The best Pokémon games are usually found on Nintendo handhelds. With the advent of the hybrid home console / portable console with the Nintendo Switch, mainline Pokémon games now appear on the home consoles as the delineation is effectively gone.
Nevertheless, Pokémon games are mostly trapped on obsolete hardware hence emulating them is the better solution as it makes the games playable on modern hardware, but also with better features and improved graphics.
Here are our top Pokémon emulators across different platforms.
1. DraStic, The Best Nintendo DS Pokémon Emulator on Android
The Nintendo DS is the home of the best Pokémon game ever: Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Rounding out the top three best Pokémon games are Pokémon Platinum and Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, also appearing on the handheld. It makes sense that Drastic is the best Pokémon Emulator on this list.
The DS itself is a portable console that has a second cartridge slot for Game Boy Advance (GBA) games, as it is the modus operandi of Nintendo to have backward compatibility in their hardware, at least in the first iterations. However, DraStic cannot run GBA games, so if you want to play GBA Pokémon games you must use the number 2 best Pokémon emulator on this list for that very purpose.
DraStic, unfortunately, is a closed-source software. And it is also not free, but the measly $5 ticket to this best Pokémon emulator is worth every penny. It has several features including graphical improvements, screen customization, controller support, and the usual save state/load state and fast-forwards. There is no Wi-Fi support currently.
DraStic is only available on Android as a payware. It does have ports on Pandora and Pyra and if you are asking what those are, you certainly do not have the hardware that runs them. There is a Linux version of this emulator but it is only Raspberry Pi. Obviously, there are workarounds for you to run this emulator on your desktop environment, but it is not straightforward and will require you to run a literal Inception when you run an Android emulator running a DS emulator on your PC / Mac.
As to the Pokémon games that can run on DraStic, the highly regarded HeartGold and SoulSilver are the remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, which are Game Boy Color classics. The narrative is retained however the male player character received a redesign and the female player character is replaced by Lyra from Kris. Nevertheless, much of the game is expanded and changed for the better. There is no point in playing the original game since HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best versions of those games.
Pokémon Platinum is the combination of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Again, this version is the better version as the best of both worlds is now amalgamated into one. While there are expansions of the map, the core gameplay remains with sprinkled improvements like being allowed to ride a Bicycle in gatehouses, the requirement of Strength to access Wayward Cave’s hidden area being abolished, and the Sinnoh starter Pokémon being allowed in the Amity Square.
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are only the time that Nintendo has had a direct sequel of a game retaining their titles. There are a lot of improvements from the first iterations of the game that makes the sequel so much better. Even after all these years, Black 2 and White 2 are must-play Pokémon titles.
Pros
- Fully-featured
- In constant and active development
- Runs on weaker Android phones
Cons
- Paid app
- Essentially Android only
- Has incompatibilities in certain popular Android OS flavors
2. melonDS, Alternative DS Pokémon Emulator on Several Platforms including the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation Vita
For a long time, Drastic has been the only viable DS emulator. Good thing, melonDS survived a hiatus from its sole developer back in 2018. This emulator aims for accuracy instead of hacky boosted performance on select hard-to-emulate DS games. Good thing, most of these emulators have Pokémon games as the baseline game to run, so you are not going to have a hard time playing these games due to the almost perfect performance.
melonDS is open source, and most importantly free. It runs on several platforms which include all the desktop environments Windows, Linux, and macOS. There are unofficial ports to Android, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation Vita, so when you are going to run games on these platforms you better expect some performance and compatibility issues. Besides, as of this writing, the accuracy of this emulator is merely Medium-Accurate. But since this is an open-source endeavor, there will be improvements along the way, and at its current state, you can pretty much emulate any of the DS Pokémon games mentioned above.
This emulator, unlike DraStic, has multiplayer support and GBA slot add-ons. These features might be necessary if you are trading, but it just cannot be ignored that DraStic is significantly better in terms of performance.
