Note that this list includes two classes of games: Class A, compatible with Game Boy systems which predate the Game Boy Color. They feature the text 'Yes' in the column indicating backward compatibility. The backs of the boxes for such games are labeled 'Compatible with Game Boy' and the cartridges of these games are typically molded in black. No$gba Compatibility List. 0153-THE INCREDIBLES-RISE OF THE UNDERMINER (U): PARTIAL (LOTS OF GRAPHICAL DEFECTS) 0152-SIMPLE DS SERIES VOL.3 THE MUSHITORI OUKOKU (J): FULLY PLAYABLE. 0151-MARVEL NEMESIS-RISE OF THE IMPERFECTS (E): FULLY PLAYABLE. 0150-MEGA TEN BATTLE NETWORK 5-DOUBLE TEAM DS (U): FULLY PLAYABLE. Nice update nocash thanks so much. Is it possible to merge an edited emulated DSi bios to use the real DSi functions?, emulated and edited to make it legal!, Only 'the original is forbidden'. The new version is now having real non-experimental DSi emulation.
Nintendo Game Boy Advance was a huge success and was one of the best handheld gaming consoles. However, they are no longer available, but we still like to play the old and best GBA games like Pokémon, TMNT, Astro Boy, Dragon Ball Z, and several others. All this can be made possible using GBA Emulators for PC - Windows, Linux, and Mac. Today, we’re going to share the list of best GBA emulators or Game Boy Advance Emulators for PC.
In case you’re wondering Game Boy Advance is the upgraded version of the Game Boy Color with the ability to run more advanced games with better color quality and packs powerful hardware.
Table of Contents
- 1 Best GBA (Game Boy Advance) Emulators for Windows PC 2019
- 1.1 mGBA – Best GBA Emulator for PC
- 1.2 VisualBoy Advance GBA Emulator
- 1.3 NO$GBA Emulator – Best for GBA ROMS
- 1.4 Higan GBA Emulator – Best Emulator to Run GBA Games on PC
- 1.5 BatGBA Emulator – Best to Run GBA ROMS
If you still own Nintendo Game Boy Advance, then you don’t have to depend on the GBA emulator to enjoy your favorite GBA game. However, if you don’t own one, but want to enjoy the top GBA games, then installing free GBA Emulator is the best way.
Best GBA (Game Boy Advance) Emulators for Windows PC 2019
These GBA emulators are specifically designed to run GBA games on Windows PC. Some of them even offer some extra features which are otherwise missing from the handheld gaming console.
mGBA – Best GBA Emulator for PC
mGBA is one of the best Game Boy Advance emulator for PC. It extends the support for the game even beyond what is usually supported. It offers some additional features if you plan to play GBA ROMS.
The additional features include the ability to save the game at any point, cheat codes support and patches for the games that do not run properly. Some of the features of mGBA are listed below.
No$gba Compatibility List 2020
mGBA Emulator Features:
- mGBA emulator supports cheat codes.
- Ability to run patches on games to run it smoothly.
- Easy to use and setup
- Supports massive catalog of GBA games
- Cheat codes support
- Save game states
- Fast-forwarding and rewinding
- Compatible with NES classic series
- 4 Player Local multi-pack link cable support
- Extensive hardware-based emulation
- Solar sensor emulation, Tilt sensor emulation, and Rumble Pak emulation for games
Download mGBA Emulator
VisualBoy Advance GBA Emulator
VisualBoy Advance is the most stable Gameboy Advance Emulator and is one of the oldest and well-known Game Boy Emulators.
It is available for Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD, and BeOS. Also, the emulator is ported to AmigaOS 4, AROS, GameClub, Wii, webOS, and Zune HD.
VisualBoy Advance emulator comes loaded with a lot of features that are not available on the standard handheld console. It truly changes the gaming experience on this emulator and lets players enjoy the game how they want to.
VisualBoy Advance GBA Emulator Features:
- It can run Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance ROMs.
- Ability to export and import saved games to other PC.
- Joystick Support.
- Full-Screen mode and screen capture support.
- Screen recording with audio.
- Allows you to save the game and import on other PC
- Supports controllers, joystick and button remapping
- Record gameplay and take screenshots
- Cheat codes support
- Doesn’t run well on the old computer hardware
Download VisualBoy Advance GBA Emulator
Recommended
NO$GBA Emulator – Best for GBA ROMS
No Cash GBA or NO$GBA has gained fame because of its unique name. However, the name is not the only thing the emulator is famous for; it has more to offer than its name.
