functions of the Gameboy. Here are the 7 Best Emulators You Can Use On Your Devices to play to the Gameboy games you remember.

7 Best GBA Emulators for PC

If you are like me and want to relive that time without leaving your PC with Windows, GBA emulators for PC are probably the best option we have. Now the obvious question is, what are the best GBA emulators for Windows 10 PC?

Don't worry anymore We have compiled a list of the best GBA emulators that you can use on your Windows desktop. All of these GBA emulators are free to download. So, without wasting any time, let’s dive into the list.

1. mGBA

We consider that mGBA It is one of the best emulators on the marketThe main reason why this emulator is so highly rated is because it has managed to expand compatibility with GBA games beyond what is normally supported.

It's easy to install and supports GBA ROMs. Sure mGBA has some flaws that I can live with, but things may be different for you.

Advantages of mGBA

• The application is very light.
• It is a cross-platform application. It can run on Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD, Wii, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS (but you need a new 3DS).
• You can save your progress in the game, that's what I like the most!
• MGBA also supports codes of Tricks.
• This will also allow you to activate ROM patches, taking control of the game.
• Installation is very quick and easy.
• It is open source and free.
• MGBA is updated regularly and new features are added from time to time, who doesn't like that?
• Supports a large number of GBA ROMs.

Disadvantages of mGBA

There are not many. I have found the following problem with mGBA:

• It lacks some of the advanced features that most other GBA emulators offer.

System Requirements for mGBA

If you bought your computer within the last 10 years, it will run just fine. It doesn't matter if you have a high-end processor with huge amounts of RAM or a modest dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. The mGBA will run on your computer.

Download mGBA

2. Visual Boy Advance and VBA-M

Visual Boy Advance has been one of the most popular GBA emulators for over 10 years. It is stable (no doubt about that). What interests me about this particular emulator is its evolution. It is a popular choice among retro gamers.

Some early versions were buggy and did not offer broad support. hardwareToday, however, the story is very different.

The developers have made an excellent emulator of the game, with stable versions and of course excellent compatibility with a wide range of hardware. The Windows PC that was currently used has a Core i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM.

We have an older laptop with a dual-core processor and an even more powerful computer with an AMD Ryzen 9 3950x processor, which I only use for video editing. VBA-M ran on both computers without any problems.

Advantages of Visual Boy Advance

• You can play any game on the GBA without any problems.
• It is compatible with Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance.
• You can quickly remap keys on your keyboard or even your controller.
• Speaking of controllers, this emulator also supports joysticks.
• You can also take screenshots and record your gameplay.
• You can save your progress in the game whenever you want.
• You can also use cheat codes.
• It is a cross-platform emulator. Basically, VBA-M is intended for Mac users.
• It is also available for Linux and BSD users.

Disadvantages of Visual Boy Advance

• If you have a computer with Bible time, it won't work.

Visual Boy Advance System Requirements

Make sure your computer is equipped with a Pentium III 500 Mhz processor. If you have this, Your computer should be able to run the gameYou also need Direct X 7 or higher. If you are a Mac or Linux user, you don't need to do anything else. Just download and install the emulator and you're good to go.

Download Visual Boy Advance

3. No$GBA

No$GBA simply means No Cash GBA. It is simply a name that can indicate that it is free to use. Whatever the reason, No$GBA is another GBA emulator for desktop computers or portable with Windows which is one of my favorites.

No$GBA is an extremely powerful and feature-rich console and can play not only almost all GBA games, but also a large number of Nintendo DS games. Why do I like this emulator so much and are there any drawbacks? Find out.

Advantages of No$GBA

• You can play Nintendo DS games and GBA games.
• You can also play games multiplayer with it, which I think is a great feature.
• It is surprisingly stable and perfectly optimized for gaming.
• No$GBA also supports game controllers.
• I was also able to customize the keyboard keys to suit my playing style.
• It is a very small application, only 210 KB in size.
• Allows you to use cheat codes.

Disadvantages of No$GBA

I haven't found any issues with the emulator itself, but if I had to point out a few, these are the ones I think are missing:

• Lack of support for Mac and Linux systems.
• Not all Nintendo DS games are compatible with the emulator.

