# Best Game Boy Advance emulator: mGBA, the Gold Cartridge pick

Page: https://whichemulator.wtf/gba/ · Reference: WEM-GBA-RZHZ

The Ask API at `GET https://whichemulator.wtf/ask` answers questions from the same data as this page, and it is the only place the setup steps are published. It takes `q` (the question, 3 to 500 characters) and an optional `page` (a local path such as `/gba/`). It returns JSON `{answer, consoles, sources, follow_ups}`, or Markdown when the request sends `Accept: text/markdown`. No key; 30 requests a minute per IP. Guide: https://whichemulator.wtf/skill.md

Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo, 2001.

## Recommended: mGBA

whichemulator.wtf calls its recommendation for each system the Gold Cartridge pick. For the Game Boy Advance, the Gold Cartridge pick is mGBA.

mGBA gets the balance right: very accurate, fast enough for weak hardware, and full of practical features like link cable emulation, solar and tilt sensors, and cheats. Its developer's research has improved every other GBA emulator too. No BIOS needed.

Runs on Windows · Mac · Linux. Open source. Download: https://mgba.io

## Alternatives

- [SkyEmu](https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/releases) (Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iOS, open source): Highly accurate GBA emulation with native Android and iOS builds, which mGBA doesn't offer. Also runs in a browser.
- [NanoBoyAdvance](https://codeberg.org/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance) (Windows · Mac · Linux, open source): Cycle-accurate and aimed at people who care about getting every timing quirk right. Needs a GBA BIOS, ideally dumped from your own console.
- [Mesen 2](https://www.mesen.ca) (Windows · Mac · Linux, open source): Recently added GBA support alongside its NES, SNES and Game Boy cores. Its debugger is the main reason to choose it.

## RetroArch cores

- mGBA: The default choice
- gpSP: For low-end devices; less accurate
- VBA-M: Older, superseded by mGBA

mGBA is the core to use unless your device can't keep up.

## Hardware

- CPU: ARM7TDMI, 16.78 MHz (+ Z80-class GB CPU)
- Memory: 32KB + 256KB WRAM, 96KB VRAM
- Resolution: 240×160
- Colours: 32,768
- Library: ~1,500 games

## Notes

### A solved problem

GBA emulation is in a good place. Several emulators now pass test suites that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, and almost every commercial game runs properly in mGBA.

The old favourite, VisualBoyAdvance, and its VBA-M fork still work, but they're behind on accuracy and there's no reason to start with them today.

### On your phone

mGBA has no official Android or iOS app. SkyEmu does, and it's accurate, free and open source. On Android you can also run the mGBA core in RetroArch.

## Support the developers

- [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/mgba)

## Questions the Ask API answers

- [Which Game Boy Advance emulator should I use on Android?](https://whichemulator.wtf/ask?q=Which+Game+Boy+Advance+emulator+should+I+use+on+Android%3F&page=%2Fgba%2F&via=page)
- [Which RetroArch core should I use for the Game Boy Advance?](https://whichemulator.wtf/ask?q=Which+RetroArch+core+should+I+use+for+the+Game+Boy+Advance%3F&page=%2Fgba%2F&via=page)