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Every year, iOS is one of the star attractions of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. It's our first official look at new features and other changes that are coming to iPhones in the fall. The 2025 WWDC keynote was no exception, and the most immediate change is to the iOS naming system.As was recently reported, Apple operating systems will all be named after years to keep everything aligned. So instead of iOS 19, we're jumping up to iOS 26. The same goes for iPadOS, watchOS, macOS and so on. The versions will be named for the year after major annual OS updates (so iOS 26 for the version that arrives in fall 2025 etc), but it should still help mitigate some confusion as to which is the current version.There's a lot more to this version of iOS than a change to the numbering system, so let's dig right in.A major redesignBeyond the naming system, the biggest change this year is a major visual overhaul across Apple's operating systems. These responsive, translucent user interfaces are inspired by the look of visionOS, the OS that powers Apple Vision Pro. It's been over a decade since the last major change to the look of the iPhone user interface. With iOS 7, which debuted in 2013, Apple jettisoned its skeuomorphic design language for a flatter, more simplified look.It was reported over the weekend that Apple's new user interface design language would be built around a concept called Liquid Glass, and that turned out to be dead on. There is a larger focus on factors like light and transparency here.App icons and buttons have new looks, while toolbars and tab bars will have a see-through appearance. Apple is also making use of pop-out menus that'll offer quick access to certain options - that reminds me a bit of the "peek and pop" 3D Touch functions Apple introduced to the iPhone a decade ago.Widgets aren't going anywhere, though they're getting a new look to match the rest of the design updates. On the lock screen, the clock font can change size dynamically, so it can shrink as alerts come in.AppleCarPlay is among the other user interfaces that's getting this visual redesign. It will feature a more compact view for incoming calls so the display doesn't obfuscate directions. Tapbacks (i.e. emoji responses) and pinned conversations are coming to Messages in CarPlay, and widgets and Live Activities can be reflected on the infotainment system. These updates will be present in CarPlay Ultra too.Core app updatesApple is giving several core apps notable updates in iOS 26. In the Phone app, it's pulling together your recent calls and voicemails into a single tab, with your favorite contacts above those. You'll be able to see Apple Intelligence summaries of voicemail transcripts.A call screening tool can automatically answer calls from unknown numbers as well. You'll be able to see on your iPhone screen who is calling and why, so you can decide whether to answer. On the other side of that, a Hold Assist feature can let you know when a live agent is available, so might never have to listen to interminable hold music ever again. (Android has had these features for ages, for what it's worth.)On FaceTime calls, you'll see that Apple has moved the major controls to the bottom right of the screen for easier access. Safari will have a more transparent address bar in the updated OS, as well as "advanced fingerprinting protection" for all browsing by default for extra privacy.As for the Camera app, Apple is looking to simplify that a bit after adding several features like slow-motion video and panoramic photos over the last several years. You'll switch between still photo and video options with a swipe. Tabs are blessedly coming back to the Photos app too.In Messages, you'll have the ability to set a background image and create polls (much as you can in other messaging apps). The backgrounds will be the same for everyone in the chat, as they are in the likes of Messenger. It'll be possible to send and receive Apple Cash payments in group chats, which will also be getting typing indicators.On-device spam detection for Messages is in the pipeline. That's a very welcome update, though if Apple handles all of that for me, I'll kinda miss replying to scammers with a carefully crafted insult before immediately blocking and reporting them. Anyway, you'll have the option to screen messages from unknown senders and place them in a separate folder from your regular chats, though it should still be easy to find two-factor authentication codes.As for Wallet, you'll be able to create a digital ID from your passport. A refresh of boarding passes will provide real-time updates on flights in Live Activities, as well as maps for airport navigation, a quick way to report missing bags and more.Maps will be able to learn preferred routes (for things like making the school run before going to work). It can provide updates about these learned routes, such as what the traffic is like. A Google Maps-like location history option will be available as well. Apple says this is end-to-end encrypted and it can't see your data.Sam Chapman for EngadgetThere will be a new core app in iOS 26: Games. From here, you'll be able to view and download titles from Apple Arcade and have access to your library, multiplayer options (such as achievements) and more.Apple has been making a bit more of a push into games over the last few years between Apple Arcade and getting ports of major games like Death Stranding and multiple Resident Evil titles for its devices. It'll be interesting to see how this works in action and if there'll actually be interest from gamers. After all, did anyone ever actually use Game Center?AI featuresApple Intelligence hasn't exactly been a huge success for the company so far, but there are AI-powered features that seem genuinely useful coming to iOS 26. Apple is integrating translation tools more deeply into the operating system, so you may not have to switch over to Translate (or, perhaps more likely, Google Translate) as often.The most impactful aspect of that will be live translation for text and audio in phone calls, FaceTime and Messages, powered by on-device models. That could be a massive deal for many iPhone users.Live translation and pronunciation guides for lyrics in Apple Music is cool - I might finally be able to sing a decent version of the Babymetal verse in "Ratatata." On the subject of Apple Music, an AutoMix feature will use intelligence to perhaps make for smoother, DJ-style transitions between songs through time stretching and beat matching. Moving album art is going to be a thing in the app too.Since WWDC is an event that's largely for developers, news that they'll be able to tap into on-device Foundation Models for their apps could be a boon. Among other things, they'll be able to integrate live translation into their apps.Sam Chapman for EngadgetApple is taking another leaf out of the Google playbook with a visual intelligence update. You'll be able to ask ChatGPT questions about what's displayed on your screen, and seek more information from supported apps such as Google and Etsy. Visual intelligence will detect when you're looking at an event and may suggest adding it to your calendar.The Shortcuts app is getting an update including options powered by Apple Intelligence and dedicated actions for the likes of Writing Tools and Image Playground. Meanwhile, Apple Intelligence will be able to pick up and summarize tracking information from emails related to your purchases, including ones that you didn't make with Apple Pay. Apple says this will let you see your order details and delivery progress details all in one place. That's something the Shop app from Shopify has been handy for, and now Apple's looking to handle that itself.There are minor AI updates elsewhere, such as to Genmoji (you'll have the option to combine two existing emoji). The upgraded Siri Apple has been talking about for a while is still in the works, and we'll hear more about that later this year.Other updatesApple is making some changes to parental controls in iOS 26. The company says it'll be easier for you to create Child Accounts and move your kids into them. Other updates include being able to grant kids exemptions to download apps with age ratings that are outside of the restrictions that parents set. Apple will also blur "sensitive content" in FaceTime calls and photos in Shared Albums.There are several new accessibility features too. Accessibility Reader is said to offer "a customized systemwide reading experience," while Braille Access is a new interface for iPhone devices that have connected braille displays. Meanwhile, Apple says it will deliver a "new level of accessibility" across its ecosystem with updates to Live Listen, Background Sounds, Personal Voice and other tools.You'll be able to install iOS 26 if you have an iPhone 11 or later (or a second-gen iPhone SE). Apple Intelligence features will run on iPhone 16 devices, Phone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and future models, as well as compatible iPads and Macs.Developers can try out the iOS 26 features starting today through the Apple Developer Program. Public betas of the new operating systems will be available in July. Apple will make iOS 26 and the other new operating systems available this fall, likely soon after its annual iPhone event, which typically takes place in September.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-reveals-comprehensive-redesign-for-ios-26-at-wwdc-2025-171650751.html?src=rss

Apple continues to improve gaming features on Macs with Metal 4 for Apple Silicon on its latest version of macOS Tahoe 26 announced at WWDC 26. The new graphics platform introduces two new technologies (for Apple) designed to make graphics look better and run faster, MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX denoising.MetalFX Frame Interpolation generates an intermediate frame for every two input frames to boost frame rates with minimal computing overhead, while MetalFX Denoising "makes real-time ray tracing and path tracing possible in the most advanced games," the company said. It pointed out that upcoming titles like Crimson Desert and InZOI will use technologies like MetalFX Upscaling to improve performance and visuals via technology like ray-tracing available with the company's M3 and M4 family of chips.Apple put a fair amount of emphasis on gaming during this year's developer conference. It revealed the new Games app that will come pre-installed on Mac, iPhone and iPad with macOS Tahoe 26 and iOS 26 this fall. The company also reminded us of new games arriving on macOS, including Cyberpunk 2077, Cronos: The New Dawn, Architect: Land of Exiles, Lies of P: Overture, HITMAN World of Assassination, EVE Frontier and Where Winds Meet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/metal-4-for-macos-tahoe-26-introduces-new-gaming-features-like-frame-interpolation-183247623.html?src=rss

Apple is bringing Preview, macOS's built-in image and PDF viewer, to the iPad. Starting with iPadOS 26, Preview will now come preinstalled on iPads. On desktop, Preview allows users to view and edit documents and images; Apple is bringing this functionality to its tablet by leveraging Apple Pencil.Using Apple Pencil Markup, users can annotate and edit PDFs and images. If you don't have an Apple Pencil, touch will work as well. Preview will have direct access to compatible documents and pictures saved in iPadOS's Files folder so users can select what to work on without leaving the app.Another common use of the Preview app is filling out PDF forms, which iPadOS will support with AutoFill. Once edits are complete, Preview can export your file in a number of different formats and sizes.Apple kicked off WWDC 2025 today where it announced a slew of new software features across mobile and desktop devices as well as updates to Apple Intelligence and more. AI integration has been the main focal point at this year's developer conference, along with a top-to-bottom UI redesign that unifies all OS versions in the Apple device lineup.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-bringing-preview-to-ipados-175643371.html?src=rss

In addition to renaming its core operating systems, today at WWDC Apple announced a major update to the visual design of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and more. Inspired by some of the fancy graphics used in the Vision Pro, this UI overhaul not only features revamped icons and an emphasis on translucent elements, it also seeks to bring a much more unified look to Apple's flagship software platforms.Based on a design theme called Liquid Glass, Apple's new visual language brings increased consistency across the company's OSes. The company says the UI is informed by surrounding content and can intelligently adapt to light and dark modes while supporting sophisticated traits like real-time rendering and specular highlights.AppleNavigation buttons, toolbars and controls have been redesigned to match the rounded corners of the iPhone's display and can shrink to keep relevant content front and center. Apple uses multiple layers of Liquid Glass to help people see more information at a glance without making them relearn how to use the OS.In iOS 26, the home screen has been completely revamped with new app icons (including fresh all-clear options). Wallpapers and the lock screen can dynamically scale to better accommodate things like photos, album art and on-screen text. Many buttons also have a new floating design that makes them easier to see without becoming distracting or taking away from usable screen space.AppleSome important apps have also gotten individual makeovers such as the Phone app, which now has a floating toolbar alongside new features such as Call Screening and Hold Assist, which are similar to the AI-powered tools available from Google's Pixel handsets.Meanwhile, the Camera app's interface has been significantly simplified with the ability to quickly swipe between photo and video modes. There's also a dedicated tab for your library and improved organization for other categories like albums. In iPadOS and macOS, Apple says that adaptive sidebars also makes watching shows in Apple TV more immersive.AppleIn macOS 26 Tahoe, users will be able to customize the desktop and dock with updated Liquid Glass widgets and icons while new transparent menu bars are meant to make your display seem even larger than it is. You'll also have more customization options in places like the Control Center thanks to a new selection of folder colors, app icons and widgets. There's even a brand new Apple Games app, which features an overlay and the ability to quickly launch games, discover new titles and find your friends, all from a single place.Similar UI updates are also heading to CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra, which is getting a matching visual refresh featuring a revamped home screen, widgets for things like Live Activities and translucent design elements. Users can set new "tapback" responses so you can reply to incoming messages with a single touch.AppleAlternatively, if there's someone you regularly talk to while driving, you'll also be able to pin favorite conversations in CarPlay similar to how it works in Messages. And in keeping with Apple's goal of making more information available at a glance, incoming calls will no longer dominate the entire display and instead will be confined to a small window.All of Apple's redesigned Liquid Glass UI elements and features are expected to be available when the next versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS and more are officially released sometime later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-new-liquid-glass-design-is-its-biggest-visual-update-in-years-172158766.html?src=rss

Apple had a lot to say about iOS 26 at WWDC 2025. Translation will be a hallmark of the new Apple Intelligence features coming to the next iteration of the iPhone operating system. During this year's annual showcase at Cupertino, the team revealed that it is adding live translation of calls and texts, with integration into the Messages, Phone and FaceTime apps.Live translations will be powered by AI models on the device. When translations are happening during a call, they will be spoken aloud by an AI voice and will also appear as written out captions. In texts, Messages can automatically translate while a user types. Leslie Ikemoto, Apple's director of input experience, noted that live translations will also be available even when communicating with a non-Apple smartphone. However, she didn't specify which languages will be supported in live translation, so we'll be keeping an eye out for that detail.iPadOS 26 will also be bringing live translation to the same three core apps: Phone, FaceTime and Messages. Apple noted that the automatic translation will be available in group chats on iPads as well as one-to-one messages. And if you have an iPhone that supports using Apple Intelligence features, live translation can also be used with the Messages app in watchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.Apple added some translation features to Siri all the way back in iOS 11, then launched its own dedicated Translate app as part of iOS 14. Those capabilities will now be more thoroughly baked into the iPhone operating system as part of the Apple Intelligence suite.There has been some chatter in the Apple camp about the possibility for live translation to be added to the AirPods, but nobody discussed that on stage today. Google has offered translation on its Pixel Buds for a few years now, so that's an area where Apple is trailing on features. It's possible we'll hear more about that subject in the fall when Apple's keynote centers more on hardware developments.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-introduces-ai-powered-live-translation-tools-at-wwdc-2025-173605234.html?src=rss

