Exploring the Best PC Games of All Time, In the vast landscape of gaming, some titles stand the test of time, captivating players across generations. These games not only define their eras but also set benchmarks for their genres. They offer immersive experiences, compelling narratives, and innovative mechanics, often being celebrated in discussions about the Best PC Game All Time. As we delve into this remarkable universe, we will explore the games that have become milestones in gaming history, continuing to resonate with both newcomers and veterans alike.
Main Points
Understanding what makes a game timeless.
A look at various genres represented among the best.
The journey of PC gaming is nothing short of fascinating. It began in the late 1970s, where a handful of text-based games captivated a niche audience. These early experiences laid the foundation for a massive industry. Over the decades, technical advancements and a growing community transformed the gaming landscape. As graphics improved and the internet emerged, multiplayer experiences flourished in ways many couldn’t have imagined. Today, PC gaming is a bastion of creativity and competition, with titles that fall into the realm of the Best PC Game All Time.
1970s – Early Beginnings: Simple text-based adventures dominated.
1980s – The Birth of Graphics: Introduction of iconic titles, pushing visual limits.
1990s – Online Connectivity: Multiplayer games emerged with the rise of the internet.
2000s – The Rise of FPS: First-person shooters redefined competitive gaming.
2010s – Diverse Genres: Expanding into RPGs, indie games, and esports.
This evolution encapsulates why many regard certain titles as the Best PC Game All Time. Thus, the evolution of PC gaming reflects not just technological progression but also our ever-growing desire for immersive experiences. Best PC Game All Time discussions often intersect with personal passion, making them a riveting topic among enthusiasts.
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2. Iconic Franchises That Shaped the PC Gaming Landscape
Throughout the years, several franchises have emerged, profoundly influencing the best PC game all time records. Titles such as StarCraft and The Sims revolutionized gameplay mechanics and storytelling. Each franchise brought unique elements that catered to diverse audiences, creating memorable multiplayer experiences. Additionally, their impact on genre evolution cannot be understated, as they established new benchmarks. It’s intriguing how these games shaped not only player expectations but also industry standards. They are truly the stalwarts of PC gaming.
Franchise Highlights
Franchise
Release Year
Genre
StarCraft
1998
RTS
The Sims
2000
Simulation
3. Genre Definers: Best RPGs, FPS, and Strategy Games of All Time
When we dive into the world of video games, three genres particularly stand out: RPGs, FPS, and strategy games. Each of these categories has produced unforgettable experiences that define the gaming landscape. Best PC game all time graphics often enhance immersion, vividly bringing stories to life. RPGs like “The Witcher 3” offer rich narratives, while FPS games such as “DOOM” deliver adrenaline-pumping action. Nevertheless, strategy games like “Civilization VI” challenge players to think critically, making choices that resonate across generations.
Unforgettable Titles and Their Legacy
In the realm of RPGs, the depth of character development is remarkable. Clearly, players invest not just time but emotion into their journey. FPS games prioritize quick reflexes and skill; however, they also foster intense multiplayer rivalries. Alternatively, strategy games emphasize patience and planning, rewarding foresight over mere speed. Therein lies the magic of gaming: each genre offers a unique lens through which we can explore vast, imaginative worlds.
4. The Impact of Graphics and Technology on Game Development
The evolution of graphics and technology has profoundly transformed game development, reshaping player experiences in remarkable ways. Artists now wield cutting-edge tools that render vibrant environments and lifelike characters, yet this complexity can paradoxically lead to oversaturation. Developers find themselves balancing visual fidelity with gameplay mechanics, creating a tug-of-war effect. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence complicates design choices. As teams navigate these challenges, they must also adapt to emerging trends, ensuring their games resonate with players. This interplay of art and technology fosters a dynamic game development landscape.
Key Factors Influencing Game Development
Realism: Players crave immersive experiences that blur the line between reality and the virtual world.
Innovation: Technological advancements inspire new gaming paradigms, resulting in unexpected gameplay mechanics.
Accessibility: Developers prioritize inclusive design, ensuring that elevating graphics don’t alienate less powerful devices.
As we venture into the future, understanding these influences remains crucial for creating engaging and memorable games.
5. Multiplayer Madness: Celebrating the Best Cooperative and Competitive Titles
In the vibrant realm of gaming, multiplayer experiences offer a unique blend of collaboration and competition. Engaging with friends or strangers fosters a sense of community, turning mere play into lively adventures. Take a deep dive into titles like “Among Us” and “Fortnite,” where strategies intertwine with spontaneity. Yet, the confusion often lies in balancing teamwork and individual prowess. Understanding when to unite and when to stand out can be the key. Join the chaos—your next great gaming session awaits!
6. Hidden Gems: Underrated PC Games Worth Your Time
If you’re tired of mainstream titles, explore the world of underrated PC games that often go unnoticed. These hidden gems challenge conventional gaming norms, offering rich storytelling and unique mechanics. For instance, titles like “Disco Elysium” blend existential themes with an innovative narrative style. You’ll find immersive experiences that resonate deeply, making players ponder. Additionally, “Owlboy” showcases stunning pixel art, yet it rarely receives the recognition it deserves. Take a chance and dive into these unique worlds.
Why Play the Underrated?
Many players miss out on these treasures, focusing solely on popular releases. However, hidden gems often provide more fulfilling experiences. They invite players to explore unfamiliar territories, encouraging curiosity. As one gamer aptly noted:
“The best stories are often found in the places you least expect.” — An avid gamer
Game Title
Description
Disco Elysium
A narrative-driven RPG with deep dialogue choices.
Owlboy
A pixel art adventure that emphasizes storytelling.
In conclusion, giving these hidden gems a chance can truly enhance your gaming repertoire. They not only provide unique gameplay experiences but also spark thoughtful conversations among players. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of the forgotten and the obscure!
7. The Future of PC Gaming: Trends and Innovations to Watch
As we look ahead, the landscape of PC gaming is remarkably evolving. New technologies promise to redefine how we experience games. Several key trends are emerging that could reshape the industry. Here are some noteworthy developments to keep an eye on:
Cloud Gaming: This allows players to access games without the need for high-end hardware, reshaping accessibility.
AI Integration: Advanced algorithms will enhance gameplay, from smarter NPCs to personalized gaming experiences.
Virtual Reality: The continued refinement of VR technology may bring immersive gaming to mainstream audiences.
Cross-Platform Play: Bridging the gap between different gaming communities will enable a more inclusive experience.
Blockchain Technology: This could revolutionize in-game economies and ownership, although its long-term impact remains speculative.
These innovations will likely create both excitement and confusion among players. As we witness these transformations, understanding their implications will be crucial. The future of PC gaming is not just about technology; it’s about creating vibrant communities and unparalleled experiences.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world of PC gaming is filled with timeless triumphs that resonate deeply with players. From captivating narratives to groundbreaking gameplay mechanics, the best PC games of all time have shaped our experiences and created lasting memories. As we reflect on these remarkable titles, it becomes clear that they transcend mere entertainment.
They offer a shared language, a sense of community, and an escape into worlds that feel both familiar and fantastical. While new games continue to emerge, the classics retain their charm, reminding us of the beauty of gaming’s evolution. So let’s celebrate these masterpieces and cherish the joy they bring us, because they truly represent the essence of what makes gaming a beloved pastime for so many.
Frequently Asked Questions
What criteria were used to determine the best PC game of all time?
The criteria typically include factors such as game design, innovation, storytelling, graphics, and player reception over time.
Are there any genres that dominate the list of the best PC games?
While various genres are represented, action, role-playing, and strategy games often feature prominently due to their storytelling and gameplay depth.
Can a game still be considered the best if it has aged poorly?
Yes, a game’s impact and legacy can endure despite aging graphics or mechanics. Many players value the experience and influence these games had on the industry.
How do player opinions influence rankings of the best PC games?
Player opinions are crucial as they provide insight into a game’s popularity and enjoyment. Surveys, reviews, and community discussions often shape these rankings.
Is it possible for new games to enter the ‘best of all time’ discussion?
Absolutely! New games can challenge the established titles and gain recognition as classics based on their innovation, gameplay, and lasting impact on the gaming community.
Best Free City Building Games in 2024, Do you want to play the best city building games for Windows PC? In this comprehensive article, you will learn 8 most popular city building games to play in 2024. Read on to the entire article for complete information.
In the course of playing one of the top city-building games, you will find yourself wasting many hours growing your city, perfecting your infrastructure, and concentrating on your trade. You may construct magnificent cities and give them your own personal touch. Whether you want to construct a modest mountain village, a future tech center, or an ancient empire, you will find what you are searching for in the list that is provided here. Although city-building games often have a high learning curve and a large amount of material, novice players may enjoy themselves by playing any of the games on our list from the beginning.
Top 8 Best Free City Building Games For PC in 2024
Currently, the following are the best city building games that are available for play on computers:
1. Cities: Skylines
For the complete and utter delight of any person’s inner-city planner, this immediate classic captured the essence of SimCity series and boosted it up to a higher level. Create the most popular seaside clubbing zone in the area by devoting a significant amount of time to refining your highway swaps or by using specialized zoning rules.
Players have godlike influence over every area of life, from budgets to bus timetables, so it is easy to spend hours geeking out in the weeds as your city expands. Players have the ability to regulate every aspect of existence. Cities: Skylines – An absolute need for everyone who is passionate about the genre. There are over ten expansion packs available for Skylines, ranging from Parklife to Mass Transit, allowing players to keep things exciting. Overall, it is one of the best city building games that you can play on your PC.
There is a possibility that this city building game is the ideal choice for you if you are someone who enjoys dark role-playing narratives. Frostpunk is a work of historical fiction that takes place in the late 1800s, after the cataclysmic explosions carried out by two stratovolcanoes, Mount Tambora and Krakatoa, had induced a global volcanic winter.
Constructing a camp for refugees and maintaining civilization is your task as the commander of an institution located in the coal-rich northern region of the country. The repercussions of imposing child labor and 24-hour work shifts while also keeping a restless populace at bay are something that you will have to think about in Frostpunk, in contrast to other top-rated city-building games that may have you focusing on things like commercial and residential taxation.
Create a time machine since this cool city building game is perfect for those who are interested in history as well as those who create cities. This seventh entry in the Anno series, titled Anno 1800, takes place during the time period known as the Industrial Revolution, which, for those of you who skipped history class, corresponds to the 19th century.
While you are concentrating on the strategy of your craftsmen and inhabitants, who are obsessed with production and consumption, you will need to manage the delicate supply-demand balance that exists between your Old World city and a parallel New World metropolis and manage it. You will be able to minimize the spread of industrialized industries in your city while enjoying the whimsical architecture of the period. However, the drawback of this great city building game is that the PC users are the only ones who can access it.
You will have another opportunity to manage, influence, and construct your very own banana republic this time around since El Presidente has returned to Tropico 6. The Tropico games are city builders, and if you haven’t played one before, you should know that they let you engage in all of the devious and corrupt activities that you are not meant to do when you are constructing a city. As the undisputed monarch of your island, it is your responsibility to deliver brilliant speeches in order to maintain the happiness of your people while simultaneously maximizing the value of the land and the resources available to you.
Tropico 6 is a game that is a lot of fun to play, not only because it is so insane, but also because it is a city builder that is very enjoyable. DLC, on the other hand, makes it even more enjoyable.
Playing Tropico 6 is such a delightful experience that it is difficult to overstate how much fun it is. Give Tropico 6 a try if you find that the icy industry of Anno 1800 and the dismal survival of Frostpunk are simply too much for you to handle. In short, it is one of the best games for city building available on this list.
The SimCity series has indeed been around for over twenty years, but no list of good city building games would be complete without including it, even if it were just in an honorary capacity. Despite being the finest game in the series, SimCity 4 was the pinnacle of the genre at the time it was released. It also served as a model for all subsequent games in the series.
This realistic builder, much like its spiritual sequel Cities: Skylines, has a strong emphasis on city planning and challenges players to strike a balance between the many requirements of a developing city and the resources that are available. On the other hand, this best city making game was exceptional for two distinct reasons: Players were able to import their very own Sims into their city, and it was the first game in the genre to allow for 3D rendering.
The next best free city building game that you can play is RimWorld. This is basically a colony simulator; a place where almost anything may take place. You take the helm of a new colony that is being established on a rim world, which is a planet that is situated on the periphery of known space.
RimWorld is one of the greatest simulation games now available on the market, and it is also a game that creates gaming experiences that are both distinctive and unforgettable.
Every single one of your colonists comes with a set of characteristics that are rolled at random and determine how they behave. You can have a genius who is fast to learn but is susceptible to having a mental breakdown, or you might have someone with bloodlust who gets a mood boost from murdering strangers and manufacturing garments out of their flesh. That’s right. All of the characteristics are tongue-in-cheek, regardless of how serious they may get (for instance, nudists receive a mood boost regardless of whether or not they are nude).
The mix of characteristics that are present throughout your colony provides you with an experience that is completely one of a kind each time you open up the game. The character attributes of your colonists will determine how they interact with one another, and this interaction will constitute a significant portion of the foundation for the gameplay. In addition to that, an artificial intelligence (AI) narrator will guide you through your adventure, supplying you with random occurrences depending on the level of difficulty you choose and the settings you choose for the game.
RimWorld is a story generator. It’s designed to co-author tragic, twisted, and triumphant stories about imprisoned pirates, desperate colonists, starvation and survival. It works by controlling the “random” events that the world throws at you. Every thunderstorm, pirate raid, and traveling salesman is a card dealt into your story by the AI Storyteller. There are several storytellers to choose from. Randy Random does crazy stuff, Cassandra Classic goes for rising tension, and Phoebe Chillax likes to relax.
Your colonists are not professional settlers – they’re crash-landed survivors from a passenger liner destroyed in orbit. You can end up with a nobleman, an accountant, and a housewife. You’ll acquire more colonists by capturing them in combat and turning them to your side, buying them from slave traders, or taking in refugees. So your colony will always be a motley crew.
If you are searching for a straightforward city survival game, Banished is the game for you. It does not include a lot of the backstory, bells, or whistles that you will find in more elaborate games. This great city building game considers its residents less as denizens and more as a means to a goal despite the fact that it is an exercise in working (and presumably succeeding) inside the architecture of a planned economy.
In your role as the leader of a community of exiled people, it is your responsibility to delegate responsibilities to the inhabitants, such as fishing and construction, while maintaining a balance between the expansion of the town and the distribution of its resources. It is possible for populations to increase due to births and arrivals, but it is also possible for populations to decrease due to the aging of the population, which is a great variation of the standard paradigm. In sum, it is one of the best city building games in 2024 that you can consider.
In this city-building strategy game, you control a group of exiled travelers who decide to restart their lives in a new land. They have only the clothes on their backs and a cart filled with supplies from their homeland.
