How To: Play Nintendeo DS, PlayStation, PSP & Other Console Games on Your Android

In a previous feature, we took a look at how you could use emulators to play retro games for systems like the original Nintendo, Super Nintendo (SNES), Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64 and Gameboy on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Now, lets jump further into time and cover how you can do the same on for the console gaming systems of decade that followed. Lets relive some classics (Final Fantasy VII, anyone?)!

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PlayStation One/PSX

Released in North America in 1995, it has been nearly 18 years since this console was birthed. Though that age may seem rather old, there are many classics that were created on this very console. From Final Fantasy VII to Resident Evil to Silent Hill to Spyro, there are many great 3D games that were released on Sony’s first platform. These not very demanding games tech-wise allows them to be perfect for your Android device. While there are several PSX-specific emulators, all of them cost a few dollars. Because of that, the emulator we’re suggesting to you is RetroArch Android.

This is a really great free emulator that has not just PSX, but NES, SNES, Genesis, MegaDrive, Master System, PC Engine, GBC, and more. Featuring save/load states, rewinding, gamepad compatibility, and more, this is a great overall emulator. The only downside and note we have for you on this emulator is that switching between different individual emulators, say SNES and PSX, requires you to also manually switch the on-screen controller. Otherwise, you’ll be playing your PlayStation games with a SNES controller. Other than that, this is a great emulator to enjoy all your favorites on.

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GameBoy Advance

While RetroArch does include a GBA emulator, I personally use a different emulator for my GBA games, because nothing beats an emulator designed specifically with that system in mind. So, for the GBA, check out the emulator, My Boy! Free. Other than the quite funny name, this is an emulator that does take itself very serious. Note however, that this emulator does not allow for save/load states. That is only in the paid version.

For most, that won’t be problem though however as many games (Pokemon, Fire Emblem, etc) are totally fine using only the original in-game save feature. It’s also good to use the in-game save feature should you want to transfer games over to a new device. We’ve have had trouble retaining save states from emulators. However, the in-game save states on a ROM will remain intact. This emulator is also great if you have a lower-end Android device, as it boasts the largest range of compatibility.

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Nintendo DS

After the monumental success of the GBA, Nintendo revolutionized once again handheld gaming. With the (at the time) crazy idea of having two screens, one of which was touchscreen, the DS gathered quite a following, becoming the greatest selling handheld of all time. With such a huge success, there’s no wonder you’d want to play all those cartridges you have without the need of carrying a DS along with your Android device around. That’s why nds4droid is that emulator for you.

Several notes here though. It is slow and yes, even on higher-end phones. The developer is working hard though to update it so that games run smoother. Thankfully, he has added several features you can tweak such as frame skipping and others to quicken games. Because of the current state of this emulator (trust us, others are even worse), we suggest playing games that are slower-paced and not technically-demanding. Examples are Pokemon, Fire Emblem, visual novel such as 999. Hopefully soon the speed will increase so that even a greater range of games can be enjoyed.

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PlayStation Portable

With the strong competition between the Japanese game companies, Sony and Nintendo, it was inevitable that Sony would attempt to take a crack at the handheld side of gaming, that up until that point was completely owned by Nintendo. Sony’s first handheld, the PSP, was a huge success of its own. The emulator we suggest is PPSSPP.

This emulator is the very first PSP emulator for Android and it looks great. Unlike all emulators on here, the developer put careful consideration into make the software actually have its very own interface and menus as opposed to rather tedious file-searching UI’s of other emulators. It is very new though, so there are still steady updates to increase the speed of games, but for all your PSP needs, this is the app for you.

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Happy Gaming!

There you have it! We’ve traveled through the past couple decades and caught you up on emulators you can download and use right now on your favorite Android device.

AndroGeek does not, under any circumstance, support piracy and/or any illegal means of acquiring ROMs (more on what these are in a bit), but simply the acquisition of entirely legal emulators.