Android emulators have one common problem: before you can play, you have to install the app, get the game file, copy it somewhere, and set up the controls. For a game you want to try for ten minutes on the tram, this is a disproportionate amount. But there is a way that skips this step altogether — old online games will run directly in the browser, without installing anything.
How it works
In the last few years, emulation has moved to the browser. The core of the emulator is translated into WebAssembly, which is understood by every modern browser, including Chrome on Android. The game is downloaded to the page's memory, launched in virtual DOS, and runs smoothly even on a mid-range phone. Nothing is installed, and there is no trace of the game after closing the tab.
The game runs directly in the mobile browser, the controls are below it.
Touch screen control
This is a weakness of emulators, because the keyboard from the 90s is poorly translated to the display. The solution is touch buttons arranged according to the specific game: for platformers, a cross and two buttons are enough, for strategies, swiping with your finger like a mouse is more suitable. If you have a Bluetooth controller, it works too.
What to play
Classics that were played on school computers are now mostly freely available. Action games work well on phones because they have short levels and simple controls.
You can try Doom , for example — it loads in a few seconds and starts right in the browser, without configuration.
Lemmings launch on oldgame.cz, without installing anything.
Saving the procedure
In games from that era, saving is often hidden somewhere in the menu, or it's missing altogether. A modern solution gets around this by saving the entire emulator state — with one tap you can save the exact moment and return to it later. When you create an account, your saved position is transferred to another device, so you can finish a game you've played on your computer on your phone.
What to watch out for
Data. The game is downloaded in full, so the first launch on mobile data will swallow a few megabytes to tens of megabytes depending on the title. You won't notice it on Wi-Fi, larger games are worth it on data.chat at home. And the second thing: battery. Emulation loads the processor just like a regular mobile game.
