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Play classic Gameboy titles for free on any smartphone or tablet

Play classic Gameboy titles for free on any smartphone or tablet

Vote: (29 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Fast Emulator

Version: 1.6.2

Works under: Android

Vote:

Program license

(29 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Fast Emulator

1.6.2

Works under:

Android

Pros

  • One of the few working free GBA emulators for Android
  • Completely configurable control scheme

Cons

  • Porting from PC to Android may cause issues
  • Tiny bugs (but emulators are impossible to perfect)

My Boy! Free GBA Emulator is an Android app that plays Gameboy Advance ROMs right on your Android device.

Older console emulators are nothing new. They have been in production since the 1990s, and they've continued to evolve. While the emulators themselves are legal, there is somewhat of a legal gray area on acquiring games to use on emulators. You'll have to look into your country's specific laws, but it's generally copyright infringement to download ROMs (copies of old games) without permission from the company that holds the rights to that game.

Past the legal issues, My Boy is a fairly solid emulator. We had very little playback problems, which is something to be said given how lackluster some other GBA emulators for the Android platform have been. One thing worth noting is that this emulator was originally released for PC and was ported to Android. While this means that the team who made it is experienced and well-versed, it also means that there are likely some problems that can't be foreseen. However, since it's a game emulator and not a medical device interface, the issues are likely too small to be noticed.

The controls are completely configurable, which is vital for any game emulator on the Android market. The touch response is fast, and games feel like they do on the original platform (minus the hardware, of course). In short, this is a great option if you're looking for an emulator that is both free and actually works. There will be small issues due to porting, but all-in-all, it's a solid app.

Pros

  • One of the few working free GBA emulators for Android
  • Completely configurable control scheme

Cons

  • Porting from PC to Android may cause issues
  • Tiny bugs (but emulators are impossible to perfect)