On a gaming PC, the games themselves are easy to replace: your launchers will download them again. What you cannot download are your saves for games without cloud sync, your mods and settings, screenshots and recordings, and everything else on the PC. A good backup plan focuses on those. Game saves: check cloud sync first … Read more
Predicting the future of games is a risky business, but several changes are already well under way on PC. They affect what hardware people buy, where they play and how games are made. Looking at them helps make sense of where the platform is heading. PC gaming in your hands The Steam Deck showed that … Read more
Cheating has been part of online PC gaming for as long as there have been online games. Aimbots, wallhacks and speed hacks ruin matches for everyone else, and they push developers into an arms race with cheat makers. Players cannot stop cheating alone, but they can make a difference, and protect themselves in the process. … Read more
Modern games often weigh 100 GB or more, and patches can add dozens of gigabytes. Without a bit of organisation, downloads clash with your other internet use and fill your drives. A few settings in your launchers solve most of this. Schedule and limit downloads Steam, the Epic Games Launcher, the EA app and others … Read more
Good aim looks like pure reflexes, but most of it comes from a consistent setup, good habits and deliberate practice. Players who improve quickly are usually not the ones who play the most hours, but the ones who practise with a purpose. Get your setup consistent A large mouse pad and a mouse that suits … Read more
“Lag” covers two different problems. Network lag is when the game reacts late or players teleport because data takes too long to arrive. Frame lag is when your PC cannot render the game smoothly. Fixing the right one starts with telling them apart. Network lag or low FPS? Most online games can display network statistics: … Read more
Peripherals are everything you touch, see or hear while playing. They often matter more to your experience than a small upgrade inside the PC, and unlike components, you keep them when you change computers. The trick is upgrading in the order that brings the biggest gain. 1. The monitor The monitor is usually the most … Read more
A blue screen of death (BSOD) means Windows hit an error it could not recover from and stopped to protect your data. When it happens during games, the cause is usually something stressed by gaming: the graphics driver, memory, an overclock, heat or the power supply. The screen itself gives the first clue. Read the … Read more
Massively multiplayer online games ask for something most games do not: hundreds of hours. Before choosing one, it helps to know how they charge, how they treat solo players and what the endgame looks like, because these differences matter far more than graphics once you are a month in. Final Fantasy XIV Square Enix’s MMO … Read more
First-person shooters are one of the genres where the PC shines most: precise mouse aim, high refresh rate monitors and a long history of competitive play. The best choice depends on whether you want competition, a story or something to play with friends. Competitive tactical shooters Counter-Strike 2 is the long-standing reference: round-based matches where … Read more
