Latest news with #crossplatform
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
What does cross-platform mean in gaming?
If you've been casually following the gaming industry and checking out upcoming video games for the past decade or so, you've no doubt heard the term cross-platform come up. You might've put together that it has something to do with multiplayer games, such as Marvel Rivals or Fortnite, but you may not know exactly what it all means. Now that it is rarer to hear of a major multiplayer game that isn't cross-platform, it is better to know what it means for you and how it is impacting your gaming. There are a few layers to what cross-platform means in gaming, so I will break it all down so you know what exactly it is, why it is important, and maybe if you would rather turn it off in certain games. What does cross-platform mean? When people talk about cross-platform support, the component they mainly focus on is crossplay. Crossplay means exactly what it sounds like: games that can be played online between different platforms, aka consoles and PC. Odds are any current multiplayer game you're playing today is a cross-platform game since it has become standard practice for all major releases. Up until the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch generations, there was no option for someone on a PlayStation to play with or against an Xbox player, even if they were playing the same game, with rare exception. While there were some murmurings about crossplay being possible, it wasn't until September 2017 when Fortnite suddenly allowed players on PS4 and Xbox One to play together after a 'configuration issue.' However, this opened the doors for Fortnite to officially launch crossplay as a permanent feature in March 2018. After that, more and more games followed suit and began implementing or launching with full crossplay support to allow players to join up with their friends regardless of platform. Recommended Videos The other aspect to know about cross-platform is cross-progression. This is still less common than crossplay, but is very common among free-to-play games. Cross-progression allows you to start playing a game on one platform, say the PS5, and then continue from where you left off on PC, Xbox, or any other platform the game is on. Why are cross-platform games important? Before cross-platform support became the standard, multiplayer games died off much more quickly with segmented audiences. Instead of having a player base of everyone who purchased the game to find matches with, you would only be able to play with those on your console. Now that games are trying to be live services and host massive servers full of players, segmenting the community by platform would make the experience worse for everyone. The one potential downside to cross-platform support is when one platform, typically PC, has an advantage over the others. This isn't common, but it can impact certain games. Thankfully, nearly all cross-platform games include the option to disable crossplay if you wish.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dexter: Resurrection Sets Showtime Streaming Record, Delivers 46% Bigger Audience Than Original Sin
'Talk about a killer debut,' nine out of 10 news stories on this topic will begin. The Dexter: Resurrection premiere drew 3.1 million global cross-platform viewers in its first three days, representing a 46% larger audience than what the Dexter: Original Sin prequel series opened to last December. More from TVLine Dexter: Resurrection Premiere: Jack Alcott Reacts to the Season's Gruesome First Kill - Watch Dexter: Resurrection's Michael C. Hall Says Premiere's Surprise Cameos Were the 'Best Way to Start' - Who Came Back? Dexter: Resurrection's Michael C. Hall on Why He 'Rolled the Dice' to Bring His Iconic Killer Back From the Dead - Watch The return of grown-up Dexter also delivered the most-streamed premiere in Showtime history, putting up 44% bigger numbers than Original Sin, and marking a 76% improvement on Dexter: New Blood (circa November 2021). TVLine readers gave the premiere an average grade of 'A'; get Michael C. Hall's take on the surprise cameos and see what Jack Alcott (who plays Harrison) said about the season's gruesome first kill. 'Dexter: Resurrection delivered an electrifying performance that not only rekindled a fiercely devoted fanbase but also captivated a new generation of viewers — shattering records with Showtime's most-streamed premiere ever,' Chris McCarthy, President of Showtime/MTV Entertainment, said in a statement. 'This triumph underscores the lasting impact of this iconic franchise, brought to life by Michael C. Hall's unparalleled portrayal and [showrunner] Clyde Phillips' visionary creative leadership.' A continuation of New Blood, Resurrection takes place weeks after Dexter Morgan (played by Hall) takes a bullet to the chest from his own son, as he awakens from a coma to find Harrison (Alcott) gone without a trace. Realizing the weight of what he put his son through, Dexter sets out for New York City determined to find him and make things right. Closure, though, won't come easy. 'When Miami Metro's Angel Batista (David Zayas) arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast,' the series synopsis reads. 'As father and son navigate their own darkness in the city that never sleeps, they soon find themselves deeper than they ever imagined – and that the only way out is together.' Dexter: Resurrection also stars Uma Thurman as Charley, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Blessing Kamara, Kadia Saraf as Detective Claudette Wallace, Dominic Fumusa as Detective Melvin Oliva, Emilia Suárez as Elsa Rivera, James Remar as Dexter's father Harry, and Peter Dinklage as Leon Prater. Guest stars include Neil Patrick Harris, Krysten Ritter, Eric Stonestreet and David Dastmalchian, as Lowell, Mia, Al and Gareth. Want scoop on , or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@ and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line!
