The best emulators for Windows PC, by console

1. RetroArch — Emulator Frontend

Best for: Many classic consoles in one app

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

RetroArch is a frontend that runs emulators as downloadable cores: NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, PlayStation and many more. Shaders, rewind, run-ahead, netplay and RetroAchievements then work the same way across every system, and you set up your controller only once.

The menus are hard to learn, some cores need BIOS files you dump yourself, and core quality and licenses vary. For demanding systems such as PS2, PS3 or Wii U, the standalone emulators below such as PCSX2 or Cemu are the better choice. If you want a couch-friendly menu over several emulators, add ES-DE.

2. DuckStation — PlayStation 1 Emulator

Best for: PlayStation 1

• Freeware
• Free
• Gaming

DuckStation is one of the most accurate and convenient PS1 emulators, with a clean game list, upscaling and true colour on Direct3D, Vulkan or OpenGL, and PGXP to fix the typical PS1 polygon wobble. Save states, rewind, runahead and a Big Picture mode for TVs are built in.

It needs a PS1 or PS2 BIOS dumped from your own console. It is free but no longer open source: the code is now under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, which forbids commercial use and modified redistribution. If you prefer open source, RetroArch has PS1 cores.

3. PCSX2 — PlayStation 2 Emulator

Best for: PlayStation 2

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

PCSX2 is the standard PS2 emulator and runs the large majority of the library well, often at much higher resolution. It has built-in widescreen and no-interlacing patches, virtual memory cards, save states, RetroAchievements and a Big Picture mode, all in a modern Qt interface.

You must dump the BIOS from your own PS2. The minimum is a 64-bit CPU with SSE4.1 and 8 GB of RAM, and demanding games need a CPU with AVX2. Some games still have graphics or timing glitches.

4. RPCS3 — PlayStation 3 Emulator

Best for: PlayStation 3, on a powerful PC

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

RPCS3 is the only mature PS3 emulator and runs a large part of the library on a strong PC, at resolutions beyond the original 720p. A built-in patch manager adds fixes and frame rate unlocks, and the public compatibility list on rpcs3.net shows how well each game runs.

It needs a fast modern CPU and GPU, ships as a .7z archive without an installer, and dumping PS3 games requires your own console or a compatible Blu-ray drive. The PS3 firmware is a free download from Sony's website. Check the compatibility list before you start.

5. Dolphin — GameCube and Wii Emulator

Best for: GameCube and Wii

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

Dolphin emulates both the GameCube and the Wii and runs most games very well at resolutions far above the originals. It needs no BIOS, supports real Wii Remotes over Bluetooth, and has netplay for local multiplayer games. Setup is simple compared with most emulators.

The Windows release is a portable 7z archive and needs the 64-bit Visual C++ redistributable. Shader compilation can cause stutter the first time you play. For Wii U games, use Cemu instead.

6. Cemu — Wii U Emulator

Best for: Wii U

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

Cemu is the leading Wii U emulator and runs many games well, often better than the original console. Community graphic packs raise resolution, unlock frame rates and fix issues per game, and it emulates the GamePad with mouse input for the touch screen plus gyro controls. It has been open source under the MPL 2.0 since 2022.

You dump games and the required data from your own Wii U. It needs a GPU with OpenGL 4.5 or Vulkan 1.2 and has limited support for Intel graphics. The Windows release is a portable zip.

7. PPSSPP — PSP Emulator

Best for: PSP, even on modest PCs

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

PPSSPP runs most of the PSP library well on almost any PC and needs no BIOS or firmware file, so it works with default settings. It renders games at several times the PSP resolution, supports gamepads and remapping, and offers ad hoc multiplayer through relay servers.

You need ISO or CSO images dumped from UMD discs you own, or free homebrew. Some games still have graphics or timing issues, and online multiplayer takes extra network setup. PPSSPP Gold is an optional paid edition that only supports the developers. For the PS Vita, Vita3K exists but is still experimental.

8. Azahar — Nintendo 3DS Emulator

Best for: Nintendo 3DS

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

Azahar is the actively developed continuation of Citra and the obvious choice for 3DS games on a PC. Most games look much sharper than on the console, and you can map buttons, circle pad and motion to a modern gamepad. It is also available as a core for RetroArch.

You must dump games from your own 3DS. Touch-screen games are awkward with a mouse, and arranging two screens of different sizes on one monitor takes some layout tweaking.

9. melonDS — Nintendo DS Emulator

Best for: Nintendo DS

• Open source
• Free
• Gaming

melonDS is the most accurate actively developed DS emulator. A JIT recompiler keeps it fast on modest hardware, the OpenGL renderer makes 3D games much sharper, and flexible screen layouts let you place the two screens side by side. It also supports local wireless multiplayer between instances.

The official guide asks for BIOS and firmware dumped from your own DS, and DSi mode also needs a NAND image. Wi-Fi and DSi emulation are still work in progress, and the Windows release is a ZIP. For the 3DS, use Azahar instead.