The townspeople of Banished are your primary resource. They are born, grow older, work, have children of their own, and eventually die. Keeping them healthy, happy, and well-fed are essential to making your town grow. Building new homes is not enough—there must be enough people to move in and have families of their own.
Banished has no skill trees. Any structure can be built at any time, provided that your people have collected the resources to do so. There is no money. Instead, your hard-earned resources can be bartered away with the arrival of trade vessels. These merchants are the key to adding livestock and annual crops to the townspeople’s diet; however, their lengthy trade route comes with the risk of bringing illnesses from abroad.
There are twenty different occupations that the people in the city can perform from farming, hunting, and blacksmithing, to mining, teaching, and healing. No single strategy will succeed for every town. Some resources may be more scarce from one map to the next. The player can choose to replant forests, mine for iron, and quarry for rock, but all these choices require setting aside space into which you cannot expand.
The success or failure of a town depends on the appropriate management of risks and resources.
The next name on this list of the best free city-building games in 2024 is Aven Colony. This is a game that allows you to set up your very own city right from scratch. The game offers a variety of gameplay options for your ease. From terrestrial to extraterrestrial objects, buildings, vehicles, and more, you will find that this game is quite different than the ones offered before.
Build a new home for humanity with Aven Colony.
Discover Aven Prime – an alien planet of deserts, tundras, and jungles light years from earth. Aven Colony puts you in charge of humanity’s first extrasolar settlement, where you build and expand your small colonies into massive, sprawling cities while dealing with the challenges faced when settling on a new world.
Build your colony’s infrastructure, look after the well-being of your citizens, manage your resources, and guide your colony to prosperity against the backdrop of the harsh and often dangerous realities of the exotic world of Aven Prime.
KEY FEATURES:
COLONIZE AN ALIEN WORLD: Build a new home for humanity on a world with a low-oxygen atmosphere, extreme electrical storms, shard storms, dust devils, deadly toxic gas eruptions from geothermal vents, and days so long they have their own seasons. Explore a variety of biomes, from the lush wetlands environment to the much less habitable desert and arctic.
Top Rated City Building Games in 2024: Closing Words
So, these were the 7 best city building games in 2024 that you can play on your Windows PC. Hopefully, our detailed list helps you make a better choice. If you have any questions or better recommendations, please feel free to drop us a line in the comments section below.
Additionally, for more tech-related information, you can subscribe to our Newsletter and follow us on Social Media (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Instagram) so you never miss out on any tech updates.
Best Online TikTok Video Downloader 2024, This comprehensive guide helps you choose the best online TikTok video downloader to watch the TikTok videos offline. Read the entire write-up for complete details:
Undoubtedly, TikTok is a globally recognized video-focused social media networking service owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance ltd. And, within a very short span of time, it has become a sensational video-sharing platform. It hosts a good variety of short-form videos from distinct genres including stunts, tricks, jokes, dance, entertainment, and pranks with durations from 15 seconds to 3 minutes. The application first stepped in 2016 and the rest is history.
TikTok has everything you love right from dancing, comedy, education, motivation, and whatnot. But the only problem is, you can not use the application without an internet connection. But, there are several applications available that help you download the TikTok videos so you can watch them later.
A List of 7 Best Online TikTok Video Downloaders in 2024 You Can Try
In this article, we are going to show you the 7 best TikTok video downloaders (free and paid). The list contains easy-to-use, secure, and reliable video downloaders. Let’s check them out below:
1. ByClick Downloader
The first best TikTok video downloader on our list is ByClick Downloader. It is a free video downloader but also has a paid version that comes with advanced and special features. Not only for TikTok, but the software is a perfect software to download videos from other video sharing applications like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Vimeo, Instagram, and more. The user can download videos from any of these sites just within a click of the mouse. You can easily download the videos in HD and 4K quality. ByClick Downloader supports all the major platforms including MP3, MP4, AVI, WMV, 3GP, WAV, AAC, and M4A.
Another best TikTok video downloader to get the TikTok videos from profiles and hashtags is 4K Tokkit. It is an excellent video downloader that lets you download different TikTok challenges, captions, hashtags, entire accounts, and song-related videos in good quality. With this downloader, you can get TikTok videos in MP4 format and up to 720p resolution.
Furthermore, with this software, you can also back up your TikTok account with just a single click. Its auto-download feature automatically downloads the latest and trending TikTok clips. This software can also be used to download videos from other video-sharing sites like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and more.
This is a more straightforward way to watch the TikTok videos offline. Tiktokfull also helps you in receiving more views for your TikTok videos. It is a completely free TikTok video downloader that downloads TikTok videos without watermark, and also without even asking for any login formalities. It offers an in-built mobile application, especially for Android users. And, iOS device users have to access the web-based application in order to get the TikTok videos downloaded without any hassles.
SnapTikApp is another best free downloader that lets you download TikTok videos without a watermark. This downloader helps you get HD-quality videos in just one or two clicks of your mouse. All you need to do is just copy the link of the video you wish to download and paste it into the text bar of SnapTikApp’s webpage. Later on, click on the Download button. That’s it! See how easy it is to download the TikTok videos in good quality with this amazing free TikTok video downloader.
Next on this rundown of the best video downloaders for TikTok is TTDownloader. With this video downloader, you can save TikTok videos in a good quality GIF (Graphics Interchange Format). It lets you save videos on your Android and iOS devices with or without a watermark. It is a 100% free and easy-to-use, lightweight web-based application to download videos from TikTok. Not only from TikTok, but it supports all popular formats including GIF, JPMG, TIFF, and more.
Want to download TikTok videos within a few seconds? Then, you must give MusicallyDown a try. Whether you want to download music or a video, this application can download everything you want from TikTok, without any watermark. Similar to other best video downloaders, the application easily works on the web and no installation is required. Just visit the website, copy the video link and paste it, the rest of the application will do.
Here’s the next online TikTok video downloaded for you in 2024. With the help of this tool, you can easily download the video in different formats. You can download the TikTok audio as well with the help of this tool. All you need to do is copy and paste the URL of the video and download it.
Which is the Best Online TikTok Video Downloader in 2024?
So, these were the most dedicated online Tiktok video downloaders that you can consider in order to watch the TikTok videos offline. If you are looking for our opinion, then we recommend you try ByClick Downloader. It is the best way to save TikTok videos to watch later. It is a versatile application that allows you to download videos from more than 40 sites including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vimeo, and more.
The best music streaming services of 2024, Music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Qobuz, and Deezer have entirely changed how we explore, enjoy, and exchange music. They bring convenience and accessibility to all new levels.
Yet, with so many choices, selecting the right music streaming app might feel like a daunting task. Each platform offers a music collection featuring artists, albums, playlists, and podcasts. Additionally, they each have their interface designs and special features, like song lyrics display, offline downloads, AI-generated playlists, high-quality audio formats, and more.
We’ve compiled a list of the best music streaming services to assist you. We’ve tested them all, and our evaluation criteria include pricing plans, user interface experience, quality of tracks offered, and much more. Let’s get started!
When it comes to music streaming, Spotify is definitely one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Launched in 2006, the platform is available across the globe, and is home to more than 100 million songs and growing. Spotify is also the world’s biggest podcast platform. Whether you’re rocking an iPhone, a Google Pixel, a laptop, or you’re in your car, there’s a good chance that Spotify is going to be compatible with your hardware.
Beyond the music archive, Spotify offers several different subscription options, including individual, family, and student plans, as well as a free version with ads. Spotify Premium users also receive unlimited track skips, 320kbps audio quality, and offline downloads for up to 10,000 songs across five devices. The company is also really good at keeping its user interface familiar and reliable from one hardware type to another.
Spotify is also great for sharing. Thanks to integrations with social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, your circle of pals will get to see what you’ve been jamming out to lately. You’ll even have the option of sharing songs with others and even creating collaborative playlists you can all add to. Additionally, no one is quite as good as Spotify at always adding and experimenting with new and fun features, like its AI-driven DJ and, most recently, its beta AI Playlist that lets you type Chat GPT-style text prompts to get it to curate playlists for you.
So, where does the service struggle? Track quality, for one. Unlike platforms like Tidal and Qobuz that place a big emphasis on hi-res audio, Spotify’s tracks are capped at 320kbps, which only the most critical of audiophiles will notice. Spotify’s long-awaited Hi-Fi tier may still see the light of day, though, so if it’s not a deal breaker, you could just wait it out. But if you just want a music streamer that offers tons of genres, playlists, and fun social features, Spotify is going to be your best bet.
Some folks will remember Apple’s original foray into digitized music from a little platform called iTunes that launched back in 2000. Paving the way for Apple’s streamlined interface and big music library, iTunes eventually evolved into Apple Music in 2015. A fierce competitor to rivals like Spotify and Tidal, Apple Music is simple to use, boasts a library of more than 100 million tracks, is available across multiple platforms, and even offers hi-res listening options.
Apple Music also lets you test the waters before enrolling in one of its many subscription options. With a one-month free trial, you’ll have plenty of time to get a good lay of the land, at which point you’ll need to shell out for a monthly subscription, which runs $6 for students, $11 for an Individual plan, and $17 for the Family plan.
Every tier gives you access to full playback controls, recommended music based on your listening habits, and some nice visual treats for your phone, tablet, and computer screens. We’re talking immersive album artwork, line-by-line lyrics, and intuitive search tools that make finding songs and artists a breeze.
As far as track quality is concerned, Apple’s audio far exceeds Spotify’s 320kbps cap, with lossless ALAC tracks that can get as high as 24-bit/192kHz. Apple Music also uses the smaller AAC format with resolution up to 256kbps and offers many tracks and albums in Dolby Atmos, which Apple brands as Spatial Audio. And while you’ll be able to share tracks with friends and family, Apple Music doesn’t offer the same social integrations as Spotify.
If you’re familiar with the design and UI of devices like the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV, you’re going to feel right at home using Apple Music. Both desktop and mobile interfaces are clean, simple, and easy to navigate, with just about everything you could need right at your fingertips. Plus, there are all kinds of smart speakers (such as Sonos and Apple’s HomePod) and smart displays that offer native Apple Music support.
Regarding top-notch music streaming quality, Tidal is one of the best names in the business, bar none.
Renowned for its focus on excellent sound quality, Tidal gives you access to an immense library of songs in 16-bit/44.1kHz up to 24-bit/192kHz in various formats, including HiRes FLAC, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio, FLAC, and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA). Not all of Tidal’s artists and albums are in hi-res, but there’s a good chance that several artists you enjoy have at least some hi-res offerings in the archive.
Diehard fans will also enjoy Tidal’s dedication to additional content, including videos and real-time streams, creating a more immersive musical experience. We’re also big fans of its artist-generated playlists.
In terms of cross-platform compatibility, Tidal is also available on a range of popular devices, from iOS and Android hardware to smart speakers, smart displays, streaming devices, and even native AV support from audio brands like Sonos and Harman Kardon through Tidal Connect. But what sets Tidal apart is its user-friendly interface. From apps to desktop versions, Tidal’s UI is designed to be clean, ultra-navigable, and tethered to your preferences, ensuring a comfortable and personalized experience.
Beginning in April 2024, Tidal removed its expensive HiFi plans, while still keeping its high-quality library. The best part? Its new plans are cheaper and more in line with what Apple Music, Spotify, and others are charging. This means you can enjoy premium music streaming without breaking the bank. You can try Tidal for free for the first 30 days of a new membership. The platform also offers discounts to students, military, and first responders, making it even more affordable.
If you’re looking for supreme audio quality and talented curation, you should give Tidal a try. Plus, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many of these high-resolution tracks elsewhere.
.
Tidal
Audiophile quality with wide device support
.Qobuz app’s home screen Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Qobuz
Audiophile quality for a little less
Pros
• Big hi-res music library
• Inspired editorial content
• Can purchase songs and albums without a subscription
• Free trial for Studio plan
Cons
• Lacks social listening features
• No podcasts
Specs
Plans (monthly):
Studio: from $11 / Sublime: from $180 per year
Library Size:
More than 100 million tracks
Quality:
16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHz
A close competitor to Tidal, Qobuz is another music streaming platform that goes all in on the hi-res catalog. It is home to over 100 million tracks in lossless CD quality, and more than 240,000 albums in hi-res audio. Qobuz streams audio using high-quality FLAC files ranging from 16-bit/44kHz to 24-bit/192kHz, translating to some seriously good sound. Whether you’re listening through a pair of speakers or a pair of headphones, Qobuz tracks are going to sound about as good as they can get.
Qobuz offers two subscription plans, namely Studio and Sublime. Each plan has three levels to choose from. The Studio plan provides offline listening and a visually appealing desktop and mobile interface enriched with additional content such as artist bios, reviews, feature op-eds, and how-to guides. The Solo Studio level costs $13 per month, Duo costs $18 per month, and the Family plan (for up to six accounts) costs $22 per month. You can get discounts on these plans by opting for a yearly payment.
The Sublime subscription offers the same benefits as the Studio plan and up to 60% off many hi-res download purchases. However, you need to purchase a yearly subscription to get these benefits. The Solo Sublime plan costs $180/year, Duo costs $270/year, and the Family plan costs $350/year. Note that the Sublime subscription can only be purchased through a yearly payment, not monthly.
Oh, and we can’t forget this gem: You can pay to download Qobuz hi-res tracks and albums without a monthly subscription.
On the downside, Qobuz does not have Dolby Atmos tracks like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music, and there are no podcasts or video content.
.
Qobuz
Audiophile quality for a little less
.Amazon
Amazon Music
Excellent value, hi-res audio, great for Prime customers
With Prime: $10 / w/o Prime: $11 / Family: $17 / Single Device Owner: $6 / Student: $6
Library Size:
More than 100 million tracks
Quality:
320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHz
Amazon Music is a unique streaming option, especially for those of us who are already paying for Amazon’s $139 annual Prime membership (or $15 per month). Like many platforms we’ve covered up to this point, Amazon Music offers both CD quality and lossless audio formats, Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio tracks, a large music library, and some awesome smart home integrations (especially for Alexa-powered devices). The “unique” descriptor is mainly aimed at Amazon Music’s pricing, though, which is complex, to say the least.
Are you an Amazon Prime member? Great! That means you’ll be able to get the ad-free Amazon Music Unlimited (AMU) for $10 per month, as opposed to the non-Prime member subscription tier, which costs $11 per month. If you’re interested in nabbing Amazon Music Unlimited and just so happen to own an Echo speaker, you can sign up for the Single Device Owner plan. It only costs $6 per month, but you’ll only be able to use AMU on that one device. Oh, and there’s also an AMU Family Plan for $17 per month ($169 per year) that covers up to six users.
The pricing isn’t impossible to understand, but figuring out which option makes the most sense for you and yours can be confusing. Plus, Amazon technically has two different music streaming options: Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime. The latter is built into your Amazon Prime membership and gives you access to Amazon’s entire music library, but playback is limited to shuffle mode, and you won’t be able to listen to any hi-res tracks either.
Whether you’re listening with Amazon Music Unlimited or Amazon Music Prime, Amazon Music looks great on mobile and desktop platforms. Unlimited subscribers also benefit from video content, offline downloads, and a fun scrolling lyrics feature.
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Amazon Music
Excellent value, hi-res audio, great for Prime customers
Deezer lives in the Goldilocks zone of music streaming options. It offers a bigger library than competitors like Spotify and Apple Music and has CD-quality music, but it doesn’t touch the top-shelf hi-res content you’ll find on platforms like Tidal and Qobuz. Price-wise, though, it’s weirdly more expensive than everyone except Tidal, but Tidal gives you hi-res. Its individual plan is $12 per month, and for that, you get access to unlimited listening, lyrics, video content, offline listening, and a few other features.
Deezer is also one of the only streaming platforms that lets you upload your own tracks. While the quality is limited to MP3, and you won’t be able to do any uploading with a mobile device, it’s nice to have the ability to spread your own library across multiple gadgets.
Deezer used to have a HiFi plan that was $15 per month, but now its 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC tracks are built into its Premium and Family plans. As mentioned, this is lower quality than top-tier plans from the likes of Tidal and Qobuz, but it still packs quite a punch. Deezer free tier customers can only access MP3 files up to 128kbps, though. On a positive note, like Spotify, there’s now a duo package available through Deezer for $16/month.
As for Deezer’s UI across desktop and mobile platforms, both versions are geared toward easy navigation through playlists, genre labels, and similar search criteria. There are also several recommended categories and an excellent podcast library to check out.
Deezer does a nice job at checking several of the most important boxes for what makes up a solid music streaming service. Hi-res devotees may want to look elsewhere, but we definitely think Deezer is worth trying out, so make the best of that 30-day free trial!
Last but not least, we have YouTube Music. A rebranding and consolidation of multiple Google/YouTube paid services that came before it (including Google Play and YouTube Red), YouTube Music is your one-stop-shop for everything … music-related. Subscribers will have access to over 100 million tracks, podcasts, an intuitive lyrics tool, excellent playlists, and much more. Right off the bat, though, we’d like to let our hi-res fans know that YouTube Music caps its track quality at 256kbps.
That doesn’t mean you should look away, though. In fact, we think YouTube Music has a lot going for it when it comes to overall desktop and mobile interfaces. Navigating from one panel to the next is fast and easy, with most of what you’ll want to be listening to housed under the “Home” and “Library” tabs. The former is a hub for recommended content based on your listening habits, while the latter is the storage site for all your personal playlists, favorited songs and albums, and other user-specific features.
It’s also a thrill to watch YouTube Music sync up to your local time of day and weather conditions. These factors affect the type of music that the platform will recommend.
Regarding pricing, there’s only one paid subscription plan: YouTube Music Premium. This paid tier removes ads for desktop and mobile listening, grants you offline downloads, and gives you a sweet feature called Smart Downloads. When enabled, this lets YouTube Music automatically download your favorite songs, artists, and albums for offline listening and even adds in recommended tracks and albums.
And, of course, YouTube Music is packed with video content. When you search for a song or artist, you will get officially licensed media and see video results for YouTubers covering the song, lyric videos, and more.
20+ Must-Have Software For Windows 10–11, If you are a computer-savvy person, know about the must-have software for Windows 10 you should use in 2024 to make the most out of your brand new PC and laptop.Microsoft’s beloved operating system – Windows 10 – comes with an array of most up-to-date features and functionality to give you a better and personalized computing experience. From work to gaming, we rely on a bunch of Windows 10 apps to cater to all our computer needs.
In spite of that, every now and then you may find yourself on the lookout for some additional apps for Windows 10 depending upon your requirements.
To solve this problem once and for all, you should start loading your system with all the essential and useful Windows 10 programs that would create a great impact on your work and play.
Keeping all this in mind, below we have mentioned some of the essential apps for Windows 10 that you need to make a note of ASAP. Move down the list and download the must have software for Windows 10, 11, or older version devices.
What Are the Must-Have Software For Windows 10, 11 In 2024?
Here we present you our curated list of must-have apps for Windows 10 and 11 that everyone should install on their PC right away. Let’s check out the best PC programs for Windows 10.
Let us introduce you to Win Riser. It is a program you will find extremely useful to speed up your computer and optimize its performance. Win Riser is among the top most-used Windows PC software for its brilliant PC cleaning and optimization capabilities. It is well-known for its deep scan and removal of accumulated junk, invalid and faulty Registry remover, integrated driver updater, and the following delightful features.
Key features of Win Riser
•Tracks and removes malware with a single click
•Deeply scans your PC for driver updates, junk files, or problems impacting its performance
•Creates a backup of existing drivers and allows their easy restoration whenever you want
•Creation of a system restore point, allowing you to restore your system if anything goes wrong
•Boasts an integrated tool to manage your device’s startup items
•You can customize the paths, apps, locations, etc., for scanning
•Allows you to ignore the registry items or drivers you do not wish to scan
•You can schedule the computer scans
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2. Driver Update Software
“A must have program for Windows 10 to update outdated drivers”
A driver or a device driver is a computer program (also known as cluster of files) that allows one or more hardware devices such as speaker, printer, graphic card, etc. to build connectivity and communicate with the computer’s operating system.
Without the correct drivers, the operating system would not be able to know what kind of a device is attached to the computer and how to operate or control its functions.
Therefore, it is extremely important to keep your Windows drivers up-to-date always for a smooth and healthy functioning of hardware components.
Using corrupt or out-of-date system drivers, you may face various compatibility or driver-related issues such as no sound, blue screen of death, shuttering or crashing problems, Wi-Fi connectivity issues, or some of the devices like printer may completely stop working.
The safest and easiest way to prevent such device conflicts is to use the best free driver updater software for your Windows 10 PC. Moreover, the driver updater is also an important software for Laptop Windows 10, 11, or older versions.
It is a powerful and extremely user-friendly utility that effortlessly auto-scans your entire PC and helps users install the latest, manufacturer-recommended drivers in just a blink of an eye.
Taking all the essential features of an ideal driver update into consideration, we suggest using Bit Driver Updater that can not only takes care of all driver-related issues but also maximizes the performance and processing speed of your computer. The best software for Windows 10, 11, 8 or 7 updates drivers on your system with minimal effort.
The best thing about this product is that you don’t need to shell out a fortune for it, it’s FREE!
“A must-have program for Windows 10 to clean duplicate photos”
With the rise of widespread adoption of smartphone technology, taking selfies and pictures of everything that catches our attention has become more than just a trend.
However, these identical-looking selfies and duplicate photos tend to get piled up over time, consumes up to gigabytes of disk space, and makes it extremely difficult to manage your digital collection of albums. What if you find out basic software for Windows 10 or other versions that can clear up all the clutter and duplicate data from your device automatically?
To keep your photo gallery and system optimized, all you need is a dedicated duplicate photo cleaner software.
Since Windows 10 PC doesn’t come with an in-built duplicate photo remover tool, it is important to add this utility to your list of must-have apps for Windows 10.
Quick Photo Finder is one of those nifty, renowned software available in the marketplace that can make your job much easier.
It effortlessly finds and removes the multiple copies of duplicate ones, plus also helps you recover a significant amount of lost storage space that you forgot you ever had, all in just a matter of seconds!
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4. VPN (Virtual Private Network)
“A must-have software for Windows 10 to keep online identity secure”
Next on our list of essential software for PC is NordVPN. Depending on the country you reside in, there is a chance you might have to put up with geo-restricted content or your government blocking certain websites.
What if the list contains your favorite social media platforms or movie streaming sites?
So, have you ever wondered that your IP address, browsing activity, location, and online identity could be at risk? Well, cybercriminals and spies around the world can see everything you do online such as the websites you’ve searched for, the pictures you’re posting, the movies you’ve been watching, and lots more.
Therefore, it is important to use a good VPN service to hide your IP address and encrypt sensitive data to keep it secure from prying eyes.
The best thing about VPN is that it not only provides a safe passage for your internet traffic but also lets you bypass the censorship to access blocked websites from anywhere in the world along with superfast streaming and unlimited bandwidth.
“A must-have software for Windows 10 to unleash its maximum performance”
Cleaner Software is another must have programs for Windows 10. You don’t even want to know the amount of junk your computer can store up and how it can make your system lag behind in its functioning. All those files, caches, and digital debris that you most definitely don’t need.
To avoid that, you need an effective cleaner software. To save you from the hassle of finding one, we have below mentioned a couple of best Windows 10 software which are a must-have Windows applications for cleaning your PC and laptop efficiently.
When the talk is about the best cleaning apps that you must have on Windows, we cannot skip IObit Advanced SystemCare. The best Windows software is a powerful and easy-to-use software has many interesting features, such as more than 30 troubleshooters ( for example, AI Mode, firewall protection, anti-tracking, and large file cleaner) to clean, protect, and speed up your computer.
You can make a click on the link below to download this cleaner-cum-booster to get the ultimate PC performance.
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CleanMyPC
CleanMyPC is a powerful tune-up utility tool developed by MacPaw Inc. to help you get a safer and cleaner PC. With the help of this tool, you can effortlessly scan every nook and cranny of your computer to delete megatons of junk files and boost the speed and overall performance of your PC.
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CCleaner
This powerful cleaning utility from Piriform is one of the best PC software on the face of the earth. It automatically deletes broken Windows registry entries and the temporary files. It also detects and identifies all the software that your system doesn’t require.
Bid those extra bits and bobs goodbye, and work with a fast functioning computer.
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6. File & Photo Recovery Software
“An essential app for Windows 10 to recover lost or deleted data”
It happens a lot of times that we delete some important files obliviously and then regret this action for quite a long time.
But we might just have something that would ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
Whenever you delete a file, even from the Recycle Bin, the file isn’t actually wiped off the face of the earth. Its sector is still on the hard drive, and you can use that to recover your file (Yay!).
Now, let’s take a look at some of the file/ data recovery software & programs that you must have in Windows 10.
The next on our list of PC software list for most essential apps os Stellar Data Recovery. It is one of the most capable and popular software used by Windows users to recover lost or deleted data. With the help of the free version of this program, you can easily retrieve up to 1 GB of lost or deleted files from Windows PC, laptop, USB stick, hard drive, etc.
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Recuva
Image source: Cloudwards
Recuva, a file recovery tool, assists the user to recover and restore her/his deleted files in the system.
After loading the software, the user just needs to choose which file she/he wishes to recover and from which location. Once the search is configured, the software will start a scan process and find the files matching the entered criterion. The user can, subsequently then, select the desired files to be recovered. There is one another file recovery software named EaseUS which also works fine.
“Must-have Windows app for managing and improving the performance”
Another one on the list of best programs for Windows 10 is a Utility software. It is a one-stop solution for maintaining your PC. The software offers many tools which can help you in managing, optimizing, and analyzing the performance of the PC. The list of tools includes a disk defragmenter, backup utilities, disk cleaners, disk compression, network utilities, virus scanner, and many others.
By reviewing Utility software we have shortlisted the best must-have software for Windows 10 and an older version which you can install for maintaining your PC.
Revo Uninstaller Pro
Revo Uninstaller is a great software that can help you in various aspects of protecting and maintaining your PC. The best part about this software is that it can be used on mobile devices as well. It moreover offers some of the best tools like Windows app remover, force uninstaller, installation monitor, advanced scanning for residuals, logs database, and many others. We would recommend you to try this software for better performance and improve the life of the PC. All these features make Revo Uninstaller as best software for personal computer to improve the performance of your device.
Best File Copy Utility Softwares for Windows 2024, Cut, copy, paste. Sounds familiar? Millions of us, transfer and copy files almost on a daily basis. Let us find out thus, some of the best file transfer software and file copy software for Windows.
If you notice, there might be typical days when we have spent not just one but a few hours in transferring files and copying files. But, let’s say a typical file is quite large, then what happens? Of course, it takes a longer time for transfer. Several developers have come up with different data copy software applications that help you avoid the errors coming up during the transfer or copy of large files/folders from one system to another in Windows.
What Are the Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows?
Let’s look at the detailed features of each of these best file transfer tools below:
This is one of the most portable file copy software that can be used for copying and transferring the files from one system to another. This is also one of the fastest file copying apps available in the market.
The best part of using this app is that you don’t have to download the app at all; instead you have to just drag it to your desktop and then simply run it in your system. In addition to it, you can also keep the app in your pen drive or your flash drive for smooth installation into your PC anytime. The interface is highly easy-to-use and quite interactive.
Since it supports a huge number of file formats, you can copy any file into your PC comfortably with the help of this app. Newcomers and experienced PC users can all use it easily and effectively.
Features of File Fisher
•File Fisher offers a simple yet unique user interface
•This file copy tool does not require any installation as it is a portable tool
•You can easily transfer files from one format to another easily
•The software is compatible with all the Windows OS even with the latest ones too
What Are the Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows?
Let’s look at the detailed features of each of these best file transfer tools below:
This is one of the most portable file copy software that can be used for copying and transferring the files from one system to another. This is also one of the fastest file copying apps available in the market.
The best part of using this app is that you don’t have to download the app at all; instead you have to just drag it to your desktop and then simply run it in your system. In addition to it, you can also keep the app in your pen drive or your flash drive for smooth installation into your PC anytime. The interface is highly easy-to-use and quite interactive.
Since it supports a huge number of file formats, you can copy any file into your PC comfortably with the help of this app. Newcomers and experienced PC users can all use it easily and effectively.
Features of File Fisher
•File Fisher offers a simple yet unique user interface
•This file copy tool does not require any installation as it is a portable tool
•You can easily transfer files from one format to another easily
•The software is compatible with all the Windows OS even with the latest ones too
Use TeraCopy as data copy software to copy files comfortably within folders or into Windows desktop. TeraCopy provides a robust and interactive interface. This app is extremely flexible and is one of the most fast running apps. TeraCopy is available freely as well as in a paid version. The free version of TeraCopy also has a lot of features that help successful copying of files from one system to another.
With TeraCopy you can comfortably evade those files that seem to be troublesome and still continue copying rather than stop for some corrupted files. If you’re wondering how would be the transfer over a network then let me tell you with the use of TeraCopy it is a lot easier and faster. You can drag and drop files that can prevent moving folders accidentally.
Features of TeraCopy
•It is one of the simplest file copy utilities
•The software automatically skips corrupted or problematic files
•It even repairs the corrupt file and recovers data
•You can easily drag and drop files from one drive to another
Reasons to use TeraCopy
•Skips corrupted files: With TeraCopy at your disposal, corrupted files cannot block the file transfer as the application skips them instead of halting the entire process.