Apart from being able to run GBA ROMs (games), it can also run Nintendo DS games and offers multiplayer support, controller support and more.
NO$GBA emulator is available in 2 versions, debugged version and gaming version and supports Windows and DOS operating systems.
NO$GBA Emulator Features:
- Multiplayer Support.
- Controller Support.
- Runs GBA and DS games.
- Multiple NDs ROM support.
- Runs both GBA and NDS games
- Allows support for controllers
Download NO$GBA Emulator
Higan GBA Emulator – Best Emulator to Run GBA Games on PC
Higan GBA emulator is another great emulator that lets you play GBA games on PC. The emulator is simplistic and supports almost any computer hardware.
Apart from supporting GBA games, it also supports Famicom, Super Famicom, Sega Master System, Game Boy Color, Mega Drive, and Game Gear.
It supports multiple operating systems like Windows, FreeBSD 10.0+, Linux, and macOS. It makes the Higan a multi-system GBA emulator for PC.
Higan GBA Emulator Features:
- Supports full screen.
- Use and store cheat codes easily.
- Higan offers SRAM and input settings.
- It supports a wide range of ROMs.
- Supports NES and SNES games.
- Supports a vast majority of ROMS
- Easy to use and setup
- Enhanced color reproduction
Download Higan GBA Emulator
BatGBA Emulator – Best to Run GBA ROMS
BatGBA emulator is on the best and lightweight emulator for GBA games. It offers many features and runs smoothly on any PC configuration or hardware.
The BatGBA emulator for PC requires less storage space and can run all commercial and non-commercial GBA games with ease.
As the emulator is lightweight, it lacks some of the advanced features. However, it does what it says, and we cannot complain about it.
BatGBA Emulator Features:
- Supports all commercial and non-commercial GBA games.
- Requires no-nonsense installation.
- The emulator is perfect for people looking for simplicity
- Easy to use
- Runs every GBA game
- Doesn’t require a lot of knowledge
Download BatGBA Emulator
Bonus
Above was the list of top 5 best GBA emulator for PC. However, if the above emulators don’t interest you can try the two emulators listed below.
- BoycottAdvance Emulator – Download
- Rascalboy GBA Emulator - Download
Conclusion
These are the Best Game Boy Advance Emulators for PC. Most of the above emulators support Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. Try any of the Best GBA Emulators and share your experience with us in the comment section below.
This page may contain affiliate links so we earn a commission. Please read our affiliate disclosure for more info.
- 2Nintendo
- 3Sony
- 4Sega
- 5Microsoft
- 6Other consoles
- 7Personal computers
Multi-system
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | RetroArch | ✓ |
| BIOS files | Mednafen(standalone) | ✓ |
| BIOS files | OpenEmu | ✓ |
| ROMs Pack(0.151) | MESS | ✓ |
| ROMs Pack(v16) ROMs Pack(v17) | PCem | ✓ |
| ROMs Pack | 86Box | ✓ |
Nintendo
NES / Famicom
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Computer Disk System BIOS file | Various | ✓ | Required for FDS emulation. MD5 Hashes |
SNES / Super Famicom
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satellaview BS-X ROMs | higan(bsnes) Snes9x | ✓ | Required for some Satellaview releases. Including Japanese original ROM, no-DRM ROM and English-patched ROMs (DRM or no-DRM). |
| Sufami Turbo BIOS file | ✓ | Required for Bandai's Sufami Turbo emulation. | |
| SuperDisc BIOS file | No$SNS(1.6) | ✓ | Required for Sony's SNES-CD emulation. |
| Super Game Boy boot ROM | higan(bsnes) | ✓ | Required for Super Game Boy emulation. MD5 Hashes |
| Coprocessor firmwares | ✓ | Including CX4, DSP1/1A, DSP1B, DSP2, DSP3, DSP4, ST010, ST011 and ST018. More information |
Nintendo 64
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLE RSP plugin | Project64 | N/A | |
| 64DD IPL and PIF ROM (JPN Retail) | CEN64 | ✓ | Required for 64DD emulation in CEN64. Japanese region only. |
| 64DD IPL (JPN Retail) | Project64 | ✓ | Required for 64DD emulation in Project64. |
| 64DD IPL (US Retail) | |||
| 64DD IPL (JPN Development) |
GameCube / Wii
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GameCube IPL BIOS file | Dolphin | ✓ | Optional. Required for rendering original system fonts. MD5 Hashes |
| DSP-LLE plugin | ✓ | Optional. Needed for more accurate low-level emulation (LLE) of DSP audio. Required in Dolphin for connectivity with GBA units. An incomplete HLE solution removing this requirement exists. | |
