#pc streaming

Follow us here

or here

How to Stream and Mirror Content and Videos From a PC to a Chromecast

[ad_1]

One of our favourite gadgets to have around the house is the Google Chromecast – the little dongle is affordable, and really useful if you like getting your content on the big screen. And the best part about it is that as long as you’ve got a working Wi-Fi network in the place, you’ve got a whole host of options when it comes to getting your videos onto the big screen.

If you want to…

Yes, it’ll be Smite

Playing some SMITE

Before you head down to the comment section to explain to me that I’m insane, and exactly where I’ve got it completely wrong, and that mobiles will never ever take over PC games, stop.

I agree - PCs are great gaming solutions. PC games sales are increasing, 2015 is going to have several huge games come out, and you wouldn’t be seen dead without a mouse and keyboard.

BUT.  Having said that, mobiles CAN be a better gaming experience than your PC.

Don’t believe me? Here’s why:

Left handed controls

Like many things (the can opener, for example), computers weren't built with southpaws in mind. The mouse was designed for right handed people, and if you want your dominant hand to do the aiming (as many of us prefer), you have to switch your whole layout around from WASD (and the position related ‘reload’, ‘crouch’, ‘magic arrow through the chest’). In other words, lefties, who are already at risk from the right hand world around them, get the short end of the stick here too.

But on a mobile? Things are completely different. Why?

Because when you play the same game on a mobile, setting up controls for left handed people is as simple as drag and drop. No more agonizing about what’s the best button to map to your ‘switch weapon’, as none of them are in the right position for your little finger to reach. You can move the button exactly where you need it. Can you do that in a computer? Heck no.

Accelerometer

A computer doesn’t have one. Nuff said.

But we’ll say a bit more.

The accelerometer is that magic bit in the phone that knows where we are, how much we’re tilting the phone, and how fast it is moving at any given point. This makes it ideal to use the phone for racing games, flying games, simulator games - any games, in fact, where you can change the point of view quickly by moving a mouse. Only you don’t move a mouse, you move the actual phone (or tablet) that you’re holding.

Is that a better experience than a computer?

I don’t know about you, but that makes for a much more immersive experience. It is also far more intuitive to move your phone around when you want to adjust your point of view than to drag a mouse around. In fact, that’s exactly what Google Cardboard is based on.

Mobility

Desktop PCs are just that. Big boxes chained to your desktop. You won’t be lugging them around any time soon. Fun fact: I actually used to do just that 15 years ago, when taking long trips out of town. I used to pack up my desktop tower, mouse, keyboard, and on one very memorable occasion, my monitor, and pack them up into a (very big) bag, so I could take my computer with me on long weekends. And no, I don’t really want to repeat that experience.

But you don’t need to. Why?

Because any self respecting phone today probably has enough computing power to browse the web, read (and respond) to your email, and see what your Facebook friends are up to.

So if your mobile can do all that, why on earth WOULDN’T it be able play PC games?

The answer is that OF COURSE your mobile can play PC games. It’s just a matter of using the right app to stream those games to your mobile.

Voice controls

Voice controls. Who hasn’t dreamed of shouting ‘HADOUKEN’ and watching his opponents bite the dust? Or is that just me? Nevermind. The point I’m trying to make is that voice commands is an incredibly cool option to use in a lot of games. RPG games like Diablo (‘lightning STRIKE’), or Company of Heros (‘Able company, REPORT’) are just begging for voice controls. And while you may have a mic around, and you really want to start digging through the workarounds that MIGHT let you shout at your troops (and have them obey), most PC players just don’t do this.

But can you do it on a mobile?

Heck yes. A mobile has that ability built in from the very beginning! Voice commands are part of Siri’s, Cortanta’s and…. whatever Google’s assistant is called (I know it’s OK Google, but surely she has a name too). Taking that feature and applying it to PC games is incredibly satisfying on so many levels.

Controllers  

Bluetooth controllers, to be precise. You see, while you CAN connect bluetooth controllers (or bluetooth anything) to desktop computers, most of them don’t have bluetooth connectivity built in. Mobile phones or tablets, on the other hand, do.

When push comes to shove, a mobile device has tons of built in, native features that turn gaming on a mobile into an experience that’s just as fun as playing on a PC computer. Where does the PC advantage come in? Mainly with the games. PC games are still far and beyond anything the mobile landscape has to offer. Their stories are better, the graphics are better, and the gameplay offers more value.