GameSir G4 Pro game controller can be used with iPhone and Android devices. And iPad and PC too. Plus Nintendo Switch. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The GameSir G4 Pro is a wireless game controller that works with iPhone and iPad but also PC, Android and Switch. It resembles a wireless Xbox controller but with a flip-out mount for holding an iPhone.
I did quite a bit of gaming with the G4 Pro. Here’s how it stood up.
iPad and iPhone users will soon begin testing Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing them to play 100+ console-quality games. Photo: Microsoft
Lucky beta testers will get first access to Xbox Cloud Gaming this week. This allows subscribers to play 100+ console-quality games on an iPad or iPhone.
Browsing, remote tech support work, gaming, videoconferencing, podcasting -- this setup does it all. Photo: LincHayes@Reddit
Web developer LincHayes recently showed off the M1 Mac mini-and-PC-based setup he put together to restart a live tech support business and do some podcasting. It did not fail to impress lots of folks on Reddit.
After all, this is LincHayes’ first time as a Mac owner. And a lot of people relate to running both Macs and PCs in a complex, multifunctional setup with a lot of moving parts.
A new 32-inch monitor works wonders for WFH and gaming setup. Photo: nicknotes@Reddit
Redditor and commercial editor nicknotes posted their work-and-game-from-home setup with a lot of praise for a slick new display. It’s the monitor used mainly for work, which appears to be well-paired with the one already in place for gaming.
Securely mount your iPhone on an Xbox controller with the OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Playing fast-moving games on a touchscreen is often frustrating. And while iOS supports external game controllers, combining one with an iPhone can be cumbersome. But not with the OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip. It attaches an iPhone to an Xbox controller in a surprisingly usable setup.
I did some gaming with the phone mount to see how it stands up to real-world use. Spoiler: it performed far better than the many cheap alternatives.
Internal testing has begun of iPhones playing console-quality titles with Xbox Game Pass. Androids can do so already. Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft has already begun internal testing of a cloud-based version of Xbox Game Pass playable on an iPhone or iPad. Public beta test is scheduled to begin in the spring.
A better way to play your games on iPhone and iPad. Photo: Microsoft/Cult of Mac
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X controllers can finally be used to play games on iPhone and iPad in Apple’s newest iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas, seeded to developers on Monday.
We’ll show you how to set them up so that you’re ready to go as soon as iOS 14.5 rolls out to everyone.
Cheery people use the OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip and the Gaming Carry Case. Photo: OtterBox
OtterBox, known for rugged phone cases, branched out to the gaming market. Its newly announced Mobile Gaming Clip attaches a smartphone to an Xbox Wireless Controller.
The company also unveiled the Otterbox Easy Grip Controller Shell, which brings extra protection to an Xbox controller. And more gaming accessories, too. All at CES 2021.
Reconfiguring the buttons on an PS4 or Xbox game controller connected to an iPad or iPhone is easy. Here’s how. Graphic: Cult of Mac
Serious gaming on your iPad or iPhone gets better with an external Xbox or PlayStation controller instead of a touchscreen. And Apple recently improved the experience even more by allowing you to reconfigure the buttons on your game controller.
Here’s how to customize what those all-important buttons do.
A version of the Apple TV app will be ready when Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S debut next week. Photo: Cult of Mac
Those who use a Microsoft Xbox as their entertainment center will soon be able to watch the Apple TV+ streaming video service. A version of the Apple TV software will be released for a range of Xbox consoles next Tuesday, including the newest ones.
iPhone could soon play console-quality titles with Xbox Game Pass, as Androids can already. Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft is reportedly using a workaround to get Xbox Game Pass on iPhone and iPad. Rather than going into the App Store, this cloud-gaming service will be available as a web application.
This is the same strategy Amazon took to get its own streaming game service on Apple handsets and tablets.
Your PlayStation will be able to double up as an Apple TV+ viewer. Photo: Sony
Since the days of the PlayStation 2’s in-built DVD player, for many people their games console has been the primary media hub for their TV. Despite this, Apple TV+ is not currently available on the top games platforms.
That may soon change, according to reports that claim that Apple is supposedly working with Microsoft and Sony to introduce its Apple TV app to Xbox and PlayStation.
Despite a beta test, the Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming service isn’t headed for iPhone. Photo: Microsoft
Google Stadia and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming services aren’t debuting on iPhone or iPad anytime soon. And the holdup isn’t for technical reasons. It’s about Apple’s App Store policy.
These services could bring desktop-level games to Apple mobile devices. But Microsoft’s offering definitely won’t debut in the App Store this autumn, and Google’s isn’t available, either.
Streaming video quality during early 2020 was above par using Apple TV devices. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
While it might be far down the pecking order of best selling streaming boxes, the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K got high marks in the first quarter of this year for best picture quality speed and shortest lag time in starting videos, according to data collected from billions of sensors embedded into video applications.
The results are a clear sign of how well streaming devices and services performed in a period where more people around the world were homebound due to the coronavirus pandemic and turned to watching television en masse.
iPad obviously makes the list (but Apple Pencil doesn't). Photo: Apple
Time magazine’s pick of the “10 best gadgets of the 2010s” is out, and perhaps unsurprisingly, three of them are Apple products.
iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods were all chosen as some of the “most important and influential gadgets” of the decade. Other products include the Nintendo Switch, Tesla Model S, and the Amazon Echo.
The Apple Store is selling the single Xbox controller compatible with Apple Arcade. Photo: Apple
Finding the one model of Xbox controller that’s compatible with Apple Arcade is now as easy as ordering it from the Apple Store.
Many of the games in this company’s new gaming service can be played with an Xbox or PS4 wireless controller, but only a very limited selection of controllers are supported. Listing one in Apple’s online store simplifies getting the right one.
They would be perfect for streaming Xbox games. Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft has started developing new Xbox controllers for mobile gaming. Prototype images reveal how the gamepads might attach to the sides of your iPhone and iPad for portable play.
The controllers would be ideal for Microsoft’s upcoming Project xCloud service, which will allow players to stream Xbox games to their smartphones and tablets.
Controller support is better than ever. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
iOS 13, iPadOS, and tvOS 13 will finally allow you to play games with a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One controller.
That means there’s no need to purchase a pricey MFi controller that is restricted by Apple’s outdated gamepad guidelines. Simply connect one of the controllers you already own and you’re good to go.
Controller support is better than ever. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Microsoft is gearing up to release a software development kit that will allow Android and iOS developers to integrate Xbox Live features into their games.
The SDK, which will be officially confirmed by Microsoft next month, will also be available to Nintendo Switch developers. It will make Microsoft the first console-maker to open up its platform to third-party systems.
Play your Xbox One games anywhere with OneCast. Photo: OneCast
You can now enjoy Xbox One games anywhere around your home by streaming them to your iOS devices.
OneCast, the app that lets you stream Xbox One games to your Mac, just landed on iPhone and iPad. It supports super-sharp 1080p video and promises great performance with “extremely low” lag.
Yes, you'll need a Samsung to play Fortnite for Android. Photo: Epic Games
You might soon be able to team up with friends on PlayStation 4 when playing Fortnite on rival consoles.
Sony has finally said that it is exploring the possibilities of a cross-play “solution” that it hopes will make everyone happy. Microsoft and Nintendo are already allowing gamers to play together, regardless of the device they’re using.
Controller support is better than ever. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Xbox players will soon be able to chat with friends wherever they may be. Microsoft is bringing a new Xbox party chat app to Android and iOS. You can try it now in beta before it makes its official debut.
The spaceship is ready for liftoff. Photo: Alex Westerlund
Apple’s new campus isn’t move-in ready just yet, but you can take a virtual tour of the company’s new headquarters thanks to a Minecraft player who painstakingly re-created the entire spaceship.
It took over a year for Alex Westerlund to replicate the Apple spaceship campus in Minecraft, with more than 232 hours invested in the virtual building. Without using help or mods, Westerlund claims his Minecraft Apple Campus is 100 percent accurate.
Deals on Apple Watch Sport, the DJI Phantom 4 drone, and a Canon camera highlight this week’s best of the internet.
The internet is going bananas with deals this week, with huge savings on Apple Watch Sport, one of Samsung’s flagship 4K HD TVs, and much more. We’ve scoured the web to find some of the best deals on things you might need, as well as some things you just might really want.
Take advantage of great deals on iPad Air 2, MacBook Air, a Canon camera and much more. Photos: Apple, Canon
Halloween is right around the corner, which means your local CVS probably already put out Christmas decorations. They do that for a reason, you know: It’s never too early to start thinking about the holiday season!
Following that logic, we’ve put together some of this week’s best deals from around the internet to start the gift-giving wheels turning. Even if you’re just giving the gift to yourself.