The PlayStation went on to become an iconic gaming system back then when it was released. It is still considered as one of the best gaming consoles, the PS1 boasts of a huge library of games. If you were the owner of this legendary console, you surely must remember having all fun time while playing for long hours.
Do you miss them? Wouldn’t it be great to play the games once again, you spent all your childhood playing with? Well, you can. That’s where emulation comes into the picture. With the technology getting smarter and advanced with each passing day, it is now totally possible to run those classic games on your Android and PC.
Some of PlayStation emulators, present on the Play Store, have made this possible. Well, emulators let you play the entire library of PlayStation games on Android as well as PC. But first, let’s get to know about emulators.
What is an Emulator?
An emulator is a software program that helps one computer system to reproduce the functions of another computer system. It allows the host system to run the software, tools, peripheral devices and other components which are designed for the guest system.
Emulators are of different types, imitating things such as hardware, software, OS or CPU. But, mainly, the hardware architecture is duplicated to give an environment resembling a guest system. Once the emulator is done, users can access applications or the OS on the emulated system
However, when you search for them, you will find that there is a lot of different emulators to choose from. Thus, to save your time to figure out which one is good, we have come up with the list of the best emulators form which you will definitely find the one that suits you the most.
Here comes the complete list of best PS1 emulators for your Android and PC:
1. ePSXe
ePSXe is reliable PlayStation emulators which is a one-stop shop for quality PS1 emulation. ePSXe has customizable controls and controller support on all platforms, you will experience original PlayStation games with a PS3 or PS4 controller to get a natural experience.
ePSXe has OpenGL developed graphics support, accompanied by a split-screen choice for local multiplayer games. One of its advantages is, it saves and loads states so you can pick up right where you left off. You can download it for free on PC, Mac, as well as Linux. But to download it on the Google Play Store for your Android, it will cost you around $5
2. Mednafen
Mednafen is another best PS1 emulator which not only support PS1 emulation, but also Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and many more, such as long-forgotten platforms like WonderSwan. Mednafen is the short form for “My Emulator Doesn’t Need A Frickin’ Excellent Name”.
PS1 is the most advanced platform it supports, and it runs the vast library excellently. But there are sometimes you need to know about Mednafen. You will require to download your own BIOS files to make it work. Mednafen also controls through your CPU’s command line on its own.
You can download MedGUI Reborn and MetroMed to create a layout that’s friendlier.
3. Xebra
Xebra is another best PS1 emulator that is particularly designed for playing PS1 games on PC. It is available for both platforms which are PC and Android. The emulator lets you play games with excellent graphics quality.
It is user-friendly which is the perfect choice for people having less experience of operating PS emulators. By downloading an adaptable ROM and with the help of Xebra, you will definitely have a great classic gaming experience both on PC and Android, that too free of cost.
Also, the app’s developer has provided an instructional video which will make you undertake how effective is the emulator.
4. BizHawk
BizHawk is a best PlayStation emulator which can be used by casual gamers, however, it has a drawback which is it’s speed running potential. BizHawk allows speed runners use tools to modify gameplay for runs through different games.
BizHawk has different pre-loaded assist tools like rewinding and recording tools, which guide users to manipulate games as they want. Not only PlayStation, but BizHawk can be used for dozens of platforms.
5. FPse
FPse is specially developed for Android which is revised from the PC PlayStation emulator FPSE. It is the best PS1 emulator for Android. ROMs might be compressed, so you do not consume excessive storage space building your library.
It maintains touchscreen controls (with a digital controller) as well as Android compatible gamepads. FPse has a wide range of customization features, like the ability to scale the resolution, save and load states, and even a cheat code menu. It is not free to download and will cost you something around ₹255.
6. PCSX2
If you are looking for emulator stability, PCSX2 is the best PS1 emulator you can use. It operates on the plugin system which allows it to run across the different type of hardware systems. If you know how to manages configuration settings, then you can get most of the performance.
Another best thing about PCSX2 is that it can be used to reproduce PlayStation Original and PS2. Once you fix up the emulator, it can play games directly from the optical drive. The configuration is slightly difficult but if you need to do it properly, then only it’s going to be a total benefit. This is the another best PS1 emulator for PC.
7. ClassicBoy
ClassicBoy is a best PlayStation emulator supports emulating PlayStation One/X, Nintendo64, a couple of GameBoys, and more. Yes, all that in one single package. There are total 8 swipe directions that can be detected on each side of your screen and each one can be mapped to one key of the game.
Apart from gestures controller, ClassicBoy also helps with accelerometer sensor to operate movements for a character. As such, the user can play most of the games using single-handed operation. Moreover, the emulator has support for external controllers, that lets you connect to up to four players to the device.
Classic Boy supports a wide range of games and systems including Nintendo, Gameboy and PlayStation X. It also has adjustable audio and touches control settings.
8. EmuBox
EmuBox is another multi-console emulator which supports duplicating for PS1, NDS, SNES, GBA, GBC, and more. It maintains easy screenshot capture, and also, support for fast forwarding the game speed.
You can also adjust the emulator settings for maintaining the performance of the game on your device, that lets you for running the games on Android devices. EmuBox is an all-rounder emulator app.
It has a number of consoles like SNES, Nintendo DS, NES, and, of course, PlayStation. It includes save and load states, cheat code support, fast forward mode, and hardware controller support.
10. RetroArch
RetroArch is the best PS1 emulator for the PS1. This open-source emulator is based on the Libretro interface which lets you use the app having progressive features like OpenGL, cross-platform camera support, location support, and more.
It has multi-language support as well as well as a multi-platform emulator, in which you have to download “Cores” to operate a ROM or game for that particular console. The app is consistently updated with the new version and the bugs are fixed, which is a plus point.
Final Words!
Above recommended are the best emulators that you can use to enjoy PS1 games on Windows as well as Android. The list is long and there are other emulators available. But the above options are the best considering the ease of utility and compatibility.