5 Best GBA Emulators for Android in 2025
The GameBoy Advance, or GBA, was a memorable console, considering it gave us some of the best games, such as Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Mario Golf, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. While these games made our childhood amazing, finding a GBA console to relive these games is next to impossible. But what if there were a way to experience those classic games on your Android phone? This is where emulators come in. In this guide, I’ll show you the top five GBA emulators for Android.
What is an Emulator?
For those who aren’t aware, emulators are software that replicates the inner workings of a given system—like a GBA console—allowing you to run its software and play its games. This lets you relive your favorite childhood games without purchasing the original console.
However, it is important to note that while emulators are legal in all countries, downloading game ROMs from websites isn’t and can get you in trouble. But, if you still have your old GBA game collection, you can easily and legally convert it into ROMs.
Best GBA Emulators for Android
Before we begin, this article covers both free and paid options, and for your convenience, we have mentioned the pricing for each emulator. Let’s get started:
1. My Boy! Lite
- Price: Free (lite version)
My Boy! List is perhaps the most popular GBA emulator for Android, and for good reason. It is only 10MB in size and offers smooth performance without draining your device’s resources, making it a great choice even for budget Android devices.
However, this is not all. Despite being pretty lightweight, the emulator is packed with useful features, including save states, fast-forwarding, cheat code support, and link cable emulation over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for multiplayer gaming. The downside? The lite version has ads and limits the fast-forwarding rate to just 2x.
Moving to the performance, I had no issues running the Mario Golf on my Pixel 6 Pro. The gameplay was super smooth, and there weren’t any lags or stutters.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best performance | Fast-forwarding is limited to 2x in the free version |
| Supports multiplayer | |
| Clean UI |
2. RetroArch
- Price: Free
If you have delved into emulation before, you must have heard about RetroArch. For everyone else, RetroArch is more than just an emulator—it’s a front end where you can install multiple emulators, or “cores,” allowing you to play not only GBA games but games from over 50 other consoles. All you need to do is install the app and download the desired cores (emulators), and that’s it.
In addition to the basics, like changing controls and connecting Bluetooth controllers, the emulator is highly customizable. It lets you adjust graphics filters, audio latency, shaders, and more. However, RetroArch’s UI is a bit clunky and can take some time to get used to.
Regarding the performance, RetroArch handled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 pretty well, providing a smooth, lag-free experience.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive console support | UI is difficult to navigate |
| No ads | |
| Good performance on a variety of hardware |
3. Pizza Boy GBA
- Price: Free
If you don’t like RetroArch’s UI, look no further than Pizza Boy GBA. The emulator has the cleanest user interface, as it doesn’t really have one. Just install the app, tap on the three-dot menu, and load your ROMs. This simplicity makes it easy to use for anyone.
Despite its barebones aesthetics, Pizza Boy GBA does have some features. These include customizing controls, changing graphics settings, connecting Bluetooth controllers, and using cheat codes. However, the free version lacks multiplayer support and quick saves.
To test the performance, I fired up Mario Golf again, and the gameplay was solid. I had no issues playing the game, and there weren’t any dropped frames.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free version is ad-free | No multiplayer support in the free version |
| Good performance on older hardware | |
| Clean, user-friendly interface |
4. GBA Emulator
- Price: Free
While downloading the software isn’t an issue for first-time emulator users, finding game ROMs from a website definitely is, as there is a risk of downloading malware. This is where the GBA Emulator comes into play. The software not only allows you to run game ROMs but also includes an in-built store for users to download their favorite games.
The GBA Emulator also includes several features, such as connecting Bluetooth controllers, saving game states, and customizing controls. However, it also includes many ads, which can be annoying.
Keeping the ads aside, the performance was great in my testing. All my games ran well, and there was no lag or stuttering.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Includes an in-built game library | Very intrusive ads |
| Good performance | |
| Variety of customization options |
5. Nostalgia.GBA
- Price: Free
Nostalgia.GBA is another solid emulator that gets the job done. However, the software differentiates itself with a retro interface that works well and looks amazing.
In terms of features, Nostalgia covers the essentials: save states, Bluetooth controller support, and customizable controls. It also includes a unique Rewind feature, allowing you to go back 10 seconds—perfect for retrying a tough spot. The only drawback is that the free version includes a few ads.
Regarding the performance, I played Advance Wars on the emulator, and the gameplay was pretty smooth and without many problems.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Retro-themed UI | The free version includes ads |
| Includes a Rewind feature | |
| Good performance |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
My Boy! Lite performs best on most smartphones, but your experience may vary based on your device’s specs.
Yes, emulators like My Boy! Lite offers link cable emulation over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Yes, downloading and using emulators is legal. However, downloading ROMs for games you don’t own can be illegal in many regions.
Conclusion
So there you have it—the best GBA emulators for Android. However, since different emulators perform better on different devices, try a few to see which works best for you.
