Best GBA emulators for Android, iPhone, PC and Mac

The strongest starting points are mGBA on Windows, Mac and Linux, Delta on iPhone and iPad, and a maintained Android emulator with clear store and developer provenance. If link-cable play matters, confirm that feature for the exact platform and app version before choosing.

Prices and store availability can change after publication, so treat them as dated comparison notes and check the official project or app-store listing before paying. Software availability and the right to use a particular game file are separate questions.

Best GBA emulator 2026: full comparison

Emulator	Platform	Price	Save states	Link cable / multiplayer	Best for
mGBA	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free, open source	Yes	Yes, partial, up to 4 instances	Best overall on desktop
Delta	iOS, iPadOS	Free, open source	Yes	No GBA link (DS online only)	Best on iPhone and iPad
Pizza Boy A Pro	Android	$5.99 one-off	Yes, plus rewind	Yes, local and Wi-Fi	Best on Android
Pizza Boy A Basic	Android	Free, no ads	Yes	No	Best free Android pick
Linkboy	Android	Free with in-app purchases	Yes	Yes, up to 4 players	Android trading and link games
Linking Boy	iOS, iPadOS	Free, $5.99 unlock	Yes	Yes, up to 4 players	iPhone trading and link games
RetroArch	iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux	Free, open source	Yes	Netplay, core dependent	One app on every device
Provenance	iOS, iPadOS, Mac (M1+), Vision Pro	Free, Plus from $3.99	Yes	No GBA link	Big multi-system iOS library
Lemuroid	Android	Free, open source, no ads	Yes, automatic	No	Easiest Android setup
GBA.emu	Android	Unverified (see note)	Yes	Unverified	Low audio and video latency
SkyEmu	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, browser	Free, open source	Yes	No	Running GBA in a browser tab
VisualBoyAdvance-M	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free, open source	Yes	Yes, plus GameCube joybus	GBA-to-GameCube link games
GBA on Switch Online	Switch, Switch 2	£34.99/yr UK, $49.99/yr US	Suspend points, rewind	Yes, online	Licensed, zero ROM hassle

GBA.emu note: its Google Play listing shows no price and a March 17, 2026 update, but third-party app databases still list it at $4.99. The two sources disagree, so treat the price as unverified until you see the install button.

Best GBA emulator for Android

Pizza Boy A Pro ($5.99, best overall). Shaders, 15-second rewind, turbo, custom skins, controller support, RetroAchievements, Google Drive sync, zip and 7z loading, custom BIOS, and emulation of the cartridge gyroscope, tilt sensor, light sensor and rumble so WarioWare: Twisted! and Boktai work properly. Its listing shows updates through July 2026, which almost no rival can claim. Best for: one app that does everything, with no adverts ever.

Pizza Boy A Basic (free, best free pick). Same engine, fewer features, and the listing states plainly that it has no advertising. Last updated May 15, 2026. Start here and upgrade later.

Linkboy (free with in-app purchases, best for trading). From Pixel Respawn LLC, the studio that now runs My Boy! and My OldBoy!. It covers GB, GBC and GBA, carries no ads, and does link cable emulation for up to four players over local network or on one device, which is the feature every other free emulator skips. Updated July 19, 2026.

Lemuroid (free, open source, easiest setup). Libretro cores behind a clean interface that scans a folder and saves state automatically, so you never open a menu. No ads, no data collection, 23 systems, updated April 19, 2026.

GBA.emu (price unverified). Robert Broglia’s open source emulator built on the VBA-M core, deliberately minimal, focused on low audio and video latency, still updated in March 2026. Excellent on Android TV with a physical pad.

Think twice about: My Boy! is still $4.99 but its last update was October 2025 and reviews report saves vanishing after Android storage permission changes. Linkboy, from the same team, is the live product. John GBAC is free but contains ads and paywalls features. Anything simply called “GBA Emulator” with a generic icon is usually an ad wrapper around an old open source core.

Best GBA emulator for iPhone and iPad

The rule changed on April 5, 2024, when Apple updated App Review Guideline 4.7 to allow retro console emulators worldwide. No AltStore, no developer certificate, no jailbreak, no weekly re-signing. Everything below installs from the App Store.

