Cross-Play Beta is coming to Overwatch, allowing players to group up and play together. Powered by the latest global Battle.net update, players from around the world can team up, regardless of their preferred platform.
The global Battle.net updates merges friends lists from different territories into one, so players no longer need to switch regions in Battle.net just to play with buddies on the other side of the planet. China will remain its own separate region. Those who opt-out of the cross-play feature will not have the ability to see Battle.net friends on their friends list.
For the release of cross-play, all players will need to make a Battle.net account and link their appropriate console accounts. Everyone who follows the steps and logs in to Overwatch by Dec. 31, 2021, will receive a Golden Loot Box to celebrate the launch of Cross-Play Beta.
All console players will be required to make a Battle.net account and link it to their console (Xbox, PSN, Nintendo Switch) account. PC players do not need to take this step – You already have a Battle.net account. Upon launching the game, you will be prompted to link your console account to a Battle.net account.
Consoles that will support this feature include Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch. During cross-play, players’ progression and collection content will not be carried over. It only allows for group play with other users. Cross-play is also automatically enabled for all game modes except competitive games.
We recently showed you the capabilities of the Huawei MatePad through our detailed review. And if you’re just like us who prefer having a device for productivity even when you’re not in front of your computer, the 10.4-inch tablet really delivers on this aspect.
So after an extended period of using it, we round up the top apps that we’ve been using regularly when it comes to productivity, entertainment, and even for drawing using the Huawei M-Pencil. These are available both on Huawei AppGallery or through the Petal Search widget for faster app searches.
Top Productivity/Utility Apps
Evernote
Evernote has been around for years and has proven itself to be one of the best, most versatile note-taking apps there is. You can create notebooks to organize your notes and these can be labeled, tagged, or sorted so that everything is easy to find. It even has collaboration tools so notes or notebooks can be shared among colleagues and team members so they can edit and add to existing notes.
MS Office
With Microsoft Office programs so widely used, the app becomes a welcome tool in dealing with different types of documents. You open, edit, and create powerpoints, word documents, and even spreadsheets all from this app. And using it on a tablet gives you a lot more screen to work with which makes it even easier to use.
Forest
This app isn’t your ordinary productivity app. It shakes things up by incorporating a reward system so you focus more on your work and spend less time on your device procrastinating. Basically, you earn points when you put your phone or tablet away and accomplish your tasks one by one.
The accumulated points, in return, can be used to plant trees (hence the app’s name). So you’re not only making your boss happy by finishing your work on time, you’re technically making Mother Nature happy as well by being able to contribute to planting trees. As of the time of writing this article, there have been over 845,000 trees planted through the app. Win!
Top Entertainment Apps
As mentioned earlier, the MatePad’s 10.4-inch display gives its users ample screen real estate for productivity. Together with the tablet’s four-piece speaker system, it also plays well for entertainment purposes. Consuming content simply feels more immersive wherever you are.
Netflix
By now, we’re sure you’re already familiar with Netflix. For streaming your favorite TV shows and movies, Netflix offers a wide range of titles — both the classic ones and even new releases. Of course, you have to be subscribed to fully enjoy its services.
Do take note, though, that the Huawei MatePad doesn’t come with Widevine L1 certification so playback resolution for Netflix is maxed out at 480p. Because of this, no high-definition content is available but 480p isn’t so bad when you just want to pass the time watching a couple of episodes from your favorite TV show online.
Viu
Viu caters more to the Asian side of content. Here, you can find the latest Korean dramas and variety shows, Japanese dramas and animation, and Chinese/Taiwanese dramas. Some titles require a subscription to get access to, but it’s generally a mix of free and paid content. For free titles, you can even download them to your device and watch them anytime you want.
Spotify
When it comes to online music streaming, Spotify always comes to mind. Just like Viu, you can opt to use its free service (with limitations, of course) or go premium to unlock all its features including selective queuing of tracks, no ads in between songs, and a lot more.
During downtimes, while doing some tasks on the MatePad, we just let Spotify play in the background and it worked well with its quad-speakers blasting decent volume and quality.
Alto’s Odyssey
If you want entertainment that’s more interactive, you can always check out available games on the AppGallery. But a personal favorite of Vikka on the MatePad is Alto’s Odyssey which is a follow-up title to Alto’s Adventure.
It’s basically a runner style game with eye-candy graphics and a beautiful soundtrack that just makes you play the game for extended hours of time. It’s a really fun game perfect for taking breaks from working. Apart from its normal gaming, you can opt to switch it to its Zen Mode that removes all the competitive aspect of the game like scoring, coins, and power-ups, and just lets you travel peacefully through different immersive environments.
Top Drawing Apps
Pairing the MatePad with the Huawei M-Pencil unlocks a whole new world of features. The pressure sensitivity will give artists the freedom to create realistic strokes. Combined with the MatePad’s anti-fingerprint screen, you won’t have to worry about dirtying your screen when spending long hours creating. So whether you’re taking down notes or creating your next masterpiece, these apps are all great choices.
Bamboo Paper
When you just feel like doing a quick doodle or taking down notes, Bamboo Paper is one of the best apps to whip out. It’s a no-fuss drawing app that provides just enough tools to keep it from being intimidating. It makes the use of virtual notebooks to help organize your sketches or notes. You can even choose the color of the notebook cover as well as the type of paper you want it to have. All in all, it’s a great app that’s able to give you just a little bit more than the essential drawing tools without being too overwhelming.
ArtFlow
ArtFlow is probably one of the most popular drawing apps on the market. And it’s easy to see why. There’s a whole lot of customization options and very in-depth settings that make it the perfect tool for the artist on-the-go.
The app is capable of handling large canvases and provides access to up to 50 layers. It works great with the M-Pencil as it does support pressure sensitivity. There are also a ton of brushes to choose from and you can even export your project as a Photoshop document so you can work on your computer.
The only thing about ArtFlow is that a lot of the great features are paid features. As a free app, it’s still able to provide a lot more tools than most but it’s definitely something to consider investing in if you really want an in-depth drawing app.
Sketchbook
Having been developed by Autodesk, you know Sketchbook will have a lot to offer. For those who don’t know, Autodesk is the company behind the widely popular drawing program, AutoCAD, and industry-standard 3D animation software, Maya.
Initially a paid app, Autodesk made it completely free to use in 2018 so all the paid features found in ArtFlow, like multiple layers, are easily accessible. There are also a ton of brushes and textures to choose from and most, if not all, are customizable.
Bonus
Phone Clone
Now, if you already have existing apps on your phone that you want your MatePad to have. You can actually transfer these in an instant with Phone Clone.
It’s an incredibly easy and useful tool for those who are happy with the set of apps they have on another device and want a no-fuss way to transfer them to the MatePad. You can use Phone Clone to connect two devices and transfer or migrate information such as apps, photos, music, call logs, and even messages. It can even transfer your paid apps to your new device so you won’t have to worry about downloading the purchased app and reconnecting your account again.
To see more performance and drawing on the tablet, watch our video review below:
