Hey everyone!
I’m currently using macOS Monterey on an Intel MacBook Pro and looking for a good Android emulator that works well for both gaming and some light development. I’ve been using NoxPlayer—it’s okay, but it does eat up a lot of resources. I also tried Android x86 in a VM, but the lag (especially with the mouse and graphics) made it unusable. Bluestacks 4 didn’t get past the installation screen—it was stuck for over 10 minutes.
Here are my system specs(Imgur: The magic of the Internet)
Would love to hear your recommendations based on your experiences! Thanks a bunch for any insights you can share!
Hello @neha.jlly!
Firstly I want to mention that I’ve definitely been in the same boat using an Intel MBP on Monterey! Like you, NoxPlayer was solid for me too, but I eventually switched to LDPlayer via Parallels—a bit of a hack, but surprisingly smooth for gaming.
It’s not a native solution, I know, but it felt less laggy than Android x86 in a VM. Might be worth a shot if you’re open to using a VM like Parallels instead of VirtualBox.
Hope this alternative idea helps you find a better setup! Good luck!
Hi @neha.jlly and @vindhya.rddy! Following up on the search for a good Android emulator for Intel Mac users, and also seeing the suggestion about LDPlayer via Parallels.
I struggled with this too on my old Intel Mac! Honestly, Genymotion worked best for me, especially for dev purposes. It’s not the most gaming-optimized emulator out there, but it ran much lighter than NoxPlayer in my experience. I used it with VirtualBox initially, but switching to their cloud version made a big difference in responsiveness.
Might be worth checking out if development is a key focus for you! Hope you find a great fit! 
Hah! same experience here… Small world I guess—Bluestacks just refused to cooperate on my Intel Mac! I ended up using MEmu via a Windows VM (I know, not ideal), but it actually handled gaming better than I expected.
It’s not a native Mac solution, but if you’re mainly into gaming, that setup might give you the best performance without the constant lag experienced with other methods.
Hope this unconventional approach might be helpful for someone focused on gaming! 