| Swiss | N/A | Optional. GameCube homebrew utility. More information Old version (r241) | |
| Wii WC24 network SSL certificates | ✓ | Optional. Required for connecting to Wi-Fi Connection service. More information |
Game Boy / Game Boy Color
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy (DMG) boot ROMs | Various | ✓ | Optional. |
| Game Boy Pocket (MBG) boot ROM | ✓ | ||
| GBC boot ROM | ✓ | Optional. Required for color palette support for monochrome GB games. |
Pokémon mini
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS | Various | ✓ | Optional in PokeMini and minimon. |
Game Boy Advance / e-Reader
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boot ROM | Various | ✓ | Optional. Required for some games, homebrew, and connectivity with the GameCube. |
| e-Reader BIOS files | ✓ | Required for e-Reader emulation. Including Card e-Reader (Japan), Card e-Reader+ (Japan) and e-Reader (USA). |
Nintendo DS / DSi
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS BIOS files and firmware | Various | ✓ | Optional for DeSmuME and No$GBA. Required for melonDS, GBE+, medusa and other emulators. |
| iQue BIOS files and firmware | ✓ | ||
| DSi BIOS files | No$GBA | ✓ | Required for Nintendo DSi emulation. |
| DSi NAND dump | ✓ | Optional. Improves compatibility for Nintendo DSi emulation. Update No$GBA in the package to the latest version is highly recommended. | |
| DSi BIOS & NAND (USA) | melonDS, No$GBA | ✓ | Required for DSi emulation on melonDS. Includes BIOS and firmware for both the DS and DSi, and a NAND dump. For No$GBA, rename: nand.binbiosdsi7.binbiosdsi9.binto DSi-1.mmcBIOSDSI7.ROMBIOSDSI9.ROMrespectively, and place them in the No$GBA main folder. |
| DSi BIOS & NAND (EUR) | ✓ | ||
| DSi BIOS & NAND (JAP) | ✓ | ||
| DSi BIOS & NAND (JAP Classroom) | ✓ | ||
| DSi BIOS & NAND (CHN)(iQue) | ✓ | ||
| DSi BIOS & NAND (AUS) | ✓ |
Nintendo 3DS
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra data | Citra | ✓ | Required for some games. |
| Bootroms | ✓ | Required for fuse-3ds to decrypt encrypted games. |
Wii U
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fonts | Cemu | ✓ | Required for rendering text properly in some games. Lacks three more unused fonts, but Cemuhook has their replacements. |
| Online files | Cemu(1.11.0 or later) Decaf | ✓ | Optional. Needed for online connection. Lacks unbanned account.dat file unique to the console but some custom servers with lax authentification are working in progress. |
| Menu files (EU) | Cemu(1.11.4 or later) | ✓ | Version 5.5.2, European region Required for rendering Mii and improving compatibility. More information Can be accessed from the .rpx under mlc01systitle0005001010040200codemen.rpx. |
| Menu files (US) | ✓ | Version 5.5.2, US region Required for rendering Mii and improving compatibility. More information Can be accessed from the .rpx under mlc01systitle0005001010040100codemen.rpx. | |
| Menu files (JP) | ✓ | Version 5.5.2, Japanese region Required for rendering Mii and improving compatibility. More information Can be accessed from the .rpx under mlc01systitle0005001010040000codemen.rpx. |
Nintendo Switch
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared fonts and derivation keys | yuzu | ✓ | Required for some games and encrypted ROMs. |
Sony
PlayStation
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Required for some emulators. More information and MD5 Hashes Copyright-free HLE BIOS files replacements exist for other emulators. |
| Crash Bandicoot pre-extracted data | PSXperia | ✓ | Required for repackaging ISOs for use with PlayStation Pocket, given that PSXperia is only able to extract wrapper data from two specific releases of the Crash Bandicoot APK. |
PocketStation
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | PK201 | ✓ | Required for PocketStation emulation. |
PlayStation 2
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Required for PlayStation 2 emulation. More information and MD5 Hashes |
PlayStation Portable
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original fonts | Various | ✓ | Optional. Required for rendering original system fonts. Emulators have replacement fonts. |
PlayStation 3
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official firmware | Various | ✓ (Archive) | Required for PlayStation 3 emulation. |