Supermassive's well-regarded interactive survival horror series, the Dark Pictures Anthology, is ready for its second season. Directive 8020 will be its first entry and was available to play in demo form at SGF 2025, even if it was heavily weighted with cutscenes and context-setting preamble.The demo kicked off with a meeting between Young and Stafford, marking the anniversary of Young's father's death, who was also a long-time friend of Stafford's - the commander of the space mission that Young is also bound for.The plot then leaps four years forward, placing us aboard the spaceship Cassiopeia. Oh and it's somehow overrun by some fungal, sentient alien goop. Worse still, but also a horror staple, the goop is coalescing into almost-perfect copies of the human crew. Trust no-one!When the hydroponics bay is overrun by an alien substance, two crewmates Cernan and Stafford, have to fight their ET doppelgangers. Finally, I got to play (but only for a few minutes), moving stealthily around the lower deck of the hydroponics bay while my alien copy (now fungal and angry) tried to hunt me down. Fortunately, you're equipped with a scanner to mark where the aliens were last seen, and after triggering a nearby hydroponic pod to distract, I made my way up the ladder.This was one of three ways to play this section, handily introducing a new mechanic for The Dark Pictures' second run: Turning Points. Using this feature, you can rewind to these decision trees, allowing you to replay sections and explore different options or alter the outcome. This is an interesting change for the series. In previous games, while you could rewind to replay entire sections in macro, there was no way to change a single micro decision.I discussed this with my colleague Jessica Conditt, and we're both the kind of players to continue with our terrible decisions in games like Directive 8020, the Dark Pictures Anthology, Until Dawn and the rest. Fortunately, then, Directive 8020 will include a hard-boiled Survivor Mode - with no rewinds.The demo shifted back to a more narrative focus and cutscenes, briefly interrupted by the possibility that one crew member (specifically, the CEO funding the whole operation) might be an alien. Did I pull the trigger? Nope. I'll have to wait til the October launch to know if that was the right decision to make.Directive 8020 launches on 2nd October, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/directive-8020-turning-points-explained-hands-on-170049793.html?src=rss

GOG has made it much easier to install and run game mods, which has long been a sticking point for fans looking to get into fan-made creations. Certain mods will now offer a simple "install" button, so it'll be ready to play with just a single click. These mods come packed in with the game, so you don't even have to peck around the internet for hours on end.The company promises that each mod has been "pre-packed, pre-tested" and will be "ready to go." There is, however, one major caveat. This feature is only available for a curated selection of mods, so other mods will have to be installed the old-fashioned way.Luckily, this curated list contains some real gems. These include Heroes of Might and Magic III: Horn of the Abyss and DOOM 3: Phobos. Perhaps the most notable of the bunch is last year's Fallout: London. This impressive fan-made update of Fallout 4 brings the action to London, giving players access to a brand-new, massive map.The Elder Scrolls: Skyblivion is missing for now, but GOG says this fan-made remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that uses the Skyrim engine is coming soon. However, an official remaster of Oblivion came out earlier this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/gog-adds-a-one-click-option-to-install-select-mods-165408239.html?src=rss

YouTube is following in the potentially dangerous steps of Meta and X (formerly Twitter) by relaxing its content moderation policies. New internal training materials viewed by The New York Times instruct moderators to leave videos live if up to half its content violates YouTube's policies, an increase from a quarter of it. The platform introduced the new policy in mid-December, a month after President Trump was re-elected.The new guidelines reflect what YouTube deems as "public interest." These areas include discussing or debating elections, movements, race, gender, immigration and more. "Recognizing that the definition of 'public interest' is always evolving, we update our guidance for these exceptions to reflect the new types of discussion we see on the platform today," Nicole Bell, a YouTube spokesperson, told The New York Times. "Our goal remains the same: to protect free expression on YouTube while mitigating egregious harm."When Engadget reached out to YouTube, Bell shared more context on the decision. "We regularly update our Community Guidelines to adapt to the content we see on YouTube. As examples, earlier this year, we retired our remaining COVID-19 policies and added new protections related to gambling content," Bell said. "The New York Times article is about a separate aspect of our approach: our long-standing practice of applying exceptions to our policies for content that serves the public interest or has EDSA (educational, documentary, scientific, artistic) context. These exceptions apply to a small fraction of the videos on YouTube, but are vital for ensuring important content remains available. This practice allows us to prevent, for example, an hours-long news podcast from being removed for showing one short clip of violence. We regularly update our guidance for these exceptions to reflect the new types of discussion and content (for example emergence of long, podcast content) that we see on the platform, and the feedback of our global creator community. Our goal remains the same: to protect free expression on YouTube."The platform has reportedly removed 22 percent more videos due to hateful and abusive content than last year. It's not clear how many videos were reported or would have been removed under the previous guidelines.YouTube reportedly told moderators to now value keeping content up if it's a debate between freedom of expression and risk. For example, they were shown a video called "RFK Jr. Delivers SLEDGEHAMMER Blows to Gene-Altering JABS" which falsely stated that Covid vaccines can change people's genes. However, YouTube told the moderators that public interest "outweighs the harm risk" and the video should stay up. It has since been removed, though the reason why is unclear.Other videos allowed to remain online included one with a slur aimed at a transgender person and one in which a commentator discussed a graphic demise for former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol.Update, June 9 2025, 12:27PM ET: This article has been updated to include YouTube's statement to Engadget.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-now-allows-more-harmful-misinformation-on-its-platform-133002902.html?src=rss

It's hard to be a new parent, we know. And it's even harder to take care of yourself while trying to keep a new human alive. Thankfully, there's a lot of tech out there that helps ease the burden for moms and dads - from tablets and earbuds to a rattle that could help avoid an infant meltdown. Tech won't help with the mountains of dirty diapers - at least, not until robotic diaper nannies are a thing - but it can at least help new parents stay sane. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-for-new-dads-110049541.html?src=rss

Sometimes, you tire of guns, zombies, and sequels; sometimes, you want to lead a bunch of tiny creatures and rhythmically march them into combat, letting the waves of confusion wash over you. That's what Ratatan is here to do.It's the spiritual successor to Japan Studio and Pyramid's beloved Patapon rhythmic action series. However, you don't control Patapons, anymore, but Ratatans - which are completely different. These animal(ish) characters bark button-timing orders to their little squad of Cobun characters, who can launch attacks, assemble around the character you control, evade attacks and more. Inputting command sequences promptly also charges up the "Fever" bar, improving the effectiveness of those actions as well.I haven't played the Patapon series, which stretched to three (!) games on the PSP, in years, and while the mechanics are similar, Ratatan is more elaborate, evolved and customizable. At its core, though, it's the same mechanic that demands you maintain the rhythmic input of commands and avoid attacks. It sounds simple enough, but corralling your Cobuns to follow you into battle and balance special attacks with avoiding damage felt like the gaming equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your stomach. Also, it's 2025, so it's a roguelike flavor of rhythmic action. Of course.You can select between several different animals-with-weapons-and-one-eye, and each comes with a different load-out of Cobun warriors. Some are melee fighters, while others are ranged attackers. You can also buy (or craft) more powerful weapons for each Cobun, adding to the sense of progression. I think that's needed, as Ratatan is a roguelike take on the Patapons that came before it. You'll dive into a portal and battle multiple waves of enemies, often picking up buffs or treasure at the end of each wave.Each run is then typically capped off with a boss fight, either against a smarter, smaller enemy (and its underlings) or a more monstrous threat. During my demo, I was mostly getting beaten by a giant hermit crab, despite having picked up a very useful freezing attack buff during that run. I had to learn that lesson: You can pick up all the buffs you want, but you'll still need to nail the rhythm of attack and defense, while simultaneously keeping an eye on enemy attacks and the placement of both your character and your adorable Cobun fighters. (Ratatan's character designs are inspired by Nelnal, best known for their work on Pokemon and Deltarune.)Further fight dynamics include a jump move and guard move that combines the Ratatan and Cobun movements to avoid game-ending damage. Fortunately, the early parts of the game didn't demand mastery of these.There's an early Ratatan demo still available to play on Steam, but the build available at SGF 2025 seems much closer to a finished release. I was able to explore the game's hub world, filled with shops for upgrades, crafting and organizing your Ratatans' band of Cobun warriors. These parts felt a little confusing when served alongside the starting levels of the game, but should add longevity and interest when folded into the whole game.Ratatan will launch later this year on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ratatan-demands-your-attention-rhythmically-160048067.html?src=rss

You'll have to wait a little longer for The Legend of Zelda movie. Nintendo said on Monday that the film's new release date is May 7, 2027. That's six weeks later than the slot it announced earlier this year. The company attributed the rescheduling to production delays."This is Miyamoto," Nintendo's announcement post began. "For production reasons, we are changing the release date of the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to May 7, 2027. It will be some weeks later than the release timing we originally announced, and we will take the extra time to make the film as good as it can be. Thank you for your patience."Director Wes Ball in 2024RedditWe don't know much about the movie yet. Its director (Wes Ball) and screenwriter (T.S. Nowlin) are both known for The Maze Runner trilogy. Ball also worked on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth installment in the modern reboots.In 2023, Ball suggested that the film could have an anime influence. He described it as "this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn't like Lord of the Rings, it's its own thing. I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/nintendo-delays-the-legend-of-zelda-movie-155753324.html?src=rss

Apple's WWDC keynote is arguably the company's biggest event of the year outside of the annual iPhone launch in September. The livestream, which starts today at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, kicks off Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, the company's yearly showcase for the new features coming to all of its hardware devices over the next year. Apple execs will be showing off big new features coming over the next 15 months to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and all the company's other platforms. Of course, the elephant in the room is Apple Intelligence. Apple's take on AI was launched with much fanfare at last year's WWDC, but after a tepid consumer response and recently announced delays to some of its key features, we're anxious to hear where the initiative is headed next.To find out what Apple has planned for yourself, you can watch the WWDC 2025 keynote on its website, its YouTube channel and right here (embedded above) once the livestream is up. Apple will also host developer sessions online for more in-depth, technical overviews of the new software features it announces.And for even deeper analysis of everything that gets announced today, follow Engadget's WWDC 2025 liveblog from our on-the-ground reporters, and stay with us throughout the day (and week) as share our perspective on the big changes coming to Apple's operating systems before they roll out later this year.WWDC 2025: What to expect (and final rumors)One way Apple could reportedly smooth over any ill feelings about AI is by completely redesigning its operating systems to make them more cohesive, easier to use and reminiscent of visionOS. The company is said to be planning the debut of its "Liquid Glass" interface redesign, which will come with "see-through visuals," for WWDC. The iPad could also receive some attention, with reports suggesting Apple will introduce yet another approach to multitasking and window management in an effort to make the tablet Mac-like. Add in new battery management feature and a "virtual health coach," and the company may have a raft of updates not immediately Apple Intelligence-related to get excited about.In a recently released poster for WWDC, Apple included a tagline with the two words "Sleek peek." While previous versions of these have been endlessly speculated over to see if any clues could be found, the ones for the last few years have proven to be vaguely related. The invitation for the iPhone event last year said "It's Glowtime," which on hindsight could be in reference to the glowing edges of the new Siri interface, but that was first unveiled at WWDC 2024. Ultimately, "It's Glowtime" had little to do with the iPhone 16 series, which were most notable for their new Camera Control buttons.In perhaps less significant news, Apple might also be renaming its operating systems, unifying them under a number designating the upcoming year - so we could see iOS 26, not iOS 19. It'll be a nice bit of unity given that we currently have everything from visionOS 2 to iPadOS 18 and everything in between.Update, June 3 2025, 11:30AM ET: This story has been updated to include details on the event's tagline, which was revealed yesterday by Apple.Update, June 8 2025, 8PM ET: This story has been updated to include rumored details on the software redesign Apple is expected to debut at WWDC.Update, June 9 2025, 11:03AM ET: This story has been updated to reflect that the WWDC keynote is imminent (today).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/how-to-watch-todays-apple-wwdc-2025-keynote-184227551.html?src=rss

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has announced that it will be splitting up into two separate media companies. The new structure will see one entity retain Warner Bros. film, television and game studios, along with New Line Cinema, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, while the other will hold the company's full portfolio of live cable channels, which includes many household names like CNN, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Discovery, TCL and others.In a shareholder deck, WBD refers to these two entities as WBD Global Networks" and WBD Streaming & Studios," and highlights the strengths of each portfolio. The company points out that the newly minted entities would each produce healthy free cash flow and intends for each to be listed as publicly traded companies. This comes just three years after the original merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery.David Zaslav, the current CEO and president of WBD, will serve as president and CEO of Streaming & Studios. Gunnar Wiedenfels, currently CFO of WBD, will serve as president and CEO of Global Networks. Both remain in their current roles until the separation is complete.The cultural significance of this great company and the impactful stories it has brought to life for more than a century have touched countless people all over the world. It's a treasured legacy we will proudly continue in this next chapter of our celebrated history," said Zaslav in a statement. By operating as two distinct and optimized companies in the future, we are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today's evolving media landscape."In an investor presentation, WBD announced it will be taking a $17.5 billion loan from J.P. Morgan to assist in a cash tender and consent solicitation for all of its approximately$35.5 billion in outstanding bonds. This means it will be buying back some of the bonds while also asking bondholders to loosen their terms, and will offer cash incentives to those who agree to sell or restructure. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the majority of the total debt will be held by Global Networks, while a not-insignificant portion" will remain with Streaming & Studios. The exact breakdown of the debt at each entity remains to be seen, pending the outcome of the companies' debt restructuring.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/warner-bros-discovery-will-split-into-two-media-giants-144553585.html?src=rss

