Time to shift your Android apps and games onto the big PC screen, but how? NoxPlayer is an Android emulator that can help you do just that.
As an Android smartphone user, you may have come across an app or game that you wish you could see and use on a bigger PC screen. Time to bring those wishes to life. Welcome to the world of Android emulators. Here we are going to dive into one such tool – NoxPlayer.
It is a feature-rich utility that emulates the Android operating system on your Windows computer. So, is NoxPlayer worth downloading? Is it safe? In this NoxPlayer review, we’ll unveil many aspects of this Android emulator – its features, pricing, speed, and much more.
What is NoxPlayer?
NoxPlayer is an Android emulator that lets you run Android apps and play many popular Android games on your Windows PC. As of now, it supports Android 9, and Android 12 Beta. You can further choose which Android version you want to run on NoxPlayer. For example, when trying to use multi-instance you can switch to Android 6.0 or later.
Why Use NoxPlayer?
– Play a variety of Android games on a bigger PC screen.
– Test cross-platform applications.
– Multitask and run both Windows software as well as Android applications simultaneously.
– Transfer files from PC to NoxPlayer and vice versa.
– Scale resources such as RAM and storage.
System Requirements for NoxPlayer
- Operating System – Windows 11/ 10/ 8.1/ 8/ 7 (support the Multi-instance feature), Windows XP/ Vista (Support Single-instance)
- Processor – Minimum Intel or AMD dual-core processor. When running 2 or 3 instances, multi-core processors supporting AMD-V or VT-x processors are recommended.
- Memory – To avoid any discrepancies, 4 GB RAM is recommended. However, a single instance will require a minimum of 1.5 GB RAM.
- Storage – 1 GB free space in the installation path, and 1.5 GB overall hardware space.
- Graphics Acceleration – No minimum requirements specified, it must support OpenGL 2.0
How To Install and Use NoxPlayer On a Windows PC?
Here we are going to install and run NoxPlayer on a Windows 11 PC with the following specs –
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To install and run NoxPlayer, follow the steps below –
Step 1 – Before you move ahead check that your Windows PC supports Hyper-V and check if it is enabled or not.
Here is a quick way to check that. Open the Administrative Command Prompt on your computer. In the Command Prompt window, type systeminfo and press Enter. Locate the line that says Hyper-V Requirements and check if you can see something like this –
Once you have made sure that Hyper-V is enabled on your PC, time to install NoxPlayer on PC.
Step 2 – Download NoxPlayer from the official website and run the installation file. We urge you to download the latest version to get all the latest features.
Step 3 – Click on the checkbox next to I have read and accept the Nox agreement. If you want you can choose custom options for installation.
Step 4 – Click on the Start button.
Step 5 – In a few minutes NoxPlayer will install on your PC.
Now, let’s do one of the things you’d probably want to do after downloading the NoxPlayer and that is to download apps. The steps shown below have worked for us, so do let us know in the comments if they worked for you as well –
Step 1 – First let’s download the Google Play Store. To do that, click on the App Center from the home screen.
Step 2 – Under Must-have apps, click on Google Play
Step 3 – Sign in to your Google account to complete the signup process.
Step 4 – Now that we’re done with the signup process. Let’s download and install an app. Just as you would on your Android device, type the name of the game or the app in the search bar and hit the Enter key.
Step 5 – Click on the Install button to install the app/ game and wait for the game to install.
Step 6 – You can either click on the Play button to start enjoying the app/ game or head back to the home screen where you will find your installed app.
Step 7 – To quit an app/game, hit the escape key.
Interface
Once you have installed the NoxPlayer, the interface is quite similar to that of what you would see on your Android device. You can see a bunch of common apps on the home screen such as browser, File manager, camera, etc.
At the topmost right-hand side section, you can see the time, battery level, and Wi-Fi signal. Right below that, there is a Google Play Store search bar, where you can type the name of a game or app, search for it, and install it.
Then comes one of the most important aspects of NoxPlayer and that is the sidebar or the toolbar that you can see at the right-hand side of the interface.
While we have discussed some of the most used features of this toolbar below, let’s quickly have a look at some of these features.
- Keyset – Set key mappings in different games.
- FSCR – Helps enter full-screen mode. To get out of the full screen, hit the ESC key.
- FileAssist – Transfer files between the NoxPlayer app and your computer.
- MulDrive – Helps create multiple instances of the emulator.
- Cleanup – Close all background apps and free up storage space.
- V-loc – Change virtual location and play games such as Pokemon GO.
- PrtScn – Capture a screenshot of NoxPlayer as an image.
- 2 Finger – Emulate the two-finger pinch to zoom in and out and pan view using your cursor.
- RST – Reset the Android system or desktop.
- Macro – record macro script and use it in a game.
- Recorder – Record video of events happening in NoxPlayer.
- Controller – Map external controller to NoxPlayer.
We have missed a few more features. We urge you to explore each of these features (and the ones we missed) and tell us which one is your favorite in the comments section below.
Features
– Install APKs
Sometimes you may just not find your favorite game on the Google Play Store. In that case, you can go ahead and install the game using the APK of the game and run it on the NoxPlayer. NoxPlayer offers an Apk Instl button on its sidebar.
– Multi-Instance
Multi-instance is a feature of the NoxPlayer app that allows you to run more than one emulator simultaneously.
