How to boost your Steam download speed

How to boost your Steam download speed

Tired of waiting for your game update or new game download? Here's a tip to speed up your connection to Steam and spend your time playing, not waiting.

Steam

Steam defines itself as "the ultimate entertainment platform." Its software, available for PC, Mac, and mobile devices, allows people to "play, connect, [and] create." Its gaming library has more than 2,000 titles and it has approximately 40 million users. If you're one of those 40 million, you know what a pain it can be to wait for a game to update or for a new one to download -- it's not the speediest process.

Here's how to make the wait time a little less painful:

Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

Open the Steam settings page. This can be accessed by right-clicking the Steam icon in the system tray and selecting Settings from the menu that appears.

Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

In the Settings window, there will be many tabs full of all sorts of options and settings that you can play with. The settings we're interested in are under the Downloads + Cloud tab.

Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

Two of the settings here can help increase your download speed. First, make sure the drop-down labeled "Approximate speed of your Internet connection" is properly set to, well, the approximate speed of your Internet connection.

Second, play around with the Download region drop-down settings. Your best bet is going to be the closest location to you, but factors like the internet connection between you and that location or volume of traffic to that server may tip the scale in the favor of a server further away.

Adjusting these settings will require you to restart your Steam client before the changes come into effect. Hopefully you'll notice faster download speeds after the restart. If there's no change -- or worse, your connection seems slower -- play around more with the download region setting until you find a reliable, low-traffic server.

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Setting up parental controls on the PlayStation 4

Setting up parental controls on the PlayStation 4

Want to prevent your kids from accessing inappropriate content? It's relatively simple thanks to Sony's advanced parental controls.

Picking up a PlayStation 4? You won't be disappointed; Sony's latest console has a great lineup of launch titles. Games like Killzone Shadow Fall, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, and many others, will ensure that you're entertained for hours.

Some of these games, however, may not be appropriate for young kids. To make things easier for parents, Sony has included numerous parental controls that can prevent kids from accessing certain content, features, and games.

Sarah Tew/CNET

From the PlayStation 4's main menu, hit the up arrow and scroll over to the system settings. Next, select Parental Controls and click on the "Restrict Use of PS4 Features" option. The parental options include the ability to restrict access to certain games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, and the Web browser. The system can also be configured to prevent other accounts from logging in.

Sarah Tew/CNET

To restrict access to certain games, open the Application tab and set a level between 1 and 11. The lower you set the level, the tighter the restriction will be. For example, a level 1 rating prevented us from playing all games, even Knack, which is rated Everyone and contains some cartoon violence.

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You should play around with the settings and find the one that's right for you and your family. A middle level should suit you well, depending on the age of your kids.

Blu-ray movies and DVDs can be restricted using the same level as games, and the Web browser can be disabled by clicking on the Internet Browser tab. Meanwhile, the User Accounts option will allow you to prevent others from creating new accounts and logging in to the system.

The passcode on the PlayStation 4 is set to 0-0-0-0 by default. I highly recommend you change it. The passcode can be changed by clicking on the "Change Passcode" option in the Parental Control settings, followed by entering your old code and creating a new one.

Parents can also create subaccounts that will have the restrictions they've created set by default. This can be done by going to Settings, clicking on Parental Controls, and selecting Sub Account Management.

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Getting started with Remote Play on the PS4

Getting started with Remote Play on the PS4

You can stream PlayStation 4 games to the PlayStation Vita over a Wi-Fi network. Here's what you need to know.

From the iconic PlayStation to Blu-ray discs, Sony has changed the way we play games and consume media time and time again. The company is looking to shake things up once again with the release of the PlayStation 4. With an 8-core AMD Jaguar processor and a high-end Radeon GPU, Sony's latest console is more powerful than ever before.

Class-leading specs, however, aren't the only thing gamers should be excited about.

The PlayStation 4 includes a number of new features, such as the ability to share gameplay with friends and even play games while they are being downloaded.

Sony has also expanded the Remote Play feature that was first introduced with the PlayStation 3. Remote Play, which is arguably one of the coolest features, allows users to play PlayStation 4 games on their PlayStation Vita over a Wi-Fi network, freeing up a TV for other use.

Here's what you need to know:

The gear

The ability to remotely play games won't come cheap. In addition to a PlayStation 4 console, which costs $399, gamers will also be required to purchase a PlayStation Vita for $199, and have access to the Internet through a high-end router.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The setup

In the PlayStation 4 settings, select PS Vita Connection Settings, turn Remote Play on, and click on the "Add Device" option. A unique pairing number will then be displayed on your TV screen. From the Vita's home screen, select PS4 Link, choose Remote Play, enter the paring number from the TV, click Register, and select the "Connect to PS4" option.

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After pairing is complete, the PlayStation 4's interface will be displayed on the Vita's screen. Simply select the title you wish to play and start gaming. The TV can then be switched to a new HDMI port or even turned off completely.

The games

Sony has said that it "expects that most PS4 titles will support Remote Play unless the title requires a special peripheral like PlayStation Camera," however, it will be up to specific game developers to support the feature.

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The limitations

Unfortunately, Remote Play does have some limitations. A strong Internet connection and an equally strong router are a must for low latency streaming. It's also unclear how many titles will realistically support Remote Play, a flaw that crippled the feature on the PlayStation 3.

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