Digital Trends
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Is Madden NFL 26 cross-platform?
Just like you can always count on there being a new Call of Duty game every year, Madden is a series that never misses a yearly installment. This is easily the premier sports game on the market, with Madden NFL 26 being the first one to leave behind the PS4 and Xbox One generation systems. Even though the last game straddled console generations, it still was a cross-platform game, so one would hope that Madden NFL 26 would keep this fantastic feature going. Of course, you can never be too sure so I'm calling a timeout on the play to tell you everything you need to know about Madden NFL 26 cross-platform support. Does Madden NFL 26 have cross-platform support? According to EA, Madden NFL 26 doesn't have full cross-platform support, but almost. This year, Madden NFL 26 will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. Cross-platform support will be available between PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but not the Nintendo Switch 2. Sorry, Nintendo fans, but you will only be able to matchmake with other Switch 2 players. As far as what modes are available for crossplay, you will be able to go online in the Head-to-Head, Franchise, Madden Ultimate Team, Superstar KO, and Superstar Showdown modes. One feature of note that will not have crossplay is the Madden Ultimate Team Auction House. You can only spend your Coins on items put up by players on your specific platform. Recommended Videos As always, you can opt to turn crossplay on or off in the settings if you would rather limit your matchmaking pool to just your console. Besides crossplay, Madden NFL 26 also includes cross-progression so you can bring your Superstar avatar and purchases between platforms. Again, this has the same restrictions as crossplay, meaning Switch 2 players will be left out. Still, being able to transfer your Superstar and gear between platforms is a welcome feature, even if the Switch 2 is left out.
Android Authority
13-06-2025
- Android Authority
I live between Android, Windows, iPhone, and Mac, and it's pure chaos
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Sending a file to a laptop should be simple in 2025, right? Apparently not for me, because my tech setup is split between Apple, Google, and Microsoft. It's a frustrating multi-step process to do most things. Message my kids? Nope. Drop a file from my phone to my computer? Ya right. These are the kinds of things that happen when you live in a fragmented tech world. I come from an Android and Windows background. I'm a huge fan of Android and bought every single Nexus device from the 4 to the 6P. Now I rock a RedMagic 10 Pro. But my wife is an iPhone loyalist, and my kids use iPads. I added an iPhone to my ensemble just to stay connected, and when it was time to get a new laptop, I went with the 14 inch M1 MacBook Pro. The Apple TV 4K was inevitable. But I still use a powerful Windows PC, an Xbox, an Android tablet, and a Quest 2 VR from time to time. None of my devices work together. What's your tech ecosystem setup like? 1 votes All-in on Google/Android 0 % All-in on Apple 0 % Android and Windows 100 % Apple and Google mixed 0 % Three or more and I have a headache 0 % I don't even know any more. Help. 0 % My chaotic cross-platform setup Ryan Haines / Android Authority I swear I didn't set out to make my life this complicated. Android and Windows worked fine until I threw an iPhone into the mix. Impressed with the quality of the hardware, I found myself throwing more Apple gadgets into the mix. HomePod Mini, AirPods, and even an Apple Watch. One thing led to another, and now I'm bouncing between ecosystems just to stay connected. Windows remains the center of my digital setup. I'm a fan of Windows 11 (queue comments from the angry PC Master Race crowd). My Android phone is my primary mobile device, while my Android tablet is arguably my most-used piece of tech. However, the Apple TV 4K is second-to-none, and the HomePod Minis I have synced to it provide exceptional room-filling sound. Plus, they look cool. But then there's messages. What breaks every day Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority Messages, file-sharing, and a host of other little quality-of-life features are pure chaos thanks to this broken setup. Messaging is the worst offender. I use iMessage with my kids because it's private and secure and it just works with their iPads. I don't have to worry about them, and Apple provides excellent family safety tools. But none of that works on my Android or my PC, so I end up carrying an iPhone around just to stay in touch with my little ones. They don't have mobile numbers, so RCS isn't an option. There are very few options that are as simple and secure as iMessage, so there we are. File sharing is a close second. AirDrop is brilliant if you're all-in on Apple. Nothing else compares. Quick Share only works between Android and Windows, and even then, it's not consistent. Windows Phone Link doesn't work most of the time. If I want to move a photo from my Android to my Mac, I have to upload it to Google Drive or email it to myself and then download it again. Audio is fragmented. My HomePod Mini only works seamlessly with Apple devices. I can set up a Bluetooth connection with my Android, but Apple keeps dropping it and I need to set up a new session each time. I have a Google Nest Mini and a few Amazon Echo pucks laying around, none of which have the same sound quality as the HomePod, but at least I can use Spotify with them. Passwords are an ongoing annoyance. I was using Google Passwords and Apple Passwords and constantly updating both of them. I realize there's an Apple Passwords extension for Chrome, and I've tried it, but I like Google Passwords more. It's only worse with Passkeys. Some passkeys are easy enough to use by scanning a QR code with my phone, but others inexplicably refuse to let me sign in unless I'm on the device I used to create them, and I often forget which one that was. How I keep it all running Andy Walker / Android Authority It's not all doom and gloom in the Drescher household. I've managed to build some routines that hold everything together. Google is my glue. Calendar, Drive, and Keep allow me to keep my sanity. I recently explored trying to ditch Big Tech and go with third party apps, but it only caused even greater chaos, so I'm back to Google. My devices are split by purpose. Android as my daily driver, and my iPhone as a sort of family hub. My PC is my workhorse, but when I'm on the go my MacBook M1 Pro is a capable and reliable beast of a machine. A Plex server allows me to share media across all these devices. I've admittedly grown somewhat attached to my Apple Watch, to the dismay of my now-lonely Fitbit Charge 6. The cost of living between ecosystems Ryan Haines / Android Authority The real cost here isn't financial. It's time and mental energy. I end up wasting precious time managing sync issues, troubleshooting apps, and remembering which device has which login. I miss messages. I resend files. I get locked out of accounts. It's exhausting. Anyone who lives in a fragmented tech world knows this mental tax. You have to remember what works with what, and how to route around the things that don't. It adds up. You don't trust your tools to just work, and I suppose that was the original beauty behind the Apple ecosystem. I'm not ready to give up At this point it seems like I should just go all-in with Apple. After all, I go on about its ecosystem. But walled-off ecosystems suck in their own way. I love Android and I love gaming with my brother and friends. PC is where it's at. What we need is for non-Apple companies to get their stuff together and start creating a frictionless cross-platform ecosystem to rival Apple. Google is already on the right track, but just barely. Every platform wants you all-in with them only. None of them truly play nice with each other. Until that changes, my life will remain in a state of tech chaos.
The Verge
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
'One more patch' is coming for the game, and it will add the feature,
The Witcher 3 is getting cross-platform mods. CD Projekt Red says. The mods will be available across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X / S.