System Requirements for No$GBA

Although some claim that No$GBA can run with 256MB RAM and older Pentium II processors, I do not recommend this setting. For best performance, try the following settings:

• 1 GB RAM
• 1GB VRAM
• Dual-core processor (AMD or Intel)

As for the operating system, it can run on any Windows OS starting from XP. I honestly don't know anything about Windows 98, does that thing even exist today?

Download No$GBA

4. BatGBA

I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't expect BatGBA's UI to be so archaicYes, it looks old because the last UI update was in 2002. But that doesn't mean it's useless.

It is lightweight and perfectly optimized to play any GBA game. I just installed the original BIOS and I was amazed at how easy it is to play. Here is what we can say about BatGBA:

Advantages of BatGBA.

• It's incredibly soft.
• A very simple emulator that can play almost any GBA game you want.
• It is very robust and flexible.
• It also displays the frame rate during playback.
• Read ROMs for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance.
• It can read both free and commercial GBA ROMs.

Disadvantages of BatGBA

• The interface is too old.
• Lack of advanced features.
• There is no support for Mac or Linux users.
• No longer in active development.

System Requirements for BatGBA

The emulator can run with minimal system requirements. The following components are needed:

• A fast processor with a clock speed of 800 MHz. This is the minimum you should have. But the faster, the better. I recommend at least a dual-core processor with a base frequency of 1,60 GHz and a bus speed of 800 MHz.
• You will need at least 1GB of RAM and 1GB of VRAM.
• As for the operating system, it can run Windows 9x, NT, 2000, XP, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.

Download BatGBA

You can also read: 5 Best Sega Emulators For Windows

5. Higan GBA Emulator

Higan is one of the most popular GBA emulators for Windows 10 PC. It is simple and requires very few resources.. Its versatility surprised me. What kind of versatility? The ability to play different types of games.

Not only can you easily play GBA games with Higan, but you can also use this emulator for Game Gear, Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Super Famicom, Famicom, etc. The list is long.

Advantages of Higan GBA Emulator

• The emulator is very easy to setup and can be up and running in seconds.
• It supports a huge number of games and can play any GBA game you throw at it.
• Surprisingly, the Higan offers better color reproduction. It was a pleasant surprise.
• It is compatible with Windows and Linux.

Disadvantages of Higan GBA Emulator

• There may be a delay in the sound in some games. However, this is limited to some games.

System Requirements for Higan GBA Emulator

This is where difficulties can arise. The Higan emulator documentation doesn't say anything about system requirements, but when I looked at the documentation I found something interesting.

The documentation says that Higan works best with fast multi-core processors and multithreading. Legacy processor architectures fail because of Higan's design. From this I deduce that you should have at least the following system requirements:

• A dual-core processor (I recommend Core i3 or something similar). I ran the program on a Core i5 machine with 4 cores. It worked without any problems.
• As for memory, you should use at least 1 GB.
• VRAM is not required, but a discrete video card with at least 1GB of memory is recommended.
• You should be using at least Windows XP. Don't go below that. 7/8/10 works fine. I'm using Windows 10 and Higan works fine on that platform. I haven't tried it on Linux yet, so I can't say anything about that.

Download Higan

6. Medinafen

Mednafen stands for “My emulator doesn’t need a big name!” We have to admit, it’s a funny name, but what’s in a name? As long as you can play your favorite GBA games, it’s great.

The only problem I have found with Mednafen is that It is a line system of commands. Yes, it accepts command line input. If that's not what you need, you can always find graphical frontends in development. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Mednaffe
• MedLaunch
• MedGui Revival
• MedSat

mednafen can support games for Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. Super Famicom games can also be played. Mednafen is designed to support a variety of systems, including:

• Apple II/II+
• Atari Lynx
• Game Boy (color)
• GameBoy Advance
• Neo Geo Pocket (color)
• Nintendo Entertainment System
• PC-Engine/TurboGrafx 16 (CD)
• PC FX
• Sega game equipment
• Sega Genesis / Megadrive
• Sega Master System
• Sega Saturn (Experimental, x86_64 only)
• Sony Playstation
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System / Super Famicom
• supergrafx
• Virtual Boy
• WonderSwan

Advantages of Mednaphen

• It is very effective and stable.
• It supports almost all GBA games you throw at it.
• It works with both the joystick and the keyboard.
• You can record audiovisual movies (QuickTime file format).
• You can also take screenshots in PNG format.

Disadvantages of Mednafen

• I found it a bit complicated, mainly because of the command line input method.
• Getting this program to work is not easy.