Delta (free, best overall). Riley Testut’s successor to GBA4iOS reached the App Store on April 17, 2024 and went straight to number one. It runs NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, GBA and DS, with Genesis for Patreon supporters. Save states, cheat codes, controller skins, fast forward, Delta Sync cloud saves and RetroAchievements are all included, and it is open source under AGPL 3.0.

Two honest caveats. GBA gets no link cable: Delta’s online multiplayer runs on community Nintendo WFC servers and is a DS feature. And the current build, 1.7.3, dates from October 2025 in the release notes and November 2025 on the App Store, so it has been quiet for a while. The in-app purchases ($10, $15, $30) are Patreon tiers for icons and early features, not a paywall.

Linking Boy (free, $5.99 unlock, best for link play). Pixel Respawn’s iOS build: GB, GBC and GBA with link cable emulation for up to four players over local network or on one device. Version 3.11.0, updated July 2025. This is how you trade Pokemon between two iPhones.

RetroArch (free, most powerful, worst interface). Libretro’s frontend is on 1.22.x, updated November 2025, with iCloud Drive sync, Siri Shortcuts and RetroAchievements. Load the mGBA core for desktop-grade accuracy. The menus are genuinely hostile to newcomers.

Provenance (free, Plus from $3.99). Covers Atari, Nintendo, Sega, PlayStation and more including GBA, across iPhone, iPad, Apple Silicon Macs and Vision Pro. Version 3.3.0 dates from January 2025, and iCloud sync sits behind Provenance Plus.

Folium ($2.99, buy with your eyes open). The App Store’s 3DS option, which also runs DS and GBA. Last updated March 2025, and its App Store rating sits around 2.4 out of 5. Apple’s ban on just-in-time compilation hurts it badly. For GBA there is no reason to pay when Delta is free.

GBA4iOS is dead. Unmaintained for roughly a decade, and its own creator moved on to build Delta. Every site offering a “GBA4iOS IPA” today is an unofficial re-signing operation. Install Delta instead.

Best GBA emulator for Windows and Mac

mGBA (free, open source, best overall). The accuracy benchmark. It emulates the solar sensor, tilt sensor, rumble and Game Boy Camera, links up to four instances in separate windows for local multiplayer, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux plus 3DS, Wii and Switch ports. Note that the current stable release is 0.10.5 from March 8, 2025; version 0.11.0, with a rewritten link cable and netplay layer, is still in development. Nightly builds exist if you want that work now.

RetroArch with the mGBA core (free). Identical emulation quality inside a frontend that also handles your SNES, Genesis and PS1 libraries, with shaders, netplay and achievements. Install RetroArch, then grab the mGBA core from the core downloader.

VisualBoyAdvance-M (free, legacy). The last release, 2.2.3, shipped in October 2024, and the emulation wiki says outright that it “is not updated as often these days and is falling behind in terms of accuracy and performance compared to mGBA”. It keeps one real advantage: joybus support for GameCube-to-GBA connectivity, for Four Swords Adventures and Crystal Chronicles. Use it for that only. The original VisualBoyAdvance without the -M is abandonware from 2004.

SkyEmu (free, open source). At v5 (February 2025) with Windows, macOS, Linux and Android builds plus a web version that runs GBA in a browser tab with nothing installed. Useful on a locked-down laptop or a Chromebook.

On Mac, skip OpenEmu. Still the prettiest frontend, but its last tagged release is 2.4.1 and it ships Intel-only binaries. On Apple Silicon in 2026, use mGBA or RetroArch.

no$gba (Windows, free) is only worth it if you are a ROM hacker who needs the debugger.

Playing GBA on handhelds and consoles

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is the only fully licensed route. The GBA app is included (£34.99 a year UK, $49.99 US, family plans £59.99 and $79.99), works on Switch and Switch 2, and the catalogue keeps growing with titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. You get suspend points, rewind and online play, and never touch a ROM. Our Nintendo Switch 2 review and Switch 2 accessories guide cover the hardware.

Analogue Pocket plays compatible original cartridges on FPGA hardware rather than conventional software emulation. Check Analogue’s official product page for current stock, regional pricing and compatibility before budgeting.