•Fast and easy to use: The options like drag and drop, high customization, etc. make this app fast and friendly enough for both beginners and advanced users.
•Useful shell integration: TeraCopy boasts individual plugins, i.e., shell integration support to save your time and effort.
The interface of Fast Copy is not one of the most efficient ones but the app is definitely one of the most efficient fast copy software for Windows. Fast Copy is freely available as a program and helps you move the files rapidly from one network to another.
To ensure enjoying the best speed, it employs multiple threads to read, write, verify and also uses the overlapped and direct I/O systems.
Due to the interface not everyone can use the app comfortably especially if you’re a novice, however, for an experienced PC user; it is indeed a wonderful copy software for Windows.
Features of Fast Copy
•It is one of the fastest file copying tools
•The software supports UNICODE and over MAX_PATH file pathnames
•It supports UNIX wildcard
•It uses multi-threads to bring out the best speed of devices
Reasons to use Fast Copy
•NSA File Wiping Support: One of the best things about Fast Copy is that it supports data sanitization methods approved by the National Security Agency (NSA) to keep your confidential information safe.
•Resource-friendly: This application does not bug your computer with unnecessary pressure on the resources as it is lightweight.
•Command-line: For the techies out there, it has command line and UI wrapper support.
ExtremeCopy can help copy files from one system to another quickly. It can enhance the speed of the machine based on the physical structure of the machine. There are a lot of user-friendly features in the app. However, it would not support copying files from the network.
The program is capable of integrating with the Windows Explorer making it easier to use. Extreme Copy is not a software that supports file syncing but is one of the best file transfer software available.
Features of ExtremeCopy
•The software offers the freedom to pause and skip any file easily
•You can easily resume the interrupted process
•It comes with a built-in error management feature
•It is one of the best file transfer software for PC
Reasons to use ExtremeCopy
•Fast copying: It lets you copy files much faster (20% to 120% speedier) than the native Windows copy tool.
•Optimizations: ExtremeCopy can be a perfect choice for you, as it optimizes the copying speed and its resource consumption automatically.
•Efficient free version: We agree that the free version of this software has no high-end features. But, it does not reduce its functionality, and you get the same fast copying speed for free.
This app has been in use for a very long time. This file copy software functions at an enormous speed. Unstoppable Copier is a recovery solution that copies and transfers all your files from the directory.
The best part of it is that they also try to repair the faulty and damaged files. It works on any of the Windows operating systems except Windows 10. This is one of the best interactive Windows copy software that one can obtain.
Features of Unstoppable Copier
•The software lets you copy, recover and repair files easily
•It offers great speed transfer
•Being one of the oldest software it offers the best tools and speed
•It is compatible with most of the Windows OS
Reasons to use Unstoppable Copier
•Command-line support: If you are a techie who is not a fan of those graphical interfaces, you’ll be glad to know that this application supports command-line UI.
•Backup tools: There are backup options available such as creating and saving transfer lists for future use.
•Blazing fast: Unstoppable Copier is among the most high-speed copying tools available currently to copy files.
With GS RichCopy 360 copying many files from one system/folder to another is swift and quite easy.
In fact, there is a backup software with GS RichCopy 360 for MS Windows operating systems. This backup software can allow you to synchronize through the servers, Windows OS and also through various networks. You can always know and see all the copied tasks through a special Wizard interface available only with this tool.
Features of GS RichCopy 360
•It can be considered as the fastest file transfer software for Windows 7,8 and 10
•To help you check all the tasks it offers WIzard Interface
•It can easily transfer data between network
•You can share files, directories, or even drives effortlessly
Reasons to use GS RichCopy 360
•Byte-level replication: One thing that you might find highly useful in this application (that many other similar programs lack) is its ability to replicate files at the byte level.
•Supports long path names: Some files have really long path names (over 260 characters long). But, you don’t have to worry, as this software supports them all.
•Simultaneous file copying: It does not take a long time to copy files using this software as it copies files (up to 255 threads) simultaneously.
You can use this tool to copy the files from one system to another in the shortest amount of time.
If there are many files to copy from one server to another, then you know very well how long it takes to copy, if you use the default Windows copy function. Therefore, the Perigee Copy tool can offer a quicker solution.
It is an easy-to-use software with an interactive interface that is effective in so many ways. However, the drawback with Perigee is its incompatibility with Windows OS versions 8 and 10.
Features of Perigee Copy 1.7
•It offers a very easy to adapt interface which can be used by any user
•Apart from just copying files, you can delete them too
•You get many features like archive bit, overwrite, and others.
•It works perfectly for the Windows 7 and older versions
Reasons to use Perigee Copy 1.7
•Shell integration: With this software’s integration with the Windows menu, you can perform copy-paste tasks much more easily.
•Security: You get a confirmation message whenever you perform any action to inform you about the files that are going to be affected to take care of their security.
•Feature-rich: If you are looking for software that is a complete package with all essential features, like overwrite, etc., this program can be your best choice.
For those users who are always transferring multiple files from one system to the other, Copy Handler can help immensely in transferring bulk files in less time.
It is a free to use app. Copy Handler operates at a faster rate, and aids in pausing, resuming, restarting and cancelling the different functionalities. It supports many languages at a time. You can transfer files between drives and computers in quite a less amount of time.
Drag and drop functions are also supported by the copy handler. To note, Copy Handler would resume the paused and unfinished copying of all files with a system restart. It is an extremely easy-to-use app and its effectiveness and flexibility is worth applauding.
Features of Copy Handler
•You can easily copy files in bulk using this best file copy software
•Easy drag and drop functionality for copying and moving files
•Even when the PC shutdown it pauses the process and can be easily resumed
•The software offers detailed statistics to help you understand better
Reasons to use Copy Handler
•Open source: One of the best things that make Copy Handler a perfect pick is that you can examine its code if the techie in you wants to do it.
•Complete control: You get full control over the entire copy/paste process and its speed.
•Queue support: Copy Handler has a unique feature that allows you to carry out multiple tasks at once in a specific order.
Robo Copy is not an app in actuality but rather a command-line utility to copy and transfer files from one server to another many times. Robo Copy replaces XCopy and has more offerings as a data copy software. If you have to run this utility, your command would be called Robo Copy.
It can work on Windows Vista and also on Windows 8. Robo Copy does not work on all PC’s as it does not have an interactive GUI.
Features of Robocopy
•Robocopy requires no additional tool for copying or transferring files
•Even when the network is interrupted the software performs great. It resumes when the connection is better
•Using the software you can skip files that are already copied
•You can easily transfer files and data from one server to another
Reasons to use Robocopy
•Error-free copying: Robocopy is a Windows command that does not make any error even when copying paths with over 259 to 32,000 characters.
•/MT feature: With this command, you can perform file copying in multithreaded mode.
•Wide availability: Being portable and compatible with almost all Windows versions, this tool is widely available.
You can call it more like a drive cleaner since it copies a drive to another drive. EaseUS disk is quite fast as a data copy software and the best versions for file copy are available for Windows 7, 8 and 10.
It is an extremely precise app and can clone the entire disk with perfect precision and accuracy.
Features of EaseUS Disk Copy
•The software is compatible with all major Windows OS
•It is a fast software for copying or cloning the whole disk to a new location
•You can easily create a bootable disk with this software
•The software is accurate and performs copying with 100% accuracy
Reasons to use EaseUS Disk Copy
•Ease of use: To copy/paste files with this software, all you need to do is follow a simple three-step process.
•One-click migration: Using this software, you can migrate your data, apps, and complete OS to a new hard drive safely with just a click.
•Easy replacement: You can get EaseUS Disk Copy to use SSD instead of an HDD effortlessly.
UltraCopier is an open source file copy software used to copy files. UltraCopier is very simple to use and has a multitude of premium features at your disposal for free. No matter how less versed you’re with a computer, you can always use this particular software without any difficulty.
There are some features like start, stop, resume that you can navigate through comfortably. You can perform a multitude of copy tasks from one server to another. It is also compatible with Linux and macOS.
Features of UltraCopier
•The software offers advanced features like speed limitations, pause, resume and stop
•You can easily perform multi-copy tasks
•It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
•UltraCopier has a built-in error management feature
Reasons to use UltraCopier
•Useful features: It offers some of the high-end features, such as speed controls and functionality to search in the copy lists.
•Customizations: If you are looking for a straightforward and customizable (with the plugin support) file copy utility, UltraCopier can be the best choice.
•Multilingual: UltraCopier boasts support for multiple languages and a portable form of the software.
MiniCopier, a super-fast utility to copy files very quickly. It is a completely automatic utility for copying files. All you need to get started is – just drag and drop the files that you want to copy, in the red basket presented in the software’s window. And, then it will begin the rest procedure automatically. It has the standard buttons as well such as Pause and Start.
Though the user interface of this application is very simple, at the same time, it is very effective and productive too. Apart from this, it also keeps records of those transfers as well which gets dismissed. Overall, it is the best way to copy or paste files and folders in no time.
Features of MiniCopier
•You can queue all the transfers easily on this software
•The transfer speed can be set easily with MiniCopier
•You can pause and resume the process anytime
•Using the software you can easily change the name of the file
Reasons to use MiniCopier
•Queue support: The software supports queuing, where you can add a transfer to the queue when current transfers are ongoing.
•Greater control: With options like limiting the copy and transfer speed of files, MiniCopier lets you be in charge of the process.
•Behavior setting: MiniCopier allows you to specify a default target file behavior.
The next best file copy utility software for Windows in our list is FF Copy. It is a file transfer utility for Windows users. With this, you just only need to copy or paste the file to a transfer queue and then it will be copied in the sequence. Comparatively, it is way faster than other such kinds of utilities. FF Copy lets you transfer multiple files or folders simultaneously.
Just in case, if the source becomes unavailable then FF Copy automatically re-generates the source and starts transferring the files after a while. It allocates the disk space and eliminates disk fragmentation. FF Copy is highly capable of boosting the speed of the entire process. Undoubtedly, if you are searching for the best way to copy files pretty instantly then you should rely on this amazing utility.
Features of FF Copy
•The software offers a feature to add files in queue for ease
•You can easily pause and resume the process as per requirements
•During file transfer issue you can easily skip to the next file transfer
•It offers a detailed description of the process
Reasons to use FF Copy
•Portability: FF Copy is a portable software, hence no installation is required to run it.
•System friendly: This software does not burden your system unnecessarily, as its memory and CPU utilization remains low.
•Fast speed: With features such as queue support, this software lets you copy/transfer multiple files really quickly.
KillCopy is an excellent and fastest file-transferring software available for Windows PC. This utility tool makes the overall process of file copying much easier with a drag-and-drop feature. In order to ensure an error-free file-transferring process, KillCopy utilizes a high-speed verification mode.
Features of KillCopy
•It comes with a KillDelete option to erase the source file, once the copying process completes.
•Has a feature called Auto Resume functionality that automatically starts the file transfer process when the process abruptly stops.
•It’s Turbo Mode enhances the copying speed of large files.
Reasons to Use:
•Parallel: This mode boosts copy speed when copying files between different physical devices.
•Speed Limit: This feature lets you limit the maximum copy transfer speed in Kbps units.
•Turbo Mode: This mode can improve the overall speed of the file copying process, especially when copying large files between local disks.
The next on our list of the best utilities to copy files and folders with NiceCopier. It is a quick and easy-to-use software that allows you to copy and paste data hassle-freely.
Moreover, it boasts many outstanding features, such as pausing and resuming the copy/paste process, an option to change the settings like running at startup, and much more.
Furthermore, below are its other features, pros, cons, and reasons to use it.
Features of NiceCopier
•A single window displays all the running tasks
•Calculates the best file copying speed
•Task queue creation to improve software performance
•Allows you to perform check-sum-based verification of files after copying them
Reasons to use
•Portable: One of the top reasons you should use NiceCopier is its portability. You can carry it in a flash drive and use it without downloading anything on the computer.
•Lightweight: NiceCopier does not pressurize your system resources and consumes very little space on the device.
Allow us to conclude this entire list of the best file copy utility software with Total Commander. Total Commander is not merely a copy utility but a smart file manager. With the help of the tool, you can run two windows side by side and use them to copy and move the data within the system and its storage. Let’s know more about this tool from the information below.
Features of Total Commander
•Custom columns
•Quick View panel
•Tabbed interface
•Built-in FTP client
•Thumbnails view
Reasons to use
•Thumbnail: One of the main reasons why you should download the Total Commander tool is that the tool offers a preview of the files in the form of thumbnails for ease of decision-making.
•Supports Multiple Archives: Total Commander supports various extensions of Archive files like CAB, ACE, TAR, GZ, RAR, UC2, ZIP, 7ZIP, etc.
Copywhiz is another best file copy utility software that you can try. Just like any other software on this list, Copywhiz is a very advanced and a great utility to enjoy copying data smartly.
Features of Copywhiz
•Easy copying
•Handles multiple files
•Integration is possible
•Smart UI
Reasons to use
•Recent Files: The software allows you to copy and manage recently modified or added files with ease.
•Personalized: Copywhiz allows you to look for files and copy them according to the name or extension of the file.
The next name on this list of the best file copy utility software for Windows 10/11 is SuperCopier. This is a simple tool that makes it feasible for you to copy data from one location to the other.
Features of Copywhiz
•Simplest file copying
•Smart UI
•Personalizable interface
Reasons to use
•Effective Performance: The software allows you to move or copy multiple files at once. Moreover, you also get lightning-fast copying speed with the tool.
•Smart UI: The user interface of SuperCopier is quite simple yet smart. Even a beginner can get the most out of the tool with ease.
Here’s another addition to this list of the best file copy utility software for Windows. OrganizerMaX is multiple levels better than the traditional copy utility of Windows. Using this tool, you can add tags, copy and paste, search for files, and do a lot more with ease.
Features of OrganizerMaX
•Simple interface
•Modifiable
Reasons to use
•Reliability: The software offers some of the most advanced features for a copy utility.
•Fast: OrganizerMaX is quite fast as compared to any other tool offered in this list.
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Final Words
These are some of the best file copy utility software available for Windows in 2024. Most apps are quite efficient in handling the speed with which the files are transferred from one server to the other or from one network to the other.
Bulk file transfers and copying is possible with some of these apps as well. Some can also help you transfer an entire folder from one server to another. With some apps you can avail many premium features whereas with other open source platforms you can enjoy splendid features free of cost.
The 27 best football games of all time, It’s a sad fact that most of us won’t ever be any good at football. But whether on console or PC, the best games can take you into a fantasy world in which you’re a world beater.
Amazingly, that applies whether you’re controlling a stick figure on an 8-bit computer or a fully realised 3D model with ultra-realistic stubble on a PS5. Seriously – we’ve shed real tears at a line of text on a screen describing how the opposition stick figure has just put us out of the cup.