We've been hearing rumors for what feels like an eternity about Microsoft working with ASUS' ROG division on a gaming handheld device, and we got confirmation during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest. There are two variants of the handheld: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.Microsoft hasn't reveal pricing for the devices as yet. It stands to reason that they'll be in the same ballpark as the currently ROG Ally systems, which cost up to $800 for the ROG Ally X. Details on how much the systems cost, pre-orders, accessories and more are coming soon, the company said.The exact release date is not yet known but the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are coming this holiday season. The handhelds will initially be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and, shockingly enough, the US.Xbox head Sarah Bond says that every game included in the showcase will be playable on the Xbox Ally, but didn't make clear whether all of those would run natively on the devices. The reveal trailer also included a notable focus on Hollow Knight: Silksong, for what it's worth (and it was reaffirmed that the game is still set to come out this year).MicrosoftCritically, Microsoft and ROG aren't locking the devices to only playing Xbox games (though you can play those natively, via the cloud or by accessing an Xbox console remotely). You'll be able to play games from Battle.net and "other leading PC storefronts" too - those include Steam, GOG and Ubisoft Connect. Obviously, there's Game Pass integration here, as well as support for the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, which enables you to play games with synced progress across a swathe of devices after buying them once.Microsoft says it has teamed up with Roblox to make that game natively playable on a gaming handheld for the first time. It's working with third-party developers on a Steam Deck-style program to make it clear which games have been optimized for handhelds, including the Xbox Ally systems. Expect more details on that down the line. In addition, it seems that those who snap up an Xbox Ally or Ally X and haven't yet tried out Game Pass will get a free trial.Microsoft has designed a full-screen Xbox user interface for the handhelds. There's a dedicated physical Xbox button that can bring up a Game Bar overlay, which seemingly makes it easy to switch between apps and games, tweak settings, start chatting with friends and more. Accessibility features from Xbox consoles and PCs will be available too, along with the Gaming Copilot.Naturally, the systems run on Windows 11. Microsoft says it has optimized the operating system for the devices, with easy access to device and input controls via ASUS' Armoury Crate. The company added that "the lock screen and task switcher have also been adjusted for easy navigation with a controller." You'll be able to mod games on either system as well.The Xbox Ally is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, and has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The Xbox Ally X is the more powerful model. It has a AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. They each have a microSD card reader, so you won't need to worry about shelling out for proprietary storage to have extra space for your games.The two models seem to have the same screen, a seven-inch 1080p, 16:9 display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. The anti-reflection displays will feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and support FreeSync Premium.Both systems boast "HD haptics." The Xbox Ally has hall effect analog triggers, while the Xbox Ally X has "impulse triggers for enhanced control." It sounds a little like Microsoft and ASUS are taking a page out of the PlayStation DualSense playbook there. Anyway, both of the Xbox Ally systems have two assignable back buttons and 6-axis IMU - a fancy way of saying that they'll probably have gyro controls. Blessedly, both of the handhelds have a 3.5mm combo audio jack, along with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4.MicrosoftThe Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are exactly the same size at 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm. They each weigh more than the Nintendo Switch 2 (534g or 1.18lbs with Joy-Con 2 attached) and PlayStation Portal (520g or 1.15 lbs). The Xbox Ally is marginally heavier than the Steam Deck (669g or 1.47lbs) at 670g. The Xbox Ally X is even beefier at 715g (1.58lbs). For the record, the ROG Ally is 608g (1.34 lbs) and the Ally X is 678 grams (1.5 lbs).So, they're both chonksters, but at least those grips look more ergonomic than those on the Nintendo Switch 2 (which is already cramping my hands) or even the Steam Deck. Microsoft says the design principles of Xbox Wireless Controller was adopted for the Xbox Ally handgrips.Both systems will be capable of outputting video to a TV or monitor, as they have two USB-C ports with support for DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery 3.0. One of the Xbox Ally X's USB-C ports is compatible with ThunderBolt 4. It also has a larger battery, with a capacity of 80Wh compared with the Xbox Ally's 60Wh battery. Both models come with a charging stand.Microsoft has spent the last few years expanding the Xbox ecosystem beyond consoles and PC through efforts like Xbox Cloud Gaming. Its first official move into gaming handhelds is a big step as it tries to play catch up to PlayStation and Nintendo.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/rog-xbox-ally-handheld-gaming-devices-are-real-and-will-be-released-during-the-2025-holiday-season-142135533.html?src=rss

At WWDC 2024, Apple failed its customers. When the company announced the new, more personal Siri last year, it showed a product that was nowhere near ready. You can point to many different places where Apple Intelligence failed to meet expectations, but with WWDC 2025 fast approaching, the company owes its users an explanation of how it intends to win back their trust.If you didn't watch last year's conference, here's a recap. At the heart of Apple's promise of a better digital assistant was App Intents, a feature that would give Siri the ability to understand all the personal information stored on your iPhone. During the presentation's most memorable moment, Apple demoed Siri responding to a request from Kelsey Peterson, the company's director of machine learning and AI, for an update on her mom's flight. The assistant not only understood the prompt, but provided real-time flight tracking information in the process.In short, the demo promised - after years of neglect - that Siri would finally be useful.It should have been obvious in hindsight that Apple was overselling its progress on Siri, and AI more broadly. At WWDC 2024, the company did not let press and other attendees try the new version of the assistant. There wasn't even an opportunity to watch the company's employees use Siri. In fact, according to reporting The Information later published, it's probably more accurate to describe what Apple showed last June not as a demo but as an elaborate concept video.If Apple had only faked the WWDC demo, that would have been bad enough, but the company did something worse. As you may recall, the tech giant began rolling out Apple Intelligence features piecemeal in September. Rather than a public statement explaining the lack of progress, the company only admitted it was delaying the upgrade to sometime "in the coming year" after Daring Fireball's John Gruber sought answers. That same day, as if the company had only just realized its error, Apple pulled a TV commercial that showed The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey using the new Siri in the way it had demoed at WWDC 2024.It's going to take a lot for Apple to fix Apple Intelligence, but the best place the company can start is by being honest with its customers. Corporations, especially ones as big as Apple, rarely show humility, but in this case, an acknowledgement from the company that it promised the moon and missed the mark would go a long way towards righting some of the sins of WWDC 2024.This applies to other aspects of Apple Intelligence just as much as it does with Siri. Look at the damage notification summaries did to Apple's reputation. Apple Intelligence was so bad at aggregating the news, the company ended up pausing the notifications in the iOS 18.3 beta. When it released 18.3 to the public a couple of weeks later, it began labeling the alerts to give users a warning they may include errors.As for other Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground and Genmoji, they're forgettable because they offer little utility and see Apple following trends rather than offering something that truly enhances the usefulness of its devices. There too the company can tell its users it missed the mark and it plans to do better.There's no reason Apple can't make Apple Intelligence great, but any effort to do so has to start with the company being honest: about what its roadmap of features can actually do, and to own up to when its promises can't be fulfilled.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/to-fix-apple-intelligence-apple-needs-to-be-honest-about-its-capabilities-130046256.html?src=rss

Google is officially letting you prioritize certain people in your life. The company has launched Pixel VIPs, an update that allows Google Pixel owners to "stay connected to the people who matter most and never miss a moment from them." It expands on Google's existing favorite contacts option, 9To5Google reports.Pixel VIPs includes features such as placing your "VIPs" at the top of your contact list and letting them bypass your device's do not disturb. If you click on a specific person then you can see their real-time location, weather and time. It also shows the last time you two connected. Plus, Google will suggest things for the two of you to do together based on your preferences.You also have the option of adding notes to their contact page. These tidbits might include their new dog's name, when they're traveling or a reminder of your plans together.The possibility that Google was working on this update first arose last summer under the name "besties," rather than "VIP." Reports from 9To5Google showed it replacing the favorite contacts option but didn't reveal much else.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/google-pixels-new-vip-contacts-lets-your-favorite-people-bypass-do-not-disturb-123053232.html?src=rss

JBL is reintroducing its immersive soundbar lineup with even more power, but thankfully, the convenient detachable side speakers aren't going anywhere. JBL refreshed the entire Bar lineup, with the Bar 1000 MK2 leading the charge. The soundbar still features a 10-inch wireless subwoofer along with removable speakers on each end that let you continue playing your music or movies even if you wander away from the TV.For the 2025 refresh, JBL kept the Bar 1000 MK2 on a 7.1.4 channel setup, but pumped up the max power output to 960W for an even louder and more immersive listening experience. The detachable speakers still have a max battery life of up to 10 hours, where you can reattach them to the soundbar to recharge. Like its predecessor, the Bar 1000 MK2 features true Dolby Atmos, thanks to four upfiring drivers, along with DTS:X 3D surround sound and MultiBeam 3.0. You won't have to constantly adjust the volume when bouncing between dialogue scenes and loud action since the updated soundbar has PureVoice 2.0 that automatically optimizes the dialogue volume based on the scene's ambient sound.The Bar 1000 MK2 can still use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to connect to a device, but is also compatible with AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Besides the Bar 1000 MK2, JBL will debut the refreshed Bar 700 MK2 that comes with detachable speakers too, but can only virtualize Dolby Atmos. The updated Bar 500 MK2 and Bar 300 MK2 also don't offer true Dolby Atmos, nor JBL's Night Listening mode that automatically reduces loud noises. If you're in need of a soundbar with a subwoofer, it's worth noting that the new Bar 300 MK2 still doesn't have one.The Bar 1000 MK2 is due to hit the shelves first at $1,199 later this month. The release of the $899 Bar 700 MK2, the $649 Bar 500 MK2 and the $449 Bar 300 MK2 will follow shortly after. The most expensive of JBL's Bar lineup, an 11.1.4-channel follow-up to the Bar 1300X, will release in the fall and start at $1,699. While it's much more expensive, it will come with detachable speakers that have standalone Bluetooth capabilities.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/jbl-refreshes-its-2025-soundbars-with-a-serious-power-up-120014177.html?src=rss

Finding the best budget robot vacuum has never been easier, especially now that features once reserved for pricey models are trickling down into more affordable machines. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a robot vacuum with strong suction, advanced navigation and even auto-empty capabilities - there are plenty of great choices out there that make cleaning your floors a lot less of a chore.