The Multi-instance feature brings several advantages. For example, you can create more emulators in a game and send yourself several items daily using different accounts. This way you can climb up the stairs in a game or finish a mission faster.
– Key Mapping
Key Mapping or Keyboard mapping is one of the best features of NoxPlayer. In simple terms, it is assigning keyboard keys to specific actions.
Let’s assume you want to map the Fire function to a key in an FPS game like Free Fire. You can click on the Keyset on the sidebar, click Fire, and set a key. Once done, click on the Save button.
– Voice Chat Feature OnMic
The feature lets you start voice chatting during your gameplay. It is a real-time audio and voice chat feature. With OnMic you can create a chatroom for free and listen to the discussions. In games like Call of Duty, you can use the feature to find your allies in public chat rooms.
You can also improve your gaming experience by finding friends who share the same interests as you. All you need is a stable network.
– Video Recorder
Here’s something that’ll help you capture those memorable gameplay moments. Or, even if you are helping someone with navigating an app, for that matter. You can use the video or screen recorder feature to capture smooth and clear screen videos.
To record, head to the game or app whose video you want to record. Once you click on the Recorder feature from the sidebar, a red colored button will appear on the top. Click on the Stop button to stop the recording.
Not only can you access your recordings, but even manage them by previewing them, opening the folder where the video is located, and deleting them.
– File Transfer
This is yet another interesting feature of NoxPlayer that you will like. NoxPlayer allows you to transfer files from your computer to NoxPlayer and the process is straightforward.
All you have to do is head to your computer and select the files that you want to share. Simply drag these files into NoxPlayer. Once the transfer is complete, you will find the files automatically in the shared folder of NoxPlayer. You can also transfer files from NoxPlayer to your PC. To do that open the File Manager in NoxPlayer. Locate the files that you want to move and select them by clicking the checkbox next to them.
Next, click on FileAssist and click on Open Android Folder. Click on the three vertical dots from the top and click on Move selection here.
Updates
NoxPlayer regularly releases updates. With each update, it rolls out new features and enhancements. For instance, with its latest release (Version V7.0.5.9) released in September 2023, it enhanced its UI and UX design. It even optimized the tool (performance boost) for Android 7, Android 7 (64-bit), Android 9, and Android 12.
Pricing
While NoxPlayer is available for free, starting from version 7.0.2.2 users can opt for the premium variant. The price for the premium variant starts at $0.09 per day. When you sign up for the premium variant, all display ads from your home screen are removed. Also, as a premium user, you won’t see any pop-up ads at the startup.
To get NoxPlayer premium –
Step 1 – Open the Nox App Center which you can see on your home screen.
Step 2 – Click G to complete the Google sign-in process. It is important that you are logged in.
Step 3 – When you are directed to the purchase page, select a plan and click on Purchase Now.
Step 4 – Select your payment method. Once done, head back to NoxPlayer and enjoy an ad-free experience.
Speed
Starting from the installation of the NoxPlayer app, the installation itself was completed in approximately 5 minutes. Then, we went on to install multiple apps and games. The speed of installing the apps and games depends on their size and your internet connection. In our case, on an internet connection that clocked approximately 150 MBPS, we were able to install 4-5 apps at once in a matter of 10 minutes (approximately). Also, we faced no to minimal lagging when we played the games. Though, once in a while (very occasionally) certain games did crash. The same goes for the NoxPlayer app. If you encounter one such issue, a simple restart can help fix the issue. Otherwise, you can run most of the available apps and games with no hassles at all.
Customer Support
At every instance, if you are stuck with a feature or functionality, you will find a tutorial for the same. The tutorials are easy to follow and even a beginner can follow the steps and resolve commonly faced issues. Should you find a situation where you just can’t fix an issue, you can report the problem via email at support_en@bignox.com. Here we wished it had live chat support which would have made it easy to solve an issue in real time.
Is NoxPlayer Worth It and Safe?
All in all, in our using NoxPlayer, we didn’t come across any major issues except for very few lags and crashes here and there. During the installation, our Antivirus software too didn’t flag NoxPlayer as a malicious threat so on that front you can rest assured.
In the end, we’d again like to reinstate that if you have ever wanted to run Android apps or games on a large screen, NoxPlayer can give you that opportunity. If you have been using NoxPlayer, share your experience with us. Also, let us know if you’d like us to test out an app or game in the comments section below. For more such content, keep reading Top10PCSoftware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is the NoxPlayer safe?
Yes, NoxPlayer is safe to use and is not flagged off as malware by any Antivirus. That said, ads that pop up frequently may put you off a little bit.
Q2. Is NoxPlayer better than BlueStacks?
As compared to BlueStacks one of the things that you’ll like is the amount of control customization that NoxPlayer provides. You can control performance-based specs like RAM usage, CPU allocation and even DPI settings.
Q3. Does NoxPlayer slow down PC?
No, NoxPlayer doesn’t slow down your PC. If, in case, you notice a dip in your PC’s performance, you can customize the CPU and RAM allocated to the Nox App Player. Also check, if your graphics driver needs an update.
Q4. Is NoxPlayer good for a low-end PC?
NoxPlayer works well even on low-end PCs. You may want to ensure that you are not using all of your cores and RAM otherwise, you may face issues.
