Most computer and video games created in the 20th century featured blocky, pixelated graphics. If you didn’t grow up with them (or never paid attention to the technical details), you might wonder why. We’ll explore the origin…
If you own a PlayStation 4, you already own a DualShock 4 wireless controller. Paired with your Apple TV, you can use your Sony controller to play Apple TV games, including those offered with an Apple Arcade subscription….
If you use your Xbox Series X or S controller with multiple devices, you might be surprised to learn that it’s possible to quickly switch between a console and a secondary device without having to re-pair every time….
Your Apple TV is much more than a media-streaming box. It has built-in games, and it works with the Xbox controller and other popular game controllers. Power up your Apple Arcade experience (or just download individual games)…
Thirty years ago—on January 15, 1991—an American college student named Tim Sweeney released ZZT, a low-key adventure game with a revolutionary element: It shipped with a free, built-in game editor. ZZT’s success spawned E…
Whatever wireless Xbox controller you have—whether it’s a controller for an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or Xbox One—more battery life is always good. Here are our top tips for extending your controller’s battery life, b…
There’s a good chance you run into a lot of ads for VPN (virtual private network) services while visiting websites or listening to podcasts. They are everywhere these days thanks, in part, to a renewed focus on privacy and se…
On February 1, 1991, John Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack officially founded id Software. The group went on to revolutionize the game industry with franchises such as Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake. Here’s a …
If you have kids that use a Nintendo Switch, you might worry that they could potentially talk to strangers in online-connected games. Luckily, Nintendo provides an easy way to turn off communication with others in their Paren…
Steam has a built-in feature that will display your frames per second (FPS) while playing PC games. It’s quick to enable and works in nearly any Steam game. Here’s how to see your FPS in Steam games on Windows 10, Mac, or Lin…
Usually, Windows+G opens up the Xbox Game Bar in Windows 10. But if you’d like to launch the Game Bar with a custom keyboard shortcut, Windows Settings has you covered. Here’s how to set it up.
Windows has had a calculator app since the beginning, and it’s always been handy. In Windows 10, you can pin the calculator on top of whatever you’re doing. That could be a detailed strategy game or an intense Exel session….
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Bar in Windows 10 is a handy way to call up an overlay of useful widgets using the Windows+G keyboard shortcut. But not everyone needs it, and if you’d like to disable it (or enable it again later), all …
All Windows 10 PCs have “Game Mode” enabled by default. Microsoft once touted this feature, but it’s now faded into the background. Bizarrely, some people report that disabling Game Mode boosts the performance of certain PC g…
Did you know you can use your Xbox controller with a PC, Mac, smartphone, and more? Microsoft’s controllers work wirelessly with a range of additional devices—no cables required.
Windows 10 has a built-in FPS counter hidden in its little-known Xbox Game Bar. Despite its name, the Xbox Game Bar is a powerful full-screen overlay you can use in PC games. Here’s how to show your frames per second (FPS) in…
Secretly playing your Nintendo Switch can be difficult because, by default, Nintendo alerts all of your friends when you launch a game, and they can see if you’re online from their friends list. Luckily, you can always appear…
If you’ve been playing some embarrassing games recently on your Nintendo Switch and you don’t want them to show up in your Play Activity where your friends can see it, you can delete your play activity completely. Here’s how …
Nintendo’s Splatoon 2 translates the squad-based, first-person shooter into a nonviolent game that’s suitable for a younger audience. But the game displays drawings (called “posts”) created by other players. Luckily, there ar…
On a Nintendo Switch, you can mark certain friends as your “Best Friends.” These people are your core group of trusted friends. Here’s what a Best Friend is and how to take full advantage of the special status in Settings….
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S ushered in a new generation of console gaming. Since backward compatibility is such a big deal this generation, it’s possible you no longer have much use for your old console. So what…
Windows 10 includes a tool called the Game Bar, and it has some cool features you might not know about. You can control Spotify while gaming without having to switch out of full-screen mode. It’s super handy….
Anybody looking for serious graphics power needs to have a graphics card from AMD, NVIDIA, or (someday soon) Intel. Not everyone wants that kind of power, however, especially when it comes at a price tag of $150 to more than …
Have you been playing some embarrassing Nintendo Switch games? By default, friends on your Switch can see your play activity—that’s the list of games you’ve been playing recently. Luckily, you can hide your play activity fr…
If unwanted friend requests on the Nintendo Switch are getting on your nerves, it’s easy to disable them completely in Settings without affecting your current friend list. Best of all, you can still add friends later if you n…
