gaming

How video games can help you pick a career path

By

Game controllers
You favorite video game could offer a career opportunity.
Photo: JESHOOTS.com@Pexels

Believe it or not, a video game you know and love could turn into a fulfilling, lifelong career. And we’re not just talking about esports, where pro gamers compete for cash and prestige. For instance, driving simulator Gran Turismo could set you up for success on a real racetrack. Or factory simulator Satisfactory could prepare you for a role in project management.

SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by Web Oracle.
Let’s explore how your preference for a particular video game genre can highlight potential career opportunities, from esports gaming to earning an online masters degree in project management.

What Apple can do to bring a Mac gaming renaissance

By

Myst on Mac
Apple, please do what it takes to make "Mac gamer" no longer an oxymoron.
Photo: Apple

The Apple A3 series processors make the latest Macs into powerful gaming machines. And macOS Sonoma includes tools to make porting PC games to Mac much easier. As a gamer myself, these are very welcome moves.

But right now, Apple is taking a “build it and they will come” attitude. History shows there’s an important step needed to turn Mac into a serious competition for PC and gaming consoles: CEO Tim Cook and Co. need to put their money where their mouths are and financially encourage top game developers to bring their products to macOS.

That might even include buying one or more game developers.

Shake it with Samba de Amigo and other new Apple Arcade games

By

Coming to Apple Arcade in August:
Coming to Apple Arcade in August: Samba de Amigo: Party-to-Go plus three puzzle games.
Photo: Apple

Apple said Tuesday it will add four new games and more than 30 updates and events to Apple Arcade in August.

New games include a revival of Sega’s classic rhythm game Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go, puzzle games Nekograms+ and Kingdoms: Merge & Build, and indie puzzle-remix game finity.

Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go is coming soon to Apple Arcade with exciting new songs and a series first Story Mode only found on the service,” said Ian Curran, president and chief operating officer of Sega of America.

Razer’s first in-ear monitors give gamers THX-certified sound

By

Razer Moray In-Ear Monitors
Razer Moray wired in-ear monitors are designed for marathon gaming and streaming sessions.
Photo: Razer

Razer, known for gaming gear, sounded off Tuesday with its first in-ear monitors (IEM) — Razer Moray.

Designed for gamers and streamers, the new wired earbuds emphasize THX-certified audio, natural noise isolation and lightweight comfort for long gaming and streaming sessions, the company said.

Apple opens the floodgates for Mac gaming

By

A lineup of Macs running The Medium
Porting PC games to the Mac just got “easier than ever before.”
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

A stealth announcement at WWDC23 is that Apple has significantly lowered the barrier of entry to port PC games to the Mac. A new Game Porting Toolkit “provides an emulation environment to run your existing, unmodified Windows game,” says Aiswariya Sreenivassan — a GPU, graphics and displays software engineer at Apple.

It’s a big gap to clear, which is why the Mac has been left behind in recent years. PC games are compiled for the Intel x86 architecture that the Mac just finished moving away from. The unified Apple silicon architecture bears little resemblance to the standard gaming PC with discrete graphics cards and memory. Apple’s Metal 3 library is very different from DirectX, Unity, Unreal and Vulkan — the usual suspects across the computing pond.

Apple’s new tools could open the floodgates for Mac ports of popular PC games. According to a game engine programmer I spoke with, the Game Porting Toolkit demo is “really impressive.” If the tools work as well in practice as in Apple’s demo, they “would be incredibly useful,” said the developer, who works for a major game developer and asked to remain anonymous.

Get more colorful storage with this LED-enhanced external hard drive for gamers

By

Get more colorful storage with this LED-enhanced external drive.
Add 2TB of space with this stylish external drive, now only $70.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We could all use more space on our devices and a bit more fun and flair for said storage. The Seagate FireCuda Gaming Hard Drive combines a massive 2TB of storage with RGB LED lighting, and it’s now on sale for only $69.99 (regularly $104).