No gaming mouse will magically stop you from getting destroyed in Counter-Strike or Call of Duty, but the right pick can give you a greater sense of control while making your downtime more comfortable. In truth, which one is best" for you comes down to preference: Shape is king, as the mouse nerd adage goes, and everyone's hands are different. But to make things a little easier, we've tested dozens of well-regarded gaming mice over the past couple of years and picked out a few options that have glided above the rest. After playing countless hours of CS2, Overwatch 2, Halo Infinite, Final Fantasy XIV and more PC games, here are our picks for the best gaming mice you can buy, broken down by shape and use case. We've also included some general advice to keep in mind during your search. The best gaming mice Other gaming mice we've tested The Lamzu Maya X. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Note: The following is a selection of especially noteworthy mice we've tested, not a comprehensive list of every single model we've ever put through its paces. Lamzu Maya X The Lamzu Maya X is a great symmetrical mouse and a close competitor to the Razer Viper V3 Pro. It'd be next in line for an honorable mention, as it has most of the things we like about the Hitscan Hyperlight and Pulsar X2 CrazyLight: a smooth matte finish, a sturdy frame, easy-gliding feet, accurate performance, a tight scroll wheel and a lightweight design (46g). It's close in size to the Viper V3 Pro, but it's cheaper at $120, plus it uses the superior Omron optical switches we praised for the Hyperlight above. Its configuration software is also entirely accessible over the web (for Chromium-based browsers at least), so you don't have to download anything extra to your PC. However, we think the Viper's longer frame and ever-so-slightly more concave sides keep it just a little comfier for larger hands and palm grips. Its side buttons are still more satisfying to press and its finish provides more grip. The Maya also follows the leave the entire bottom of your mouse exposed" trend to reach its lower weight. And though the software being web-based is great, it is very much a Chinese Gaming App with grammatical errors and weird formatting quirks. The reality is that fine margins separate high-end gaming mice nowadays - the Maya X is good, but we prefer the Viper at this size, while the Hitscan and CrazyLight are better for smaller hands. Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 is a close rival to the Razer Viper V3 Pro for those who want a no-frills, high-end wireless gaming mouse. It has a similar potato"-style shape, its tracking is similarly tremendous and its optical-mechanical switches have a distinct feel. Unlike the first Superlight, it also charges over USB-C. But the Viper's main clicks are crisper and more pleasant-sounding, its side buttons aren't as mushy and its scroll wheel is both firmer and grippier. It's also slightly lighter. The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX The G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX is the ergonomic version of the Superlight 2, packing the same sensor and hybrid switches in a chunkier, right-handed shape. We found its right side to flare out a little too much, though, often leaving our pinky finger in a less-than-comfortable position. Those with medium-sized hands may find its center hump to be too aggressive for consistent aiming as well. The DeathAdder V3 Pro's main buttons are still more invitingly curved and consistent to press beyond that, while its coating isn't as slippery. The DEX's scroll wheel is tighter, and all of its internal tech is great, so by no means is this a poor choice. But at $180 after a tariff-related price hike, there are better values out there. Razer ViperV3 HyperSpeed Much like the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, Razer's ViperV3 HyperSpeed is a lower-cost variant of the top-end Viper V3 Pro. (Confusing, we know.) At $70, it's a solid value. Its symmetrical shape and soft-touch finish are virtually identical to the more premium model, and though it technically has a worse sensor, the drop-off is hardly noticeable. The main trade-off is that it's heavier (about 82g), as it requires a AA battery for power. That doesn't make it outright hefty, but you can feel the difference in twitchier games. It uses older mechanical switches and smaller PTFE feet, too, plus it lacks a port for connecting a cable. So it's not as close to its big sibling as the mid-tier DeathAdder. Some may prefer that its DPI button is located on the top of the mouse, though, and its simpler on-off switch is nice. Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed The Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed is a more affordable wireless version of the Basilisk V3 with the same comfortable shape and layout, plus a quieter scroll wheel. Because it requires a AA battery for power, though, it weighs around 115g. That's not great for fast-paced games. The scroll wheel can't tilt left or right, either, nor can it switch between a ratcheted and free-spin mode. It also uses less durable mechanical switches and only supports one onboard profile. All that said, it's a decent value at $70. Left to right: the Logitech G309 Lightspeed, the Razer Viper V3 HyperSpeed and the Pulsar X2 V2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Pulsar X2 V2 The $100 Pulsar X2 V2 is another decent option if you want a high-performing symmetrical mouse for less than the Viper V3 Pro. It's available in mini and standard sizes: The former is a technically weightier (51 grams) version of the X2 CrazyLight, while the latter is that but bigger. Both have sturdy plastic frames, though they're still meant for claw or fingertip grips first. They also have cutouts across their undersides. As with the Xlite V3, Pulsar now sells a newer model called the X2 V3, though that's a minor refresh with an updated sensor and 8K polling rate support. The latest model is worth getting instead when the X2 V2 isn't discounted, but we prefer the Hitscan Hyperlight and its more pleasing clicks to both in this price range. Pwnage Stormbreaker The Pwnage Stormbreaker is a superlight (51g), exceptionally sturdy and premium-feeling wireless mouse that's largely made from magnesium alloy instead of plastic. It performs about on par with our top picks, which is excellent, while its right-handed, medium-sized shape should suit palm and claw grippers well. (If you know BenQ's Zowie EC line, the shape is basically that.) However, the extensive cutouts all over the sides and top shell are noticeable in the hand and make the device more susceptible to debris buildup than the DeathAdder V3 Pro. While the buttons and scroll wheel are impressively tight, the main clicks are a bit too stiff and high-pitched for our liking. We also noticed more connection stutters than usual on our test PC, and it's expensive at $169. BenQ Zowie U2 Speaking of BenQ, its Zowie U2 is a perfectly decent alternative to the Viper V3 Pro that costs about $30 less. It tracks great, it's lightweight (60g) and its mechanical clicks feel fine. It also comes with two receivers, one of which doubles as a handy charging dock. It has a symmetrical shape with sides that curve inwards and a decently-sized hump at the back; BenQ says it's designed for claw grips, and it is indeed good for that, but it should also work for fingertip grippers with larger hands or palm grippers with smaller ones. Alas, the scroll wheel is gratingly loud and the plastic coating picks up smudges and hand oils like it's its job. There's also no configuration software, which can make adjusting settings a little cumbersome, though some may prefer not having to install any extra bloat on their PC. This mouse also maxes out at a 1,000Hz polling rate - that's not a big deal in practice, but it's technically behind many other mice in this price range. The Pwnage Stormbreaker (left) and BenQ Zowie U2 (right). Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Logitech G309 Lightspeed There isn't much wrong with the Logitech G309 Lightspeed in a vacuum. It's built like a tank, its sensor is accurate and its egg-like shape should feel OK, if not superlative, in most hand sizes and grip types. It uses the same hybrid switches as the G Pro X Superlight 2, so the clicks don't sound great but are fast. It also has a supercapacitor inside, which gives it effectively infinite battery life if you own Logitech's (costly) PowerPlay charging mat. That's neat! Most people, though, will need to pop in a AA battery, which pushes the weight up around 85 grams. As most of that weight is felt toward the back, the mouse can feel relatively clunky to fling around in FPS games. We're not fans of the ugly recess across the middle of the device, either, as it creates a space for dust to collect. At $90 after a recent price hike, the G309 is still OK for casual types who'll only buy from a name brand. But unless you use PowerPlay, it doesn't do much to stand out from other options around the same price. HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is a decent wired model for those who want a flatter ambidextrous shape. It performs well for competitive play, and it's plenty light (53g) thanks to a clever design with cutouts on the bottom that are covered by the mouse's label. But the Endgame Gear OP1 8K is better-built and more comfortable, so we think it's worth the extra cash. The Razer Viper 8KHz was another solid (albeit heavier) option with a similar shape, but that mouse has been discontinued. A few more gaming mice we've tested. Left to right: the Glorious Model I 2 Wireless, the Razer Cobra Pro, the Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed and the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless is a budget-friendly wireless variant of the Haste 2. It may be OK if you must go wireless and only have $50 to spend, as its shell feels sturdy and its low-profile shape is well-suited to claw or fingertip grips. It's a little weightier than the wired Haste 2 (about 70g) since it runs on a AAA battery, but that's nowhere near heavy. That said, its main buttons feel somewhat mushy, and we observed a few sensor hiccups and inconsistencies, particularly when we had HyperX's Ngenuity software open. HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro We had persistent, debilitating connection issues with the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro on both Windows 11 and macOS over multiple days, so we can't recommend it. Logitech G502 X The Logitech G502 X has a generally similar shape as the Razer Basilisk V3, with a lower weight (84g) and more side buttons. However, its main buttons are noisier, it's a slightly more awkward fit for most hands and its rubber cable isn't as flexible. It's also much more expensive after Logitech's recent round of price increases, plus it lacks RGB. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Logitech G203 Lightsync The Logitech G203 Lightsync is our former budget pick. It's often available in the $20 to $30 range these days, and at that price it's still fine if you want a competent gaming mouse for as little money as possible. You can feel the cost cutting in its rubbery cable and mushy scroll wheel, however, and its shape is a bit too small and flat for larger hands. The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is a wireless model with more or less the same shape, but it requires a AA battery to work and thus weighs just over 100g. It, too, feels somewhat outdated in 2025. Razer Cobra The Razer Cobra is another value-oriented wired mouse with a compact shape. It's much lighter (58g) than the Logitech G203, with a more flexible cable and optical switches instead of mechanical ones. It's usually priced between $35 and $40, though, so the G203 is typically cheaper. The Endgame Gear OP1 8K still feels higher-quality across the board, but if you have smaller hands, use a fingertip grip and want a symmetrical mouse on the cheap, go for it. The Logitech G203 Lightsync Jeff Dunn / Engadget Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse tracks well, glides smoothly and weighs just under 60 grams without having any holes in its outer shell. It's shaped like a Logitech G Pro X Lightspeed 2 with wider sides, so it should be comfortable for palm or claw grippers with large or medium-sized hands. Its matte finish is a touch too slippery, however, and its main buttons aren't as consistent or satisfying to press as our top picks (despite using Omron optical switches). Clicking them toward the top is too soft, clicking them toward the back is too stiff. The back side button sounds hollow beyond that, and Alienware's configuration software chews up far too much memory. All of this is overpriced at $150. Glorious Model I 2 Wireless There's a fair amount to like about the Glorious Model I 2 Wireless: an ergonomic shape that's reminiscent of the Basilisk V3/G502 X but lighter at 75g, four customizable side buttons, the ability to connect over a USB receiver or Bluetooth, a smooth scroll wheel and tasteful RGB lighting, all for $100. However, its honeycomb-style design and mechanical switches both raise concerns about its long-term durability. Glorious Model D 2 Wireless The Glorious Model D 2 Wireless also has holes all over its shell yet doesn't perform or feel significantly better than other mice around the $100 mark. Other reviews say it has latency issues as well. Glorious Model D 2 Pro + Model O 2 Pro The ergonomic Model D 2 Pro and symmetrical Model O 2 Pro aren't loaded with cutouts, meanwhile, but their main buttons are relatively loud and sticky-feeling. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse. Jeff Dunn for Engadget What to look for in a gaming mouse Wired vs. wireless Buying a wireless gaming mouse used to mean sacrificing a certain level of responsiveness, but thankfully, that's no longer the case. Over the last few years, wireless connectivity has improved to the point where the difference in latency between a good wireless model and a tried-and-true wired gaming mouse is barely perceptible. Note, however, that we're strictly talking about mice that use a 2.4GHz connection (over a USB dongle), not Bluetooth. Many of the best wireless gaming mouse models support both connection options, which is great for travel, but Bluetooth's latency is generally too high to be reliable for gaming. Going wireless still has other trade-offs, too. Battery life is improving all the time, but with their higher performance demands and RGB lighting, most wireless gaming mice usually don't last as long as "normal" wireless models. You shouldn't expect more than a few days of power from a rechargeable gaming mouse you use regularly. Some gaming mice offer wireless charging too, which makes things easier. Good wireless gaming mice usually come at a much higher cost than their wired counterparts as well. That's not to say the premium is never worth it: Who wants yet another cable on their desk? You may need a wireless model if you hate the feel of cable drag" or if your gaming PC is located in an awkward spot. Many wireless gaming mice come with a cable you can hook up in a pinch as well. But if price is your primary concern, a good wired mouse may be a better value. Comfort and grip types Everyone's hands are different, so at the end of the day, calling one mouse more comfortable" than another is mostly subjective. Ensuring your comfort is the most essential step when buying any mouse, though, so we've done our best to consider how each device we tested works with smaller, average-sized and larger hands alike. We also considered how each peripheral accommodates the three grip styles most people use while holding a mouse: palm, fingertip and claw. As a refresher, a palm grip is when your whole hand rests on the mouse, with your fingers resting flat on the main buttons. A fingertip grip is when you steer the mouse solely with the tips of your fingers, with your palm not in contact with the device at all. A claw grip is when your palm only touches the back edge of the mouse, with your fingers arched in a claw-like shape toward the buttons. In general, most people use a palm grip, which tends to offer the greatest sense of control - though, depending on the size of your hand, you may need your mouse to be a specific length to use it comfortably. A fingertip grip can allow for more rapid movements, while a claw grip is something of a balance between the two. Switch and Click has a good breakdown if you'd like more detail, but we've noted above if a mouse isn't well-suited for a particular grip style. For what it's worth, yours truly is a claw gripper most of the time. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Build quality and design A good gaming mouse feels sturdy and won't flex or creak when used strenuously. We valued mice without any overly sharp angles or grooves that could be awkward for most people to hold. And while most gaming mice have plastic exteriors, not all plastic is created equal, so we looked for finishes that were smooth, not too slick and capable of withstanding the sweaty palms that often come with competitive gaming sessions. The gaming mouse market is mostly split between two design styles: ergonomic and ambidextrous. Ergonomic mice are almost always made with right-handed users in mind and often feature dedicated thumb rests. Ambidextrous mice are more symmetrical and designed to be used with either hand (though they may not have extra buttons on both sides). Whether an ergonomic or ambidextrous gaming mouse works best for you is largely a matter of personal preference. A gaming mouse's feet, meanwhile, should provide a consistent glide and reduce the friction between your mouse and mouse pad beneath it as much as possible. For the best performance, look for feet made from PTFE (aka Teflon). All feet will eventually wear down, but many mice come with spares, and most manufacturers sell replacements if needed. As for flashy RGB lighting, it's a nice bonus, but little more than that. Still, if you've already kitted out your setup with RGB, having a mouse with adjustable lighting effects can add to the gaming experience (and more consumer tech could stand to do things for pleasure's sake). More practically, some mice let you assign custom lighting settings to separate profiles, which can make it easier to see which one you're currently using. Weight Gaming mice have gotten lighter and lighter over the years, with some recent releases weighing less than 30 grams. Your mouse doesn't need to be that feathery - anything under 80g is still reasonably light, and it's not like a 100g mouse feels like a total anchor. Regardless, a lightweight mouse makes it easier to pull off fast movements repeatedly, with less inertia. That said, some players still enjoy a little bit of bulk in their gaming mouse (relatively speaking), especially with games that aren't as reliant on twitchy reactions. To reach those lightest weights, some manufacturers have released gaming mice with honeycomb"-style designs, which feature an array of cutouts in the outer shell. These mice can still perform great, but having a bunch of holes that expose the internal circuit board to possible sweat, dust and detritus isn't the best for long-term durability. If a mouse must have cutouts, it's better if they're relegated to the bottom of the design, where debris is less likely to enter the frame. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Switches, buttons and scroll wheel A growing number of gaming mice use optical switches instead of mechanical ones. Since these involve fewer bits making physical contact, they should generally be more durable and less prone to unwanted double-clicks" over time. Many gamers still find good mechanical switches more satisfying to press, so it's not like you should avoid mechanical mice altogether. They just carry a little more long-term risk in a vacuum. Since most people will use their gaming mouse as their mouse-mouse, you may want main buttons that have a softer feel when pressed, with enough travel to make inadvertent actuations less frequent. But even that is a matter of preference: You may want lighter buttons if you play games that call for constant clicking. We also looked to testing from sites like Rtings to ensure each mouse we recommend has a sufficiently low click latency, meaning your clicks will register with minimal lag. Beyond the standard click panels, a good gaming mouse should also have programmable buttons for quick macros or shortcuts. For most games, shoot for at least two extra buttons on the thumb-side panel that are easy to reach and difficult to press by accident. Many mice have more buttons, which can be a plus, but not if they force you to contort your fingers to avoid hitting them. For MMO mice, having at least 12 side buttons is preferable in order to access as many hotbar commands as possible. As for the scroll wheel, it should have distinct, ratcheted steps" that aren't too resistant but make it clear when you've actually scrolled. Its texture should be grippy, and it shouldn't make a distracting amount of noise when used. The wheel should also be clickable, giving you another input to customize for certain games (e.g., to control the zoom on a sniper rifle). Sensors and performance Some are more proficient than others, but generally speaking, the optical sensors built into most modern gaming mice are more than fast and accurate enough for most people's needs. While shopping for gaming mice, you'll see a number of terms related to sensor performance. To be clear, a gaming mouse's responsiveness doesn't come down to just one spec. But for clarity's sake, here's a rundown of the more noteworthy jargon:

It's early June, which means it's time for a ton of video game events! Rising from the ashes of E3, Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest is now the premium gaming event of the year, just inching ahead of... Geoff Keighley's Game Awards in December. Unlike the show it replaced, Summer Game Fest is an egalitarian affair, spotlighting games from AAA developers and small indies across a diverse set of livestreams. SGF 2025 includes 15 individual events running from June 3-9 - you can find the full Summer Game Fest 2025 schedule here - and we're smack dab in the middle of that programming right now.We're covering SGF 2025 with a small team on the ground in LA and a far larger group of writers tuning in remotely to the various livestreams. Expect game previews, interviews and reactions to arrive over the coming days (the show's in-person component runs from Saturday-Monday), and a boatload of new trailers and release date announcements in between.Through it all, we're collating the biggest announcements right here, with links out to more in-depth coverage where we have it, in chronological order.Tuesday, June 3State of Unreal: The Witcher IV and Fortnite AIEpic hitched its wagon to SGF this year, aligning its annual developer Unreal Fest conference, which last took place in the fall of 2024, with the consumer event. The conference was held in Orlando, Florida, from June 2-5, with well over a hundred developer sessions focused on Unreal Engine. The highlight was State of Unreal, which was the first event on the official Summer Game Fest schedule. Amid a bunch of very cool tech demos and announcements, we got some meaningful updates on Epic's own Fortnite and CD PROJEKT RED's upcoming The Witcher IV.The Witcher IV was first unveiled at The Game Awards last year, and we've heard very little about it since. At State of Unreal, we got a tech demo for Unreal Engine 5.6, played in real time on a base PS5. The roughly 10-minute slot featured a mix of gameplay and cinematics, and showed off a detailed, bustling world. Perhaps the technical highlight was Nanite Foliage, an extension of UE5's Nanite system for geometry that renders foliage without the level of detail pop-in that is perhaps the most widespread graphical aberration still plaguing games today. On the game side, we saw a town filled with hundreds of NPCs going about their business. The town itself wasn't quite on the scale of The Witcher III's Novigrad City, but nonetheless felt alive in a way beyond anything the last game achieved.It's fair to say that Fortnite's moment in the spotlight was... less impressive. Hot on the heels of smooshing a profane Darth Vader AI into the game, Epic announced that creators will be able to roll their own AI NPCs into the game later this year.Wednesday, June 4PlayStation State of Play: Marvel Tkon, Silent Hill f and the return of LuminesAnother company getting a headstart on proceedings was Sony, who threw its third State of Play of the year onto the Summer Game Fest schedule a couple days ahead of the opening night event. It was a packed stream by Sony's standards, with over 20 games and even a surprise hardware announcement.The most time was given to Marvel Tkon: Fighting Souls, a new PlayStation Studios tag fighter that fuses Marvel Superheroes with anime visuals. It's also 4 versus 4, which is wild. It's being developed by Arc System Works, the team perhaps best known for the Guilty Gear series. It's coming to PS5 and PC in 2026. Not-so-coincidentally, Sony also announced Project Defiant, a wireless fight stick that'll support PS5 and PC and arrive in... 2026.Elsewhere, we got a parade of release dates, with concrete dates for Sword of the Sea(August 19) Baby Steps(September 8) and Silent Hill f (September 25). We also got confirmation of that Final Fantasy Tactics remaster (coming September 30), an an all-new... let's call it aspirational "2026" date for Pragmata, which, if you're keeping score, was advertised alongside the launch of the PS5. Great going, Capcom!Rounding out the show was a bunch of smaller announcements. We heard about a new Nioh game, Nioh 3, coming in 2026; Suda51's new weirdness Romeo is a Dead Man; and Lumines Arise, a long-awaited return to the Lumines series from the developer behind Tetris Effect.Thursday, June 5Diddly squatThere were absolutely no Summer Game Fest events scheduled on Thursday. We assume that's out of respect for antipodean trees, as June 5 was Arbor Day in New Zealand. (It's probably because everyone was playing Nintendo Switch 2.)Friday, June 6Summer Game Fest Live: Resident Evil Requiem, Stranger Than Heaven and sequels aboundIt's fair to say that previous Summer Game Fest opening night streams have been... whelming at best. This year's showing was certainly an improvement, not least because there were exponentially fewer mobile game and MMO ads littering the presentation. Yes, folks tracking Gabe Newell's yacht were disappointed that Half-Life 3 didn't show up, and the Silksong crowd remains sad, alone and unloved, but there were nonetheless some huge announcements.Perhaps the biggest of all was the "ninth" (Zero and Code Veronica erasure is real) Resident Evil game. Resident Evil Requiem is said to be a tonal shift compared to the last game, Resident Evil Village. Here's hoping it reinvigorates the series in the same way Resident Evil VII did following the disappointing 6.We also heard more from Sega studio Ryu Ga Gotoku about Project Century, which seems to be a 1943 take on the Yakuza series. It's now called Stranger Than Heaven, and there's a (literally) jazzy new trailer for your consideration.Outside of those big swings, there were sequels to a bunch of mid-sized games, like Atomic Heart, Code Vein and Mortal Shell, and a spiritual sequel of sorts: Scott Pilgrim EX, a beat-em-up that takes the baton from the 2010 Ubisoft brawler Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game.There were countless other announcements at the show, including:

After a symphony, online multiplayer and a remaster, the well-regarded (and often handheld) puzzler Lumines is getting Enhance's full synesthetic, Tetris-flowing, treatment. Lumines Arise is almost here.If you haven't played the game before, Lumines' premise centers on rotating and dropping four-square blocks made of one or two colors, building up larger squares of a single color. The game's timeline sweeps across the playfield - to the beat of the soundtrack - erasing completed squares in its path, while also giving you the brief opportunity to quickly drop more squares, add multiplier combos and score even more points.Lumines Arise adds a new mechanic to the addictive yet simple puzzle. 'Burst' is a refillable bar that you can trigger with L2/R2, which locks a square on the playing field, allowing you to pile on subsequent blocks. You can initiate Burst once the counter has rolled above 50, although it maxes out at 100. As you might expect for a synesthesia-tickling game like Arise, Burst mode has its own low-key musical accompaniment.Lumines has never looked better. But that's not just due to 2025 hardware power, but also design choices for Lumines' skins - the unhinged wallpaper design and block themes that bubble up as you advance through puzzle stages. They're delightfully mad and, at times, distracting. (As you play, the view of your Lumines blocks will occasionally zoom' closer - this is intentional. Game Director Takashi Ishihara said this was to both add some dynamism to what are typically static blocks, but also to pull the players' attention back to the game at hand. Lumines Arise wants you to focus on the now, not the score, your Burst meter, or your customizable avatar.)My favorite part of the demo was the final stage, which featured two chameleons simply raving along to the dance music. The soundtrack is, naturally, a banger, too. Lumines Arise features new music from Hydelic, also responsible for the award-winning soundtrack of Tetris Effect: Connected. (The band has already launched one track, "Only Human," on Bandcamp - it's coming to other streaming services, too.)On another stage, two skeletal hands, seemingly strung up like puppets, twitch and wriggle as you shift and rotate your blocks. If anything, I think Enhance missed a trick not mapping the finger movements to a DualSense controller. I said that in front of Ishihara because I have zero sense of decorum - apparently, he'd had the same idea. I now consider myself a game designer.I got to briefly see Lumines Arise running on a Steam Deck, too. The time of the handheld console and PC is now, so it's nice to see a typically made-for-consoles game ready for this new gaming PC form factor.Ishihara teased that there's more to reveal ahead of Arise's launch. The game will launch on both PS5 and Steam, and it will also feature VR compatibility on both platforms. While Enhance wasn't yet willing to reveal the details, there will also be some form of multiplayer, but it seems like it'll be in a different form compared to the more adversarial nature of Tetris Effect's multiplayer modes.Additionally, Ishihara wanted to highlight that the avatars, which dance and emote in sync with your in-game actions, now feature legs. That is important, apparently. Enhance is promising more answers in due time. Lumines Arise is set to launch in fall 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lumines-arise-hands-on-interview-takashi-ishihara-000038767.html?src=rss

Sword of the Sea is a game about letting go. Its main mechanic involves surfing across vast desert dunes on a thin blade, slicing through glittering sands and scaling ancient towers on a quest to unearth the secrets of civilizations past. It plays best when you forget about the controls entirely, and just surrender to the slick physics and let your little character flow. With enough exploration, you'll naturally discover glowing orbs and shining gold gems, and the sands will transform into deep, crystal clear seas with fish swimming through the air, carving wet paths through the dirt. Your character, dressed in flowing robes and a gold mask, rides the orange hills and the blue waves with the same easy athleticism, reacting instantly to every input on the controller.Charge up a jump and then complete sick tricks with a few quick inputs, or unleash a bubble of sonic energy to smash nearby vases, uncovering bits of currency in the shattered pieces. The protagonist moves in whatever direction you push, stopping immediately when you let go of the analog stick. There are giant chains to grind, a hover ability in some areas, and half pipes generously positioned around the environments. Control prompts pop up when you're first introduced to an ability, but the text fades quickly and you're left alone in the desert. There are no waypoints in Sword of the Sea, but the environment tells a clear story, inviting you to solve puzzles in the mysterious temples dotting the landscape. Find glowing orbs on the rooftops and hidden down secret passageways to unlock the buildings' secrets, opening up new areas.I played about 20 minutes of Sword of the Sea at Summer Game Fest, but I wanted to surf its dunes for a lot longer. It's the kind of game that makes the real world fade away, no matter how chaotic or intrusive your immediate surroundings are. It's built on rhythm and vibes, and it encourages a meditative flow state from its first frames. Learn the controls and then forget them; play with pure intuition and it'll most likely be the right move.The game is about surfing, and it's really about the process of learning to surf and getting comfortable with surfing, and then trying things that are a little bit beyond your abilities, failing, and then figuring it out and actually accomplishing them," Sword of the Sea creator Matt Nava told Engadget on the SGF show floor. And in the process, you kind of realize that surfing is all about harnessing the power of something greater than yourself. You're not paddling - the waves carry you. The zoomed out camera, the little character; in a lot of games, they're right on the character, because the character is the focus. But in this game, it's about how the character is a part of the environment, that is the focus. And I think that's a constant in a lot of the games that we've made."Nava is the creative director and co-founder of Giant Squid, the studio behind Abzu and The Pathless. Even with these two successful games under his belt, Nava is still best known as the art director of Journey, thatgamecompany's pivotal multiplayer experience that hit PlayStation 3 in 2012. Nava has spent the past decade attempting to build explicitly non-Journey-like games with Giant Squid, and while Abzu and The Pathless both have his distinctive visual stamp, they're the opposite of Journey in many ways. Where Journey was set in a dry, desert landscape, Nava's follow-up, Abzu, took place in an underwater world. After that, The Pathless was mostly green, rather than dusty orange.Giant SquidWith Sword of the Sea, Nava let go. He dropped all preconceptions of what he should be making and mentally said fuck it. He finally allowed himself to manifest the game that came naturally to him.In this game, it's very much taking on, accepting and proclaiming that this is me," Nava said. I did Journey. I'm doing orange again. And I'm going back to the desert because I have way more ideas that we couldn't do in that game ... It's like I've been living in my own shadow for a long time in a weird way. It's like, why am I doing that? I should just be who I am and continue to explore the art that is my art."Sword of the Sea is a specific and special game, and even though it's set in an orange desert, it doesn't feel like Journey. The game also includes music by Austin Wintory, the Grammy-nominated composer behind Journey, Abzu and The Pathless. Together, Nava and Wintory form a formidable foundation.A lot of video game scores, they just make a music track for the area," Nava said. If you're in the town, you hear town music, and then it just repeats. But that's not how it works here. The music advances as your story advances, it reflects where you are on your surfing adventure, what you're learning how, how far your character has gone on this character arc. And so that's where the music of a video game like ours should be."As Nava and I chatted, someone sat down to play Sword of the Sea on a nearby screen, and when I glanced up, I saw that they were gliding through an area I didn't find in my runthrough. A giant animal skeleton was half-buried in the sand, bright white vertebrae dotted with gold gems for the player to collect. There are a lot of secrets in Sword of the Sea, Nava assured me. The best way to find them is to just let go and play.Sword of the Sea is due to hit PlayStation 5, Steam and the Epic Games Store on August 19.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sword-of-the-sea-is-what-happens-when-matt-nava-strides-back-into-journeys-shadow-233148894.html?src=rss

We've been getting a real kick out of the offbeat cable TV parody that is Blippo+, which arrived with Playdate's Season Two, and now it's looking like non-Playdate owners will be able to experience the strangeness too later this year. Panic, along with Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot and the artists Yacht, announced at the PC Gaming Show that Blippo+ is coming to PC and Nintendo Switch in fall 2025. And unlike the 1-bit black and white programs we've been tuning into on the Playdate, it'll all be in color.Blippo+ features a roster of live-action programs that may or may not be alien transmissions, plus a forum called Femtofax that brings you even deeper into the unusual goings-on of the Blippians. Panic revealed with the second week of Season Two games that Blippo+ wouldn't just be a one-off release, but would instead get weekly content updates every week for the next eleven weeks. When it lands on the other platforms, Blippo+ will have "a time-hopping mechanic so viewers can travel back and forth through weeks of TV programming without losing the magic of 'non-demand' linear viewing."PanicIt's absurd, it's nostalgic - Blippo+ was made with vintage analog broadcast equipment, according to the creators - and it's totally unpredictable. You really never know what madness it's going to serve up next, and it's great. In color, things are only going to get weirder.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2s-blippo-tv-simulator-is-coming-to-nintendo-switch-and-pc-in-color-this-fall-230149046.html?src=rss

If you aren't thrilled with what EA has done with The Sims, another alternative is coming soon. The indie passion project Paralives launches in Steam Early Access on December 8.Paralives has all the hallmarks of the life simulation genre. You can build your character, including physical and personality traits. It lets you make friends, move up in your career, fall in love and start a family (or not!). Design is central, too. You can craft your dream home, move walls and resize that stubby love seat into a full-on couch.The game uses "innovative build tools that are easy to use but powerful for advanced builders." When designing your living space, you aren't limited to a grid. You can build on curves and customize any object's colors and textures. There's even an in-game measuring tape for those who want to get ultra-precise.Paralives StudioThe game is the lovechild of Canadian developer Alex Masse, who began the project in 2019. Paralives Studio has now grown to a team of 13 with the sole focus of building "an innovative and fresh life simulation game." It's raised funds exclusively through Patreon. The team's development process is out in the open. You can browse its history and roadmap online, showing the full array of planned features.Crucially, the young studio says Paralives will never have paid DLC - only free expansions. That's one way to take a shot at The Sims without even mentioning its name. And unlike the glitzy AI-fest inZoi, Paralives emphasizes depth and flexibility over presentation. Its simple and charming art style is a foundation for feeling and connection.You can see for yourself in the release date trailer below. Grab Paralives on Steam Early Access (PC and Mac) on December 8.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-sims-like-paralives-hits-early-access-in-december-220014257.html?src=rss