But then that’s football: it has the power to reduce otherwise sensible people to mere shells of their former selves. And game makers soon realised they were on to something good when they created the first footie sims, because in no time they were flying off the shelf.
The 27 best football games of all time
As a result, there have been hundreds of football games over the years – so many, in fact, that narrowing down our selection to a mere 28 titles was near impossible. Arguments raged across the office – FIFA or Pro Evo?Sensi or Kick Off? – and that’s exactly as it should be. After nearly 30 years, EA and FIFA have now officially cut ties so will EA Sports FC be gracing this list in the future?
Whether you agree or disagree with our list, we hope it’ll spark plenty of memories. Let the arguments begin.
27) Footballer of the Year (1986, ZX Spectrum)
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People weren’t sure what to make of this oddball at the time of release. Part management game, part board game, you aimed to take a kid from the old fourth division to the glory of cup finals and Division One.
Success was mostly down to scoring goals in arcade sequences; chances were bought with ‘goal cards’ purchased in-game, and ‘incident cards’ enabled you to delve further into your young player’s life. If this all sounds a bit familiar, FOTY was a big influence on New Star Soccer creator Simon Read…
We’re not sure how you manage a tracksuit; stupid name aside, this Goliath Games effort was an impressive management game with depth. You arrived just as your team (England by default) had a disastrous World Cup (so, pretty accurate), and had to figure out a road to success.
Highlights were akin to the running commentary you’d today see on a news website, and while that lacked visual impact, it provided plenty of insight into who was providing the goods for your team, and who to send for an early bath.
25) International Soccer (1983, C64)
This C64 classic was the first truly great soccer game. Inspired by the earlier Intellivision Soccer, it utilised a side-on viewpoint, and had two seven-a-side teams battling it out for a chunky, pixelated cup.
Despite creator Andrew Spencer not being a fan of football, he captured the feel of the sport, and squeezed throw-ins, corners and goal-kicks into the cartridge’s tiny memory. It’s also the one football game where you can sometimes head a ball half the length of the field – a bug Spencer noticed but left in because he thought it was funny.
24) Match Day 2 (1987, ZX Spectrum)
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Knowing a good thing when they saw it, Jon Ritman and Ocean teamed up for a sequel to Ritman’s original Spectrum smash hit. This time, the players looked a lot like bodybuilders, and the underlying mechanics had been suitably beefed up: along with a far superior deflection system, there was a league format, volleys, flicks and jumping.
Shot strength was determined by a slightly awkward oscillating ‘kickometer’ and the pace was again slow, but this merely made for more strategic play.
Look, we adore the beautiful game, but sometimes it feels like the sport takes itself a little bit too seriously. Watching a gaggle of shouty adults boot a ball around a field for 90 minutes is hugely entertaining, but it’s also not that important in the grand scheme of things. Behold the Kickmen is here to remind you of that.
This is football as seen through the eyes of someone with absolutely zero interest in the laws and rules of the sport (or physics, for that matter). Kicking, tackling, passing, shooting, and scoring – it’s all here but dialled up to 11 in the most nonsensical way imaginable. In striving to make a complete mockery of football, developer Size Five Games has created one of the most comical and outrageous takes on the sport we’ve ever encountered.
22) Actua Soccer (1995, PS1)
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Its name and tagline may have been a shot across Sega’s bows (“There’s nothing virtual about Actua“), but Gremlin Interactive’s title was noteworthy for more than just a bit of snide trollery: it was the very first console football game to offer fully 3D players. These were motion-capped from Sheffield Wednesday stalwarts Chris Woods, Andy Sinton and Graham Hyde, providing a level of clogger realism never before witnessed on consoles. The original featured only national teams, but a Club Edition featuring all 20 teams from the 96/97 Premier League season was released a year later.
21) Ultimate Soccer Manager (1995, Amiga)
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For all of Championship Manager‘s statistical goodness, nothing immersed you in a mid-’90s football world like the USM series. Transfers and team selection almost became minor distractions, as you reclined in your office next to a fax machine and Teletext.
There were advertising deals to negotiate, a stadium complex to build, and even bungs to offer the opposition. Yes, this was the George Graham era, when managers were unimpeachable emperors, and USM put you right on the throne with a hotline to football’s dark side.
20) Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (2016, PS4/Xbox One)
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Having spent years in FIFA’s shadow, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 finally offered a genuine alternative to EA’s annual juggernaut. PES 2017 was a slower, more considered version of the beautiful game, with less emphasis on beating players for pace and more on patient build-up play, but when everything fell into place and you unlocked a defence the sense of satisfaction was glorious. Its lack of official licenses and a fundamentally flawed online mode still made it very hard to convince most FIFA fans to jump ship, and things seem to have gone backwards since then, but for one short year PES‘s glory days were back.
19) Kick Off (1989, Amiga)
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Dino Dini’s 16-bit classic added an ingredient that hadn’t really been seen before in football games: speed. The little players darted about the pitch like they were dosed-up on something decidedly not allowed under FIFA’s code, and the ball was initially impossible to control, given that it didn’t remain glued to your feet.
But once mastered, Kick Off made every other football game suddenly seem dull and dated by comparison, even if it was at times the football game equivalent of juggling bars of soap while riding a unicycle down a hill.
EA’s FIFA series has ruled the football gaming world like some kind of digital Sepp Blatter (before all the dodgy payments stuff), but it wasn’t always thus. Back in 1998 it was merely one of several games vying for the hearts and minds of floppy fringed teens, and it was far from being the best.
The previous edition, 1997’s Road To World Cup 98, had marked a big improvement though – while FIFA had always had the official licences, it finally had the gameplay to go with them too. World Cup 98 built on that in some style, keeping the free-flowing football of the previous title and adding in-game tactical changes.
It was all wrapped up in a slick World Cup skin that no other game at the time came close to, complete with commentary and unlockable classic games. Shame we had to put up with Chumbawamba’s execrable Tubthumping every time it loaded though.
17) Football Manager (1982, ZX Spectrum)
Kevin Toms graced the front of Addictive’s Football Manager cover, enticing you to buy the game with his charm and beard. And what a game it was: on your little Spectrum, you could buy and sell players, pick a team, and watch highlights on pitches with comically large goals.
Today, it all looks a bit primitive (the C64 conversion was at least a bit prettier), and yet its simple gameplay remains surprisingly compelling in an era of over-complicated (micro) management sims. If you fancy a go on your smartphone, check out Toms’s remakes for Android and iOS.
16) Tehkan World Cup (1985, arcade)
Tehkan World Cup wasn’t the first overhead football game (that accolade probably goes to Exciting Soccer), but it was the first to make that viewpoint work. This was a fast game, in part down to the trackball controls, and decent goalies also ensured that matches were often frantic end-to-end battles.
The game very heavily influenced Sensible Software, and more or less came to the C64 in the form of Microprose Soccer, but its legacy was really being the grandfather to the outstanding Sensible Soccer series.
15) New Star Soccer (2012, iOS/Android)
In answering the question “How do you create an in-depth career-long football game for mobile devices?”, New Star Soccer said “You don’t!”, and instead served up a selection of mini-games draped over a basic framework that wasn’t a million miles from 1986’s Footballer Of The Year.
Although a touch IAP-hungry, it became a mobile classic, having you balance a kind of hyper-real version of a young footballer’s life (Buy a car! And now a TANK!) with pitch-based exploits and the demands of a boss, advertisers and a nagging partner.
Its successor, New Star Manager, is more in-depth, but lacks the addictive simplicity of the original.
14) FIFA 10 (2009, PS3/Xbox 360)
Like a footballing version of Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed, the FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer games slugged it out relentlessly throughout the ’00s without either landing a final knockout punch. Pro Evo was generally the better game, but FIFA retained a strong following by virtue of its proper team and player names and presentation nous. But with FIFA 10 that winning uppercut finally connected.
Both games introduced 360-degree player control for the first time in their 2010 editions, but FIFA 10 did it better, allowing you to expertly slide a pass through at just the right angle for your striker to run on to it. Or, more commonly, for you to expertly slide a pass straight to an opposition defender. Coupled with a wealth of game modes – from Be A Pro to Ultimate Team and Manager Mode – FIFA 10 was a more complete footballing experience than any previous title in the series and finally edged ahead of its rival too. And it hasn’t been toppled since.
13) Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (1988, C64)
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A spiritual successor to Andrew Spencer’s International Soccer, Emlyn Hughes International Soccer was the last great side-on football game of the 1980s. Brimming with options, advanced players could utilise techniques such as ‘5-direction’ passing, sliding tackles and backheels, all from a joystick with only a single fire button.
The result was the first truly fluid football game, where you could string together some genuinely breathtaking moves. The goalies were still rubbish, though, natch.
Retro Goal is by the New Star Soccer folks, and has some similarities, in being a fusion of management and action. However, rather than veering towards management, much more of this game is played out on the pitch. Instead of full games, you play out highlights, using gestural controls (with the aid of Matrix-style slo-mo) to bury the ball in the back of the net.
We’ve seen grumbles that the game is pay-to-win, but we’ve won everything you can win in the game, without doing a Manchester City. You just need some patience, and to power up couple of strikers so they’ve got enough welly. If you’re not sure, you get ten games for free, whereaand even unlocking the entire game costs a pittance.
Retro Goal is a beautiful throwback to the SEGA days of football games and features such star names as Garrido, Hough and Frezza (not actual players, of course). The convenience of being handheld makes it all the better, too. The first 10 matches of Retro Goal can be played for free. Unlocking the rest costs a quid. Barg.
11) FIFA Street (2005, PS2)
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There’s something beautifully nostalgic about FIFA Street. For those who played the 4-a-side street football game in 2005, the game conjures up memories of committing devastating flicks and tricks in favelas and English football pitches. It also came with a soundtrack that has seldom been beaten since, bringing the local sounds of soca, grime, jungle and more to global players.
FIFA Street’s newest form, VOLTA, hasn’t managed to live up to the heights of FIFA Street (that is a tough task to achieve, though). But even playing today, FIFA Street still impresses. Few things beat the feeling of nutmegging Ronaldinho before firing a screamer into the top bins, after all.
10) Virtua Striker (1994, Arcade)
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Sega’s legendary AM2 team (also responsible for Daytona USA and Virtua Fighter) developed this groundbreaking title – the first football video game in history to use 3D player models. Being available only in arcades, Virtua Striker was designed for fast and furious action over serious simulation, but for those of us who crammed countless coins into the cabinet, it was the most realistic digital appropriation of the beautiful game we’d ever seen.
9) International Superstar Soccer (1994, SNES)
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In hindsight, this SNES classic is a bridge between classic-era side-on fare and modern football titles. A predecessor to PES, the original ISS offered a stunning array of moves – everything from feints to shoulder charges – when various buttons were combined.
Visually, it was also leagues beyond the likes of Match Day and International Soccer. Yet for all its gloss and cleverness, what made ISS appeal most was its fun and frantic nature, retaining a very arcade sensibility, in that brief period before sports titles became totally obsessed with a kind of TV-style realism.
In its divorce with Eidos, Sports Interactive lost the Championship Manager name but carried on creating the only management games still worth playing – and this edition is one of the greatest, adding a full 3D engine that, if you were so inclined, allowed you to watch every single pass, shot, tackle and horrendous goalkeeping error in a match.
Among the other innovations were press conferences – a small detail that served to add colour to an already frighteningly real football universe that featured no fewer than 117 playable leagues.
7) Kick Off 2 (1990, Amiga)
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Kick Off 2 looked an awful lot like its predecessor, and it was really a combination of Kick Off and a couple of expansion disks, all carefully refined. But that attention to detail transformed an enjoyable but occasionally uncontrollable knockabout title into a product that demanded a lot more skill.
Along with tournaments, refs with varying moods and – crucially – fewer bugs, this Amiga sequel dropped the pace and boosted the controls, copious use of ‘aftertouch’ enabling you to fashion the kind of dazzlingly audacious shots of which even Matt Le Tissier would have been proud.
6) Sensible Soccer (1992, Amiga)
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Sensible Software were fans of Kick Off 2 and football, but were irritated by the former’s shortcomings that didn’t – as they saw it – do justice to the latter. Sensible Soccer was their attempt to bring to gaming the feeling of how you imagined playing professional football would be, coupled with the kind of attention to detail only a true football geek possesses (including correct hair and skin colour for each of the players).
The game zoomed the viewpoint out, showing more of the pitch and enabling it to dispense with a Kick Off-style radar; passing and shooting was simplified and streamlined and everything was done on the frame, making the game extremely responsive. Until sequel SWOS arrived, this was the pinnacle of the genre.
5) ISS Pro Evolution (1999, PS1)
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Ah, the Master League: just how many hours have we spent cocooned in your comforting embrace, steadily building up a team of honest pros and turning them into world beaters? Probably several thousand – and that’s no exaggeration. And it was here that it first appeared.
Although at this stage a relatively basic affair, the Pro Evo Master League still bolted a decent career sim on to an already superb football game. You could buy and sell players, but you used points earnt by winning games, rather than money, and there was none of the complicated day-to-day running of the club that you’d have to endure in Championship Manager. Instead, it gave you the chance to shape the team of your dreams, packing it with attacking midfielders if you chose, or instead making sure you had a Mourinho-solid defence.
While the Master League was a great addition to the series, it would have meant nothing if the gameplay hadn’t matched up to it. But in truth ISS Pro Evolution was already creeping ahead of FIFA by this time; it was more realistic yet also more playable – and that’s a winning combination in any game.
4) Championship Manager: Season 97/98 (1997, PC)
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Sports Interactive’s series looms like a Colossus over all management games.
Despite being derided by small-minded dullards as a glorified Excel spreadsheet, Championship Manager‘s masterful tactical engine, reams of accurate data (this was the first instalment allowing you to run more than one league simultaneously) and giant player database wove together a rich, convincing football universe that sat parallel to our own – and it fired the imagination like no other game around.
And it was so, so addictive: the game’s official forums were full of tales of lives all but lost to Champ’s particular brand of “just one more game”-itis, or grown men so proud of taking a lower league team to the FA Cup final that they would don a suit for the occasion.
3) FIFA 21 (2020, PS4/Xbox One)
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Recent FIFA games have been all about tweaking a winning formula rather than any major overhauls, but considering the series has been building from a leading position since FIFA 10, that’s no bad thing.
While FIFA 21 only makes very minor changes to its predecessor and certainly isn’t without its faults – defending is very much a secondary concern to scoring goals, there’s far too much showboating online, and goalkeepers punch so often they must all be wearing buttered gloves – it remains the best virtual approximation of the beautiful game.
There are times in popular culture when a thing – band, TV series, game, whatever – reaches such a peak, you think it can’t possibly stay there. But then it does – for year after year after year. The Simpsons did that from about season 3 to season 9, for instance, but it’s pretty rare. Well, Pro Evolution Soccer managed the same feat.
