Xbox - page 2

Mac mini and PC setup: Best of both worlds? [Setups]

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Browsing, remote tech support work, gaming, videoconferencing, podcasting -- this setup does it all.
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.

OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip unites iPhone with Xbox controller [Review]

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OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip review
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.

How to pair and customize a PS5, Xbox Series X controller in iOS 14.5

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Pair PS5, Xbox controllers with iPhone and iPad
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.

New OtterBox clip joins iPhone to Xbox controller for on-the-go gaming

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OtterBox, known for rugged phone cases, branched out to the gaming market.
Cheery people use the OtterBox Mobile Gaming Clip and the Gaming Carry Case.
Photo: OtterBox

CES 2021 bugOtterBox, 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.

How to customize a game controller for iPhone or iPad

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How to customize a game controller for iPhone or iPad
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.

Apple TV comes to Xbox consoles next week

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Apple TV and Xbox: together at last
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.

Microsoft Xbox gaming service coming to iPhone as a web app

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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate supposedly is headed for iPhone, not just Android
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.

Apple TV app could soon be available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles

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Sony-DualShock-4
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.

App Store approvals mean major headaches for cloud gaming services

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Microsoft Project xCloud on iPhone
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.

Apple TV reigns with best picture quality among streaming devices in pandemic’s early days

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Apple TV Siri Remote
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.

Time magazine picks 3 Apple products as best gadgets of the decade

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quotes on Apple
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.

Apple makes finding the right Xbox controller for Apple Arcade a snap

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Xbox controller for Apple Arcade
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.

Microsoft is working on mobile Xbox controllers for iPhone

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Microsoft-mobile-Xbox-controller
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.

How to use a PS4 or Xbox One controller with iOS 13 and iPadOS

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Xbox One controller Apple EarPods
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.

Here’s how to get set up.

Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to Android and iOS

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Xbox One controller Apple EarPods
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.

Sony may change its stupid stance on Fortnite cross-play for PS4

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Fortnite Wingman Starter Pack
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.

Apple’s spaceship campus gets perfectly replicated in Minecraft

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The spaceship is ready for liftoff.
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.

Take a look:

$770 off a Samsung 4K HD TV, $130 off Apple Watch and more [Deals]

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Deals on Apple Watch Sport, the DJI Phantom 4 drone, and a Canon camera highlight this week’s best of the internet.
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.

$100 off a MacBook Air, Canon DSLR with two lenses for $500 and more [Deals]

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Take advantage of great deals on MacBook Air, iPad 2, and much more.
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.

Amazon gives Apple TV and Google Chromecast the finger

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Apple TV 4 brings iOS apps to the big screen.
Apple TV 4 brings iOS apps to the big screen.
Photo: Apple

The most popular online retailer in the world, Amazon, is using its e-commerce powers to put the hurt on Apple and Google’s streaming devices in order to prop-up the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV stick.

In an email sent to marketplace sellers, Amazon told employees it will stop selling Apple TV and Google Chromecast. No new listings for the devices are allowed, and all other existing inventory is scheduled to be removed by October 29th.

ROBLOX games hit the big screen with an app for Xbox

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From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
Photo: ROBLOX

ROBLOX, the popular user-generated online gaming platform, introduces kids to game building and even helps them earn a few bucks in the process. Some ROBLOX game developers have earned enough money to pay for college.

Now some of the more successful developers will raise their gaming cred even higher as ROBLOX launches a free app for Xbox featuring 20 of its top games.