BlueStacks (available since 2011) is the best-known and probably most-used Android emulator worldwide. The US emulator scores points because of its product maintenance tools and continuous updates. In addition, it is easy to install and intuitive to use. If you encounter problems with the software, the BlueStacks community on Reddit boasts over 25,000 members that offer help. In addition, the official website provides access to many help articles (e.g. instructions on how to use and how to optimally configure the emulator).
Like most Android emulators, BlueStacks specializes in games that can be played smoothly in high resolution even on larger screens and can be controlled using a mouse and keyboard. When creating game controls, users can rely on basic configurations. In addition, you can use your own gamepad and adapt it to your individual needs (for example, by keymapping). Familiar touchscreen functions can be simulated on a PC (tapping, swiping, shaking, zooming, tilting, etc.). BlueStacks' multitasking capability allows you to switch apps and be active across several applications at the same time.
You can quickly find popular top games via the App Center. You can also download books, music, and movies, and install interesting apps as well as programs you’ve already purchased from the Google Play Store. The Android emulator is known for its broad support of Android apps. Installation and compatibility problems are rare.
Access to the Play Store and subsequent synchronization with an existing account (e.g. to download apps you have already purchased) are only possible with a Google login. Thus, you’ll need to register with Gmail and be able to access a corresponding email address. This registration requirement is often interpreted as a disadvantage of BlueStacks. However, most users already have a Google account, which is mandatory for using the Play Store on Android smartphones and tablets.
For special applications and games, you can bypass the Google Store and directly install so-called APK files (APK = Android application package). The files are available from special websites, but you should definitely check how reputable they are before installing them. You can install APK files conveniently via drag-n-drop by simply dragging the setup file into the emulator window. If BlueStacks is already installed and linked to .apk files in the system, double-clicking the installation file is sufficient.
BlueStacks – like most emulators – runs best on Windows 10 (64 bit) but supports versions beginning from Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit versions). You should have at least 2GB RAM available. 32- and 64-bit versions are available for download. Those who use a 64-bit Windows PC can even download an installation version for 64-bit Android apps (advantageous for performance-hungry games). The current version (BlueStacks 4) emulates Android Nougat – not the latest version, but most current apps and games will still run smoothly on the OS.
One of the disadvantages of the Android emulator is that only the ad-supported version is available for free (with sponsored ads and ad breaks). The ad-free premium subscription costs only a few dollars per month. However, you will still encounter ads within the Play Store apps (in-app ads) irrespective of your subscription. The community repeatedly complains that BlueStacks installs games, bloatware, and adware in the background without consent. The manufacturer asserts in its blog that the official version does not contain any hidden malware, spyware, or other undesirable additional software. A scan of the current official installation file by VirusTotal did not reveal any anomalies.
The manufacturer also mentions in its privacy policy that it complies with the data protection regulations applicable in Europe. However, the US company discloses collected data to third parties and is obligated to adhere to the Cloud Act (in some cases, collected data must be made available to US investigative authorities).
Users have repeatedly reported performance issues. Such problems are not uncommon for emulators in general, since they run as “system-in-system” and require a lot of resources, especially for gaming. However, there are also sources that classify BlueStacks as a particularly powerful and fast emulator that is characterized by good performance and low latencies.
Much like other Android emulators, BlueStacks has some options that can improve performance (e.g. flexible allocation of computing and system resources, enabling virtualization). Ultimately, the performance depends on the resources that are available. Of course, the performance of the network plays a role. This can be used to play live with other users (BlueStacks supports numerous team and online games).