That its standards did eventually drop was inevitable, but it doesn’t make the glory years from 2002-2005 any less special. We could have picked any of the four games from Pro Evo 2 to Pro Evo 5 and made a case for its inclusion. Frankly, we could have had all of them in this list. But that would be silly, so instead we’ve picked the probable highest point in a series of very high ones.
What made it so special? Just… everything. The Master League had by now developed into a proper four-division set-up, with promotion, relegation and a Champions League equivalent and there were even, finally, proper player names. On the gameplay side, it was as fluid and playable as football games get. Not quite as frantically insane as Sensible Soccer, not quite as gloriously detailed as FIFA 18, but instead a wonderful mid-way between the two extremes.
You could score screamers from 40 yards or tap-ins after a goalmouth scramble. You could waltz through five tackles, if you had a skillful enough player, but you couldn’t get away with just running the ball into the net. In short, it was beautifully balanced.
It couldn’t last, of course – but boy was it fun while it did.
1) Sensible World Of Soccer (1994, Amiga)
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Almost 30 years young, SWOS is still top of the league. It took everything that was great about Sensible Soccer and just ran with it. You got the same fantastic arcade-oriented gameplay, but the title comprehensively acknowledged the rest of the world’s existence, with the kind of slavish devotion of a true footballing aficionado.
Management features and player trading were boosted by the inclusion of a whopping 1500 teams and 27,000 players. It should have been the start of something great, but SWOS was somehow allowed to be eclipsed by FIFA and PES. Still, dedicated fans keep the flame alive with leagues, events, and patched versions of the game that incorporate modern data – the wonderful, crazy nutters.
Can it compete with FIFA for realistic gameplay or Football Manager for exhaustive statdom? No, obviously not. And for many people, the classic mid-’00s era Pro Evo beats it as an all-round football game; it’s definitely split this office at any rate.
But for sheer “JUST LOOK AT THAT GOAL! THAT WAS LIQUID FOOTBALL!” joy, it will never be bettered. Go on, then, just one more game.
Best gaming Mouse 2024, Our tried and tested gaming mouse picksI always enjoy testing out new contenders for this best gaming mouse guide. Plenty of mice turn out to be common street rats, to be sure, but every now and then something comes along that works so well it feels like an extension of my own hand. Without the implicit body horror, obviously.
Just like equipping yourself with one of the best gaming keyboards, finding the perfect peripheral for your other mitt is well worth doing. After all, what piece of hardware could make your life more comfortable than one you operate by touch? To help with the search, we present the very best gaming mice we’ve tested ourselves. The wired and the wireless, the cheap and the luxury, the lightweight and the button-rammed; if you push it around to control PC games, you’ll find the finest examples of it right here.
But then, w go for a gaming mouse in the first place, when (possibly more affordable) office mice can swing a cursor around without any brash ‘gAm3rrr’ branding? Honestly, any mouse is fine for the average point-and-click or puzzle game, though gaming mice often add some genuinely practical, some might even say sensible features. These can range from a wider array of rebindable buttons (especially handy for MMOs) to ergonomic upgrades, like widened thumb rests. And I know that RPS readers aren’t always madly in love with RGB lighting, but hey, you can always switch it off.
In any case, this guide aims to please a range of tastes. And, indeed, hand sizes. The other good news is that if one of our best gaming mouse picks is right for you, there’ll be no need to upgrade again for absolutely ages; mice are, like good keyboards or the best gaming headsets, among the most timeless PC hardware upgrades you can make. Just look at the reader favourite Logitech G502, which has sat atop this list for bloomin’ years.
Back in the Before Times of 2019, RPS readers voted the Logitech G502 as your favourite gaming mouse. Good choice – I use one regularly as part of the main RPS test rig. There’s just something so wonderfully complete about it: a sweet blend of comfort, features and tactility, with plenty of opportunities for customisation.
That extends from the removeable weights, which you can swap in and out to adjust how the G502 feels, to the support for multiple sensitivity/input/RGB lighting profiles. Speaking of which, the 11 programmable buttons and close to perfectly placed, ready to be pressed without straining a thumb but not intruding into normal digit-resting space. There’s even a satisfying robustness to their clicking action that you don’t always get elsewhere, even on Razer or SteelSeries’ best mice.
The slight hitch is that the original Proteus Spectrum model only seems available at bizarrely inflated prices. Luckily, you can get the newer G502 Hero – which is basically identical, save for an updated, more sensitive sensor – for much more reasonable money.
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Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
The best premium gaming mouse
I’m almost loathe to replace the Razer Basilisk V3 in this corner of the list, but look, the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro is more or less the same mouse – just with wireless connectivity, a more sensitive optical sensor, and optional wireless charging support. This cutting of the cable doesn’t appear to have done performance any real harm, so even when I’m not on peripheral testing duty, it’s been the gaming mouse I’ve reached for – while the wired Basilisk V3 returns to the kit cupboard.
The Basilisk V3 Pro is a lot pricier than its wired counterpart, not to mention heavier, and if you want its wireless charger – the Razer Mouse Dock Pro – then that’s another big expense. Frankly, it’s a nice but unnecessary luxury, and at least with boring old cabled charging, you can keep using the mouse at the same time. And what a mouse this is: keenly sculpted to fit both palm and fingertip grips, with slip-proof textured rubber sections, tonnes of customisable buttons, solid-feeling optical switches, and a precise scroll wheel. This wheel also has a free-spinning mode, one of the Basilisk’s many similarities with the Logitech G502 series.
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Logitech G203
The best cheap gaming mouse
There are loads of budget gaming mice to choose from these days, but the Logitech G203 Lightsync is by far the best of the bunch. Its build quality is much better than its similarly priced rivals, such as the HyperX Pulsefire Core and Steelseries Rival 110, and it also has a more responsive sensor, too.
It’s reasonably small, but it’s also exceedingly light, making it feel lovely and smooth to move round your mouse mat. Nothing against larger mice, naturally, but they can be more of a chore to move quickly if you have small hands.
The G203 also has two extra side-buttons on the left hand side of the mouse, which can be programmed to do all sorts of diffferent functions. These include keyboard buttons, macros and media controls, and a dedicated DPI clutch / sniper button that lowers the mouse’s speed to whatever setting you like for as long as you hold it down – handy, if you’re into online competitive shooter games.
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Logitech G Pro Wireless
The best wireless gaming mouse
It’s getting on in years, but the Logitech G Pro Wireless remains our top pick of the wireless mice. Thanks to sustained price drops, it’s much more affordable than it was at launch, and its specs and design still stand up against more recent competition. Which is to say, it’s wonderfully agile and super comfy to use, and at 80g it’s impressively lightweight as well (just not to the extent of the newer Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 below). When you combine that featherlight nothingness with Logitech’s practically lag-free Lightspeed wireless tech and its brilliant Hero 16K sensor, the Pro Wireless is as hyper-competent a gaming mouse as it was in 2018.
It may not have a central DPI button like every other gaming mouse on the planet (it’s actually on the bottom of the mouse, for some incomprehensible reason), but Logitech’s intuitive Gaming Software tool gives you plenty of flexibility when it comes to customising its various buttons to suit your gaming habits. Whether you’re right or left-handed, you’ve got loads of options here, including being able to change your DPI or sensitivity setting on the fly for as long as you hold down your chosen button.
The Pro Wireless is also one of the most tasteful gaming mice, design-wise. Its smooth, simple curves are accented by a single zone of RGB lighting over its G logo on the rear of the mouse, and that’s it. Not jaunty angles, no glossy flourishes; just good old-fashioned design that doesn’t make you want to blush with embarrassment every time another human being claps eyes on it.
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Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2
The best lightweight wireless gaming mouse
As much as the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 resembles a barely-updated, right-hand-only G Pro Wireless, this mouse is full to bursting with upgraded tech and clever design touches. The sensor, for example, is a new version of the Hero sensor that can reach up to 32,000dpi, and even at much lower sensitivities it feels as unnervingly accurate as anything on the market. The hybrid optical-mechanic switches are fantastic as well, with just the right amounts of travel depth and clickiness – combined with Lightspeed wireless connectivity that near enough eliminates lag.
At 60g, it’s also tangibly lighter than the G Pro Wireless, and technically lighter than almost every other gaming mouse in this list. Even the scroll wheel is hollowed out to save weight, though thankfully this still has a stable, quiet spin to it. It’s absolutely not too flimsy, either. If anything, the build quality and massive non-stick feet give this mouse a stability that rivals much heavier ones.
The catch is a familiar one: the Pro X Superlight 2’s considerably higher price makes choosing between it and the older G Pro Wireless much harder than it would be otherwise. But the former’s upgrades, and generally smooth, extremely comfortable operation, earn it a place among the best.
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Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless
The best cheap wireless gaming mouse
The excellent Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless can be had for a whole lot less than the Clutch GM51 Lightweight Wireless. This is an absolute steal for those after an affordable wireless gaming mouse, and thanks to Corsair’s super fast Slipstream wireless technology, the Harpoon RGB Wireless feels just as nippy as its Logitech rival, making it great for gaming and general desktop duties alike.
The Harpoon Wireless has built-in low latency Bluetooth support as well, just in case you’ve got one too many 2.4GHz wireless devices getting in the way of things, but even in my many wireless device-ridden home it worked like an absolute dream.
Granted, that’s not enough to make it the best wireless mouse overall – battery life is shorter than on the Viper V2 Pro and Logitech G Pro Wireless, and the Harpoon RGB Wireless is heavier than both as well. Still, there’s a lot to like here besides all that, and you’ll be hard-pushed to find a more responsive mouse for less.
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HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2
The best lightweight gaming mouse
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is a replacement for one of my favourite ever lightweight gaming mice; I even gifted Ed a Pulsefire Haste the first time I met him. It’s time to move on, though, and while I’ll miss the bargain pricing of the original, the Pulsefire Haste 2 is a fantastically feathery mouse that will handle all but the most button-intensive MMOs.
It’s actually a few grams lighter than the Pulsefire Haste, even though it’s gone with a solid shell instead of keeping the previous holey design. This thing glides around like an air hockey puck, yet never feels delicate or poorly made, with crisp left/right click mechanisms and a pair of perfectly weighted thumb buttons. The only misjudgement is the slightly papery stick-on grips, but those are optional, and I’ve happily played on without them.
I’ve also used, and enjoyed, the Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless. This is more expensive and lacks the 8000Hz polling option that the wired model has, but otherwise, they’re close enough to identical. It’s also easily one of the lightest wireless gaming mice I’ve tried, at just 61g.
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Corsair Ironclaw RGB
The best gaming mouse for big hands
For those after a great mouse that doesn’t break the bank and offers loads of extra features, it simply doesn’t get much better than the Corsair Ironclaw RGB. Not only is its large, contoured shape very comfortable to use over periods of time, but its weight of 105g and responsive sensor make it lovely and fast in the hand, too.
Sure, the dash of RGB lighting won’t be for everyone (although you can always turn it off using Corsair’s iCUE software), but it’s a lot better-looking than the hard, ‘gamery’ edges and matt / gloss combo design of the similarly-priced Logitech G502 Hero (and G502 Proteus Spectrum, by extension).
The Ironclaw RGB also offers more functionality than the mildly equally unassuming Steelseries Rival 310. The Rival 310 is still a great choice for those looking to keep costs down (as is the identical Sensei 310 if you’re looking for a cheap ambidextrous mouse), but the Ironclaw does a lot more for the money, such as giving you an extra DPI or sensitivity profile to play with, a braided USB cable, seven programmable buttons instead of six, and the ability to turn one of those buttons into a ‘sniper’ button for on-the-fly DPI adjustments to give you better control when lining up shots in FPS games. All in all, it’s a great value mouse.
I, uh, do not have small hands. I fact I have quite large hands, the kind that create logistical problems when installing M.2 SSDs or eating Pringles. Yet even I can see the petite appeal of the SteelSeries Aerox 3 and its cable-cutting variant, the Aerox 3 Wireless.
Weighing just 57g and 66g respectively, these are some of the lightest, easiest-to-shift gaming mice around, and at 120mm long they’re compact without being too small for a comfortable grip. The Swiss cheese styling won’t be to everyone’s tastes, and could risk turning the Aerox 3 twins into piggy banks for dust if you don’t keep your desk clean, but the holes do help keep the weight down – as well as show off the onboard lighting. Don’t worry about the effect on build quality, either, as there’s no flexing or creaking around the more skeletal bits.
In fact, toughness is the Aerox 3’s party trick, as both models mice are water- and dust-resistant to the IP54 standard. That means the electronics are protected against solid muck ingress as well as slight splashes of liquid, a claim that held up in my testing. I chucked water and soft drinks at the Aerox 3 Wireless, and it always worked fine after drying off.
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Roccat Kone XP Air
The best MMO gaming mouse
MMO mice tend to look more like the Razer Naga Trinity (£50 / $79), with its great wall of thumb buttons, than the Roccat Kone XP Air. This initially appears to be more of a general-purpose, if still higher-end gaming mouse in the Logitech G502/Razer Basilisk vein.
The Kone XP Air still manages to squeeze in an abundance of buttons, however, and the total input count is nearly doubled with its Easy-Shift switch on the thumb rest. This works just like the Shift key on a keyboard: in addition to each button’s primary input, you can assign secondary inputs or macro combinations, and punch them in by clicking a button while holding down Easy-Shift. This lets you wield an MMO-worthy array of commands without infringing as much on the thumb rest space, a clever way of maintaining comfort.
If the Kone XP Air will burn too quickly through your peripherals budget, the wired Kone XP Air has the same layout at a much lower price – though I’ve used both and the Kone XP Air seemingly enjoys a higher build quality, especially for its firmer Easy-Shift switch. On the wired Kone XP, it’s a lot looser, and therefore much easier to press by accident.
The original Razer Viper is an excellent ambidextrous gaming mouse – particularly now it’s much cheaper than it used to be. We recommended the Asus ROG Pugio as well as the Viper due to their wildly different prices in the UK and US, but with Pugio stock levels getting lower and lower and prices going higher and higher as a result, it’s now nowhere near as good value as its Razer rival.
Besides, the Viper has a much more tasteful design than the Pugio, and its two main clicker buttons feel more responsive, too. Plus, the Viper is nicely light, coming in at just 69g. This means it’s super easy to swish around your mouse mat, and never becomes a drag when you’re playing games for long periods of time. Razer’s Synapse 3 software gives you loads of customisation options, too. Anyone disappointed by the Viper V2 Pro adopting a purely right-handed design can take solace in the fact that it’s most ostensibly basic predecessor remains a brilliant ambidextrous gaming mouse.
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Gaming mouse jargon buster
DPI: This stands for “Dots Per Inch”. It’s used to measure a gaming mouse’s sensitivity. The higher the DPI number, the more sensitive your gaming mouse will be.
