While emulators are legal, the distribution of copyrighted ROM files is illegal. This article does not promote or endorse the distribution of copyrighted material. Users are responsible for obtaining ROM files legally, such as by purchasing physical copies of the games or through legal digital distribution platforms.
Additionally, many emulators require BIOS files to function properly. BIOS files are essential components of the emulated console’s hardware. While BIOS files are often freely available online, it’s important to be aware that their distribution may be subject to legal restrictions. Users should research and understand the legal implications of obtaining and using BIOS files before doing so.
Retroid Pocket 3+: A Retro Gaming Marvel
I have been playing lots of my favorite games with the superb Retroid Pocket 3+. This is an older Unisoc Tiger T618-powered handheld Android gaming console, but it has enough power to play loads of classic mid-90s and older console titles without breaking a sweat.
It’s also tailored out of the box to play lots of games – and has been my choice of gaming handheld alongside the Steamdeck OLED for a little while now. You will have a better experience with a newer device and a paired gaming controller, as the chipset is underpowered compared to the latest flagship phone.
Playstation Portable (PSP) – PPSSPP
The PSP has so many solid games that you may never have played, and PPSSPP does a perfect job of recreating games in pixel-perfect style. Like lots of Android emulators, you can adjust the resolution output, change antialiasing settings, and clean up the experience with more controls and graphical tweaks. Games look better than they ever did on the original hardware now too. I’ve used PPSSPP on lots of phones over the years, so I’m confident it’ll run on most devices with default settings, but almost anything with a little tuning.
The “Turbo” button lets you fast-forward and speed up slow gameplay loops or cutscenes that drag. I like using it to skip through some slow menus. The UI is easy to navigate, and there are loads of ways to tweak the experience and performance. I even find it’s pretty good on battery, which is important if you want to game for a long time.
Playstation 1 (PS1) – Duckstation
Duckstation is my go-to original Playstation emulator on Android mostly because it’s pre-installed on my Retroid Pocket 3+, it also happens to be one of the best. I prefer it to ePSXe because you can upscale to 4K but at 1080p the gameplay experience is absolutely flawless. Having a powerful Android phone helps with the emulation, but you can get it running on a mid-ranger if you are happy to tinker.
It’s almost unfair that an app this good is completely free – and open-source. You can plug it into RetroArch to handle all of your PS1 gaming if you want that option, too. Be careful when tweaking the settings though, it can cause some issues but the default settings should be fine for most PS1 ROMs.
Sega Dreamcast – Redream
One of Redream’s best features is bringing many classic Dreamcast titles to a potentially wider audience. Some games need some tuning, but most will run smoothly even on lower-end hardware.
The interface is nice and clean, wi...
