Beyond the Cartridge: The Best N64 Emulators for 2025

For decades, the Nintendo 64 was the “Final Boss” of emulation. Its unique 64-bit architecture, complex microcode, and the weird way it handled textures meant that for a long time, we were stuck with “hacky” fixes and glitchy graphics.

But the scene has changed. Thanks to powerful new graphics APIs like Vulkan and a shift toward Low-Level Emulation (LLE), playing GoldenEye or The Legend of Zelda on your PC or phone has never been smoother.

Whether you’re a purist chasing pixel-perfect accuracy or a casual gamer just looking to revisit the Mushroom Kingdom, here are the top-tier N64 emulators you should be using in 2025.

1. Simple64: The New Gold Standard

If you want the most accurate experience without spending hours in a settings menu, Simple64 is the undisputed champion.

It is essentially a highly curated version of the Mupen64Plus core, bundled with the ParaLLEl video plugin. This plugin uses the power of your modern GPU to replicate the N64’s original hardware behavior with stunning precision.

• Best For: Most PC users.
• The Vibe: “Set it and forget it.”
• Why it Wins: It fixes long-standing “impossible” glitches like the missing shadows in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron or the broken lens flare in Ocarina of Time.

2. RMG (Rosalie’s Mupen GUI): The User’s Choice

Many old-school fans still miss the simplicity of the 2000s-era emulators. RMG brings that classic, easy-to-use interface back but powers it with a modern, high-performance engine.

• Best For: Users who like to swap between different video “plugins” or use HD texture packs.
• The Vibe: Modern power with a nostalgic, clean Windows interface.
• Why it Wins: It’s incredibly fast and offers the best balance between system performance and visual quality.

3. M64Plus FZ: The Mobile Powerhouse

Nintendo 64 on the go used to be a stuttering mess. M64Plus FZ changed that. This is the most mature N64 app on the Android market, designed to scale from budget phones to high-end gaming handhelds like the Retroid or AYN Odin.

• Best For: Android phones, tablets, and handheld consoles.
• The Vibe: Portable nostalgia.
• Why it Wins: It features excellent “per-game” settings, meaning you can run Mario 64 at 4K resolution while keeping a more demanding game like Conker’s Bad Fur Day at native settings for speed.

4. Ares: For the Emulation Purists

Ares doesn’t care about “looking better” than the original console; it cares about being the original console. It is a multi-system emulator that focuses on cycle-accuracy.

• Best For: High-end PCs and preservationists.
• The Vibe: The “Digital Museum” experience.
• Why it Wins: It is one of the few emulators that natively supports macOS (including M1/M2/M3 chips) and provides a level of hardware accuracy that almost no other software can match.

Project64: The “Old Reliable”

No N64 list is complete without Project64. For many of us, this was the first emulator we ever used back in the early 2000s. While modern alternatives like Simple64 focus on “Low-Level” accuracy, Project64 is built for speed and compatibility with older PCs.

• Best For: Older laptops, low-end hardware, and those who want a massive database of built-in cheat codes.
• The Vibe: Classic, lightweight, and versatile.
• Why it Wins: It’s extremely “light.” If you’re trying to play Mario Kart 64 on a 10-year-old family PC or a budget Windows tablet, Project64 will likely give you the smoothest framerate.

Note: Just make sure you download Version 3.0 or higher from the official site. Older versions (like 1.6 or 2.3) are famous for having “nagware” or installer issues, but the modern 3.0+ releases are clean and much more stable.

Quick Comparison: Which should you download?

Pro Tip: The “Controller Problem”

The N64 controller is famously weird. Mapping three handles and one analog stick to a modern Xbox or PlayStation controller can feel “off.”

If you’re serious about your 2025 setup, I highly recommend picking up an 8BitDo Retro Receiver or a Brawler64 USB controller. Having that dedicated “Z-trigger” on the back makes a world of difference in games like Star Fox 64.