If you find yourself seeking the best SNES emulators for Android, it’s likely you’re well-acquainted with the world of emulators and are eager to revisit those nostalgic gaming moments. But for those who are new to this realm, let me offer a concise introduction to emulators and present some handpicked suggestions for the top SNES emulators designed specifically for Android. Emulators, whether in software or hardware form, essentially serve the purpose of replicating the functions of one computer system to make it behave like another.
In simpler terms, it’s a piece of software that transforms your device into a different electronic device, making it act like that other device. To grasp this in the context of this article, envision an emulator as an application that transforms your Android device into a video game console, enabling you to play games originally designed for that specific console. It’s important to emphasize that merely downloading an emulator doesn’t grant access to a library of games. Instead, it serves as a platform for running compatible ROMs of games, which you can obtain from online sources.
What is an SNES emulator?
As the name suggests, a SNES emulator is a piece of software or hardware that works like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) on a different system, usually a computer or cell phone. In Japan, the SNES was also called the Super Famicom. It was a popular video game system that Nintendo made in the early 1990s. An SNES emulator’s main job is to let people play SNES games on something other than the original system. The emulator copies the hardware and programme environment of the SNES, so games made for the SNES can be played on the emulator.
Best SNES Emulators for Android Comparison Table
The elimination of the requirement to keep actual game cartridges results in a space savings due to the fact that games are now digitally saved as ROMs. Playing Super Nintendo Entertainment System games on an Android device uses significantly less power than playing modern 3D games, offering it a choice that is kind to the environment.
| Feature | User Interface | Save States | Cheats | Fast Forward | Customization | Netplay | Controller Support | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snes9x EX+ | User-friendly | Yes | Limited | Yes | Basic | No | Yes | Download Now |
| SuperRetro16 | User-friendly | Yes (with ads) | Yes | Yes | Extensive | Yes | Yes (ad-free) | Download Now |
| John NESS | User-friendly | Yes (with ads) | Yes | Yes | Extensive | Yes | Yes (ad-free) | Download Now |
| RetroArch | Varies by core | Yes | Yes | Yes | Highly customizable | Yes | Yes | Download Now |
| MultiSneS16 | User-friendly | Yes (with ads) | Yes | Yes | Basic | No | Yes | Download Now |
List of the Best SNES Emulators for Android
You can play classic games with your friends if you use an emulator for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) that supports local or online multiplayer gaming. Emulators can improve the graphics of SNES games by making it possible to select games with higher resolutions and by improving the rendering quality.
Snes9x EX+
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Platform | Android |
| Emulated Console | Super Nintendo (SNES) |
| Compatibility | High |
| User Interface | User-friendly |
| Save States | Yes |
| Cheats | Limited |
| Download Now |
Speaking from personal experience, Snes9x EX+ is an old hand when it comes to SNES emulators. It has been one of the best SNES emulators since the beginning. This open-source emulator has many of the basic features you’d expect from a SNES emulator. It can save and load game states, has on-screen control options, works with.smc,.sfc, and zip file types, and lets you use a gamepad.
Although it might look a little retro, it works perfectly on almost all Android devices. Notably, Snes9x EX+ is totally free and doesn’t have any in-app purchases. This makes it a real gem, especially since the developer has a history of making great emulators.
The Good
- User-friendly interface.
- High compatibility with SNES games.
- Save states and fast-forward features.
The Bad
- No premium, ad-free version available.
SuperRetro16
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Platform | Android |
| Emulated Console | Super Nintendo (SNES) |
| Compatibility | High |
| User Interface | User-friendly |
| Save States | Yes |
| Cheats | Yes (with ads) |
From what I’ve seen, SuperRetro16 may be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. This is based on my own personal experience. There are in-app purchases available, including the choice to buy a version of the emulator that does not contain advertisements.
It is one of the options with the greatest number of features accessible, and it provides graphics improvements that make the gameplay run more smoothly. It is among the most feature-rich selections. In addition, SuperRetro16 offers the practicality of cloud saves, which gives a solid strategy for backing up the information associated with your game.
The Good
- High game compatibility.
- Extensive customization options.
- Features cheats and netplay.
The Bad
- Some features like fast-forward require ads.
John NESS
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Platform | Android |
| Emulated Console | Super Nintendo (SNES) |
| Compatibility | High |
| User Interface | User-friendly |
| Save States | Yes |
| Cheats | Yes (with ads) |
I can vouch for its utility because I have used another emulator that John made, this time for the SNES. This emulator has many great features, such as the ability to play games faster or slower, support for zipped game files, compatibility with Bluetooth and MOGA controllers, support for Dropbox (through John DataSync), the ability to save states with previews, and a layout that you can change to suit your needs. It has a lot of features for playing SNES games on Android, and the best part is that it’s free to use.