System requirements for Mednafen

There is no information about minimum system requirements. This makes the situation quite complicated. I can only recommend the specifications of my system, on which Mednafen ran without any problems. Here is what I used for this emulator:

• Windows 7 and 10 (I have Boot dual). I can't say anything about Windows 8, but it should be able to run Mednafen.
• Processor: Intel Core i5, 3.00GHz
• 16 GB RAM
• 2GB VRAM
• DirectX 11

Even though this system is only moderately powered, Mednafen runs smoothly. We haven't tested it on another system with an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, but we're confident it can handle something like Mednafen and the system won't feel a thing.

As for lower-configuration systems, I think Mednafen should run relatively easily on dual-core processors with at least 1GB of RAM. However, You may have problems with different games. So be careful and make sure you have a powerful enough computer.

Download Mednafen

7.RetroArch

RetroArch is a fantastic GBA emulator. What I like most about this emulator is that it supports a wide range of operating systems and even gaming consoles. What else? You can also install it on mobile devices iOS y AndroidIf you only need support for desktop or laptop computers, you can always get versions for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Best of all, the guys at RetroArch have provided detailed installation and build instructions. They even have YouTube videos on the topic. So if you're having trouble installing RetroArch, check out the YouTube videos or follow the step-by-step instructions.

Other characteristics

What we liked about RetroArch is that it is an all-in-one emulation. There is no need to download different emulators for different games.

After installing RetroArch, you need to download the main emulators, which the developers of RetroArch call “kernels.” This gives you access to most emulators for your gaming consoles in one place.

I really like this feature. All emulators in one placeNow the question: what did I like and what didn't I like about RetroArch? Read on to find out.

The advantages of RetroArch

• It's cross platform. It doesn't matter if you have Windows, Linux or Mac. It doesn't matter if your phone is Android or iOS. It doesn't matter if you have a Raspberry Pi or an Apple TV - it works on almost everything. I've never seen an emulator that offers such broad cross-platform compatibility.
• The tutorial videos and building guides are simple and easy to follow.
• Allows you to install multiple emulators under one roof.
• Supports keyboards and joysticks.
• Supports a wide range of games. Especially for Game Boy Advance, RetroArch is a good choice.
• It offers dozens of options to make your gaming experience smoother.
• It also supports some older operating systems that are no longer supported by the respective organizations. For example, it supports a dinosaur called Windows 95.
• You can even test this program online through your browser.

Disadvantages of RetroArch

• The program may occasionally crash, so if you experience frequent crashes, try upgrading to an older version of RetroArch. Older versions can be downloaded HEREYou can also try night builds if you want.
• There are too many options, which can quickly get on your nerves. Be patient with the settings.
• Installation and setup will take some time before you can play.
• RetroArch doesn't run very well on PlayStation 2 and GameCube. They're a bit unstable.

System Requirements for RetroArch

You've asked the wrong question. This program works on so many devices that it's impossible to list them all in one place.

You should also keep in mind that since RetroArch supports some of the oldest operating systems on the planet (which I rightly call dinosaurs, as they have no support from their parent companies), you can expect something that will work with minimal hardware.

I always recommend a mid-range computer with the latest standards. For example, a Core i3 processor or similar, at least 2GB of RAM and 1GB of VRAM, etc. The more powerful your system is, the better its performance will be.

However, this doesn't mean that a powerful computer can avoid crashes. These crashes are caused by bugs. RetroArch is open source and has deep features. Here and there glitches will occur.

Download RetroArch

Conclusion

Before I conclude this list, I would like to say one thing: most of the retro games you want to play are still protected by copyright. Therefore, unless you have legally purchased a copy of the game, downloading ROMs from online sources can lead to serious copyright issues. Avoid.

As for emulators, they are not illegal. You can download and use them at any time.. Nobody will sue you for that.

Which emulator would you try if you wanted to play GBA games? If you ask our opinion: as good as RetroArch is, we would choose mGBA for its simplicity. RetroArch can sometimes be too complicated to play quickly on GBA.

Last details

I suggest you try all these GBA emulators for Windows 10 PC and see which one is perfect for your needs, i.e. your style, system requirements, etc. You can also try other emulators like GB Enhanced+ and VBA Link. VBA Link is just a copy of Visual Boy Advanced, and I haven’t tried the GB Enhanced+ emulator yet.

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