Are you looking for the best emulators that will give you the ultimate experience? You are at the right place because, in this article, we have listed the top pokemon emulator for PC (both Windows and Mac) gamers. If you love playing pokemon games on Android or iOS, you will absolutely love these emulators that give the smoothest experience on PC. Just make sure you download the emulators and ROMs from a trusted and safe source as they most often contain malicious viruses that can ruin your computer. That being said, let’s hop onto the list of the best emulators and what all Pokemon games you can play on these along with a detailed review of each.
Contents
Why do you need an Emulator?
You definitely know what an emulator is used for but if you do not already, it is a program or software that helps you run different programs on your device. For example, an emulator can help you play an Android app or iOS app on your computer. Likewise, it can also let you run a Mac operating system on a Windows operating system. An emulator is a very attractive software for gamers across the world but as you might already know, there’s no (or handful of) universal emulator that lets you play all games flawlessly. Essentially, you need specific emulators if you want to play Pokemon on your PC.
What kind of Pokemon Games can you Play on an Emulator?
You can play a lot of different Pokemon games on PC using different emulators – each supports a number of different games and not all. For example, certain emulators let you play pokemon X and Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun &Moon, and Ultra Sun &Ultra Moon. While others may let you play Sword and shield too. The list is endless and covers the following but not limited to:
- FireRed
- Pokémon GO
- Pokémon Duel
- Camp Pokémon
- Magikarp Jump
- Pokémon Playhouse
- Pokémon Quest
- Pokémon Shuffle Mobile
- Leafgreen
- Water blue
- Ruby
- Sapphire
- Emerald
- Silver
- Gold
- Crystal
- Pokemon blue, red, green, yellow, diamond, pearl, platinum
- Pokemon mega evolution
Overall, you can play most Pokemon games of both the 7th and 8th generation using Nintendo 3DS emulators on your PC.
Best Pokemon Emulator PC
DeSmuMe
The name might be difficult to pronounce but this is undoubtedly one of the best pokemon emulators for PC. This open-source software has a lot of advantages owing to its continuous updates that support most Pokemon games flawlessly. One of its noteworthy features is that it lets you start from where you left making it one of the top in-demand emulators for playing Pokemon.
It is compatible with both Mac and Windows and allows several graphics customization. But ultimately, the performance will solely depend on your PC’s capabilities. Nevertheless, with this emulator, you have access to a cheat code manager, USB controller support, and much more. If you have top-notch graphics on your PC, there should be no issues in using this smoothly.
Project 64 – N64
Another open-source emulator ideal for Pokemon games, the Mupen64 is available for Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Android, and Windows. AN N64 emulator available for free on the web, this is very versatile in its features and uses. Not only is it updated from time to time but also allows you to make your own customized emulator as the code is open to all.
Although it is not the best in terms of graphics, it offers many other advantageous features not available in other emulators. To start with the least, it is quite easy to use with a simple UI. not only this, but it also has built-in cheat codes and supports multiplayer systems that work more than satisfactorily if you have decent RAM and graphics. It also has many other useful configurations that make up for a decent gaming session.
Citra (Nintendo 3DS emulator) – Best Pokemon Emulator for PC
Listing the top emulators for Pokemon and leaving out Citra would be a big blunder. This is probably the best you can ask for in all aspects – compatibility, graphics, resolution, and many others. You can install the Citra on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android and get the best gaming experience even if you have an average system in terms of graphics and resolution.
It allows you to enjoy most games at full graphics and resolution irrespective of your PC’s capabilities. Moreover, it is the beast of all emulators which is clear from its ability to set the internal resolution to 4K on Pokemon games. It also offers to cheat code support, joystick support, diverse screen layout options, and a very useful in-house screen recorder which is beneficial for bloggers.
If you love playing with your group, you will not regret this as Citra supports local Wi-Fi. You can even play multiplayer with this all-time best PC emulator for Pokemon games! As a bonus point, Citra has compatibility with some rare Pokemon games that cannot be played on most other emulators.
RetroArch
RetroArch is an amalgamation of several emulators in one software which makes it ideal for most games including Pokemon. Probably the biggest advantage of the RetroArch is its diverse compatibility which covers every device you can need. From multiple PC operating systems like (Windows, macOS, Linux), several home consoles (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, etc.), to handheld consoles (PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, etc.), smartphones, and single-board computers (Raspberry Pi, ODROID, etc.), it is compatible with all.
The list doesn’t end there as it has some really useful features like joystick support, save slot option, diverse graphics, and emulation options. It might feel a little complicated to use its UI at first but you will find it to be one of the best once you get used to it. You can even boost the internal resolution to 4K although it might consume more PC resources which can be a problem at times.
NO$GBA
Read as No Cash GBA, this definitely deserves a spot in this list for its outstanding speed even on underperforming PCs. When you weigh the pros and cons, it has an equal number of both and you need to decide which ones are your priority. Firstly, it is only available on Windows and does not offer cheat code support. However, it takes up the least PC resources than any other mentioned here. It has provisions for save state and joystick though.
The graphics are comparable to DeSmuMe and are not much of an issue. But if you need multiplayer support, this one isn’t reliable all the time as this particular feature is still rolling out to perfection. Nonetheless, you get to play both Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games along with GBA.
OpenEmu – Best Pokemon Emulator for Mac
With a sophisticated UI and an unending list of controller supports, any Mac user will admit this is one of the best Pokemon emulators for Mac. This is a front-end software that supports various games on Mac and comes with some attractive features like screen layout options, save states, cheat code support, etc.
Even though it has all of these great features, the graphics may not be particularly convincing for some players. Also, there are no provisions to raise the internal resolution. However, weighing out the cons, this is one of the best Pokemon emulators for Mac. This is an all-in-one emulator like RetroArch and comes with a DeSmuMe emulator.
FAQs:
- Are emulators illegal?
The emulator is the same as a torrent in terms of legal use. The emulator is a piece of software that itself is not illegal. However, downloading ROMS and playing them on the same emulator is considered illegal. - Are emulators safe?
- Can ROMs have viruses?
Not only a ROM but even an emulator can also be infected with viruses so it is important to download these from a trusted source.
Final Words:
Emulators are completely safe to use when downloaded from a trusted source. Most of our emulators listed above support common Pokemon games. While some of them might drain your PC’s resources, the extent of this varies. Similarly, the performance of most Pokemon emulators for PC also depends on the PC’s capabilities. Hence, it is always beneficial to look for one that is not hard on your RAM, supports your desired games, and also has optimum performance for the best experience. We have tried to cover all important aspects of the 6 best Pokemon emulators (PC – Windows and Mac) that will be beneficial for you to choose the best according to your needs.