Snes9x on Android: The Snes9x EX+ Guide

There is no Android build of the mainline Snes9x emulator — the desktop project’s 1.63 release ships Windows, Mac, Linux and libretro packages only. What Android actually has is better than a port: Snes9x EX+, a dedicated Android app by Robert Broglia, free on Google Play and still updated. This is the complete guide: what EX+ is, how it differs from desktop Snes9x, how to set it up, pair a controller, and manage your saves.

Get Snes9x EX+ on Google Play (Free)

The button goes to the app’s official Google Play listing. Snes9x EX+ is a separate app by a third-party developer — it is not published by the Snes9x team.

The honest version: two different apps, one name

Confusion about “Snes9x for Android” is understandable, because app stores and download sites blur two different things:

• Mainline Snes9x (currently 1.63) is the desktop emulator from the Snes9x project. It has no Android version — no official APK exists, and any site offering “Snes9x 1.63 for Android” is mislabelling something.
• Snes9x EX+ is an Android app written and published by Robert Broglia, built on Snes9x code — the Google Play listing historically described it as based on Snes9x 1.55. It is free on Google Play, it is actively maintained, and it is the app this page is about.

That split has practical consequences. EX+ does not get desktop 1.63’s features on desktop 1.63’s schedule, and bug reports for it belong to its own developer, not the Snes9x team. In exchange, you get an app designed from the ground up for phones and tablets — touch controls, Android storage rules and gamepad support included — rather than a desktop program squeezed onto a touchscreen. On the licence side, the underlying Snes9x code remains what it has always been: freeware for personal, non-commercial use, with publicly available source.

What Snes9x EX+ does

• Built for low latency — the app is designed around responsive play, which matters more on touchscreens and Bluetooth pads than raw feature lists.
• Your game files, as they are — loads .smc and .sfc ROM files, including games kept inside compressed archives, so there is no need to unzip your library first.
• Cheats — supports .cht cheat files, the same cheat format family used across Snes9x.
• Configurable touch controls — an on-screen gamepad you can adjust, for the games and moments where a physical controller is not at hand.
• Real gamepads — Bluetooth and USB HID controllers, including Xbox and PlayStation pads, for proper console-style play.
• Modern Android storage — uses the storage access framework, so game files can live on internal storage, an SD card or USB storage and still be opened properly on current Android versions.

EX+ asks very little of the hardware — its long-standing guidance is a 1GHz-class Android device — so phones and tablets that are several years old are realistic candidates.

Setting up Snes9x EX+

1. Install from Google Play. Use the button at the top of this page to reach the official listing for Snes9x EX+ by Robert Broglia, and install it. It is free; there is no separate “full version” to buy.
2. Put your games somewhere findable. Copy your ROM files (.smc / .sfc, zipped or not) to a folder on the device or its SD card. EX+ ships with no games — the legal route is to dump cartridges you own.
3. Grant storage access. When EX+ asks, point it at your games folder through Android’s storage picker. This storage access framework flow is what lets the app read SD cards and USB drives on modern Android.
4. Load a game. Browse to the file inside EX+ and tap it. If it is your first session, spend two minutes in the options afterwards: set the on-screen controls how you like them, and check the video settings before judging performance.
5. Add a controller (recommended). Pair a Bluetooth pad in Android’s settings first, then open EX+ — see the controller section below. No BIOS file is needed at any point: Snes9x emulates the SNES enhancement chips in code.

Controllers: the biggest upgrade you can make

Touch controls are fine for turn-based RPGs. For platformers, fighters and shooters, a physical pad changes the experience completely — and EX+ is built for it, with support for Bluetooth and USB HID gamepads including Xbox and PlayStation controllers. Pair the pad in Android’s Bluetooth settings before launching the app, then map it once in EX+’s input options. Our dedicated buying and setup advice is in the best controller for Snes9x guide, which covers what to look for whether you play on Android or desktop.

Storage and SD cards: buy real capacity

Android SNES libraries usually live on a microSD card, and that card is also where your saves sit. The card market is flooded with counterfeits that report fake capacities and silently corrupt data once they fill past their real size — a failure that looks exactly like “the emulator ate my save”. Before trusting a card with a game library, read our microSD buying guide on fake cards, and remember that EX+’s storage access framework support means a properly formatted card or USB drive is all you need — no workarounds.

Keeping saves in step with your PC

If you play on both Android and desktop, your battery saves (.srm) are the bridge: the format is compatible across Snes9x builds and indeed across SNES emulators generally. Our guide to Snes9x cloud save sync walks through keeping one save library in step between your phone and your computer, so a game started on the train continues at your desk.

The short version

Snes9x on Android means Snes9x EX+: a separate, free, actively maintained app by Robert Broglia, historically based on Snes9x 1.55 code, available from its official Google Play listing. Install it from Play, bring dumps of cartridges you own, pair a real controller if you can, and keep your saves backed up. For the desktop emulator and every other platform, see the Snes9x download page and the platforms hub.