Latest Gaming How-to Stories
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How-To
How to use a Nintendo Switch Pro controller with a PC
You can do it over Bluetooth or with a wired USB cable.
Updated
How to limit screen time on Xbox and Windows for your kids
Here's how to limit screen time for the Xbox and Windows 10 PCs, using the dashboard within your Windows account.
How-To
If you’re having graphics card problems, try a clean driver install
AMD issues a great reminder amidst a recent bug hunt: Many graphics card problems can be fixed by performing a clean install of your GPU drivers.
Updated
How to stream PC games on Twitch
With OBS Studio, you can get started broadcasting your games on Twitch for the enjoyment of a public audience.
Updated
How to transform your laptop into a gaming powerhouse with an external graphics card
With a little bit of research and elbow grease (or a Thunderbolt 3 dock), an external graphics card setup lets you upgrade your laptop for a fraction of the cost of a new gaming PC.
Updated
How to build a Raspberry Pi retrogaming emulation console
With these simple, step-by-step instructions for building a Raspberry Pi 3 console loaded with RetroPie software, you'll be playing your favorite classic games in no time.
Tip
How to stop Steam’s Chat and Friends list from automatically opening
The new Steam Chat is great, but it annoyingly opens every time you open Steam. Here's how to stop it.
How-To
How to set up Steam Link and play PC games on your TV
The Steam Link bridges the gulf between gaming on your computer and gaming on your couch.
How-To
How to stream PC games anywhere
Streaming PC games lets you play them anywhere. Here's how to set up your home and devices for streaming, and how to use the Steam In-Home Streaming and Nvidia GameStream services.How-To
How to share Steam games with family and friends
With Steam's Family Library Sharing you can share your games library with others. Just be careful who you share with.How-To
How to back up your Steam games
Steam lets you re-download your purchased games, but sometimes it's easier to keep a local back up.Hassle-Free PC
How to activate Game Mode in the Windows 10 Creators Update
Game Mode is a great choice for budget gamers or anyone else who needs to dedicate as many system resources as possible to their game.
How-To
How to change where Steam installs your PC games
C:// isn't your only choice for storing Steam games if you have multiple drives attached to your PC.
Answer Line
How to use MAME emulator to cure computer game nostalgia
MAME is the name that matters for arcade game and PC emulators. Its aim is to preserve the PC and gaming past—and let you enjoy them once again.
Updated
Windows 10’s native Mixer support makes PC game streaming dead simple
The Windows 10 Creators update offers native support for PC game broadcasting, using Microsoft's Mixer service. What it lacks in users and features, it makes up for in sheer ease of use.Hassle-Free PC
How to judge the time commitment of your next video game
Video games require a lot of time to complete. HowLongToBeat.com can help you figure out how much time to set aside for each game you play.
How-To
How to create Live Tiles for your Steam games in Windows
It's not easy to turn your Steam games into Live Tiles, but this Windows Store app can help.Hassle-Free PC
How to know if your PC is ready for virtual reality
With Oculus Rift on preorder and HTC Vive coming soon, the big question is whether your PC will be up to the VR task. The Rift compatibility tool will tell you—and you don't need to preorder anything to use it.How-To
How to permanently delete games from Steam
Don't want that game you hated to continue cluttering up your Steam library? You can now do away with it for good.World Beyond Windows
How to use Nvidia Optimus to switch active GPUs and save power on Linux laptops
Nvidia's power-saving Optimus technology is available on Linux, but the experience is far from smooth out of the box. Here's how to fix it.Hassle-Free PC
3 surprisingly easy PC repairs you should do yourself
You could pay someone to take care of these repairs for you, but you'd be surprised how easy they are with a little patience.How-To
How to overclock your graphics card and make PC games run faster for free
Want more performance in your PC games for free? Overclocking your graphics card is the answer. Here's how.Smart Mobile Tricks
How to replace your Android or iOS keyboard
Tweak your settings, or buy a third-party keyboard app that's better at guessing your words or understanding your typing habits.How-To
How to use your Xbox One to manage your TV and set-top box/DVR
Your Xbox One can be the brains of your TV for everything from satellite TV to gaming.Hassle-Free PC
Don’t throw it out! 5 handy uses for a secondary PC
Tossing out old PCs is such a wait. Put secondary computers to work instead with one of these five different uses.Answer Line
Avoid typos: Disable the Caps Lock key
You meant to hit Shift, but instead you hit Caps Lock. Here's how you can avoid LOOKING LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING.Hassle-Free PC
Will that game play on your PC? Can You Run It tells you
Can You Run It scans your PC and compares it against a game's hardware requirements.
