gaming - page 2

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

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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.

BlueStacks X lets you play Android games in a browser on Mac and iPad

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BlueStacks X brings Android games to your browser
More than 200 titles are currently available.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

BlueStacks, the company behind the popular Android emulator for Windows, just launched a cloud-based Android game player that works inside your browser on Mac, Windows, iPad, and almost any other device.

Simply sign into BlueStacks X and you can instantly access a catalog of titles that are ready to play in just one click (or tap). There are more than 200 games available right now, and BlueStacks says it will add more every week.

Easily attach iPhone to Xbox controller with OtterBox MagSafe clip [Review]

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OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip for MagSafe review
The OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip for MagSafe offers better gaming with the convenience of magnets.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip for MagSafe uses magnets to connect your iPhone to your Xbox controller. It’s quick but secure. And you can easily rotate between landscape and portrait orientation.

I played a bunch of different games over the weekend using this accessory. Here’s why I like it.

Netflix could offer new gaming subscription like Apple Arcade

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Netflix could get into gaming
A Netflix for games? Yes, please!
Image: Netflix/Cult of Mac

Netflix is exploring an expansion into online gaming with a brand-new service much like Apple Arcade, according to new reports.

The service could see subscribers paying a monthly fee for unlimited access to a catalog of titles. However, sources familiar with the situation say that plans are “very much in flux” as things stand.

How to download the Opera GX browser beta on iPhone and iPad

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How to download Opera GX beta on iPhone and iPad
Start testing Opera GX today.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Gaming-focused web browser Opera GX is on its way to iPhone and iPad, almost two years after its initial debut. It comes with a customizable interface, the ability to sync with Opera GX on desktop, and ad blocking.

The browser also offers a number of unique features aimed at gamers, like GX Corner, which highlights gaming news and deals. Anyone can download and try out the Opera GX beta today. We’ll show you how.

Massively entertaining setup probably includes some computer gear [Setups]

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Some room just say
Some rooms just scream "fun," don't they?
Photo: andygigante_82@Reddit

Illustrator and graphic designer andygigante_82 knows how to place his computer setup in an entertaining context. The fantastical space is his “Little Hobby Hole” — which he writes with a trademark symbol — as depicted in his Reddit post.

Looking at his photos, you might not notice the computer gear. That’s understandable, given every shot’s explosion of dynamic graphics, colorful action figures, skateboards festooned with his own graphic designs and more.

How to play PC games on your Mac with Steam Link

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Set up Steam Link for Mac
All your favorite PC games on your Mac for free.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Who said a Mac is no good for gaming? It’s now possible to play the latest PC games on any machine running macOS 10.13 or higher, thanks to the brand-new Steam Link app that just hit the Mac App Store.

The free download, which weighs in at less than 30MB, puts all your favorite titles at your fingertips. We’ll show you how to set it up.

Relive the golden days of gaming with these classic devices

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Retro TV Game Console
Play over 600 classic-style 8-bit games with this TV-compatible console.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Video games have sure come a long way in the last 30 years. But if you experienced the early days of Nintendo, the golden age of gaming looks like NES and Game Boy. These deals retro gaming gear are a must-see for anyone with love for the classic era of gaming.

Apple M1 chip outperforms AMD, Nvidia graphics in new benchmarks

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Apple M1 chip
Gaming is about to get a lot better on Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new M1 chipset has been blowing away rival Intel chips in CPU performance benchmarks, and it doesn’t stop there. It turns out Apple Silicon can give many graphics cards a run for their money, too.

New tests reveal the M1 easily outperforms the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 560 in graphics benchmarks. It could make gaming on a Mac better than ever.

Turn any device into a gaming machine with a powerful Bluetooth controller [Deals]

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Dragon X5 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Phone Gaming Controller
Make gaming easy with this wireless controller's multimedia functions, turbo acceleration, and wide device compatibility.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Games are as common on our laptops, phones and tablets as they are on consoles. Unfortunately, playing those games means smudging up screens or hooking up a mouse. Not so with this feature-packed Bluetooth wireless controller.

A gaming setup moonlighting as an office setup [Setups]

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MacBook Pro Setup
This setup is great for gaming and for editing.
Photo: @thejaredbusch

YouTuber Jared Busch is a tech reviewer so when it comes to desk setups, he doesn’t mess around. Most of his gear is for gaming — and for making tech reviews on his YouTube channel.

