So you want to indulge in some nostalgia with a SNES game. You probably know that there are plenty of emulators for android, but did you know that you can play emulator games with Samsung Dex? It allows you to play the games on a much bigger screen, which is really cool.
If you have a relatively modern Samsung phone, starting from the S8 series and onwards, you’re probably familiar with Samsung Dex. If not, you really should try it out because it’s a really underrated feature. It allows you to use your phone on a big screen, like TVs and monitors, which is perfect for old-school games.
I know, I’m a bit of a Samsung Dex nerd, it’s a really cool feature!
What You Need:
The downside is you do need extra hardware to complete the setup, such as a USB-C to HDMI hub (preferably with charger support and extra USB ports) and a TV or monitor. The good news is that the hub is pretty cheap, and you probably already have plenty of HDMI cables lying around.
I previously wrote about how to play games on Samsung Dex, and in that article, I covered game-streaming and regular mobile games with controllers. Today I’m going to talk about how to play emulator games on Samsung Dex.
Before I get into that, let’s talk about controllers…
How to Connect a Controller for Emulator Games on Dex:
Before we get into emulators and whatnot, it’s important to decide what type of controller you’re going to use for these games. If you have an Xbox One or PS4 controller lying around, you might be able to connect them to your phone over Bluetooth.
Here’s the thing:
I personally haven’t had much luck with Bluetooth controllers on my phone. Not only do Bluetooth controllers drain your phone’s battery like crazy but they’re also unreliable and often have massive delays.
Some people have said it works fine for them, maybe it depends on the model of phone you have and the controller you use, but I still think wired is a better option. Speaking of wires, if you’re going to get a USB-C to HDMI hub for Samsung Dex, make sure it has extra USB ports for wired controllers. This one on Amazon should do the trick.
Of course, if you’re not a fan of controllers you can always connect a mouse and keyboard to your hub and play games like that. Most old-school games only require a keyboard. Either way, it’s important to decide your preferred input device before you start buying dongles.
Emulators for Android:
There are loads of emulators for Android that work with Samsung Dex, including several paid ones. I believe the paid emulators are probably better, but there are plenty of free ones that work just fine.
Note: Not all of these support fullscreen on Dex, but you can usually drag the window to enlarge it and make it fill the screen. Fullscreen support will vary depending on your device, the app version, and whatnot.
I’ll list a few I tested below.
1 – Snes9x EX+
This was the first SNES emulator I tested on Samsung Dex. It’s totally free, very small, and it works really well. It allows you to load ROMS from SNES games. On the phone, it does provide a touch controller, which works okay, but I think a real wired controller (or keyboard) would be much better. I personally use this one.
2 – SuperNDS
This is another emulator for NDS games that’s completely free and works well with Samsung Dex. It also has a touchpad controller, and it works with wired controllers. Great for some old school NDS games!
3 – PPSSPP Emulator
Here’s a decent emulator for PSP, it works great on Samsung Dex, I didn’t have any issues with it at all. Do note that PSP games are usually a lot bigger, often 1 GB or more, so make sure you have the space on your phone!
Note: You can also get PS1 and PS2 emulators on your phone, but you might have trouble running games on those if your phone isn’t up to speed. The files are also a lot larger, so that’s something to keep in mind.
SNES Games to Play on Dex:
Looking for something to play on an emulator with Samsung Dex? Here’s a quick list of some fun games to try out. I’m not going to link to the ROMs, but you can simply copy and paste these keywords to find the files you need:
- Chrono Trigger SNES ROM
- Super Mario World ROM
- Pokemon ROM
- Mario Kart 64 ROM
- Super Bomberman 4 ROM
- Street Fighter II Turbo ROM
- Aladdin ROM
- Donkey Kong 64
- Secrets of Mana ROM
Playing Emulators on Samsung Dex:
To play emulators on Samsung Dex, insert the USB-C side of the hub into your phone, connect an HDMI cable to the other end into a TV or monitor, and plug in your wired controllers or keyboard.
Samsung Dex should automatically launch once it detects an HDMI display, and then it’s a matter of using the interface to open your preferred emulator and hit the fullscreen button. Bear in mind, not all emulators support fullscreen on Dex, but you can usually drag the window to resize it. Also, read this article if Samsung Dex is not working on your phone.
Wrapping it Up:
Playing emulators games on Samsung Dex is a lot of fun, especially if you have a TV in your home. You can also connect a second controller for multiplayer fun. Relive those nineties days where you were glued to your TV screen playing Mario!
I’m a fan of old-school SNES games, I’m working on Chrono Trigger and Secrets of Mana. You can also use Samsung Dex to stream games from your PC but that hasn’t worked too well for me, maybe it will for you. So if you’re looking for a way to play games on a bigger screen, Samsung Dex is one method you can use.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article! Have you played emulators on Samsung Dex? Leave a comment below with your results!