Budget handhelds eat GBA for breakfast. The Miyoo Mini Plus (around $45) and Anbernic RG35XX (around $40) run it flawlessly on Linux firmware such as OnionOS, GarlicOS or muOS. The Anbernic RG405M (around $100) runs Android, so you get Pizza Boy A Pro on a proper d-pad.

Steam Deck and gaming PCs run mGBA or RetroArch natively, and EmuDeck automates the setup. See our best budget gaming PCs guide if you are building around one.

How to set up Pizza Boy A on Android

1. Install Pizza Boy A Basic (free) or Pizza Boy A Pro ($5.99) from the Google Play Store.
2. Using the Files app, create a folder called GBA in Internal Storage.
3. Put your .gba, .zip or .7z files in that folder. Dump them from your own cartridges (see the legal section).
4. BIOS is optional. Pizza Boy runs games on a built-in high-level BIOS. If you have dumped the real 16KB gba_bios.bin from your own console, go to Settings, then Advanced, then Custom BIOS and point it at the file. It fixes the boot animation and a few edge cases.
5. Open Pizza Boy, tap the folder icon, grant storage access when Android asks, and open your GBA folder.
6. Tap a game to launch it.
7. Tap the screen, then the menu icon, then Save State to create a restore point.
8. For a controller, open Settings, then Input, then External controller and map each button. Our best controllers guide covers which pads pair cleanly with Android.
9. In Pro, turn on Settings, then Backup, then Google Drive so saves survive a new phone.

How to set up Delta on iPhone

1. Open the App Store, search Delta, install it. It is from Testut Tech and it is free. Do not sideload, and ignore any site offering a Delta IPA.
2. Save your .gba file into the Files app, under On My iPhone or iCloud Drive. Delta accepts .gba for GBA, .gb and .gbc for Game Boy, and .nds for DS.
3. Open Delta and tap the + button in the top right.
4. Select the .gba file. It appears under Game Boy Advance in your library.
5. No BIOS is needed for GBA. Delta only asks for BIOS files for Nintendo DS, and skipping those costs you the DS home screen and dual-slot GBA functionality, nothing more.
6. Tap the game to play. Pause with the menu button, then Save State or Load State.
7. Turn on Delta Sync in Settings and connect Google Drive or Dropbox so saves survive a new iPhone.
8. Pair a PlayStation, Xbox or MFi controller in iOS Settings, then Bluetooth, then assign it under Delta, Settings, Controllers.
9. For cheats, pause, tap Cheat Codes, pick the format (GameShark, Action Replay or Code Breaker) and paste. Our Pokemon Emerald cheats list is formatted for this.

Why is my GBA emulator lagging, losing saves or ignoring my controller?

Lag and stutter. GBA is a 2001 handheld, so raw power is almost never the cause. Turn off shaders and upscaling filters first, then set frame skip manually to 0 instead of auto. In RetroArch, switch the video driver to Vulkan on Android or Metal on Mac and turn Runahead off. On laptops, plug the charger in, because battery-saver modes throttle the GPU hard.

Crackling audio. Raise the audio latency slider (64ms is a safe start) rather than lowering it. Crackle means the buffer is too small.

Saves have vanished. The most common Android complaint in 2026, and it is usually storage permissions rather than a bug. Scoped storage can revoke an app’s folder access after an update or a phone migration. Check three things: that All files access is granted in Android Settings, that your games are in Internal Storage rather than a removed SD card, and that the .sav file sits beside the .gba file with an identical filename. Then turn on cloud backup.

In-game saves work but save states do not load. States are tied to the exact emulator build and often the exact ROM, so an update can break them. Use in-game saves for real progress and states for convenience.

Controller will not pair. Pair the pad in your phone or computer’s Bluetooth settings before opening the emulator, not after. If it connects but does nothing, map the buttons manually, because auto-detection guesses wrong on third-party pads. On iOS only one app captures a controller at a time, so force-close other games. If input feels delayed, use a USB-C cable and the latency disappears.

White screen on boot. The file is corrupt, or it is a large ROM hack the emulator cannot handle. Re-dump the cartridge. Delta’s own documentation gives the same advice.

Is using a GBA emulator legal?

This is not legal advice, and copyright exceptions differ by country. Emulator software, game files and firmware are separate items with separate rights questions.

