---
url: 'https://www.corbado.com/faq/emulators-vs-real-devices-passkey-testing'
title: 'How do emulators & real devices compare in passkey testing?'
description: 'Understand the differences between using emulators and real devices for passkey testing, and their advantages and limitations.'
lang: 'en'
keywords: 'emulators passkey testing, real devices passkey testing'
---

# How do emulators & real devices compare in passkey testing?

## How Do Emulators and Real Devices Compare in Passkey Testing?

Both emulators and real devices play an important role in
[passkey testing](https://www.corbado.com/blog/testing-passkeys), each offering distinct advantages and
limitations. Here’s how they compare:

### 1. Advantages of Emulators

- **Cost-Effective:** Emulators eliminate the need for physical devices, reducing hardware
  expenses.
- **Broad Coverage:** Easily simulate a wide range of devices, operating systems, and
  browsers.
- **Efficiency:** Ideal for repetitive testing tasks, such as verifying UI consistency
  across platforms.
- **Controlled Environment:** Enables precise testing under specific conditions, like
  network configurations or device settings.

### 2. Limitations of Emulators

- **Limited Realism:** May not replicate real-world hardware and biometric interactions
  accurately.
- **Performance Gaps:** Lacks the ability to test device-specific behaviors, such as
  hardware acceleration or biometric input delays.
- **Restricted Scenarios:** Cannot simulate certain real-world conditions, such as device
  heat, battery levels, or physical inputs.

### 3. Advantages of Real Devices

- **Real-World Accuracy:** Provides a true representation of user experiences, including
  hardware-specific quirks.
- **Biometric Testing:** Enables testing of fingerprint or facial recognition features
  used in passkey authentication.
- **Cross-Device Scenarios:** Validates the functionality of passkeys across actual
  hardware combinations.

### 4. Limitations of Real Devices

- **Higher Costs:** Requires investment in maintaining a diverse set of devices for
  testing.
- **Time-Consuming:** Physical setup and maintenance can be slower compared to emulators.
- **Limited Scalability:** Testing on multiple real devices simultaneously is
  resource-intensive.

### 5. Best Practices

- **Combine Both Approaches:** Use emulators for initial broad testing and real devices
  for final validation.
- **Device Matrix Testing:** Develop a testing matrix that includes both emulators and key
  real devices to ensure compatibility and accuracy.
- **Cloud-Based Solutions:** Leverage tools like BrowserStack or Sauce Labs to access real
  devices on demand.

By balancing the use of emulators and real devices, enterprises can ensure thorough and
cost-effective [passkey testing](https://www.corbado.com/blog/testing-passkeys) while maintaining high accuracy
and reliability.

## Read the full article