Coming off its smash indie hit Spiritfarer, Thunder Lotus Games is taking a more action-heavy approach with its next title. The developer debuted At Fate's End with an announcement trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, giving us a taste of its captivating visuals and unique combat system.While Spiritfarer offered a more slow-paced experience filled with charming characters looking for a final peace, At Fate's End has a contrasting action-packed style where you follow the story of Shan, a heiress to a clan that's looking to resolve familial disputes by either fighting or talking it out. The gameplay looks equal parts narrative fantasy and intriguing combat style, since you can use tactical dialogue mid-fight or psychological insight about your family to turn the tide of battle. As you progress through the story, you'll face more of your estranged family members, and you advance your skill tree in different ways depending on whether you defeat or reconcile with them.Thunder Lotus Games hasn't set a hard release date yet, but At Fate's End is expected to release sometime in 2026. The upcoming title will be available on Xbox, PlayStation, Steam and Epic Games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/at-fates-end-already-looks-like-the-must-play-indie-game-of-2026-204315182.html?src=rss

Two years after it was first announced, we just got an extended trailer for inXile entertainment's Clockwork Revolution at the Xbox Games Showcase, and it looks kind of incredible - and completely over the top. (A man dubbed "The Knob" pisses his pants a minute and 56 seconds in, and someone else later gets cursed out by an automaton doll).Clockwork Revolution is a first-person steampunk RPG set in 1895 in a place called Avalon, which is ruled by the time-manipulating Lady Ironwood. As the customizable player-character Morgan Vanette, you'll have to use her own tactics against her to turn back time and undo the damage she's caused. As with all things time travel, the butterfly effect will be at play. The new trailer, which is over 5 minutes long, shows us this will be one with a lot of action and bloodshed (plus some brain-shed), and a good share of ridiculousness too.We still don't have a release date, though, just the assurance that it's "coming in due time." When it does eventually arrive, Clockwork Revolution will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox PC, Steam and Xbox Cloud. It'll also support Xbox Play Anywhere, and will be available through Xbox Game Pass.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-new-trailer-for-clockwork-revolution-is-a-wild-extremely-steampunk-ride-203854022.html?src=rss

It's not Psychonauts 3, but Keeper already looks to be a visually stunning and highly original gaming experience. Double Fine Productions and the company's art director Lee Petty showed off the official announcement trailer for its latest title during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025. It's not as hype as the news of Persona 4 Revival or The Outer Worlds 2, but this quirky third-person adventure game looks like a fun departure from your typical AAA title.As seen in the trailer, Keeper puts you in control of a magically reassembled lighthouse that's since grown legs and has a strange desire to venture towards the central mountain peak of the island. There's no dialogue for this game, but you won't be alone since an equally adventurous seabird joins you on your mysterious mission. There's little revealed about the storyline, but the trailer shows that the lighthouse's beam of light can interact with the island's wildlife, while your trusty winged companion can take care of anything out of your reach.For diehard fans of the Psychonauts franchise, Keeper's vibrant and striking visuals might be the only thing to scratch that itch for a while. Double Fine Productions previously confirmed in June 2023 that it's not working on Psychonauts 3, following hints at a potential reveal that summer. Double Fine's Keeper will be available on Xbox Series X / S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Xbox Game Pass and Steam on October 17.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/psychonauts-developers-trippy-island-adventure-keeper-comes-out-on-october-17-193405665.html?src=rss

Originally announced as "Project Bloom," Game Freak's upcoming action-adventure game made a formal appearance at the Xbox Games Showcase as Beast of Reincarnation. The studio describes the game as a "one-person, one-dog" RPG and it's supposed to be coming out in 2026.Based on the trailer, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic Japan that's returned to nature due to some kind of beast-born blight. As the main character "Emma the Sealer," you'll travel through the wilderness, engaging in "demanding, technical combat" alongside your dog Koo, all in the hopes of "saving humanity" from the sickness that's plaguing the land.Game Freak is best known for its work on the Pokemon games, but the developer has made an eclectic collection of other projects between mainline entries, including Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! and more recently, Pandoland. "Project Bloom" was originally supposed to be published by Take-Two's Private Division label, but when the label was sold in 2024, Game Freak's game was taken up by a new publisher called Fictions.Beast of Reincarnation is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2026. It'll also be available through Xbox Game Pass at launch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/beast-of-reincarnation-is-a-one-person-one-dog-rpg-launching-in-2026-192305237.html?src=rss

A renowned Apple engineer who was instrumental in developing modern-day computing has died. Bill Atkinson, who was part of Apple's original Macintosh development team, died of pancreatic cancer at 74, according to a Facebook post made by his family on June 5.His contributions to Apple and the Macintosh personal computer are still widely used today, including fundamental UI elements like the menu bar, double-clicking and the selection lasso. However, Atkinson's work goes much deeper than that, since he's partly responsible for the foundational design language that influenced Apple's early days. His legacy includes creating MacPaint, an application that showed the world what a graphics-based system looks like at a time when text-based systems were the norm, and developing QuickDraw, a graphics toolbox that the Macintosh and Lisa computers use. To make computers more user-friendly, Atkinson also designed HyperCard, an Apple application that introduced hypertext to everyday users and not just programmers. Tim Cook paid tribute to Atkinson, posting on X, that he was a true visionary whose creativity, heart, and groundbreaking work on the Mac will forever inspire us."Beyond Apple, Atkinson was one of three co-founders for General Magic, a software and electronics company that supplied products to Motorola and Sony in the 90s. Later, he worked with Numenta in 2007, which was a startup focused on artificial intelligence. Atkinson was also a seasoned nature photographer, publishing a book called Within the Stone that highlights polished and cut rocks with close-up shots. Atkinson is survived by his wife, two daughters, stepson, stepdaughter, two brothers, four sisters, and dog, Poppy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/influential-apple-engineer-bill-atkinson-dies-at-74-191024913.html?src=rss

Xbox fans don't need to wait any longer to play Final Fantasy XVIon their Series X/S. Two years after the action RPG debuted on PS5, it got a surprise release on Xbox's consoles on Sunday. Its sudden arrival was announced during the Xbox Games Showcase as part of Summer Game Fest.The game's now available via the Xbox PC app as well. Granted, Final Fantasy XVI has been on Steam and the Epic Games store since last September, but some folks might have been waiting for its arrival on Xbox. Buying Final Fantasy XVI once on any Xbox platform means you'll be able to play it across console, PC and cloud with synced progression.A complete edition that includes both Final Fantasy XVI expansions is available for Xbox. There's a standard edition that includes the base game as well.The arrival of Final Fantasy XVI on Xbox means that you can now play all the mainline, single-player Final Fantasy games on Microsoft's consoles, save for the Final Fantasy VII remakes. However, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is coming toXbox this winter - just in time for those new Xbox gaming handhelds.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/final-fantasy-16-suddenly-arrives-on-xbox-series-xs-185542283.html?src=rss

Surely I wasn't the only one caught off guard that this trailer featuring Milo Ventimiglia, a cybernetic butterfly and a tentacly upside-down hell world turned out to be the announcement of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, right? Nevertheless, that just happened at the conclusion of the Xbox Games Showcase, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is officially on the way. Today's teaser comes ahead of an official reveal that's slated for this summer.The game is set in the year 2035, when "the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by conflict and psychological warfare following the narrative events of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6." According to Activision, it's "the first-ever consecutive release within the series, set more than 40 years after the events of Black Ops 6." It's all kinds of futuristic, and will see David Mason and crew facing "a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else."Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Xbox Play Anywhere, Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also get it on launch day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/heres-our-first-look-at-call-of-duty-black-ops-7-184709483.html?src=rss

Asobo Studio announced at the Xbox Games Showcase that its new entry in the Plague Tale series is a prequel set 15 years before its last game. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is focused on the smuggler Sophia from A Plague Tale: Requiem, and is scheduled to be released in 2026.Based on the brief description from the game's trailer, Resonance follows a young Sophia as she "seeks her independence as a fierce plunderer in the unforgiving world of the 14th century." The trailer shows Sophia on the run, escaping conflict, exploring mysterious ruins, and generally being pursued by danger, alongside more ominous vignettes showcasing Asobo's typically lush visuals.If surviving a plague made the first two games seem grim, escaping a flaming ship or battling in a gladiatorial arena doesn't make Sophia's past adventures seem all that more for fun. Still, there's very little to go on, and quite a bit more to learn before Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy comes out in 2026.Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is currently set to be released on Xbox Series X / S, PS5, PC and Xbox Cloud Streaming. It'll also be available from day one through Xbox Game Pass.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/asobo-studios-next-plague-tale-game-is-a-prequel-arriving-in-2026-183305421.html?src=rss

The Persona 4 remake is real and its going to be called Persona 4 Revival. Atlus shared a trailer for the game during the Xbox Games Showcase, confirming its upgraded, likely Unreal Engine 5-powered visuals, and that it's coming to Xbox platforms.The trailer is remarkably short, all you really get are shots of Persona 4's small-town countryside setting, snippets of the game's score, some spooky TVs and the gray-haired player character running around. But if you've played the beloved RPG, you don't need much more to get the gist.Persona 3 Reload was released in 2024, featuring the Tokyo-set third game in the franchise, but with new graphics powered by Unreal. This next remake seems like its going to continue the trend with the fourth game in the franchise. Notably, without the voice talent of Yuri Lowenthal or Erin Fitzgerald, who both confirmed the existence of the remake and that they wouldn't be in it at the end of May.Persona 4 Revival is coming to Xbox Series X / S, PC, Xbox Cloud Streaming and PS5. It'll also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/persona-4-revival-is-real-and-coming-to-ps5-pc-and-xbox-182120544.html?src=rss

Xbox kicked off its Summer Game Fest showcase by revealing the release date to The Outer Worlds 2, the sci-fi first-person RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, via a new trailer. The sequel is coming out on October 29, 2025 and Xbox plans to follow-up its stream with an in-depth look at the game.Like the original The Outer Worlds, the sequel continues its satire of end-times capitalism, focusing in the trailer on the player character's Earth Directorate agent working against various companies vying for destructive, dangerous technology. What that looks like in practice is freezing and exploding enemies with a variety of out-of-this-world weapons - shrink rays included. Knowing Obsidian's output, there's bound to be plenty of non-lethal ways to get what you want, too.The Outer Worlds 2 is coming out on October 29, 2025 for Xbox Series X / S, PS5, PC and streaming through Xbox Cloud Streaming.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-outer-worlds-2-arrives-on-october-29-172540150.html?src=rss

Apple's next big UI overhaul, reportedly called "Liquid Glass," is ready for its big reveal. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the upcoming interface redesign will feature "sheen and see-through visuals of a glassy surface." More specifically, Apple's new design language will have "transparency and shine effects" in its toolbars, in-app interfaces and controls.It may sound like a superficial makeover, but it's rare that Apple makes such a major change to its UI. The last big change for iPhones came from iOS 7 when Apple ditched its iconic skeumorphism design in favor of a more simplified design we have today.However, Gurman reported that Apple could be getting Liquid Glass ready for the eventual 20th anniversary of the iPhone next year. According to Gurman, the upcoming 20th anniversary release of the iPhone will have "curved glass sides around the entire phone, even at the edges." On top of that, this special iPhone will have "extraordinarily slim bezels and no cutout section in the screen" to better match the upcoming redesign.It's not the first time we're hearing about Apple's rumored redesign, which was expected to draw inspiration from the Apple Vision Pro. With this Liquid Glass design, Apple could unify the look of its interfaces across all of its devices and make it less of a dramatic visual shift when switching between your Vision Pro and iPhone. This big visual change is expected to align across the board with iOS 26, macOS, watchOS, iPadOS, and tvOS. We're expecting to see Apple's Liquid Glass debut during WWDC 2025 which will kick off on June 9, 1PM ET/10AM PT.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-will-reportedly-demo-its-liquid-glass-interface-redesign-with-see-through-visuals-at-wwdc-165823089.html?src=rss

Summer Game Fest 2025 is well underway, and if there's one event from the weekend that everyone's sure to be talking about, it's the Xbox Games Showcase. The livestream is scheduled for Sunday, June 8 at 1:00PM ET (10:00AM PT), and you can tune into it on the Xbox YouTube channel or Twitch, where ASL interpretation will be provided. Immediately after the Xbox showcase, there will be a separate presentation dedicated entirely to The Outer Worlds 2. You can watch both the Xbox Games Showcase and The Outer Worlds 2 Direct using the embedded stream below when it goes live. Our reporters on the ground, Jessica Conditt and Mat Smith, will be giving live updates in our liveblog below.Last year's showcase brought us news about the upcoming Fable reboot (since delayed until 2026), the next entry in the Gears of War series, Gears of War: E-Day, the recently released Doom: The Dark Ages and much more. We may hear some fresh updates about those first two titles on Sunday, and possibly more about others like Everwild, State of Decay 3, Hideo Kojima's OD and Contraband. And of course, some new titles are likely to make their debut too.You can catch up here on everything we've seen at Summer Game Fest 2025, and follow along when the event begins for our on-the-ground coverage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/live-updates-from-the-xbox-games-showcase-at-summer-game-fest-2025-200036748.html?src=rss