That said, while many gaming mice boast top DPIs in the 10,000s, this is actually too fast for the human eye to keep track with. At best, most people only need around 1600 DPI, or maybe 2000 DPI if you’re a twitchy competitive FPS player. As such, don’t be put off by mice with lower DPI speeds, as you’ll get just as much use out of them as higher DPI mice.
CPI: Counts Per Inch, and another way of describing a mouse’s sensitivity speed. This is often only used by Steelseries, though, and is pretty much identical to DPI.
Polling rate: How many times the mouse communicates its position to your PC, per second. A 500Hz polling rate, for example, would report 500 times each second. Gaming mice generally target the 500-1000Mhz range, and there’s no real benefit to going higher than this, though cursor movements might not feel as smooth if you manually lower the polling rate below 400MHz or so.
Sniper button: A button that can change a mouse’s DPI speed on the fly when it’s being held down, often to a very low DPI to help players track headshots in competitive FPS games. Sometimes mice will have dedicated sniper buttons, while others will let you program this feature onto one of the side buttons.
Claw grip: A type of mouse grip that involves resting your palm on the back of the mouse and bending your index and middle fingers into a claw-like shape so the tips of them rest on the main right and left buttons. Professional players often say this allows for quicker, more precise mouse movements, and some mice will be designed with this grip in mind. In everyday use, though, it’s very uncomfortable.
Fingertip grip: Another type of mouse grip. This involves using a similar pose to the claw grip, only here your palm sits on your mouse mat, not the back of the mouse. It supposedly makes for faster mouse movements, as you’re only moving it with your fingers rather than your whole hand or arm. If you favour this grip, you’ll probably want a mouse with extra grippy sides.
Palm grip: This style of mouse grip involves resting your entire hand on the mouse. It’s a lot more relaxed than the claw and fingertip grip, and is better for large hand / arm movements. It’s probably how you’re holding your mouse right now.
Best Gaming Keyboards 2024, Your keyboard is the part of your PC you touch the most: it’s your primary connection to everything. A new keyboard will deliver a more immediately-noticeable difference than just about any other upgrade.
Finding the right keyboard is even more critical for gamers: you need a keyboard that’s not only comfortable and easy to type on, but one that also delivers the perfect amount of tactile feedback, with zero latency, for speed and accuracy. Your keyboard is your main sidekick as you navigate complicated battle maps or vast open worlds — so you don’t want to make this choice lightly.
We’ve tested all sorts of gaming keyboards, in every size, color, and style, and these are the best of the best for every playstyle.
Best Mainstream Gaming Keyboard
The HyperX Alloy Origins is compact, well-built, and reasonably priced
The HyperX Alloy Origins’ compact and quality build makes it the best gaming keyboard for mainstream gamers who just want to get down to gaming. It’s comfortable, with a premium look and feel, from its keys to its frame and vibrant RGB lighting. If you’re familiar with linear switches, which are quick but offer little feedback, you’ll feel right at home with HyperX’s red linear switches. We also tested the clickier version, which uses HyperX’s aqua switches and is also available at Amazon and HyperX’s store.
For over $100, you can find gaming keyboards with more luxuries, such as media control buttons, a USB pass-through port (for easily plugging in another accessory, like your best gaming mouse), and more advanced software. The Alloy Origins is definitely a no-frills keyboard — but what it does offer, it executes very well.
If you’re not looking for a full-size keyboard, HyperX does offer smaller (and cheaper) versions of this keyboard. We’ve also tested the HyperX Alloy Origins 65 and the mini HyperX Alloy Origins 60, and HyperX also offers a TKL version — the HyperX Alloy Origins Core.
Best Feature-Packed Gaming Keyboard Splurge
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is worth the splurge
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is the ultimate full-size, feature-packed, customizable gaming keyboard to outfit your battlestation. It’s got everything you could need or want, including eight dedicated macro keys, a programmable multi-function “Razer Command Dial,” four dedicated media keys and a volume roller, and a plush, padded detachable wrist rest that lights up when you connect it to the keyboard.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro is a wired keyboard that comes with Razer Green (clicky) or Razer Yellow (linear) mechanical switches. It features an aluminum alloy top plate, doubleshot ABS keycaps, and has bright, per-key RGB as well as underglow (with a total of 38 zones when the wrist rest is connected). It’s not our favorite gaming keyboard for typing (that’s up next), but the typing experience is decent: the Razer Green switches we tested are tactile, clicky, and loud, and the case has two layers of dampening foam.
The main downside of this keyboard is its size: it will take up a large portion of your desk, especially if you use it with the detachable wrist rest. At $230, it’s also pretty pricey — and those extra buttons and dials are only worth it if you actually end up using them.
Best Budget Gaming Keyboard
3. Aukey KM-G17
Best Budget Keyboard
Specifications
Switches: Aukey Blue clicky mechanical switches
Backlight: RGB backlighting
Type: Full-size
Size: 18.1 x 7.8 x 1.4 inches
Weight: 2.5 pounds (1,134g)
Today’s Best Deals
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An abundance of RGB lighting
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Dedicated macro keys and volume knob for additional inputs
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Solid construction with no pinging
Reasons to avoid
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ABS keycaps
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Cable is thick, unwieldy and can’t be detached
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Non-removable palm rest
The Aukey KM-G17 is everything you want — and more (maybe too much more) — in a full-size mechanical gaming keyboard. It’s a big keyboard, measuring 18.1 inches wide, 7.8 inches deep, and 1.4 inches tall — bigger than most full-size keyboards, thanks to its extra keys and non-removable palm rest. It has five macro keys, media keys, and a volume knob along the top, and attractive diffused RGB lighting along the sides. It comes with Aukey’s blue clicky mechanical switches, which have an actuation force of 50g and 1.9mm of pretravel.
The KM-G17 won’t save you desk space, but it will save you money: it retails for just $60, and can often be found on sale for a little over half that price. Subsequently, you shouldn’t be too surprised to learn that it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of a premium gaming keyboard — namely, it has a plastic chassis and ABS plastic keycaps, a thick non-detachable USB cable, just one RGB lighting zone, and it’s clunkier overall than higher-end gaming keyboards.
Still, it’s got what you need for gaming: full n-key rollover, a 1,000 Hz polling rate, and a built-in gaming mode. All of the keys are programmable using the keyboard’s dedicated software, which lets you record macros, change the lighting effect, and save 10+ profiles to the keyboard’s onboard storage.
Best RGB in a Gaming Keyboard
The Roccat Vulcan II Max is flashy and beautiful
4. Roccat Vulcan II Max
Best Looking Gaming Keyboard
Specifications
Switches: Roccat Titan II Optical (Red or Brown)
Backlight: Per-key RGB
Type: Full-size
Size: 18.23 x 6.0625 x 1.32 inches / 463 x 154 x 33.5 mm
Weight: 2.29lbs / 1040g (without accessories)
Today’s Best Deals
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Bright, attractive lighting looks great on wrist rest
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Linear or tactile switch options
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Dedicated media keys and built-in secondary functions
Reasons to avoid
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Fixed cable with dual USB connectors
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Annoying Software
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Slippery ABS keycaps
The Roccat Vulcan II Max is designed to dazzle you: This full-size wired keyboard not only features bright, per-key RGB lighting, which is on maximum display thanks to the keyboard’s flat, shallow keycaps; 24 of its switches also have dual-LEDs. The Vulcan II Max comes with a detachable silicone wrist rest that serves as a conduit for the keyboard’s lighting (it’s beautiful), and features dedicated media keys and a clickable volume knob.
This is an attractive, unique-looking keyboard even without lighting — it has a slim, lightweight chassis with an aluminum alloy top plate, and flat, chiclet-y keycaps that leave the switches entirely exposed. The keyboard has 24 pre-programmed multi-function “smart” dual-LED keys, which light up to indicate secondary keybinds and can also change colors to display real-time info, such as headset or mouse battery life. The keyboard features Roccat’s Aimo lighting experience, which is an “intelligent” lighting system that interacts with, and reacts to, the user (and adapts over time). It’s definitely a dazzling alternative to the typical spectrum cycling, and it’s even more dazzling when paired with the Vulcan II Max’s translucent wrist rest.
If you’re looking for a hypnotizing light show, look no further. The Vulcan II Max comes in both black and white colorways, with Roccat’s Titan II optical switches in red (linear) or brown (tactile). If you’re looking to save desk space, there’s also the 65 percent Vulcan II Mini.
Best Wireless Gaming Keyboard
Asus’s ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless gaming keyboard stands out compared to other wireless gaming keyboards, thanks to its well-built, sturdy (but not overly heavy) chassis, hot-swappable PCB, and impressive 1,500+ hour battery life (with the lighting turned off, naturally). The ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is a wireless keyboard with tri-mode connectivity (2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.1, and wired via USB-C) and a 96-percent layout — a compact layout that retains the 10-key numberpad but takes up only slightly more space than the average TKL.
The ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is housed in a plastic chassis with an aluminum alloy top plate and double-shot PBT keycaps. It measures 14.84 x 5.16 x 1.57 inches (377 x 131 x 40mm) and weighs 2.23 pounds (1012g) — it’s quite a bit smaller than, say, the full-size BlackWidow V4 Pro (which is 18.25 inches / 464mm long), but it has almost the same number of keys (less some of the navigation keys). It doesn’t have any dedicated macro keys, but it does manage to squeeze a multi-function key and volume roller in the upper right corner.
The ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless comes with Asus’s second-generation Asus ROG NX switches in Snow (linear), and it has a hot-swappable PCB — so you can swap in the mechanical switches of your choice. The keyboard offers a solid, low-latency wireless connection over Asus’s 2.4GHz Omni Receiver, and can get up to 1,500 hours of battery life over 2.4GHz wireless with the lighting turned off (about 90 hours with the lighting turned on).
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless gives you back some desk space as well as wireless freedom, thanks to built-in dual wireless (low-latency 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.0). The 2022 redesign of the Apex Pro TKL features a simple, elegant chassis with an aluminum alloy top plate, double-shot PBT keycaps, and SteelSeries newest OmniPoint 2.0 linear optical switches.
Optical switches technically have mechanical parts, but they’re not the same as mechanical switches — optical switches are actuated via light, while mechanical switches are actuated via physical force. Although this makes for a less-than-ideal typing experience, it’s good news for gamers: Optical switches are speedier (and less prone to failure) than their mechanical counterparts. The Apex Pro TKL Wireless’ OmniPoint 2.0 switches offer both adjustable actuation (37 levels) and dual-action actuation, which lets you assign two actions to one key (at different actuation levels).
The main downside of the Apex Pro TKL Wireless is its $250 asking price (the keyboard also comes in a wired version, for $180), which makes it one of the priciest gaming keyboards on this list. While the Apex Pro TKL Wireless comes with plenty of premium features and accessories — including a customizable OLED smart screen and a detachable magnetic wrist rest with a soft-touch finish — these might not be enough to justify its expense. If you’d like something a little less customizable (and you don’t mind being tethered), SteelSeries’ Apex 9 TKL has an almost-identical form factor with hot-swappable optical switches — and will only set you back $140.
The Asus ROG Azoth has a premium build, an OLED screen, and hot-swappable switches — and it comes with a whole host of accessories
Most gaming keyboards are designed for gaming, not typing. That doesn’t mean they’re bad for typing — they’re usually still pretty good (better than a non-mechanical keyboard, anyway), but they focus on gaming first and prioritize features like flashy RGB over tactile feel and sound. The Asus ROG Azoth, however, is one of the best keyboards for both gaming and typing that we’ve ever used — and we’re pretty impressed that it comes from a mainstream gaming company and not a boutique keyboard supplier.
The ROG Azoth is a gasket mount mechanical keyboard with a 75 percent form factor (that’s slightly smaller than a TKL). It’s wireless, with both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, and it features doubleshot PBT keycaps, a metal top plate, and three layers of sound dampening foam inside its plastic chassis (plastic so as not to interfere with the wireless signal). It comes with Asus NX switches in Red (linear), Brown (tactile), or Blue (clicky), and Asus packages it with a full accessory kit, which includes keycap and switch pullers, extra switches, and a DIY lube station so you can have ultimate control of the keyboard’s sound and feel.
It’s an excellent keyboard for typing, but it’s also great for gaming — thanks to its reliable, low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection, snappy responsiveness, and incredible battery life (up to 2,000 hours over 2.4GHz, with both lighting and the OLED screen turned off). It also offers decent customization via a 2-inch OLED screen that can be programmed to display everything from a random GIF to current system info.
Best Low Profile Gaming Keyboard
The Logitech G915 Lightspeed is slim, speedy, and wireless
If you want the speed and slimness afforded by low-profile mechanical switches, the Logitech G915 Lightspeed is the best gaming keyboard you can buy. This is a premium gaming experience through and through. That means a row of G macro keys for leveraging during battle, dedicated media controls, including an epic volume wheel roller, and even multiple connectivity options. You can go tried-and-true wired, use Logitech’s reliable dongle connection, or store the dongle in the keyboard’s built-in compartment and use Bluetooth. This makes connecting to multiple devices a little easier too.
The G915 Lightspeed has earned a popular reputation but comes at a price. Despite its $250 MSRP, there’s no wrist rest, USB passthrough or premium keycaps resistant to smudging. As mentioned in our Logitech G915 TKL review, the smaller version of this keyboard is more affordable but foregoes even more luxuries, most noticeably G keys.
But in addition to being a top-notch gaming peripheral, the G915 Lightspeed (and G915 TKL) offers a surprisingly good typing experience for a low-profile keyboard. We’ve tested it with Logitech’s tactile low-profile switches for days and haven’t felt much extra exhaustion or like we were typing through sand, like we’ve suffered through on other low-profile keyboards.
Best Mini Gaming Keyboard
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is a small keyboard that’s packed with functionality (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
9. SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini
Best Mini Gaming Keyboard
Specifications
Switches: SteelSeries OmniPoint 2.0
Backlight: Per-Key RGB
Type: 60%
Size: 11.53 x 4.02 x 1.59 inches / 293 x 103 x 40.3mm
Ultra-compact keyboards aren’t for everyone, but if you have limited desk space or you’re looking for a gaming keyboard that’s travel-friendly, a 60 percent keyboard can be a godsend. You’ll have to give up a lot — number pad, navigation keys, function keys, and even arrow keys — but you’ll barely notice these sacrifices with the right keyboard.
SteelSeries’ Apex Pro Mini Wireless (also comes in a wired version) is the right keyboard.
The Apex Pro Mini Wireless is a sleek, sturdily-built 60 percent keyboard featuring SteelSeries OmniPoint 2.0 switches, which feature both adjustable actuation and dual actuation (much like the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog). Because it’s so small, the Apex Pro Mini Wireless has a slew of default secondary keybinds, which are printed on the sides of the keycaps and activated using SteelSeries SS function key. These secondary keybinds are so intuitive (and can also be remapped, if you want) that you won’t feel limited by the 60 percent layout. The keyboard is highly customizable: Almost every key can be remapped (first and secondary keybinds), have its actuation point adjusted, and have its RGB set – individually.
