Gaming Articles - How-To Geek

How to Add an Indicator to See What Virtual Desktop You’re On in Windows 10

The ability to have multiple desktops was missing for a long time in Windows, until Windows 10 finally added it. We’ve covered how to use virtual desktops in Windows 10, but there’s at least one missing feature that we’...

Lori Kaufman May 17th, 2016

How to Enable Parental Controls on Your Xbox One

Parental controls allow you to restrict child accounts on an Xbox One. You can restrict access to games, media, and apps by age rating, filter the web, and control online privacy and chat features. This works similarly to th...

Chris Hoffman May 17th, 2016

How Much Does the Xbox One’s “Energy Saving” Mode Really Save?

While setting up your Xbox One, you’ll be asked whether you want to use “Instant On” mode or “Energy Saving” mode. You can also change this option at any time. We’ll show you how to calcula...

How to Take Screenshots and Record Videos on an Xbox One

Microsoft’s Xbox One allows you to easily capture a screenshot or record the last thirty seconds of gameplay as a video. You can also use the Game DVR app for more fine-grained recording options. All video clips are sa...

Chris Hoffman May 12th, 2016

How to Factory Reset Your Xbox One

Before you sell your Xbox One or pass it on to someone else, you should perform a factory reset. This wipes all your personal data. Whoever gets the Xbox One will have to go through the first-time setup process once again, s...

Chris Hoffman May 11th, 2016

How to Stop Notifications from Interrupting Your iOS Games

Notifications are handy when you want to know when a new email or message comes in. But the last time you want to be interrupted is in the middle of a winning streak in your favorite game.

Whitson Gordon May 10th, 2016

How to Run Any Program as a Background Service in Windows

If you’re like most Windows users, you have lots of great little utilities that run when you start Windows. While this works great for most apps, there are some that would be nice to start even before a user logs in to ...

How to Set a Screen Time Limit on Your iPhone or iPad With Guided Access

Guided Access allows you to set a screen time limit on your iPhone or iPad. This is great if you have a child–they can only play games for as long as you choose. The iPhone or iPad will be automatically locked after th...

How to Set Up Plex (and Watch Your Movies on Any Device)

Plex Media Server is a user-friendly way to store all your movies, shows, and other media in one place–and make it accessible from any device, whether you’re at home or on-the-go. If you’re looking for a n...

How to Factory Reset Your PlayStation 4

If you plan on selling your PlayStation 4, here’s how to reset it by deactivating your PSN account and deleting all of the files on the console to put it back into factory condition.

Craig Lloyd Apr 28th, 2016

What Is Apple’s Game Center, and Should You Use It?

If you use an Apple product like a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, then you may have noticed the “Game Center” app…but probably never opened it. Today we want to talk about what the Game Center is, and whether you&#...

Matt Klein Apr 25th, 2016

How to Prevent Accidental Ad Clicks in iOS Games With Guided Access

Many iPhone and iPad games include banner ads that take up part of your screen. Accidentally tap the ad, and you’ll be ripped from the game and taken to another app, like the App Store or Safari. Enable iOS’ &#822...

How to Connect a Mouse and Keyboard to Your PlayStation 4

Believe it or not, Sony’s PlayStation 4 works with a mouse and keyboard. This makes it more convenient to type, use the web browser, and generally get around more quickly. Some games even support mouse and keyboard con...

Chris Hoffman Apr 20th, 2016

What Windows 10’s “Optional Features” Do, and How to Turn Them On or Off

Windows 10 comes with a number of “optional” features that you can turn on or off through the Windows Features dialog. Many of these features are intended for business networks and servers, while some are useful...

How to Take Screenshots and Record Videos on a PlayStation 4

Your PlayStation 4 is constantly recording your gameplay in the background, just in case you want to save or share a clip. You can also quickly create screenshots with a single button-press.

Chris Hoffman Apr 14th, 2016

How to Remove a Device from Your Microsoft Account

When you sign into Windows 8 or 10 using your Microsoft account (and other Microsoft devices, like an Xbox), those devices become associated with your account. If you want to remove an old device you’ve gotten rid of, y...

Walter Glenn Apr 14th, 2016

How to Choose the Best Battery Case for Your iPhone

iPhone battery life has increased significantly over the last few years, but it’s still possible to find yourself staring at a depleted battery by the end of the day. Extend the time between charges with the right ba...

Jason Fitzpatrick Apr 13th, 2016

How to Stream PlayStation 4 Games to Your PC or Mac with Remote Play

Sony’s PlayStation 4 can now stream games to Windows PCs and Macs with a feature called Remote Play. That means you can play your games right on your PC or laptop, without hogging the TV when your spouse or roommates ...

Chris Hoffman Apr 7th, 2016

How to Get Deal Alerts for Just About Any Product with Slickdeals

There are so many deals that pop up every single day that it can be really difficult keep up with all of them. But there’s an easy way to track only the products you’re interested in, and receive alerts in your e...

Craig Lloyd Apr 6th, 2016

How to Change Your Xbox Gamertag Name on Windows 10

Xbox is no longer just a gaming console. It’s an app and set of services integrated into Windows 10. But Xbox still uses whatever old gamertag, or nickname, is associated with your Microsoft account. You may have set t...

How to Customize Your Xbox One’s Privacy Settings

Microsoft is no stranger to controversy in the world of privacy, so it’s not too surprising that its flagship Xbox One console comes with such an extensive range of customizable privacy features. Users can configure doz...

Chris Stobing Apr 1st, 2016

What You Need to Know About Vulkan, Which Promises Faster Games on Every Platform

Microsoft’s DirectX 12 and Apple’s Metal are next-generation graphics platforms. They provide lower-level access to graphics hardware, allowing game programmers to squeeze more performance out of the hardware. Vu...

How to Customize Your PlayStation 4’s Privacy Settings

Sony’s PlayStation 4 has a social media-style dashboard. Your friends can view your PlayStation activity along with your real name, and your account may be discoverable to your Facebook friends if you’ve linked y...

Chris Hoffman Mar 28th, 2016

How to Remap Buttons on Your PlayStation 4’s Controller

Sony’s PlayStation 4 offers button remapping for its DualShock 4 controllers. If you don’t like a game’s control scheme, you’re free to switch the buttons around and make it more comfortable. The game ...

How to Turn the Mouse Locator On or Off in OS X

OS X 10.11 El Capitan includes a new “mouse locator” feature. If you lose your mouse pointer, just shake the mouse or move your finger on the touch pad vigorously, and the mouse pointer will temporarily grow ve...

Matt Klein Mar 25th, 2016