Ask me what I'm reading at any given moment and I'll probably rattle off at least three titles, not to mention comics and the occasional textbook I may also be chipping away at in the background. Reading multiple books simultaneously might sound chaotic (at least, people always tell me it is), but there is a degree of organization to it all: each book in my pile of current reads is in a different format. I'll have one physical, paper book, an ebook and an audiobook in progress at a time, so I always have something on hand to read no matter where I am.While I used to carry around a dedicated ereader, I've shifted more toward using my phone for the job these days, especially since getting a foldable. Consequently, I've tried out a bunch of different apps for reading and logging my books. These are the ones I like most.Libro.fmAudiobooks have really grown on me over the last few years, almost entirely replacing podcasts as the thing I'll throw on when I'm cleaning, taking a walk or going for a long drive. While I tried to make do at first by only borrowing audiobooks from the library, I quickly found that the extremely limited selection from my library system coupled with really long wait times just wouldn't cut it if I wanted to stay up on new releases. After researching all the options, I settled on Libro.fm, an audiobook platform that shares a portion of profits (about half, according to a 2022 interview) with independent bookstores. And even better, you get to pick which bookstore to support with your purchases.I wasn't expecting to find my favorite local bookstore - a tiny shop in a small town in New York's Hudson Valley - on Libro.fm, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned up in the search. With that, and the fact that all audiobooks from Libro.fm are Digital Rights Management (DRM) free, so you can actually download the files and do with them as you please, I was sold. You have a few options for buying audiobooks through Libro.fm: you can subscribe for $15 per month, which gives you one audiobook credit and a 30 percent discount on all purchases; you can buy credit bundles to save on purchases without a subscription; and you can purchase individual titles at their full, non-member price. There are also plenty of free books to choose from.Bookshop.org appThe moment I found out that Bookshop.org had launched ebooks and an app to read them on, I made the site my sole destination for buying digital books and haven't looked back. Just like Libro.fm, Bookshop.org lets you choose a local bookseller to support with your purchases. It's been doing this for physical book sales for the last five years - and according to its tally has raised over $38 million for independent bookstores in that time - but until now, there hasn't been a similar option for ebooks. The new app is a no-frills ereader app where you can browse the Bookshop.org catalog to save titles to your wishlist (purchases have to be made on the site) and read all the ebooks you've bought. There are some things I'd love to see it gain in the future, like comics and the option to display pages side by side for reading book-style on a foldable, but it's a great start as it is, especially if your primary concern is supporting small businesses.Right now Bookshop.org's ebook service doesn't sync with any of the mainstream ereader devices, so you're locked into reading on Android, iOS or a web browser, but the company said it's working on Kobo integration and we could see that happen before the end of this year.LibbyLibby, aka the library app, is my app of choice for older, less in-demand ebooks and audiobooks, or for when I don't have anything particular in mind and just want to browse the catalog to see what jumps out at me. It lets you link multiple library cards, meaning you potentially have a huge pool to pull from, and since you're borrowing books rather than buying them, it's entirely free. Libby also connects with Kindle, and you can have your titles automatically sent to your ereader. Some Kobo devices support OverDrive (the distributor behind Libby) too.While using an app may not be quite as satisfying as perusing the stacks IRL, I really like Libby's tag system, which lets you organize your borrowed books and To Be Read titles in whatever way works best for you. You can have a dedicated TBR tag, or create several different tags to group things by genre, mood, etc. Libby is also a great place to find magazines.Moon+ Reader (Android only)Moon+ Reader is the best app I've used yet for instances where I have the actual file for a book or document. It supports a ton of different file types - including ePUB, PDF, AZW3, MOBI and many more - and allows you to highlight and annotate text, in addition to offering auto scroll and text-to-speech so the text can be read aloud to you. It's really customizable, too. You can choose things like font, font color, background, margin width, line spacing and more for each document, and save the final build as a theme so you can use it again later. Designwise, the app feels almost like a relic of a bygone digital era, organizing all of your books in a skeuomorphic virtual bookshelf, and I love it. There are a few style options for the bookshelf too, or you can turn off the bookshelf and just see your books in a standard grid.There's both a free and paid version of the Moon+ Reader, and this is a situation where getting the paid version (Moon+ Reader Pro) is actually worth it. It's a one-time purchase of $10, and going that route will get rid of ads and open up more customization options. In addition to importing your own files into the app, Moon+ Reader has Project Gutenberg integrated so you can directly access that library of over 75,000 free books.The StorygraphNaturally, I need a way to keep up with all the reading I'm doing, and that's where The StoryGraph comes in. The StoryGraph is a data-focused app for keeping track of everything you're currently reading, everything you've read and the ever-growing list of titles you want to read. It even allows you to mark books as "did not finish." I love that I can have five in-progress books logged at a time, and can even update each entry to note how far along I am, which is nice for those I'm dragging my feet on completing.When you leave a review, you have the option to be really detailed about it, going beyond a star rating and a blurb. Reviewers can indicate whether the book would appeal to readers who like a particular mood, with over a dozen options. You rate the pace and answer basic questions about the plot and characters, like whether there's character development or if the characters are even likeable. There's also the option to add content warnings.Where The StoryGraph really shines, though, is in the stats. There are tons of actual graphs built into the experience to show you a comprehensive breakdown of your reading habits, from the genres, moods and pacing you prefer, to how much fiction you've read versus nonfiction. You can set challenges for yourself, like a yearly reading goal, and you'll be shown a Reading Wrap-up at the end of the year. It'll tell you how long it takes you to finish a book on average, and compare your reading stats to previous years.There is a mild social component to the app, but it's tucked away in its own tab and not shoved in your face, which I appreciate as someone who tends to shy away from those things. If you want, though, you can participate in or create readalongs, start buddy reads and book clubs (and even write out a code of conduct for the latter) or just see what other people with similar interests to yours are reading. The StoryGraph team also really seems to take users' feedback into consideration, and is constantly adding new things to the app and tweaking existing ones to improve the experience, which is always nice to see.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/the-best-apps-for-reading-tracking-and-listening-to-books-120047705.html?src=rss

During a showcase at Summer Games Fest, developer Dinosaur Polo Club announced that it will be adding a creative mode to Mini Motorways. The new mode will be available in a free game update coming to Apple Arcade, Steam, and Nintendo Switch on August 26, so you can get imaginative on whatever platform you've been playing this excellent strategy game.Like its predecessor Mini Metro, the core gameplay of Mini Motorways has a lot of calm, meditative elements in the experience of placing those first few roads. But as your city grows and the street network gets more convoluted, things can turn hectic real quick. And if you're like me, you've definitely run out of road tiles because you just couldn't stand making painfully illogical city plans. Creative Mode offers the welcome option to focus on aesthetics, letting players recolor, move and pivot houses and destinations to develop a city with more order. Or with more chaos, you do you!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mini-motorways-is-getting-a-creative-mode-233031208.html?src=rss

Camper Van: Make it Home has everything you'd want out of a home-decorating simulator, but it's all on wheels and slightly miniaturized, and something about that combination is extra peaceful. The game is available on Steam right now, following a surprise drop during the Wholesome Games Showcase, which is part of Summer Game Fest 2025.In Camper Van: Make it Home, players solve organization puzzles and use their interior design skills to craft the mobile homes of their dreams. There's even space to decorate outside of the vehicle, and the accessories change along with the environments and seasons. Camper Van: Make it Home is just a perfect encapsulation of pastel dreaminess and cozy creativity.Camper Van: Make it Home is developed by Spanish indie team Malapata Studio, with financial support from Wings. The game has been on a little journey from Kickstarter, where it garnered more than 2,000 backers in 2023, to today's full release on Steam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/camper-van-make-it-home-takes-interior-design-on-the-road-170043811.html?src=rss

There's a new shop management sim in town. Discounty will be released on August 21 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game tasks players with managing a discount supermarket in a bustling town.The core gameplay loop reminds me of the shopkeeper portion of Moonlighter, but Discounty lets folks freely organize the shop's layout. It's also more than just a management sim. Players can walk around the town and "get caught up in small-town drama" while attempting to strike lucrative trade deals.There's a story here, as the tight knit community of Blomkest will react to how well the shop is doing. Getting too popular could ruffle feathers in the town, so players will have to manage sales expectations against the needs of the community. A tagline asks "will you pursue endless profits, or find a way to benefit everyone in Blomkest?"First time developer Crinkle Cut Games promises that the game holds some kind of dark secret, and we are dying to know what it is. Do capitalistic ghosts come out at night to haunt the town's residents? We'll find out this August.This news came to us via the Wholesome Direct livestream, which happened right in the middle of Summer Game Fest. Follow all of the SGF happenings and trailers right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-cozy-management-sim-discounty-arrives-on-august-21-170037206.html?src=rss

The egg-cooking roguelike Omelet You Cook is officially available for PC via Steam. It was shadow-dropped during the Wholesome Direct livestream, which falls in the middle of Summer Game Fest. This quirky title was first revealed last year, but now we can get our grubby little paws on it.The game looks like a good combination of chaos and strategy, casting players as a line cook at a middle school cafeteria. There's a bit of Overcooked here, along with the narrative-focused cooking sim Venba and the sushi minigame part of Dave the Diver. It looks really fun.It's not just a chaotic minigame. Players can add and prep ingredients between rounds, and there are rare relics that provide power-ups. There's even a hungry dog that hoovers up unwanted ingredients.This is an early access release, so folks should expect updates and changes as the months roll on. Developer SchuBox Games is also working on a football sim that stars chickens called Dicey Birdball, but that one didn't get a surprise drop today. That team sure does love poultry.This news comes from today's Wholesome Direct livestream, which coincides with Summer Game Fest. The announcements keep coming in from SGF, so stay on top of things right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-breakfast-making-roguelike-omelet-you-cook-was-just-surprise-released-on-steam-170024208.html?src=rss

Monument Valley 3 is finally coming to more platforms, after being a Netflix exclusive since December. The game will be released on July 22 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Remember, Switch games are playable on Switch 2, so it should also technically be available on Nintendo's new console.Monument Valley 3 is considered a solid entry in the franchise, with plenty of fresh puzzles that play with perspective. You navigate a character through bizarre mazes and strangely-designed levels.These games are partially inspired by artists like M.C. Escher, as the pathways don't necessarily follow the laws of physics. It's a whole lot of fun, and sort of plays like a more psychedelic version of the Switch exclusive Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.The third entry in the franchise brings in a new gameplay mechanic in the form of a sailboat that freely moves between sections. The vibes are top-tier, with gorgeous art and a great ambient soundtrack. We don't have a price yet, as Monument Valley 3 was free with a Netflix subscription, but Monument Valley 2 ranged from $5 to $8 depending on the platform.This news comes from today's Wholesome Direct livestream, which happens during Summer Game Fest. The announcements are coming in fast and hot from SGF, so stay on top of things right here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/monument-valley-3-breaks-free-from-netflix-on-july-22-170002131.html?src=rss

The Hitman trilogy, also known as Hitman World of Assassination, will be available on iPhones, iPads, as well as Mac computers, this summer. IO Interactive has announced that it was expanding Hitman's availability during the developer's showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, where it celebrated the franchise's 25th anniversary. IO Interactive's Chief Development Officer, Veronique Lallier, said the launch on iOS means you can travel the world with Hitman in your pocket. Event attendees were given the chance to experience the game running natively on iOS.Lallier also announced that Hitman is coming to table top. IO Interactive has teamed up with board game creator Mood Publishing to make Hitman the board game, which will be available for backing on Kickstarter later this year. The board game will feature the franchise's characters, iconic weapons and backdrops. Up to four players can play as assassins going after a single target, and the one who takes the target out will get the payout in the end.In addition, the developer has revealed that Le Chiffre, the villain from the Bond film Casino Royale, will be the World of Assassination's new Elusive Target. Mads Mikkelsen, the actor who played Le Chiffre in the movie, provided the likeness and the voice for the new game character. You'll only have a limited time to go after Mikkelsen's character, as Hitman's Elusive Target missions only appear once, and you cannot attempt them again after they end. To note, IO Interactive recently revealed its James Bond game, 007 First Light, which will be coming out in 2026. If you play the Elusive Target mission with Le Chiffre, you can redeem an exclusive suit in 007 First Light when it becomes available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hitman-world-of-assassination-is-coming-to-ios-and-table-tops-160036401.html?src=rss

Wu-Tang Clan has a new game. At Summer Game Fest 2025, Brass Lion Entertainment has introduced its debut game, Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver. In it, you'll have to fight alongside the group's members to defeat the invading forces of the Deceiver and to save your home of Shaolin. The game is an action RPG with "anime-style fighting and afro-surrealist aesthetic." While you can play the game alone, you can also team up with up to two more friends online, and all of you can customize your fighting styles and your fashion.According to The Washington Post, the group looked for a studio that can develop a game that can tie in with Ghostface Killah and RZA's upcoming film, the supernatural thriller Angel of Dust. That's when the members found out that Brass Lion's director of music and culture was American record producer Just Blaze.Bryna Dabby Smith, Brass Lion's co-founder and CEO, said Wu-Tang loved the concepts their company presented for the game. "The script is in the horror genre, but it really worked from an interactive perspective," the executive told The Post. Brass Lion was co-founded by Manveer Heir (Wolfenstein and Mass Effect 3), Rashad Redic (Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) and Smith (The Bourne Conspiracy, Sleeping Dogs). Heir previously said that the studio will focus on telling authentic underrepresented stories not just relating to race, but also to age, religion and sexuality.Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver will feature classic Wu-Tang tunes alongside new material, as overseen by Just Blaze. It doesn't have a release date yet, but you can watch a teaser below and look at some screenshots on its official Steam page.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wu-tang-clans-new-game-blends-anime-with-afro-surrealism-140048792.html?src=rss