Pros
- Emulates both GBA and DS Pokémon Games
- Free
- Accurate
Cons
- Unofficial ports on non-desktop environment
Download from the official website
3. DeSmume, Alternative DS Pokémon Emulator on the PC
Just like melonDS, DeSmume had seen a rapid improvement over the years. It is one of the most accurate DS emulators but as you can remember, Pokémon games on the DS do not really need accurate emulation to the core, as they are not hard to emulate. Unfortunately, this emulator is only available on PC but good news for the Retroarch fanboys and fangirls over there as this is the core that is mostly recommended core on that frontend.
Essentially, this emulator is also available on any platform where Retroarch can be found. However, temper your expectations since DeSmuMe is one of the most resource-intensive emulators and unlike DraStic, may not run well on cheap or older Android phones. Even if you are running the DeSmuME core on your greatest and latest Android hardware, it will not run as great as that of the standalone PC emulator. It may run Pokémon games but you might encounter several problems along your adventure.
Pros
- In rapid development
- Has a Retroarch Core
Cons
- Resource Intensive
- Not as accurate as melonDS
Download from the official website
4. mGBA, The Best Game Boy / Game Boy Color and GBA Pokémon Emulator on Several Platforms
mGBA is one of the best emulators out there feature-by-feature. It is also one of the most accurate, hence, it is the perfect Pokémon games emulator which appeared on the Game Boy Advance. This emulator can run on a lot of hardware including the Nintendo 3DS itself and the PlayStation Vita. It can also emulate Game Boy / Game Boy Color games, but Gambatte (no. 11 on this list) is better suited for such a task.
mGBA is also compatible with the NES Classic, so there’s another hardware for you to emulate your favorite GBA Pokémon games. Other features include multi-pak link cable support, hardware-based emulation that gets rid of the hacky patches. It also has basic code support, fast-forward/rewind, save states/load states, and wireless adapter support that is needed in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and Pokémon Emerald.
Speaking of Pokémon Emerald, it is one of the best Pokémon games ever. Just like Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon Emerald is a ‘combination’ of two Pokémon games, those being Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. This game runs on mGBA so well, you will not need Pokémon emulators out there including the two succeeding emulators.
As for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, they were remakes of the first generation that are considered superior due to their inclusion of all the key features introduced until that point in time, such as all the then-existing Pokémon, along with numerous new areas and additional storyline. They even introduced fresh elements, like the VS Seeker or the Fame Checker.
Pros
- Feature-rich
- Literally complete in terms of GBA emulation
- Available on a wide range of hardware
Cons
- Game Boy / Game Boy Color Pokémon emulation is better with Gambatte
Download from the official website
5. Citra, The Best 3DS Pokemon Emulator on the PC and Android
The Nintendo 3DS games are usually not put on the higher tiers of best Pokémon games. However, that should not be the case as those bashing the 3DS Pokémon games are the noisy minority which is both unreasonable and toxic. There are several 3DS Pokémon games that are worth playing like Pokémon Sun (unfortunately runs badly on Citra) and Moon and even those non-mainline Pokémon games like Pokémon Picross.
Pokémon Picross, while we are at it, runs perfectly on Citra. The mainline Pokémon games vacillate between “Great” and “Bad”. Pokémon Bank could not run at all. This is the main reason why Citra is all the way back in this list as the mainline Pokémon games do not run as well as you would expect. Buying the 3DS is the only way to play them without encountering bugs and whatnot.
Pros
- In active development
- Free
Cons
- Most Pokemon games run iffy
- Cannot emulate 3DS home screen
Download from the official website
6. VisualBoyAdvance-M, Alternative GBA Pokémon Emulator on Several Platforms
mGBA is just the superior GBA emulator across the board. If for any reason you would prefer any other Pokémon emulator instead of mGBA, then VisualBoyAdvance-M can be an option. One thing that VisualBoyAdvance-M does better than mGBA is sound emulation. If you have golden ears, then this is clear-cut choice. This Pokémon emulator has Wireless Adapter Emulation which is necessary for sharing Pokémon across different titles.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Wireless Adapter Emulation
Cons
- mGBA is much, much better
7. Pizza Boy GBA, Premium GBA Pokémon Emulator on Android
PizzaBoy GBA is also another alternative for the mGBA. Pizza Boy GBA has great UI. The speed bar and the rewind bar are on the interface itself. Hence, if you are trying to catch Pokémon with Pokéballs and you are having a hard time capturing the pocket monsters, then just rewind and rewind. You can always save scum, but of course, when the interface provides an easier tool, just use it then.
