The Game Boy Advance (GBA) was a handheld gaming console released by Nintendo in 2001 as the successor to the popular Game Boy Color. It featured a 32-bit RISC processor, allowing it to play more advanced games compared to the 8-bit Game Boy models. The GBA was backward compatible, meaning it could also play games made for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Popular GBA games included Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire, Super Mario Advance, and Metroid Fusion.
To play GBA games on modern systems, emulators are required. GBA emulators are software programs that mimic the hardware and software of the original GBA system, allowing you to play GBA ROM files on a computer, smartphone, or other device. Popular GBA emulators include VisualBoyAdvance, NO$GBA, BatGBA, and mGBA. These emulators replicate important components like the ARM processor, graphics, sound, and memory. They allow applying enhancements like save states, cheats, and graphics filters. Overall, GBA emulators allow a convenient way to revisit classic GBA games without needing the original portable hardware.
12 Best GBA Emulator For PC Download
Here is the list of the 12 of the best Game Boy Advance emulators for PC that we tested and found to be working fine.
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1. Visual Boy Advance
First within the list of the simplest GBA emulator windows is Visual Boy Advance. it’s amongst the oldest, considered because of the most stable Gameboy emulator available out there.
The emulator also sports support for older games and operating systems, providing backward compatibility. meaning it’s support for the first Game Boy and Game Boy Color, aside from GBA. you’ll also use cheat codes with no problem with the emulator.
Players can capture and record their gameplay as they progress within the game. they will also save the state of the sport and reload it again so that you never lose game progress again.
2. Boycott Advance
This Gameboy Advance emulator has stood the test of time. It works for virtually all versions of Windows that we tested, starting from XP to Windows 10.
You can use autofire for up to five keys for use in the game. It allows the automation of several moves in play, helping in completing achievements in the game.
There is an option to record audio from the GBA games as well. It can be used to record game music and other dialogues from the game in WAV, and MP3 formats.
3. Rascalboy Advance
Rascalboy Advance is a simple, easy-to-use GBA emulator for PC. It has no extra features to confuse the user for the primary purpose of playing games.
The emulator supports Game PAK of Flash64, Flash128, and EEPROM, thus providing wide game compatibility.
You can play multiplayer games on the Gameboy Advance emulator on your PC. There is a multi-player plugin available for the emulator as well. It allows up to four players on the same PC (same network).
4. No$GBA
Next on the list of GBA emulators for PCs is No$GBA. it was the primary Gameboy Advance emulator to feature multiplayer, before Rascalboy Advance. They now offer a fanatical support/fix for enjoying Pokemon Multiplayer for GBA emulator, after many fans requested it.
The emulator features a wide variety of customization for enhancing your gaming experience. There is an extensive control setup to configure your controller and map your keys to your controller.
Apart from GBA, it also supports Nintendo DS emulation. Therefore you can also game Nintendo DS/Lite portable games on this emulator.
5. BizHawk
Video Game speed-runners would love this Game Boy Advance emulator. BizHawk features a Tool-Assisted-Speedruns(TAS). The tool-assisted feature for Speedrun helps speedrunners complete the game without using any cheats, or hacks.
They use slow-motion, save state, and key-mapping to finish the sport in a short time.
The multi-platform GBA emulator also features advanced features like Macro with a fanatical tool window, a full-fledged editor console, and more.
Apart from GBA games support, the emulator also supports the consoles of SEGA, Sony, Atari, and Nintendo.
6. Mednafen
The next on the list is amongst the best Gameboy Advance emulators for PC. It is an open-source emulator, being jointly developed by voluntary developers.
Mednaffe is a multi-platform supporting console emulator that supports a wide range of older-generation consoles. It is an easy front-end version of the feature-rich, command-line-based.
Mednaffe supports “CUE” sheets, CloneCD “CCD/IMG/SUB”, and cdrdao “TOC” files. Mednaffe supports standard cheats such as GameShark, Action Replay, and CodeBreaker. They can be accessed from the keyboard shortcut ALT+C.
You can play GBA games online with a Netplay account. There is an option to host your Netplay server as well, with password protection.
7. KiGB
The emulator now we are talking about is the most simple GBA emulator on the Internet. It features a DOS-like graphical interface that gives MSDOS themes to the application.