If anything, the Apex Pro Mini Wireless might have too much going for it — maybe you don’t need an ultra-compact keyboard with every single feature shoved into it (especially considering its premium price point). If you don’t need all of these features and you’d like to spend a little less, try the SteelSeries Apex 9 series, which comes has adjustable actuation, hot-swappable switches, and comes in both Mini and TKL layouts.
Quick Shopping Tips
•Mechanical or bust? Most gamers probably aren’t even considering a non-mechanical keyboard — for good reason. Only mechanical keyboard switches offer the tactile feedback, precision, and accuracy most gamers need, and membrane switches feel gummy and unresponsive by comparison. Recently we’ve been seeing more and more optical keyboards, which are technically mechanical, but use light — not physical force — to actuate. Optical switches still feel a little less satisfying to type on, but they actuate faster (nothing is faster than light, after all) and last longer than fully-mechanical switches.
•RGB or not? All RGB lighting is not equal. Per-key RGB lets you program each key’s color individually, while zone lighting limits your customization to just a few areas of the board. You can save a little money by getting a keyboard with a single-color backlight, but you’ll miss out on a spectacular light show. You can also forego lighting altogether, so long as you’re a touch-typist (or gaming in a well-lit area).
•Full-size, tenkeyless, or smaller? Tenkeyless boards drop the numpad, 65 percent boards eliminate navigation keys, and 60 percent boards also cut the arrow keys. Some users, such as MMO players, want every possible key (and more), while others prefer a smaller keyboard to clear up desk space.
•Pick Your Switch The best gaming keyboards use a number of different mechanical switch types that determine the feel and sound of each key press. The type of switch you choose depends on your personal preferences for typing and gaming. For more on the ins and outs of mechanical switches, check out our guide on mechanical switch spec ranges.
☑ Clicky Tactile: Blue, Green, White ☑Quiet Tactile: Brown, Clear ☑Linear (quiet and go straight down): Red, Silver
If you don’t want to commit, a hot-swappable keyboard will let you swap out switches easily.
Savings on the Best Gaming Keyboards
Whether you’re shopping for one of the best gaming keyboards we listed above or a different model, you may find some discounts by checking out our list of Corsair coupon codes, Newegg promo codes or Razer coupon codes.
Best free YouTube downloader apps 2024, Downloading content from YouTube doesn’t have to be stressful. Below, we round up a few of the best apps for saving YouTube videos and explain why you should avoid shady ripping sites.
YouTube has been around for almost two decades at this point. Naturally, plenty of users have come and gone during this time. Additionally, over the years, the platform refined its acceptable content rules and adopted a strict copyright claims system, leading to the deletion of millions of channels. In fact, if you go through one of your old playlists, you’ll almost certainly see at least one of the following errors:
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◦“This video is private”
◦“This video has been removed by the uploader”
◦“The channel associated with this video has been terminated”
◦“This video contains content from [company], who has blocked it on copyright grounds”
Once a video is removed from YouTube, you can’t even see its title anymore. Still, its ghost remains, causing a few seconds of silence whenever you reach that spot in the playlist. You know that you liked whatever video used to be there, but can’t quite remember what it was. Worse still, there’s no way to find out – it’s simply gone.
The only way to prevent this is to download your favorite YouTube videos. This is easier than you might expect, and allows you to make a permanent archive of content that would otherwise be forgotten forever. Here’s a short list of our favorite YouTube downloader apps, and a brief description of what makes each so special:
Best YouTube downloader apps in 2024
1.VideoProc Converter AI: Our first choice for saving YouTube videos. Supports up to 8K resolution and every format you can think of. Can even upscale low-quality video using AI-powered tools. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2.SnapDownloader: Intuitive and powerful service that lets you try all of its features without providing any payment info. Ideal for backing up lots of videos at once.
3.YTD Video Downloader: Simple, straightforward app that supports all of the most popular video-sharing sites. Free to use, with higher speeds and batch downloads if you upgrade to a paid plan.
4.4K Video Downloader: Flexible app that makes it easy to save entire YouTube playlists, extract subtitles, or automatically scrape new uploads. Allows a handful of free downloads, with no limits for paying users.
5.ByClick Downloader: This app is able to backup entire YouTube channels and adds a button to every video for one-click downloading. Free for the first 24 hours, but then you’ll have to upgrade. Only available on Windows.
6.Allavsoft Video and Audio Downloader: Works with YouTube, Vimeo, and many similar services. Offers a batch download feature, conversion tools, and 24/7 support. Five-minute video limit on free plans.
Criteria for the best YouTube downloader apps
There are hundreds of apps that let you download videos. That said, many are far more complex than they need to be for such a simple task. Then there are the downloaders that seem to work with every site except YouTube, or those that come bundled with adware. To make sure we only recommend the best of the best, we looked for services meeting all of these criteria:
•Can reliably download videos from YouTube and similar platforms
•Lets you convert the video to a format of your choosing (even audio-only)
•Has a free tier, money-back guarantee, or trial period
•Provides the ability to queue up multiple downloads
•Boasts a clean, simple, and novice-friendly interface
•Doesn’t ask you to install any sketchy programs during setup
VideoProc Converter AI is primarily a video-editing program but its downloading feature is second to none. Users can try this service for free, though you won’t be able to process videos that are longer than five minutes unless you upgrade to a paid plan. Still, we’d say this is worth doing since the app works with over 1,000 streaming sites including YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. It’s one of the few that’s able to download 8K resolution video.
You’re free to backup a single video, a playlist, or an entire channel, and there’s even a screen recorder in case you’d like to capture live streams as they’re happening. One of the interesting things about this service is that it includes AI-powered tools. These are useful for upscaling standard-definition video to 4K, restoring damaged film, or bumping the frame rate up to 60fps.
Pros:
•Supports all of the main video-sharing sites including YouTube
•Exceptionally versatile
•AI video-enhancement tools
•Very easy to use
Cons:
•Primarily designed for video editing
PRICE:VideoProc Converter AI has a free plan, but premium subscriptions cost $25.95 per year. These include a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free and cancel if you’re not satisfied.
2. SnapDownloader
(Windows, Mac)
SnapDownloader boasts a streamlined interface that’s easy to get the hang of. Users can either paste up to 100 links into the URL field or switch over to the built-in browser and find videos on any platform they like manually. This app supports 360 video, 8K resolution, and can automatically download subtitle files and separate audio. There’s even a trimming tool included so that you don’t waste time downloading silent, boring, or irrelevant parts of the video.
We’re big fans of this app’s scheduling feature. This lets you queue up URLs and choose a time for the downloads to begin. As such, you’ll be able to backup all of your content at a time when nobody else in your home needs to use the internet. SnapDownloader’s website has an FAQ section, but it’s a little sparse. Luckily, there is an email support form in case your question hasn’t been answered yet.
Pros:
•Suitable for YouTube, Tiktok, and more
•Granular control over what and when you download
•Fully-featured free trial
•Downloads up to three videos simultaneously
Cons:
•Website could use a few more support articles
PRICE:SnapDownloader provides a free trial with no payment info required. Afterward, you’ll have to pay $7.99 per month for access. Alternatively, annual plans cost $29.99 and lifetime licenses are $39.99. Monthly plans have a 24-hour guarantee period, and all others offer 30 days.
YTD Video Downloader has a very simple interface, with separate tabs for downloading and converting videos. Users can just enter a URL (or several) and the app will automatically grab everything, regardless of whether the link is to a channel, playlist, or individual video. All of the most popular formats are supported, and this app works with YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo, among other platforms.
This software is free to use, but there are a few caveats. For instance, you’re subject to daily download limits, your speeds are limited, and you can’t use the batch download feature unless you upgrade. There is a seven-day free trial, so unless you’re looking to download thousands of videos, you may not even need to pay anything. If you’re having problems, you can submit a support ticket. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions section on the website, though it’s fairly sparse.
Pros:
•Works on almost any device
•Novice-friendly design
•Ideal for downloading lots of videos at once
•Lengthy trial period
Cons:
•Premium plans are expensive if you pay monthly
PRICE:YTD Video Downloader is a freemium service, although to download multiple videos per day, you need a paid plan. These start at $6.99 USD per month, with annual plans costing as little as $35.88 following a seven-day trial.
4K Video Downloader takes all the hassle out of backing up your favorite YouTube content. It supports YouTube shorts, playlists, and full channel archival, plus it works with your private videos provided you log in via the app’s internal browser. Naturally, other popular sites (like Twitch, BiliBili, and Facebook) are supported too.
There aren’t as many supported file formats, but all of the main ones like MKV, MP4, and OGG are accounted for. Additionally, we were pleased to see that 4K Video Downloader supports multiple languages. The site includes plenty of setup guides and tutorials, although the “contact us” link doesn’t actually do anything.
Looking for more than the free version offers? Good news: this app actually has reasonably-priced lifetime licenses. In other words, after paying a one-time fee, you can download as much as you like, forever. Paid users also unlock the multi-threading feature, allowing them to download up to three videos simultaneously.
Pros:
•Expansive support section, with posts in over a dozen languages
•Can download just about anything, even videos that are set to private
•One-time payment
•Allows multiple downloads at once
Cons:
•Can’t convert to as many video formats as its rivals
•No way to speak with staff as contact link broken
PRICE:You can use 4K Video Downloader for free indefinitely or unlock its full potential with a $25 lifetime pass. Alternatively, annual plans are available for $15. Each includes a two-week money-back guarantee.
5. ByClick Downloader
(Windows only)
ByClick Downloader goes the extra mile to make your life easier. The app inserts a button under every YouTube video, even if it’s embedded on another site, that lets you grab it with just one click. You can directly paste in video links, too. Whether you’re looking to backup your private videos, scrape an entire channel, or archive a Twitter feed, ByClick is up to the task.
The app can’t help you edit videos, but it can convert them to a few of the most popular formats. Additionally, users can choose whether to download a video’s subtitles or just the audio. The app supports roughly two dozen different languages, but unfortunately, the FAQ section on the website is only in English. As such, you may have to rely on translation tools to help you find answers. Users can speak with staff directly using the site’s built-in contact form.
Pros:
•Easily archive full YouTube channels
•Affordable lifetime plans
•Supports many video-sharing sites
Cons:
•Inconsistent multilingual support
•Only available on Windows
PRICE:ByClick Downloader has a 24-hour free trial that gives you access to all of its features. Afterward, you’ll have to pay to keep using the service. Lifetime plans cost $40 but at the time of writing, these are available at 50 percent off.
6. Allavsoft Video and Audio Downloader
(Windows, Mac)
Allavsoft Video and Audio Downloader might not be the prettiest service in this list, but it’s more than capable of backing up your favorite content. In fact, it claims to work with over 1,000 sites including YouTube, Spotify, and Facebook. Popular video formats like MP4, MOV, and AVI are supported, although unlike some of the tools above, Allavsoft’s maximum download quality is 4K.
In addition to its batch downloading functionality, this app comes with its own browser. This way, you can visit any site and simply grab any video you want. There’s also a screen recording feature in case you’d like to backup live streams. Allavsoft’s website doesn’t provide any support documentation or setup guides, but there is a contact form so you can get help if you need it.
Pros:
•Capable of saving video from just about anywhere
•Promises to respond to support requests within 24 hours
•Good amount of customization
Cons:
•More expensive that many of its competitors
•Can’t download 8K video
PRICE:Allavsoft Video and Audio Downloader has a free trial that lets you download up to five videos (provided they’re under five minutes long). Paid plans cost $19.99 per month, $29.99 per year, or $69.99 for a lifetime license. All plans include a 30-day guarantee.
Are there any other ways to download a YouTube Video?
Yes, several. However, they all come with their own disadvantages. Below, we’ll cover a few of the most common ways people download YouTube videos, and why they’re less than ideal.
Sign up for YouTube Premium
Premium only allows you to download videos at a maximum of 1080p resolution. Further, you have to check into YouTube every 30 days (and in some places, every 48 hours) or you’ll lose the ability to watch the content you’ve downloaded. Those are some pretty steep disadvantages for a service that costs $13.99 per month.
In a perfect world, YouTube would let paying subscribers freely download any video they like for offline playback. That’s not the case, though. First off, while YouTube is available just about everywhere, there are some countries that don’t have access to YouTube Premium yet.
YouTube-ripping sites
Plenty of websites can help you download content from YouTube. However, many of these only rip audio, not video. Additionally, they usually only let you process one download at a time and may add the name of the website to the resulting filename. To make matters worse, there’s no easy way to tell whether the site is providing a legitimate service or simply trying to trick you into running malware.
Finally, these sites are often taken down when they get popular. YouTube has filed multiple lawsuits against the people who operate these platforms, claiming they facilitate copyright infringement or otherwise breach YouTube’s protection measures.
Browser extensions
A quick look at your browser’s extension store will reveal dozens of addons that claim to be able to download YouTube videos. You’ll notice that the ratings seem to be all over the place, though, and on closer inspection, it seems like most have at least a few comments saying they don’t work anymore.
Let’s say you find one that seems to work. Again, there’s no way of telling whether the file you download is actually a video or just a Trojan. Further, browser extensions tend to be created by single developers or small teams. In other words, any change to YouTube’s backend is likely to result in the app being broken for quite some time.
Am I allowed to download videos from YouTube?
YouTube’s terms of service explicitly say that you are not allowed to download any content without express permission from both the platform and the copyright holder (which you are extraordinarily unlikely to get).
The biggest flaw here is when you stream a video, you’re effectively downloading a copy of it whether you intend to or not. On the plus side, as far as we’re aware, YouTube has never taken action against a user for making a copy of someone else’s video.
In fact, there are plenty of examples of prominent YouTubers who freely admit to doing this. Hbomberguy, for instance, previously covered problematic creators and mentions having archived his target’s channels ahead of time to prevent them from hiding incriminating content. Kevin Stratvert, meanwhile, has millions of subscribers as well as a video specifically explaining how to download content from YouTube. In other words, you should be just fine.
Disclaimer: We are not lawyers and nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. Please do your research.
Why would I need to download a YouTube video?
One of the most common arguments against YouTube downloaders is that they’re often used for piracy. While that may be true, there are plenty of perfectly legitimate reasons why someone may want to get their own copy of a video. Here are just a handful:
•Backing up their own content
•Archiving other people’s content for historical or research purposes
•To include sections of someone else’s video in one of your own (assuming fair use)
•To prevent the permanent loss of media that can’t be found anywhere else
•So you can watch while offline or in a country where YouTube is not available
•Checking whether a visual issue such as artifacting is included in the video itself or caused by the way YouTube renders content in a browser