How-To
How to hide games in your Steam library
After years of begging from PC gamers, you can now hide games from your Steam library—though the secretive feature is hard to find. Here's how to do it.
How-To
How to use your XBox One controller for your PC games
Here's how to download Microsoft's recently released Windows drivers for its Xbox One controller. Now the device can pull double duty as game input for both the console and your PC.How-To
How Steam in-home streaming can turn your old laptop or Windows tablet into a PC gaming force
If your gaming rig and home network are up to snuff, you can stream Steam games to another PC (including Macs and Linux machines) or Windows tablet and play in other parts of your abode. Here's how to set it up.How-To
How to run SteamOS in a virtual machine
See what all the hub-bub behind Valve's gaming-centric operating system is about WITHOUT blowing away all the data already on your hard drive.How-To
Mean and green: How to build a gaming PC that’s fast, quiet, and efficient
Gaming rigs don’t have to be big, noisy, power-sucking beasts. We've built one that treads lightly and kills softly.How-To
How to make your old GPU run like new
A little TLC can breathe new life into your aging graphics card.How-To
Let go of that laptop: the ultimate guide to making a tablet your main computer
Done with heavy hardware? With these apps, peripherals, and cloud services, you can leave that notebook behind for good.How-To
How to build a killer Windows 8.1 gaming PC for under $1000
A new OS calls for new hardware, at an affordable price.Answer Line
Run an old program on a new PC
John P. wants to continue playing a game he bought when running Windows 98Hassle-Free PC
How to sidestep accidental mouse clicks
Clicking the wrong place at the wrong time can have disastrous results. But if you catch yourself in time, there's a fix.How-To
The power user’s guide to picking the perfect keyboard
You spend hours with your keyboard—pick a good one. Here's how.Answer Line
Simplify browser use with keyboard shortcuts
The mouse may be the most intuitive way to control a browser, but it's not the most efficient. As MLStrand56 learned on the Answer Line forum, browser shortcuts can be valuable.Hassle-Free PC
Open any folder with the Windows-E keyboard shortcut
With a little AutoHotkey scripting, you can make Windows Explorer open something other than My Computer.
How-To
Keep it stable, stupid! How to stress-test your PC hardware
If you're not stress testing your new (or newly overclocked) PC hardware, danger may be lurking in its depths. Here's how to push your PC to its limits to ensure its stability.How-To
How to build your own Steam Box today
Valve Software believes the future of PC gaming leads to the living room. But why wait for its Steam Box when you can build your own?How-To
The ultimate guide to tweaking your GPU’s most arcane settings
Understand the weirdest, most complex options of your graphics control panel, and start tweaking your display like a pro.Hassle-Free PC
The one keyboard key you should be using in your browser—but aren’t
Web forms are a fact of Internet life, but if you're not using this particular keyboard shortcut, you're wasting considerable time.Hassle-Free PC
How to improve mouse scrolling in Google Chrome
Tired of jerky mouse-wheel movements in your browser? Chromium Wheel Smooth Scroller can help.How-To
Windows 8 and Xbox: How to realize their hidden synergy
With Windows 8, the ties between Microsoft's blockbuster operating system and its blockbuster gaming console have never been tighter. Here's how to get the two playing nicely together.How-To
Gaming on Linux: A guide for sane people with limited patience
With a little know-how and some simple console commands, you can play PC games on Linux so smoothly that you'll never need to boot into Windows again.How-To
How to trick out your gaming PC with multiple graphics cards
Achieve unprecedented performance by installing multiple graphics cards in your PC, and linking them with Crossfire or SLI technology.