Best Software for Gaming 2020
There are only so many hours in the day. Between school, work, homework, and everything else you might have on your plate, there’s not nearly enough time left for hopping online and having a few raging rounds of Fortnite, PUBG, or Apex Legends. It’s funny how, with the surplus of computer programs out there that promise to help your PC’s performance, you still have to search through blogs, articles, and lists in order to make the right decisions. You’re not a researcher, you just want to game. We hear you. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of our favorite software for gaming. Check it out below.
STEAM
It’s hard to imagine gaming without Steam. Nearly twenty years ago, Steam debuted with the Valve basics. Now, it’s an entire cloud-based platform with 90 million active users. How’s that for some healthy competition?
Steam offers a secure, top-notch professional experience, just like the Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo franchises. There are free-to-play games, indie games, or even huge battle royale games like Apex Legends and Fortnite, with built-in achievements and special features for different displays and game modes.
Not just into games, but like to create them? You can do it all in Steam. If you don’t have it already, download it now. Visit their website for more info.
TEAMSPEAK
Yes there are services like Skype, and Discord, but TeamSpeak has some of the strongest encryption and protection when it comes to your valuable user data. In fact, Team Speak has no access to your voice or chat data, allowing you to plan even the most secret of drop-in ambushes.
Speaking of features, there are mobile compatible offerings, and included plugins, sound & icon packs, and themes. Not to mention a great file transfer system. Perfect for when you’re running your own chat server. For one virtual server, you can expect to shell out about $55. If you’re hosting full-scale tournaments, it’s a great organized alternative to other chat apps.
What happens in the chat, should stay in the chat. Agreed? Check out TeamSpeak here.
CPU-Z
No gamer in pursuit of PC optimization should ignore CPU-Z. An awesome freeware application, CPU-Z collects some of the most important information for gaming on your system, and displays it all in one handy dialog box.
You can track elements like processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels; mainboard and chipset; memory type, size, timings, and module specifications; as well as real time measurement of each core’s internal frequency, memory frequency. There are even customized versions for specific Windows applications, and a vintage edition that brings back that WIndows95 look-and-feel. It can also identify RAM and clock rate, allowing you to track data in real time without having to open the case. Oh, and its perfect if you’re trying to start overclocking.
GPU-Z
Similar to CPU-Z (but not created by them!), GPU-Z primarily provides graphics-driven insights, targeting the video card and GPU. Specifically GPU-Z displays the exact name of the card, the type of GPU used, the GPU, memory, and shader frequencies (if the card is compatible), the number of ROPs, bus memory width, and more.
Additionally, using GPU-Z you can save the BIOS of a graphics card by simply clicking the button underneath your graphics card logo. If you really want to get under the hood, you can actually open the BIOS file and modify it.
AUDIO ROYALE
A PC-based sound-driver, Audio Royale has been specially tuned for battle royale in order to provide easy-to-use features that will help you up your game. The software works by unlocking the 5.1 surround sound of any game for discreet 5.1 playback on any headphone using proprietary technology that was previously available only to professional audio engineers.
For example, the developers of Apex Legends created the game in 5.1. When you listen on headphones, you’re hearing a stereo mixdown of all those amazing channels. You either need expensive headphones and software, or a simple plug-and-play piece of software that can allow you to hear through walls, increase your situational awareness, and pinpoint gunshots.
Audio Royale comes complete with three awesome features:
• Visualizer: Enables gamers to see sound sources, 360° around the character.
• Metering: Displays the levels of each surround sound channel in real-time.
• Equalizer: Allows gamers to customize their game’s sound to tap into their natural instincts.
Don’t do default audio. Personalize your game, and get a split-second advantage with AUDIO ROYALE. Watch the video below to learn more.
While this list is not meant to be exhaustive, it is meant to boost your gaming experience and get you and your PC headed in the right direction. Have a specific program you like? Let us know in the comments. And, if your tech is up-to-speed but your in-game strategies are a little lackluster, no sweat. We got you. See our in-depth guides for games like, CS:GO, COD: Warzone, and Apex Legends.
