Android Emulator : Nox

Last and certainly not least on our list is Nox. Like Bluestacks, Nox is an Android emulator that is set up to cater to gamers. This includes utilities and additions that are specifically catered to helping gamers control their games using their keyboard and mouse. This includes things like the capacity to assign “swipe right” to, say, an arrow key and simulate actual gesture movements directly on your keyboard or joystick if you have one. It’s a lot of fun and seems to work rather well most of the time. It’s also entirely free. The video below was recorded with laggy software (not Nox, but the screen capture software), but there is a good explanation on how the key macros work.

Download Nox

YouTube Video

Android Emulator : Bluestacks

Bluestacks has long been the de facto solution for putting Android on your PC, at least for gaming. For a while, they fell behind but have spent much of the last year bringing much needed updates to their platform. The result, dubbed Bluestacks 2, is a faster, more stable, and an overall better Android emulator for PC than its predecessor. It supports multitasking apps and has built-in functionality for things like shaking the screen and setting a location, features it did not previously have. It’s still marketed mainly to gamers, but it is now far better for those looking for productivity solutions as well. The price remains the same as it did previously, which is free with an optional $2/month premium subscription. If you are interested in gaming, you can also pick up Bluestacks TV which lets you watch streams live on Twitch and it also allows you to broadcast your own Twitch streams.

Download Bluestacks

YouTube Video