Clever side-by-side iPhone game controller has no problem with bulky cases [Review] ★★★★

By

Clever side-by-side iPhone game controller has no problem with bulky cases [Review]★★★★
Play games on the Gamevice Flex without taking off your iPhone case.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Gamevice Flex is an iPhone game controller that mimics the design of the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con with the controls set on either side of the display. Similar iPhone controllers make you take the case off your handset to play but the Flex wraps around the handset even if it’s in a protective case.

The wired controller includes a full set of buttons, sticks, bumpers, etc. so you can enjoy games like Fortnite from Xbox Cloud Gaming or similar services, or almost anything from Apple Arcade.

I spent quite a few hours testing Gamevice Flex – here’s why I like it.

Steelseries offers first 5.1 surround-sound gaming speakers via USB

By

Steelseries said its new Arena 9 is the first 5.1 surround sound system that works via a single USB connection.
Steelseries said its new Arena 9 is the first 5.1 surround sound system that works via a single USB connection.
Photo: Steelseries

Steelseries, known for gaming headsets, has jumped into the desktop speakers pool with a big splash. Its new Arena line of desktop speakers is the company’s first product of that type.

And it includes what the company calls the world’s first 5.1 surround sound speakers you can run with a single USB connection to a Mac, PC, gaming console or TV.

Download these 15 games from Apple Arcade before they’re gone [Updated]

By

Don't miss out on 15 games leaving Apple Arcade soon.
Don't miss out on 15 games leaving Apple Arcade soon.
Photo: Apple

In the very near future Apple Arcade will lose 15 games, according to a new section in the Arcade area of the App Store labeled as “Leaving Arcade Soon.”

So if you subscribe to Apple Arcade or think you might — it’s $4.99 a month — consider downloading those games before they’re gone.

And according to new information about the situation, some games may return, but Apple Arcade subscribers who had them will have to re-download them.

Affordable new Xbox streaming device could mean trouble for Apple TV

By

Pretty soon Xbox gaming and media streaming may not require a console.
Pretty soon Xbox gaming and media streaming may not require a console.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft confirmed Friday it’s developing a low-cost streaming device that would allow users to play Xbox games and stream media without needing a full console. That could directly compete with Apple TV.

Meanwhile, Apple’s product — sometimes criticized as overpriced — may see a less-expensive iteration later this year, according to analysts.

This clip-on controller is the secret to better iPhone gaming [Review]

By

Backbone One for iPhone review: Clever clip-on game controller
The Backbone One for iPhone takes your gaming to the next level.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Clip the Backbone One to your iPhone to get the physical buttons and sticks you’ve been missing. It has a lot in common with an Xbox controller, while being designed specifically for iPhone gaming. And a Lightning connector makes hookups easy.

I spent many hours testing the Backbone One. Here’s why I completely love it, especially for cloud gaming.

Klipsch brings the brawn with new desktop speaker set

By

Klipsch's new ProMedia Heritage 2.1 speaker set has a groovy 1970s look.
Klipsch's new ProMedia Heritage 2.1 speaker set has a groovy 1970s look.
Photo: Klipsch

Klipsch likes to draw on it lengthy history when it rolls out new speakers, and the ProMedia Heritage 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System is no different. But the fabric-covered speakers and subwoofer, designed to recall the company’s Heresy speakers from the 1970s, also pack 220 watts of peak power.

That’ll blow the room away, whether you’re cranking tunes, enjoying your home theater or playing games.

Unreal Engine’s free Core game creation tool comes to macOS and iOS

By

Core is a game-development tool previously limited to PCs.
Core is a game-development tool previously limited to PCs.
Photo: Manticore Games

Core is a free tool for creating games that runs on Unreal Engine, which is only available on PC. But as part of its one-year anniversary, developer Manticore Games said Friday that Core is coming to macOS and iOS in summer 2022.

When Mac, iPhone and iPad get Core, gamers will be able to cross-play between versions with Windows gamers, Manticore said. And developers can start playing with Core for iOS on Friday.