But it’s important to note that the ads can get annoying at times while you’re playing. The good news is that you can buy the “remove ads” tool to get rid of them. Just keep in mind that your device needs to have at least Android 6.0 OS to run this SNES emulator for Android. It’s not a big deal considering how many functions and options it gives you.
The Good
- Strong compatibility with SNES games.
- Extensive customization options.
- Cheats and netplay supported.
The Bad
- Premium version is ad-free but paid.
RetroArch
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Platform | Multi-platform |
| Emulated Console | Various, including SNES |
| Compatibility | Varies depending on cores |
| User Interface | Varies by core |
| Save States | Yes |
| Cheats | Yes |
From my own experience using RetroArch, I can say that it is a flexible open-source all-in-one emulator that works with many systems. It uses the Libretro interface, which, in my experience, makes the most of OpenGL and other cross-platform features to make things run faster overall. In terms of looks, RetroArch gives you a huge number of ways to change things.
These customization options let you fine-tune and make the user interface look and work the way you want it to, making sure you have a pleasant and easy-to-use experience. When it comes to benefits, being able to pick up where I left off on one device and continue playing on another was very helpful. Being able to record gameplay sessions and even live-stream content to sites like YouTube and Twitch adds another level of flexibility and fun, making RetroArch a complete option for people like me who love old video games.
The Good
- Multi-system emulator with SNES cores.
- High customization and modularity.
- Netplay and support for various consoles.
The Bad
- Compatibility varies depending on cores used.
MultiSneS16
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Platform | Android |
| Emulated Console | Super Nintendo (SNES) |
| Compatibility | High |
| User Interface | User-friendly |
| Save States | Yes |
| Cheats | Yes (with ads) |
MultiSneS16 is a noteworthy version of the trustworthy Snes9x open-source emulator, in my experience. Its ability to play multiplayer online or over a LAN without third-party apps is notable. Your Social Network account lets you invite friends to play online, and users can construct public servers for a community gaming experience. MultiSneS16 lets you customise your gaming experience with custom cheat codes, controller setups, and layouts.
Save and load states help track progress, and an offline single-player mode lets you play alone. No ads mean a clutter-free and uninterrupted gaming experience with MultiSneS16. It has multiplayer, infinite save spaces, and is straightforward to use. However, the emulator’s latest update was three years ago, suggesting its inventor may have stopped developing. It’s still a good pick for a simple, ad-free SNES game with multiplayer support.
The Good
- User-friendly interface.
- Good compatibility with SNES games.
- Save states and fast-forward features.
The Bad
- Ad-supported free version.
Benefits of using an SNES emulator on Android
On your Android device, you can play a huge collection of SNES games, even ones that aren’t being made anymore or are hard to find.
- Portability: Your Android device can be used as a portable game system so you can play SNES games while you’re on the go. It’s great for travelling or getting to work.
- Customization: Many emulators let you change preferences for controls, graphics, and other settings to make your game experience better.
- Save States: You can save and load your game progress at any time, so you don’t have to use passwords or the save features built into the game.
- Cheat Codes: A lot of emulators let you use cheat codes to change how the game is played and try out different game features.
How an SNES emulator works?
Emulators allow you to relive the nostalgia of classic SNES games, bringing back memories of your favorite childhood titles.
- How It Works: The emulator copies the SNES’s technology, including the CPU, memory, sound processor, and graphics processing unit (GPU). It copies how these parts work so that games can be played as if they were on the original system.
- BIOS and Firmware: The original SNES BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is needed for some versions to work. The BIOS has the code and data that the game needs to run.
- Game Compatibility: To play SNES games on an emulator, users usually need SNES game ROMs, which stand for “Read-Only Memory.” The game data is on these ROMs, which are digital copies of the game discs. When people put the ROMs into the emulator, it reads them and plays the game.
- User Interface: Most SNES emulators have an easy-to-use interface that lets users load games, change settings, use trick codes, and save and load game progress.
- Performance Optimisation: Emulators try to make sure that games run smoothly and correctly. A lot of emulators let users change settings to make them run faster or look better.
Questions and Answers
If your device has certain specs, these apps might not work as well as others. Most of the time, these apps work better on newer, more powerful devices.
There are paid versions of many SNES emulators that don’t have ads. These versions usually only need to be bought once.
Making sure you follow copyright and intellectual property rules when using emulators and game ROMs is important. Copyrights may be broken if you download and use game ROMs without having the original games.