He runs this setup off a 2016 MacBook Pro. He has a testoserone-filled 35-inch Acer Predator Z35P Curved Monitor, which he calls “one of the best 21:9 gaming monitors available right now!” But he might change it because it has a “bit too much of an aggressive look” to it.

These are the best games for reducing stress during lockdown

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Sims-4
Sims, available on Mac and iOS, is rated the best stress reliever.
Photo: EA

A good video game is a great way to escape the COVID-19 pandemic and forget, just for a little while, about the nasty impact it’s having on the world. But which video games should you play? Which titles are proven to help?

A new study reveals the best games to play for reducing stress — and those that should be avoided if your primary goal is a positive, calming experience. We’ll highlight those you can enjoy on Mac and iOS.

Plague Inc. devs donate big bucks to fight coronavirus

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Plague Inc., a game about a pandemic, might a little too real for government regulators.
Plague Inc. will fight the real thing.
Screenshot: Ndemic Creations/YouTube

The developers of the game Plague Inc. will donate $250,000 to fight the real-life plague, COVID-19, currently gripping the globe.

Ndemic Creations said it will split the money between the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Game over for E3 2020: COVID-19 takes out gaming’s biggest event

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E3-2020
Another one bites the dust.
Photo: ESA

E3 2020 is the latest major event to be scrapped amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The game industry’s biggest trade show was scheduled to kick off in Los Angeles on June 9. It will no longer go ahead this year.

Amazon’s AWS Summit in San Francisco has also been canceled. The announcements come as the World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a global pandemic.

Rocket League will drop support for macOS in March

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Rocket-League
A reminder macOS is no good for gaming.
Photo: Psyonix

Rocket League developer Psyonix today confirmed it will drop support for macOS (and Linux) in March.

Players will need to switch platforms to continue enjoying the game — or play without its beloved online multiplayer. The move could be a blow to Apple’s rumored plan to enter the desktop gaming market.

Opera GX is the world’s first ‘gaming browser’ for Mac

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Opera-GX-Mac
Try Opera GX on Mac today.
Photo: Opera

There’s a brand-new version of the Opera web browser aimed at gamers — and it’s out today on Mac in early access. Opera GX offers a unique set of tools designed to enhance your desktop gaming experience.

The browser lets you free up important resources that you need while gaming. It can also put your favorite Twitch streams right on top of your games, so you can watch while you play.

Mouse support on iPad could be ‘perfect distruption’ to PC gaming

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iPad Pro as your desktop computer
There's just one problem — and that's Apple.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Better mouse support on iPad could be the “perfect disruption” to PC gaming, one analyst believes.

Apple has already added the ability to control iPhone and iPad with a mouse in its latest software updates. Future enhancements could help it become a more compelling notebook computer replacement.

But will Apple ever give us full mouse support in iPadOS?

Sky: Children of the Light brings a stunning adventure to iOS

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Sky-Children-of-the-Light
The wait is over on iOS.
Photo: thatgamecompany

Sky: Children of the Light, the gorgeous new adventure game from the makers of Journey, has finally landed on iOS.

The game hopes to deliver “a world of wonder where compassion and generosity are interwoven and integral to the story.” It’s free to download, and it is already racking up rave reviews for players.

Apple becomes world’s fourth-largest gaming company

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Fortnite iOS 14
Everyone should welcome skill-based matchmaking.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is now the world’s fourth-largest gaming company, according to a new report.

It is ranked higher than gaming giants like Nintendo, EA, and Activision — thanks mostly to the popularity of mobile gaming on iPhone. Apple is estimated to have earned $9.453 billion from games during 2018 alone.

Netflix confirms new Stranger Things game, Fortnite crossover

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Stranger-Things-game
We have a lot of Stranger Things to look forward to.
Photo: Netflix

Netflix has confirmed plans to bring a new Stranger Things game to mobile.

Unlike its previous title, this one will be a location-based puzzle RPG that will take fans into the real world much like Pokémon Go. But you’ll have to wait until 2020 to get your hands on it.

In the meantime, fans can look forward to the first Stranger Things x Fortnite crossover.

Game on! Apple Arcade faces serious competition

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Microsoft Project xCloud
Three huge tech companies are all launching gaming services this year, and any of them can be accessed with an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Photo: Microsoft

Two of Apple’s biggest competitors revealed they’ll debut their own streaming games services at about the same time as the launch of Apple Arcade.

This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Microsoft xCloud and Google Stadia, but their developers have revealed new details about pricing and release dates.