Elgato’s new video capture card handles variable refresh rates

By

If you're looking to capture smooth gameplay footage, Elgato's new card might be for you.
If you're looking to capture smooth gameplay footage, Elgato's new card might be for you.
Photo: Elgato

Recently acquired by gaming maven Corsair, Elgato rolled out a new USB-C-based capture card on Wednesday called the HD60 X. It’s an upgrade to the HD60 S+ capture card, popular with gamers and content creators. The new one’s biggest addition is the ability to smoothly capture and record video footage with variable refresh rates.

And it works with M1 Macs, Windows machines and popular streaming tools and gaming consoles.

Apple puts iPhone game controller on the drawing board

By

Apple puts iPhone game controller on the drawing board
It’s undeniable: Apple is at least considering an iPhone game controller. And one for iPad, too.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is showing interest in making a clip-on iPhone or iPad game controller. It filed a patent application for various permutations of exactly that sort of accessory on Thursday.

This would be a new product category for the company. But it could be a boon for Apple Arcade subscribers.

JBL has a new party in a box and lots of other big plans for your ears

By

The JBL PartyBox Encore is a 100W speaker with a Lightshow and two microphones.
The JBL PartyBox Encore is a 100W speaker with a Lightshow and two microphones.
Photo: JBL

Every year Samsung subsidiary JBL rolls out a tempting raft of updated or new audio products at CES, but you can’t get them right away. CES 2022, held in Las Vegas earlier this month, was no different. The company showed its new JBL PartyBox Encore and a slew of other Bluetooth speakers, earbuds and headphones. We’ll round them up below. Some are coming in spring and others in summer.

Razer’s colorful cooling fan keeps iPhone cool when the gaming gets hot

By

Razer Phone Cooler Chroma keeps iPhone cool when the gaming gets hot
The Razer Phone Cooler Chroma blows away the heat that can build up during long gaming sessions.
Photo: Razer

The Razer Phone Cooler Chroma is a fan designed to cool smartphones that heat up when playing demanding games. And it has colorful LEDs to make it look even cooler.

An iPhone version uses MagSafe. There’s also one for handsets without built-in magnets.

Level up your iPhone gaming with Rotor Riot Lightning controller [Review]

By

RiotPwr Rotor Riot iOS Controller RR1852 PWR Plus review
iPhone gaming is better with a hardware game controller like the RiotPwr Rotor Riot RR1852.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Playing serious games on an iPhone touchscreen can be crazy frustrating. Don’t throw your iPhone across the room — get a game controller like RiotPwr’s Rotor Riot RR1852. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller but with a Lightning cable and an iPhone mount.

I fully tested this updated version of the Rotor Riot Lightning-enabled game controller. And I like it a lot. And apparently so does Apple because you can find it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.

New MacBook Pros prove surprisingly good at gaming

By

New MacBook Pro proves surprisingly good at gaming
The 2021 MacBook Pro can run Rise of the Tomb Raider as well as a top-tier Windows laptop.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s M1 Pro and M1 Max processors in the new MacBook Pro offer powerful graphic performance. That’s intended for artists rendering video and other professional tasks, but tests show that it translates to excellent gaming performance.

Of course, that doesn’t remedy the lack of high-end games for Mac.

M1 Max chip could deliver even greater graphics than PlayStation 5

By

Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PlayStation 5
Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PlayStation 5.
Photo: Marvel

MacBook Pro’s mind-blowing M1 Max chip could deliver even greater graphics than Sony’s newest PlayStation 5 console, according to early estimates. It has even more raw GPU power, at least on paper, with up to 32 graphics cores.

Apple already promised that it would offer “similar performance” to a “high-performance discrete GPU” in competing laptops. But whether Mac users actually get similar gaming experiences is another matter.

Laughable report claims Apple will take on Nintendo Switch with powerful hybrid console

By

The Nintendo Switch's flexible Joy-Con controllers work just fine with a Mac (but not an iPhone).
Don't get your hopes up.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is developing its own “Nintendo Switch style gaming console” with a hybrid design that “will outperform anything that Microsoft or Sony offers in 2021,” according to one very sketchy report citing unnamed sources.

The company has games “rivaling” Nintendo hits The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey that are “almost ready to go” to showcase the device, which will supposedly be powered by Apple Silicon.