We're really covering all the bases with our latest slate of reviews. We've got everything from an EV family hauler to a smart pellet grill. Wireless earbuds, a unique camera and a GPU that's actually affordable are also on the list. Plus, there are new Playdate games and a VPN review if you're into those things. Whatever your preferred flavor, read on for a recap of our reviews from the last two weeks. VW ID.Buzz There really isn't an electric minivan available in the US, although the VW ID.Buzz certainly comes close. The EV is definitely a head turner, and it offers loads of cargo space for both passengers and packages. "It's just a shame that it's held back by some obvious issues," senior reviews reporter Devindra Hardawar said. "The ID.Buzz is still undeniably useful though, especially if you don't plan on taking many road trips, so there's a chance it'll become more compelling as its price falls." Weber Smoque Wi-Fi-equipped pellet grills can get very expensive very quickly. Thankfully, two of the biggest names in grilling chose to offer affordable models as part of their 2025 lineups. One of those is Weber, and the company's new Smoque pellet grill provides reliable performance alongside all of the features most backyard pit masters will ever need - for $799. "Weber really hit its stride with pellet grills last year with the Searwood, and the Smoque is proof the company has more compelling ideas in the hopper," I wrote. "Thankfully, this one saves you some money without sacrificing any of the culinary results." Fujifilm GFX100RF The GFX100RF may be a world's first, according to Fujifilm, but the camera isn't without a few substantial flaws. Despite a great design, sharp image quality and new controls, this model isn't good for low-light situations, has subpar autofocus and doesn't offer any image stabilization. As senior reporter Steve Dent noted, maybe the GFX100RF has a higher calling. "The GFX100RF is fun to use, though, and introduces several innovations like the aspect ratio dial," he said. "Though it may never have a huge market, I think products like this push the industry in new directions and create conversations that draw new people into photography." AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT Upgrading your GPU these days isn't typically an affordable task, but AMD has a $350 option that's a solid bet for most users. "The Radeon RX 9060 XT is a reminder of a world where we didn't have to pay more than $400 to get a capable GPU," Devindra explained. "So for the vast majority of players out there - the ones who aren't using monitors with crazy high refresh rates or 4K+ resolutions - it's all the GPU you really need." Two sets of midrange earbuds: Skullcandy and Sony If you're looking for a set of wireless earbuds for under $150, we recently reviewed two options in that price range. First, Skullcandy's Method 360 ANC borrows heavily from Bose's QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, although officially it only features "sound by Bose." However, Senior buying advice reporter Jeff Dunn warns against the expectation of flagship quality performance. "This is still a tier above most budget pairs we've tested," he said. "It has nearly all the features we're looking for (unlike, say, the Beats Solo Buds), it's comfortable and the sound signature will hit right if you're hungry for bass." Sony is best known for its 1000X line of earbuds and headphones, but the company has struck gold a few times with midrange devices. Its latest, the WF-C710N, has a comfy design and a lot of features for $120. However, sound quality is where you'll notice the biggest difference between it and more expensive options. "If I had been able to hit (or even surpass) Sony's stated battery life, these earbuds would be easy to recommend," I wrote. "Despite that, they're still a solid option, especially at $120, since the company once again outpaces its midrange rivals with more convenient tools than you'll find anywhere else." Playdate Season 2 and testing ExpressVPN Playdate Season 2 will deliver two new games per week for the handheld through July 3. Weekend editor Cheyenne Macdonald has already played the first two entries, Fulcrum Defender and Dig! Dig! Dino!, and a third title that Panic also released called Blippo+. Meanwhile, senior writer Sam Chapman tested ExpressVPN, observing how the service outpaces much of the competition despite its lack of customization options and its higher price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-vw-idbuzz-weber-smoque-fujifilm-gfx100rf-and-more-133047923.html?src=rss

Panic is not messing around with Playdate's second season. After starting off Season Two on the right foot with Dig! Dig! Dino!, Fulcrum Defender and the surprise rollout of Blippo+, the team has followed through with another strong pair of games for week two. The Whiteoutand Wheelsprung are, like the week one games, polar opposites of each other: a somber, narrative-heavy post-apocalyptic adventure and a nutty dirtbike game with realistic(ish) physics.If you're looking for any throughline between them, I've got you. It's squirrels. You'll see. (Alright I may be reaching, but as both a journalist and a wildlife rehabilitator who is currently raising orphaned squirrels, just let me have this one).This week also brought an update for the "intergalactic TV service," Blippo+, and it looks like we'll be getting new content for some time to come. The Season Two team wrote in an email accompanying the latest drop that "Blippo+ itself is going to update every week for eleven (!) weeks, every Thursday at 10AM PT [1PM ET]." Once it's all over, there will be reruns. We'll get a countdown for that on week 12, the team says. Now, let's get into the new games.The WhiteoutScenic Route SoftwareMinutes into playing Scenic Route Software's The Whiteout, I became certain that this was going to be another game that would make me cry. The narrative tone is heavy, the atmosphere is bleak and absolutely nothing about it suggests that anything is going to get better... ever. It feels hopeless from the start, but you have to keep trudging along anyway. (If you've ever read The Road, the feeling should be familiar). When I finally reached the end, though, I wasn't in tears - I was totally speechless, in a "mouth hanging open, empty inside" kind of way. It's stunning.The Whiteout is narrative driven, picking up in a barren post-apocalyptic version of the US in which a snowstorm began one spring and never stopped. The events are set in current times - the onset of the snow occurred in spring 2025 - giving it an eerie, close to home kind of quality. Everything about it feels like something that could happen. As you play through its five chapters, the story is told through the playable character's musings about the past and present. It's all beautifully written, with numerous sentimental moments that felt genuinely heartbreaking.It did manage to get a few smiles out of me though; the character makes cynical quips here and there, and a nefarious bunch called The Woodpeckers comes to be known simply as "the 'peckers," which got me every time. And the appearance of a squirrel just kind of hanging out in the background served as a refreshing sign of life amid the desolation. (I wondered while playing if the squirrel was a checkpoint, but I'd have to go through it all again to figure that out for sure.)The gameplay entails mostly linear exploration, searching for resources, solving puzzles and making choices about your next moves. There's not much in the way of action, and you spend most of the game just walking with a slowness that is at times maddening. But, while I definitely would have appreciated the option to speed up even a little (a gentle jog, maybe?), the lethargy helps to illustrate how hard it would be to carry on in such conditions. Backtracking several times to get all the resources you need to progress in some areas is painfully tedious, so the relief when you do complete the action is real. Patience is key in this game.I fear some people will give up on this title early because of the pace, and I implore you not to do that. It's worth every minute. It's also worth it to play with headphones, as recommended, to really let yourself be immersed in the setting. I stayed up half the night playing and got up early the next morning to finish it, and I'm still thinking about the ending I came to. There are multiple endings according to the creators, so I'll likely dive back in for another go once I've had more time to digest. The Whiteout is without a doubt the most memorable game of both Playdate seasons to date.WheelsprungNino van Hooff & Julie BjornskovSo, you played The Whiteout and now you're depressed. The Playdate team seems to have prepared for this, because the other game that dropped this week with the second release of Season Two may as well be the antidote. Wheelsprung is cute, charming and silly as hell. It's also a pretty challenging (and frustrating) physics game, but I do love a game that pisses me off a little.The art of Wheelsprung is instantly recognizable as that of Julie Bjornskov, one of the creators of Escape the Boardgame and Escape the Arcade, which is to say it's oozing whimsy. Bjornskov made this one with programmer Nino van Hooff. The story is pretty simple: a family with a child who loves nuts - like, enough to scatter them all over the place in joy - has briefly left their home unattended, and you're a squirrel equipped with an absurdly flexible dirtbike who is on a mission to collect as many nuts as possible in their absence. There are nearly three dozen levels to complete, each of them an obstacle course you must figure out how to navigate on the two-wheeler. There's also a level editor to create your own tracks.The squirrel's dirtbike is basically a Dr. Seuss contraption, and it's capable of some pretty impressive maneuvers. Lean in either direction using the D-pad and it can do a wheelie. Hit the down arrow and it'll instantly turn you to face the other way. But you must always be conscious of your balance. Allowing the squirrel's helmet to so much as tap an obstacle will result in a run-ending wipeout, as of course will all-out crashing. This game forces you to get extremely creative to traverse complicated tracks. There's a leaderboard and ideally you want to finish with the fastest time possible, but for a handful of levels my main goal at first was just figuring out how to make it to the end at all.I don't want to give away too many hints about how to excel in this game, but I sure have spent a surprising amount of time driving my bike upside down dangling from one wheel, or rocking the bike back and forth to creep forward like an inchworm. It is absolutely ridiculous, and lots of (somewhat rage-inducing) fun.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2-review-the-whiteout-and-wheelsprung-130014285.html?src=rss

Milan Kovac, who leads Tesla's Optimus humanoid robotics program, is leaving the automaker. In a post on X, Milan talked about how he joined Tesla as an engineer for the core Autopilot team in 2016 and how he started leading the Optimus group in 2022. He explained that he's leaving his position, because he's "been far away from home for too long and will need to spend more time with family abroad." Kovac stressed that it was the only reason he's leaving and that his support for Elon Musk and the Tesla team was "ironclad," perhaps insinuating that his decision had nothing to do with Musk's politics or recent fallout with the president.Tesla first announced that it was working on a humanoid robot in 2021, though it wasn't able to debut an actual prototype until a year a later in 2022. Musk said back then Optimus will be able to move at 5 mph and carry loads up to 45 pounds. He also said that he expects it to sell for $20,000 each when built at volume and claimed that the machines can give the company a $25 trillion market cap. Since then, Tesla has demonstrated Optimus' ability to handle an egg, cook meals, fold the laundry and throw the trash. The robot doesn't have a solid release date yet. Musk said back in April that the robot's production had been affected by China's export restrictions of rare earth magnets, so it's most likely not going to be anytime soon.Bloomberg, which reported Kovac's departure first, said he's leaving the company immediately. Ashok Elluswamy, who's leading the company's Autopilot group, is taking over his responsibilities.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-head-of-teslas-optimus-humanoid-robot-program-leaves-the-company-120015282.html?src=rss

One of the best things about an indie game showcase is that you'll see at least one preview that makes you think "huh?" and "lol!" in equal parts. For the Day of the Devs presentation at Summer Games Fest 2025, Tire Boy definitely fits the bill. Mechanics-wise, it's an open-world action-adventure game, which is pretty standard fare. However, like the name says, you play it all out as a tiny anthropomorphized tire. It looks super goofy, but in a way that might also be super great.The trio from GameTeam6 who presented the early build of the game explained that they wanted to do some odd things with scale in the world, and that's definitely been accomplished. Most other characters tower over little Tire Boy, whether they're a friendly owl, an enemy frog or just a really big heckin bunny. But there's also some sweetness promised as Tire Boy tries to uncover the secrets of his past and his tire people. It's the sort of wacky combination that can be a lot of fun in practice.The studio has a ways to go before it's ready to play; they didn't suggest any time frames for a demo or release window, but Tire Boy can be wishlisted on Steam if you want to keep tabs on this quirky project.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tire-boy-is-a-wacky-open-world-adventure-game-you-can-tread-all-over-000036605.html?src=rss

There's a new puzzle game in town, and this one tackles remote work and corporate data manipulation. Pocket Boss is coming to Steam and the developers just dropped a trailer during the Day of the Devs showcase event, which is part of Summer Game Fest.Pocket Boss casts players as an employee working remotely, trapped by the whims of an ever-demanding boss. The game is primarily set inside of a chat window, though the puzzle element kicks in when the aforementioned job creator demands changes to data in order to maximize profits and erase competitors.When that happens, the perspective shifts to a minigame. There looks to be plenty of different designs here. One game involves flinging a competitor's market share off of the screen, while another has players navigate a physical representation of the stock market without crashing. It's like a corporation-soaked take on the WarioWare franchise.The game is published by Playables, which is the studio behind the novel-looking Time Flies and the interactive cartoon KIDS. We don't have a release date for Pocket Boss just yet.PlayablesOf course, this is just one game announced during the beefy Day of the Devs stream, and that's just one event of many throughout Summer Game Fest. It's a good time to be someone who likes to read and watch trailers about upcoming video games.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/pocket-boss-turns-corporate-data-manipulation-into-a-puzzle-game-000042457.html?src=rss

Relooted is a heist game about reclaiming African artifacts from the Western countries that stole them, developed by independent South African studio Nyamakop. Relooted is set in a future timeline where Western nations have signed a treaty to return plundered items to their African regions of origin, but things aren't going to plan. Western leaders are instead hiding the artifacts away in private collections, so it's up to a ragtag crew based in Johannesburg, South Africa, to strategize and steal them back.Relooted is broken into missions, and each one includes a briefing about the artifact, an infiltration planning stage, and the heist. Gameplay is a mix of puzzle and action as you case each building, set up your run, and then execute the plan. Once you grab your target artifact, the security alarms go off and you have a limited amount of time to escape, so thorough preparation is key.In the Day of the Devs reveal video for Relooted, producer Sithe Ncube cites a wild statistic from a pivotal 2018 report on African cultural heritage, saying, "90 percent of sub-Saharan African culture heritage is in the possession of Western collections. That is millions upon millions of deeply important cultural, spiritual and personal artifacts, including human remains, that aren't in their rightful place."The locations in Relooted are fictional, but the 70 artifacts you have to steal back are real, and they're all currently in Western and private collections, far from their original homes and owners.Nyamakop is one of the largest independent games studios in sub-Saharan Africa, with about 30 developers working on Relooted right now. Its previous game, the globular platformer Semblance, was the first African-developed IP to ever come to a Nintendo console, hitting the Switch in 2018. In order to get Semblance on the Switch, Nyamakop co-founder Ben Myres had to bootstrap his way around the world, buying one-way tickets and finding new partners on the fly in a daisy chain of game festival appearances. Here's how Myres explained it to Engadget at E3 2018:"The entry curve into being an indie game developer in South Africa is like a cliff face. Because you don't have the contacts, the platform holders like Xbox, Sony. You don't have reps that live in your country. The press that matter are all here. There isn't a big enough market locally to sell to, so you have to make works to sell to the West, which means you have to go to Western shows and you have to meet Western press. So basically, if you're not traveling a ton, you're not going to be able to make it."Nyamakop has grown significantly since 2018, and Relooted is an unabashedly African game built by a majority-POC team, Myres and Ncube said in 2024."There is the thing about making games for Africans - we say that a lot," Ncube told GamesIndustry.biz. "We say that should be a thing, we should make games for Africans because we're playing games that were made in the West. But will people even play those games, if you make them? And then if you make games targeting people ... even if you were to make one that's really good, there's no guarantee that you'll have a lot of people playing it. So I think there's some level of confusion, I can say, in terms of unexplored aspects of the African games market."Relooted is in development for Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox Series X/S, and while it doesn't yet have a firm release date, it's available to wishlist.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/rescue-african-artifacts-from-colonizers-museums-in-the-heist-game-relooted-000035161.html?src=rss