Use official emulator downloads and game copies you are entitled to use. If you want to preserve a cartridge you own, research the rules that apply where you live and use reputable cartridge-dumping hardware. Do not download BIOS or ROM files from an unknown site merely because the emulator itself is legitimate.

Freetins does not link to ROM libraries. That keeps this guide focused on emulator quality, setup and official game access rather than distributing copyrighted game files.

GBA emulators to avoid in 2026

App	Platform	Status	Why to skip
GBA4iOS	iOS	Dead	Unmaintained for a decade. Its creator built Delta instead. Every current IPA is unofficial.
VisualBoyAdvance (original)	Windows	Abandonware	Last updated 2004, and superseded by mGBA on accuracy.
OpenEmu	Mac	Stalled	Last tagged release 2.4.1, Intel-only binaries. Use mGBA on Apple Silicon.
My Boy!	Android	Fading	$4.99, last updated October 2025, with recurring save-file complaints. Linkboy is the live product.
John GBAC	Android	Ad-supported	Free but carries ads and paywalls features. Pizza Boy A Basic has neither.
Generic “GBA Emulator” apps	Android, iOS	Avoid	Ad wrappers around old open source cores, often with heavy tracking.
Any app bundling games	All	Avoid	Distributing ROMs is infringement. Legitimate emulators ship empty.

How this guide was reviewed

Availability and maintenance claims were checked against official project sites and store documentation. Prices remain dated snapshots, and the guide separates emulator legality from the separate question of game-file rights.

FAQ: GBA emulators

What is the best GBA emulator in 2026? mGBA is the strongest desktop starting point and Delta is the simplest iPhone and iPad option. On Android, compare the current official listings for Pizza Boy, Lemuroid and other maintained choices because price and feature availability can change.

Can I use a GBA emulator on iPhone without jailbreaking? Yes. Apple changed App Review Guideline 4.7 on April 5, 2024 to permit retro console emulators worldwide, and Delta launched on the App Store on April 17, 2024. Delta, RetroArch, Provenance, Linking Boy and Folium are all normal App Store downloads. You no longer need AltStore, a developer certificate or a jailbreak.

Is downloading a GBA emulator legal? Emulator software and game files are separate legal questions, and the rules vary by country. Use official emulator downloads and only game files you are entitled to use; obtain local legal advice if you need a definitive answer for cartridge backups.

Which GBA emulator supports link cable for Pokemon trading? Linkboy on Android and Linking Boy on iOS, both from Pixel Respawn LLC, do link cable emulation for up to four players over local network or on one device. Pizza Boy A Pro also supports local and Wi-Fi multiplayer. On desktop, mGBA links up to four instances and VisualBoyAdvance-M adds GameCube joybus support.

Do I need a BIOS file to play GBA games? Usually not. mGBA, Delta and Pizza Boy all include a high-level BIOS replacement that runs almost the entire commercial library. A real 16KB GBA BIOS improves the boot animation and a handful of edge cases. If you want one, dump it from your own console rather than downloading it, since the file is Nintendo copyright.

Why did my save file disappear on Android? Almost always storage permissions rather than a bug. Android’s scoped storage rules can revoke an emulator’s folder access after an update or a phone migration. Grant All files access in Android Settings, keep games in Internal Storage rather than a removable SD card, and check the .sav file sits beside the .gba file with the same name.

Is there an official mGBA app for Android or iOS? No. The mGBA FAQ states that nobody on the project is a mobile developer and there is no official port. The mGBA core is available inside RetroArch on both Android and iOS, which gives you the same emulation quality in a different interface.

Can I play GBA games legally without any ROMs? Yes. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack includes a licensed Game Boy Advance catalogue on supported Switch hardware. Original cartridges on compatible hardware are another route. Check Nintendo and hardware makers for current availability and pricing.

Is GBA4iOS still worth installing? No. It has been unmaintained for around a decade and its creator, Riley Testut, replaced it with Delta. Sites offering GBA4iOS IPA files are unofficial re-signing services with no link to the original project. Install Delta from the App Store: it is free, open source, and does everything GBA4iOS did.

What is the best free GBA emulator for Android? Pizza Boy A Basic. It uses the same engine as the paid Pro version, its listing states explicitly that it has no advertising, and it was updated on May 15, 2026. Lemuroid is the alternative if you want open source with automatic save handling. Avoid free emulators that show ads mid-game.