Guide GameBoy Advance Emulators (GBA Emulators): how to play retro games?

[exi]

Remember those times when pocket GameBoy Advance consoles were main lifesavers on trips and during breaks? If you want to bring back old memories, you don't need the console itself - just install emulator. Here we'll figure out how to download GBA emulator, set it up and play games.

GameBoy Advance Emulators for Different Platforms​

Download GBA Emulator for Android​

Android is perfect platform for emulation. There are dozens of apps here, but if you're looking for simplicity and stability, check out My Boy! or Pizza Boy GBA.

Open Google Play Store. Type "GBA emulator" in search - you'll see top options. Hit "Install" and wait for download. Games are downloaded separately. You can install them by following this

You cant view this link please login.

.

• You cant view this link please login.
  is one of most popular GBA emulators on Google Play with over 5 million downloads. Users like its high performance and accuracy when running GBA games on Android phones. With this emulator, you get all necessary features including compatibility with most GBA games, fast forward and slow down options, cheat support, external hardware support, and more.
• You cant view this link please login.
  is another great option that's free, open-source, and built for perfection. It runs games at stable 60 frames per second, even when your phone is on 10% battery. Plus it's battery friendly, comes with Google Drive cloud sync, custom shaders, and controller support.

Game Boy Advance Emulator for iOS​

With iOS everything isn't so rosy. Apple blocks emulators in App Store, but there are workarounds:

• You cant view this link please login.
  - program for installing third-party apps. Through it you can download Delta Emulator, which supports GameBoy, Nintendo and other consoles. You need to regularly update apps, once every 7 days for AltStore.
• You cant view this link please login.
  - for example, iGBA. You can easily download it through App Store and enjoy retro Game Boy Advance games. However, the original iGBA was removed from App Store due to copyright violations.
• You cant view this link please login.
  is now officially available on App Store. It's all-in-one emulator for iOS that supports NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS. Delta offers modern design, easy setup, controller support, save states, cheat codes, and cloud syncing.

Game Boy Advance Emulator for PC: VisualBoyAdvance​

For Windows and Linux, best choice is VisualBoyAdvance or better yet, the improved mGBA. These are emulators with open source code that easily run GameBoy games, support saves, cheat codes and even network play.

mGBA is currently considered the #1 emulate for Game Boy Advance. It's focused on being fast enough to run on lower-end hardware while maintaining high accuracy. mGBA is actively developed with regular stable, dev, and nightly builds.

How to install mGBA:

1. Go to
   You cant view this link please login.
   and download version for Windows or Linux.
2. Extract archive and run mGBA.exe file
3. In File menu select Open and specify path to ROM.
4. For better compatibility download
   You cant view this link please login.
   . Put it in emulator folder and specify path in settings.

You cant view this link please login.

is improved fork of original Visual Boy Advance. While original VBA hasn't been updated for over decade, VBA-M is actively developed for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It features sensor emulation, new tweaks and performs well for playing favorite GBA games.

Emulator Setup:

No matter which device you chose - basic settings are similar everywhere:

1. Game speed: usually "+" buttons or speed slider.
2. Saving: use quick save slots, often F1-F5 on PC.
3. Graphics: play with filters, like Pixel perfect for sharpness.
4. Controls: on Android you can adjust button transparency, on PC - assign keys.

If game lags, enable Frame skip option or reduce resolution.

FAQ for Game Boy Advance Emulators​

• Which Game Boy Advance emulator is better for weak phones?
  My Boy and Pizza Boy are optimal options. They consume few resources, support game acceleration and save progress.
• Apple forbids emulators. How to bypass this dictatorship?
  For AltStore you need computer, download AltStore on PC. Connect iPhone, install AltStore through iTunes. In AltStore find Delta emulator and install it. Alternatively, you can now get Delta directly from App Store.
• Why is Visual Boy Advance better than others?
  Actually, mGBA is now considered better than VBA. mGBA is reliable, and also has network play, cheats and saves.
• Game started but screen is black.
  Most likely, game file is corrupted. Try downloading it again. If it lags - enable Frame skip in settings.

Conclusion​

GameBoy emulators aren't just nostalgia. They give second life to classics like Pokémon Emerald or The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, letting you play anywhere: in subway on Android, at home on computer or even on iPhone using clever workarounds. If you have questions about installing GameBoy Advance emulator, ask them in comments.