There is a free version that should suffice, but there are features that are available only on the pro version. Is the pro version worth it? Probably, but the premium features are not that great for the price. This is one of the few customizable emulators on this side of DraStic as it supports skins. Only Retroarch exceeds its personalization options.
Pros
- Has a no-ads basic version
- Gets updated often
- Rewinding is on the GUI itself
Cons
- Not as accurate as mGBA
- The pro version is not as robust feature-wise compared to free emulators
Download from Google Play (Basic)
Download from Google Play (Pro)
8. GBA.emu, Alternative Premium GBA Pokémon Emulator on Android
This is another option if you do not like mGBA or Pizza Boy GBA. GBA.emu is based on VisualBoyAdvance-M so that should be a better option since they are equal in terms of performance and feature set. Features include cheat support, RTC emulation, and filtering audio. Unlike most of the emulators out there, GBA.emu has high-level BIOS emulation, which means you do not need to hunt down BIOS for the emulator to run.
Pros
- VisualBoyAdvance-M based
- Does not require BIOS to run
Cons
- Paid app, and expensive for what it is
- Everything else is much better
9. Ryujinx, The Best Switch Pokémon Emulator on PC and macOS
Pokémon Arceus is the one that changed the Pokémon landscape. It is totally different from all those Pokémon games that are mentioned in this list. Emulating Pokémon Arceus may seem like a hard task to do, but it is not. In fact, the two Nintendo Switch emulators, Ryujinx and Yuzu are amazing at emulating these Pokémon Switch games.
Ryujinx, while still in the experimental phase, can run Switch games. Ryujinx supports 4K resolution. This makes your Pokémon Arceus, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu! and Eevee! look better as opposed to running on the Switch docked or not.
Even the non-mainline Pokémon games like the New Pokémon SNAP, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team D, Pokémon Quest, and Pokkén Tournament DX can play on this emulator.
Other features of Ryujinx include shader cache and local wireless multiplayer.
Pros
- In active development
- Can run on different desktop environments
- Able to emulate most Pokémon games
Cons
- Still in its infancy
Download from the official website
10. yuzu, Alternative Switch Pokémon Emulator on the PC and Linux
yuzu is another experimental open-source Switch emulator that is still yet to have a stable release. While it is much simpler to set up than Ryujinx it does not run Pokémon Arceus at all. Fortunately, it runs Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! perfectly. Pokémon games running great on this emulator includes Pokémon Quest, Pokémon: Let’s Go, and Pikachu! Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, Pokémon Shield, and the New Pokémon Snap.
Pokémon Sword only runs “Okay”, meaning, there are still lots of bugs and glitches that you may encounter whilst emulating the game. Other Pokémon games that emulate “Okay” on yuzu are Pokémon Shining Pearl, Pokken Tournament DX, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shiled Double Pack Digital Version.
Features of this Pokémon emulator include resolution scaling, Vulkan support, and OpenGL implementation. yuzu’s advanced features are behind a subscription. By paying $5 per month, Patreon subscribers will have the first taste of the new features that will be implemented later in the free version.
Pros
- Emulates a good number of Switch Pokémon games
- In active development
Cons
- Cannot emulate Pokemon Arceus
- Good features are locked behind a subscription
Download from the official website
11. Skyline, The Only Switch Pokémon Emulator on Android
The Nintendo Switch runs on an Arm processor hence technically it should not have difficulty running on Android gadgets. Skyline is not necessarily an emulator but a compatibility layer for the Nintendo Switch to run on Android.
As of this writing, its performance as a Pokémon emulator on Android is mediocre at best. It may be possible to emulate these Pokémon games if you purchase the paid testing version “Skyline Edge”. Still, that is not recommended as there are no warranties that any of these games run. This emulator also requires support for Android 10 or newer with a 64-bit processor, and that means only the latest flagship phones or tablets have the best chance of emulating Switch Pokémon games.
