Craig Federighi, Apple software chief, made a pitch for more Mac and iPad gaming at WWDC22. Screenshot: Apple
Mac is not the preferred platform for most gamers, but Metal 3 in macOS Ventura shows Apple hasn’t given up. And iPadOS 16 is getting support for a wider range of game controllers.
These are just a couple of gaming features Apple is bringing to Mac and iPad.
Grab the latest release today. Photo: Apple/Google
Google has rolled out its newest Chrome beta with a new WebGPU API that finally adds support for Apple Metal. The version 94 release should lead to improved rendering performance for websites and web apps.
The latest version of Final Cut Pro X is out now with a new Metal engine that promises a big performance boost. It also make optimizations for the all-new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR.
Apple is today bringing the same Metal engine to Motion and Compressor, too.
When one operating system just isn't enough. Screenshot: Parallels
Parallels Desktop 15 lets you run Windows on a Mac faster than ever, thanks to a performance-enhancing switch to Apple’s Metal framework. Today’s update to the popular virtualization app brings loads of other feature enhancements, including support for DirectX 11.
The increased efficiency means some Windows apps that would not even launch in Parallels Desktop 14 work properly in the new version.
“We want you to do whatever you want,” said John Uppendahl, Parallels’ VP of communications, during a demo of the new software at the Cult of Mac office in San Francisco.
You can just buy the multiplayer starter pack if you don’t want the full game. Photo: Treyarch
Call of Duty: Black Ops III has finally made its way to the Mac after being available on Windows PC since its launch over three years ago.
The Mac version of Call of Duty: Black Ops III was revealed by Aspyr today. It comes all the same content in the Windows version, plus 64-bit and Metal support. If you’re ready to rack up some kills though you better be ready to say goodbye to all the free space on your hard drive.
Apple is making life a lot harder for smaller game studios. Photo: Cult of Mac
A big change Apple is making with macOS Mojave could make it more difficult for indie developers to build cross-platform games.
Apple is pushing game creators to drop OpenGL in favor of its own Metal API, which isn’t supported by third-party platforms. It may mean smaller game development teams are forced to choose between releasing on macOS or other operating systems.
This week's best deals include a streamlined writing platform, a double sided iPhone mount, and more. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
With every new week come great new deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This go-round, we’ve got a simple but powerful writing platform for Mac, and a super versatile, double-sided phone mount. Also in are comprehensive lessons in social media marketing, and a powerful VPN for enhanced online privacy and security. Plus everything is discounted by at least 25 percent, and as much as 97 percent. Read on for more details.
Add a layer of armor to your iPhone's lifeline, with these extra tough Lightning cables. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Part of owning an iPhone or iPad is replacing the Lightning cable that keeps them charged and synced. After all, the standard Apple Lightning cable is a short and fragile affair, made with thin plastic and wrapped in soft white rubber that’s prone to tearing and fraying. That’s why it’s good to have a backup, but why not also get one that’s built to last? That’s what the Fuse Chicken offers: an extra long, extra strong Lightning cable that’ll probably outlive the devices you connect to them. Right now you can get a Fuse Chicken Titan Plus for just $29.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
Custom graphics chips could be Apple's next big move. Photo: Apple
Apple is siphoning talent from one of its key partners, Imagination Technologies, which makes the graphics chip for the iPhone 7.
The British chipmaker was rumored to be in acquisition talks with Apple earlier this year. Apple told the press it wasn’t interested in buying Imagination Technologies, but based on a slew of recent hires, the iPhone-maker does want its employees.
Devs at WWDC 2016 see plenty of under-the-hood tweaks that will ultimately mean big things for users. Photo: Apple
Most Apple fans don’t start drooling at the mention of speech-recognition APIs, Xcode thread sanitizers, Metal tessellation or Pixar USD model support. However, if you’re a developer, those can be huge game-changers that mean you can make your apps better than ever.
While Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2016 keynote revealed loads of fresh features coming in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra — including some amazing stuff that should delight iPhone, iPad and Mac owners when the final versions launch this fall — developers watching Monday’s event saw tons of seemingly minor updates that will let them make apps better than ever.
To find out what the little updates could mean for typical users, Cult of Mac asked some of this year’s Apple Design Award winners what WWDC additions they’re most excited about.