PlayStation Vita
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official firmware | Various | ✓ (Archive) | Required for PlayStation Vita emulation. |
PlayStation 4
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official firmware | Various | ✓ (Archive) | Required for PlayStation 4 emulation. |
Sega
Master System
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Kega Fusion | ✓ | Optional. |
Genesis / Mega Drive / CD / 32X
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis / Mega Drive BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Optional for Kega Fusion and other emulators. |
| CD BIOS files | ✓ | Required for Sega CD emulation. | |
| 32X BIOS files | ✓ | Required for 32X emulation. |
Saturn
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Mednafen SSF | ✓ | Required for Mednafen. Optional for SSF. |
Dreamcast
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | nullDC | ✓ | Required for Dreamcast emulation in nullDC. MD5 Hashes |
| BIOS files | DEmul | ✓ | Required for Dreamcast, Naomi and Hikaru emulation in DEmul. MD5 Hashes |
| VMU BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Optional for ElysianVMU. Required for MAME. |
Microsoft
Xbox
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | XQEMU | ✓ | Required for Xbox emulation. |
| Blank HDD image | ✓ | Required for Xbox emulation. Pre-built 8G blank image. | |
| BIOS files | MAME | ✓ | Required for Xbox emulation. MCP-X bootrom included in the package is a bad dump. |
Other consoles
3DO
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Required for 3DO emulation. |
Atari 7800
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS file (NTSC) BIOS file (PAL) | ProSystem | ✓ | Optional. |
Atari Jaguar / Jaguar CD
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Optional for Atari Jaguar emulation. Required for Atari Jaguar CD emulation (Incomplete). |
NEC PC Engine CD (TurboGrafx-CD)
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files | Various | ✓ | Required for PC Engine CD (TurboGrafx-CD) emulation. |
Personal computers
No$gba Compatibility List
Microsoft/ASCII MSX
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS files and machine configurations | blueMSX | ✓ | Required for MSX games (except some cartridge games covered by the unofficial C-BIOS file). |
| BIOS files | CLK Pantheon | ✓ | |
| System ROMs set | openMSX | ✓ | Required for MSX emulation on certain machines and extensions like Panasonic FS-A1GT for example. Copy all files to ~/.openMSX/share/systemroms (GNU/Linux and MacOS) or %USERPROFILE%My DocumentsopenMSXsharesystemroms (Windows 7 or later). |
NEC PC-6000
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| System ROMs | PC6001V PC6001VX | ✓ | Required for PC-6001 series emulation. |
NEC PC-8800
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| System ROMs | pc8801ma XM8 | ✓ | Required for PC-8800 emulation. |
NEC PC-9800
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fonts (Binary format) | Neko Project II | ✓ | Optional. Needed for rendering text properly. |
| Fonts (BMP format) | Anex86 | ✓ | Optional for Anex86 and other emulators. Needed for rendering text properly. |
No Gba 3.2
Fujitsu FM-7
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| System ROMs | XM7 | ✓ | Required for Fujitsu FM-7 emulation. Some boot, sub-monitor and dictionary files are missing but enough in most cases. |
Fujitsu FM Towns
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup |
|---|---|---|
| FM Towns BIOS | UNZ Bochs MAME | ✓ |
| FM Towns Marty BIOS | MAME | ✓ |
| marty.rom | Xe | ✓ |
Sharp X1
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| X1 and X1 Turbo BIOS | Various | ✓ | Not all files are required for all emulators. |
| X1 Turbo BIOS | X millennium Advance | ✓ | Uses a different naming scheme than other emulators. |
Sharp X68000
| File type(s) | Emulator(s) | Backup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| System ROMs | XM6 Pro-68k XM6 TypeG | ✓ | Required CGROM.DAT and IPLROM.DAT for X68000 Expert emulation.Required SCSIINROM.DAT and SCSIEXROM.DAT for enabling X68000 Expert SCSI interface.Required IPLROMXV.DAT, CGROM.DAT and SCSIINROM.DAT for X68000 XVI emulation.Required IPLROMCO.DAT, CGROM.DAT and SCSIINROM.DAT for X68000 Compact emulation.Required IPLROM30.DAT, CGROM30.DAT and ROM30.DAT for X68030 emulation. |
No$gba Compatibility List Ps3