Pros
- In active development
- Available on Android
Cons
- Needs hefty hardware
- Good performance is (maybe) locked behind a paywall
12. Gambatte, The Best Game Boy / Game Boy Color Pokémon Emulator with Speedrunning Community Approval
Gambatte is our top emulator for the Game Boy / Game Boy Color (GB / GBC). It is the perfect choice if you want to emulate Pokémon games available on the GB / GBC platforms. To be fair, the only GB / GBC Pokémon game worth emulating is Pokémon Crystal. Other GB / GB Pokémon games are now superseded with good remakes, such as the case of Let’s Go! series as the better and updated version of the Pokémon Yellow (which is essentially the OG Pokémon games: Red and Blue).
There is also a fork named “gambatte-speedrun” armed with accuracy improvements specifically for Pokémon games. So if you are into hardcore speedrunning especially with Pokémon titles, Gambatte is the best Pokémon emulator for that very purpose.
Pros
- Extremely Accurate
- Speedrunning Community approved, for Pokemon games specifically
- Does not rely on plugins
Cons
- Not in active development
Download from the official website
13. Sameboy, The Best Game Boy / Game Boy Color Pokémon Emulator for the Mac
In terms of performance, Sameboy is on the same level as Gambatte and mGBA. However, Sameboy’s audio emulation, unlike the mGBA, does not experience intermittent issues and even provides better audio than the original hardware while retaining its nostalgic charm.
Additionally, it emulates the multiplayer features of the Game Boy/Game Boy Color, including link cable and infrared emulation, making it ideal for trading exclusive Pokémon like Gengar, Golem, and Alakazam in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow.
Sameboy also offers typical emulator functionalities like speed settings such as turbo, rewind, and slow motion, along with cheat support. It even has debugging tools for the most hardcore enthusiasts. For Mac users, Sameboy is an incredible option as it supports the Retina display, enabling scaling without any visual artifacts.
Pros
- Very accurate
- Nice GUI
- Widescreen support
Cons
- No standalone port in mobile
Download from the official website
14. Gearboy, The Best Game Boy / Game Boy Pokémon Emulator on the iPhone
Gearboy necessitates both a Mac and some technical expertise to install the emulator, so this might not be the best solution for a Pokemon emulator for iOS users. Even if you want to emulate Pokémon games through Gearboy, the process, and setup requires a lot of money and basically not worth it. Granted, that native application is better in performance, but most people are best served with Game Play Color below.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Runs on iOS
Cons
- Dwarfs in features compared to the competition
15. Game Play Color, Alternative Game Boy / Game Boy Color Pokémon Emulator on the iPhone
Game Play Color offers a clever workaround to Apple’s devices’ restrictive, walled-garden approach. Unlike Gearboy, which requires a Mac to build a project on Xcode and an iOS developer certificate to run it on iOS, Game Play Color does not require any of these complexities.
As a Progressive Web App (PWA), it only needs Safari to function, although it does need Google Drive for storing ROMs. However, this approach may raise privacy concerns for Apple users or those who value their privacy. Nonetheless, the emulator works excellently for its intended purpose. As the Pokémon games in this era do not need hefty emulating power, Game Play Color is a frictionless solution for Apple users.
It’s worth noting that this method may soon become obsolete, and traditional emulators could be installed on iOS devices when Apple permits third-party storefronts on its devices.
Pros
- Supports iOS
- Does not require jailbreak or side loading
Cons
- Requires Google Drive
Follow the instructions from the official website
16. Retroarch, All-in-One Pokémon Emulator Solution across Several Platforms
Retroarch is not a conventional emulator but rather a front-end program that houses “cores” which emulate the games. The primary advantage of using front-end applications like Retroarch over standalone emulators such as mGBA, Gambatte, or Sameboy is the ability to switch between different Pokemon games on different platforms instantly. Provided, that there is a core for Retroarch, of course.
The biggest advantage of Retroarch is that it can run on different platforms and some of the emulators may not have a native or standalone application. Other features of Retroarch not available on all of these Pokemon emulators are RetroAchievements and, of course, its granular control of everything, from performance to interface.
Pros
- Highly configurable
- Miraculous input lag reduction
- Available in a surprisingly broad range of gaming hardware including the PSP and the 3DS
Cons
- Not beginner friendly
- Menu digging