There is a feature of settings for individual games to enable bug-free, smooth gameplay for every game. it’s referred to as a custom palette and currently supports Game Boy only.
They have also added support for GameBoy Camera and Printer to emulate an identical experience, without the camera.
The only downside is not any drag-and-drop facility for dropping your own ROM for loading into the emulator. You will get to locate the ROM from your hard disc manually.
8. Higan
The next member on the list of the best GBA emulators for PC is Higan. It is a multi-system emulator, majorly for old handheld consoles such as Game Boy Advance, Famicom, etc.
Higan creates a copy of your game’s ROM in their folder. The developer calls it “Game Park”, whose location can be changed. It also stores saved states and games in the same folder.
9. RetroArch
RetroArch is the most versatile Game Boy Advance emulator in terms of user interface and functionalities.
You can fiddle with an in-depth range of settings like latency, input, power management(for a laptop), gameplay record, and far more.
Moreover, a bit like Mednaffe, you’ll use Netplay to hitch and host GBA game servers for multiplayer. Besides gaming, you’ll also use multimedia functions like playing music and videos and using it as a picture viewer.
10. BatGBA
BatGBa is a pretty light and simple GBA emulator for PCs. It has all the standard options that a regular console emulator must have to play games.
You can play ROMS of Game Boy Advance(GBA), GBC (GameBoy Color), and GB (Game Boy) on the emulator. rock bottom utility bar shows FPS(Frames Per Second) for your game. it’ll help identify the compatibility of the sport on this console emulator.
There is an additional feature to associate all GBA ROMs with an opening to BatGBA. Click on a ROM to load it directly into the emulator.
11. mGBA
mGBA is what other Game Boy advanced emulators aim to be. it’s the widest compatibility for major game titles like the Pokemon series, The Legend of Zelda series, Mario Kart series, and Final Fantasy, amongst several others. Copy your own ROM and get started playing on the emulator without expecting anything.
Amongst the foremost notable feature is the Solar Sensor that works a bit like the important Game Paks(Cartridges). you’ll require an external physical sensor or a solar sensor emulator to make it work.
There is a choice to make a GIF of the GBA game from the emulator itself. Frames limits are often set to limit the computer’s processor and RAM usage, aside from battery backup for laptops.
12. NeonDS
The last in the never-ending list of GBA emulators is NeonDS. It is a classic emulator with several technical features for experienced gamers to play around with.
The graphics settings for rendering the display have the choice between Nvidia and ATI. it’ll help those with a fanatical graphics processing unit.
This Game Boy Advance emulator for PC is more relevant for the sports who enjoy the technical aspect of ROMS quite the game itself.
Conclusion:
GBA emulators are essential for revisiting classic Game Boy Advance titles on modern devices. They simulate the GBA hardware through software, providing an accurate and convenient way to play these games without the original handheld. With options like VisualBoyAdvance, NO$GBA, BatGBA, and mGBA available, GBA emulation makes it easy to enjoy the beloved GBA library whether on a computer, phone, or tablet. Though emulation can never fully replicate the original experience, it remains the next best thing for reliving nostalgic GBA memories.
Mustafa Al Mahmud is the founder and owner of Gizmo Concept, a leading technology news and review site. With over 10 years of experience in the tech industry, Mustafa started Gizmo Concept in 2017 to provide honest, in-depth analysis and insights on the latest gadgets, apps, and tech trends. A self-proclaimed “tech geek,” Mustafa first developed a passion for technology as a computer science student at the Hi-Tech Institute of Engineering & Technology. After graduation, he worked at several top tech firms leading product development teams and honing his skills as both an engineer and innovator. However, he always dreamed of having his own platform to share his perspectives on the tech world. With the launch of Gizmo Concept, Mustafa has built an engaged community of tech enthusiasts who look to the site for trusted, informed takes on everything from smartphones to smart homes. Under his leadership, Gizmo Concept has become a top destination for tech reviews, news, and expert commentary. Outside of running Gizmo Concept, Mustafa is an avid traveler who enjoys experiencing new cultures and tech scenes worldwide. He also serves as a tech advisor and angel investor for several startups. Mustafa holds a B.S. in Computer Science from HIET.