Software & Apps > Apps The 7 Best Chromebook Emulators for 2024 Transform your Chromebook into just about anything By Andy Wolber Andy Wolber Freelance Contributor Southern Methodist University Spring Arbor University Andy Wolber is a former Lifewire writer who has been writing about technology for 15+ years. His focus is G Suite, iOS, and nonprofit sector apps. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 25, 2024 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Apps Best Apps Payment Services Trending Videos Close this video player Chromebooks not only deliver a quick-to-boot browser but also let you install and run Android apps. You can run many apps for older platforms within the Chrome browser, and the combination of Android apps and browser access opens up a huge world of Chromebook emulators. Unfortunately, not every Chromebook can run Android apps; see The Chromium Projects' list of supported Chrome OS systems for more information. However, if you received your Chromebook from school or work, an administrator may manage or limit which apps you may install or access. 01 of 07 Nintendo 64: M64Plus FZ Emulator What We Like Links to setup and controller mapping guides. Access to many adjustable settings. What We Don't Like Different profiles may be needed for different games. The M64Plus FZ Emulator app lets you run many Nintendo 64 games. It offers many controls you may customize, as well as links to a few guides that walk you through setup and configuration. Download M64Plus FZ Emulator 02 of 07 A Free PSP Emulator: PPSSPP - PSP Emulator What We Like Useful and detailed product support site. Updates tend to fix many specific issues. What We Don't Like Some settings can cause graphics or audio issues. Updates not as frequent as some people might prefer. Unlike many PlayStation Portable (PSP) emulators, the free PPSSPP - PSP emulator includes easy access to a variety of homebrew apps and demos you may download, all for free. Of course, you can use your own files, too. The app lets you adjust a huge number of graphics, audio, networking, and other system settings. A paid version of the PPSSPP emulator allows you to support the developers who maintain this emulator. For anyone who uses the app that can afford it, this provides a financial incentive to the developers to fix bugs, improve compatibility, and continue to maintain the app. Download PPSSPP 03 of 07 Play NES or SNES Games: John NESS What We Like Access to two emulators within the app. Manageable number of settings. What We Don't Like Updated version added ads. Key mappings can be complicated to configure. John NESS delivers an emulator intended to work with both Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games. The app includes ads, which may be removed with an optional upgrade. Download John NESS 04 of 07 Play GBA or GBC Games: John GBAC What We Like Access to two emulators within the app. Settings offer several options. What We Don't Like Lacks multiplayer support. Not all games and controllers work on all systems. Like its counterpart listed above, John GBAC delivers an emulator for both Game Boy Advance (GBA) and Gameboy Color (GBC) games. You may use the app for free with ads, or pay a one-time fee to remove them. Download John GBAC 05 of 07 Play Nintendo DS Games: DraStic DS Emulator What We Like Plenty of configuration options. Detailed help and instructions. What We Don't Like No WiFi or multiplayer support. No free trial or test version. This paid Nintendo DS emulator offers some customization, so you may adjust and play games at larger-than-original resolution. The app supports many custom video, audio, and controller settings you can adjust, and allows you to enable support for cheat codes. Download DraStic DS Emulator 06 of 07 Best Commodore 64 Emulator: Mobile C64 What We Like Can type in programs with Commodore 64 Basic. Easy-to-access overlay controls for gaming. What We Don't Like Keyboard doesn’t remap modern layout to Commodore 64 settings (e.g., quote key is Shift-2 as it was on the C64). Commodore 64 style function keys not present on Chromebooks. Mobile C64 lets you type in and run Commodore 64 Basic apps, as well as load and run any Commodore 64 games you may have. The app includes a few large overlay areas for controls, and settings for emulated storage, so you don’t have to search for now hard-to-find 5-¼” floppy disks. Download Mobile C64 07 of 07 Desktop as a Service: Amazon WorkSpaces What We Like Full access to a remote Windows system. Can install many Windows apps. What We Don't Like Reasonably fast internet connection needed. Cost may be a barrier for some people. Amazon WorkSpaces delivers cloud desktops, which means you can sign up for the service, then access your WorkSpace from a Chromebook, or almost any mobile, tablet, or desktop computer. You can install and configure Windows apps in your WorkSpace, and while most apps and games work, some with specific graphics requirements may either require customization or just not work. Amazon offers both usage-based and monthly pricing for a huge range of remote computer configurations. Download Amazon WorkSpaces Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit