SteelSeries

Every so often a computer setup on social media throws me for a loop with some odd visual — and it’s often related to desirable gear. Today’s M4 Mac mini workstation looks like it keeps a pair of walkie-talkies in the mix. But they’re actually computer speakers with tall, stick-like Govee light bars for gaming sitting right behind them. The way the light bars stick up makes them looks like antennas.

Curved ultra-wide gaming displays have been making their way into Mac setups for quite some time now. But some people want to experiment, maybe push the envelope a bit, so they mount them on top of other displays or sometimes in portrait mode (vertical). But today’s Mac Pro setup takes the cake in that regard.

The user nixed a Studio Display with a high-quality external webam in favor of a truly massive, 55-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung gaming display — mounted vertically. It towers over everything with a pronounced stoop.

Deliberate lighting choices, especially those featuring vibrant colors, can do a lot for a computer setup. They can improve mood and vision, and they can even give humdrum gear in a boring room a dazzling look and feel.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup belongs to a coder in Panama who used some basic, cheap LED strip lights to transform his workstation into a light show — to the delight of viewers on social media.

Any conversation about “perfect” displays might just start and end with Apple’s Pro Display XDR. But not everyone is rich enough to buy one of those 6K monitors, which cost $5,000 or more. So the popular 5K Studio Display might have to do, along with something complementary.

One option graces today’s featured MacBook Pro setup. It recently swapped out ultra-wide and 4K monitors for a Studio Display and and the eccentric LG DualUp. They seem especially well-suited to certain types of workers.

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.

After working remotely as a digital marketer for a startup for more than a year, EU-based Redditor WMR2 decided it was time to upgrade the ol’ MacBook Pro-based work/podcasting/gaming setup. Enter new desk, chair and external display.

What, you were expecting a new computer? That’s not always necessary.

Apple’s competitors are quickly taking aim at the outrageous price of the company’s new Pro Stand that was revealed at the WWDC 2019 keynote this morning.

Taiwan-based electronics company MSI tweeted out a funny mock-ad this week comparing the price and specs of the Pro Stand with its latest 34-inch 5K monitor and it’s going viral all over the internet.

If you want to play Fortnite when you’re away from your console, do it on an iPhone or iPad. The mobile version of the game now offers the best portable experience by far.

The recent addition of controller support makes Fortnite better on Apple devices than it is on Nintendo Switch. Here’s why you’re missing out if you’re not playing it.

Fortnite for iOS finally supports wireless game controllers. After installing the latest version 7.30 release, you can connect a compatible MFi controller and bid goodbye to fiddly touch controls.

But don’t expect exactly the same experience as on consoles, and don’t assume you’re going to have an advantage over other mobile players.

Here’s what you need to know about playing Fortnite for iOS with a controller.

We’ve shown you the best gifts for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users, but what if the person you’re buying for is a long-time Apple fan whose first love was the Mac? Then you should start your shopping right here!

This guide is filled with awesome accessories and gadgets that every Mac addict will enjoy. We’ve handpicked only the best — things we’ve used, reviewed, and would recommend — so that you can be sure your hard-earned cash is being well spent.

Check out our gift guide selections for Mac users below.

The holiday shopping season has rudely crept up on us, which means it’s time to start buying for friends and loved ones who have been good this year. Fortunately for you, Cult of Mac is here to help.

Our gift guides are full of great products Apple fans are sure to love. We’ve hand-picked awesome accessories and glorious gadgets that we all use and recommend, so you know your money is being well-spent.

This guide focuses on the iPad lovers in your life, and there’s something to suit every budget.

We’ve gathered the latest and greatest headphones for review, and will update you regularly on our favorites. Whether you’re looking for the best over-ear headphones, the best wireless, Bluetooth or sports-specific headphones, Cult of Mac has you covered.

Check back often for our latest picks!

Massive over-ear headphones are the best way to immerse yourself in a video game, whether you’re managing the minutiae of Civilization V, hiding from the xenomorph in Alien Isolation, or blasting your way across multiplayer maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Huge sound is a big part of gaming on your Mac, PC or PS4, and these fantastic-sounding and incredibly comfortable Siberia 350 headphones from SteelSeries are the best way to get your game on without sacrificing on comfort.

A few weeks ago, I found myself at the local Apple Store chatting to a sales associate who was demonstrating the SteelSeries Nimbus gaming controller. I had a quick go at the controls only to find myself duly impressed by the way it works as an Apple TV gaming controller.

I was intrigued enough to take another, closer look at this gaming pad to see if it’s worth picking up. Watch the video below to see my SteelSeries Nimbus review.

Most games you’ll get on the new Apple TV will likely take advantage of the new Apple TV remote, with its accelerometer, gyroscope, voice, and touch controls.

But if you want to play more hardcore games, you’ll want a more hardcore controller like this new SteelSeries Nimbus, a full-on gaming controller that looks and feels a lot more like the kind of controller you’d hook up to your living room console.

As a gamer, I want a controller with buttons. I lust after this new product category like I do any new gadget that I think will improve my gaming experience. I think that if you play games with any frequency, you’ll want them too.

Unfortunately, I also think the majority of mobile gamers are making do just fine with touch interfaces, thank you very much, and that these lust-worthy devices will soon find their way to the dustbin for most who buy them. Not because the controllers, including one that straps to the sides of your iPad mini like the loving embrace of an alien face-hugger, aren’t any good. On the contrary, these are solid, high-quality gaming peripherals that will make certain types of console-like games (platformers, open-world sandbox games, first-person shooters) much easier to play.

I’ve been looking forward to SteelSeries’ Stratus since it was announced back in January of this year.

The joy of most iOS titles is the ability to play using the touchscreen. The gaming world has benefitted greatly from iOS game developers learning how to best control their games without a physical controller.

However, there are a few games — especially versions of old-school console games — that just cry out for an actual button-filled controlling device that you can use while staring intently at the screen.

The Stratus, and other controllers like it, aims to fill that need with a smaller, super-portable and highly accurate controller that takes advantage Apple’s own iOS game controller code that’s built right into iOS 7.

Whether you’ll find this a successful or not depends a lot on your device, the games you want to play, and how your hands fit on the Stratus itself.

LAS VEGAS — We’ve been SteelSeries fans for quite a while now, what with their stellar line up of headphones and gaming peripherals for both Mac and iOS.

The Chicago-based company just released what they’re calling the first Bluetooth-enabled official iOS 7 gaming controller, the Stratus.

We hung out with the team a bit at CES, and what we saw looks pretty damn sweet. Check it out.

We recently called SteelSeries’ H Wireless gaming headset a “miracle of sound and function.” Will the same enthusiasm hold true about the company’s other gaming accessories?

SteelSeries is obviously hoping so, since is has announced its new wireless iOS gaming controller — the Stratus — at CES 2014.

Every time I think I’ve found my favorite pair of gaming headphones, Steelseries sends me another one to try out.

This time, it’s the H Wireless series, a fantastic, well-designed headset that connects via optical or analog inputs to provide stunningly good Dolby sound without wires. You can, of course, connect an iPhone or iPad to the box, as well, getting a quality sound to walk around the house with.

Seriously, these are my new favorites.

One of the better Yuletide traditions is the venerable holiday Advent Calendar, in which each day of December leading up to Christmas is marked off on a special calendar by opening its corresponding door to find a small gift, toy or chocolate squirreled away inside.

This year, we here at Cult of Mac decided we wanted to give our readers their very own Apple-themed advent calendar, filled with the year’s best apps, gadgets, stories and other curios. So each day in December, we’re going to lovingly peel back the door on the Cult of Mac 2012 Advent Calendar to reveal another delicious morsel, something really special that came out this year that we think every one of you should enjoy.

So what’s behind the door on Saturday the 22nd? SteelSeries Flux Headphones, a fantastic over-the-ear mobile headset.