No jokers here! Indie roguelike deckbuilding game Balatro from solo developer LocalThunk has taken the potat the 25th annualGame Developers Choice Awardson Wednesdaywinner four awards over the course of the night, including Best Debut and Game of the Year.LocalThunk and PlaystacksBalatrois a unique spin on poker, with players having to build unique decks with a variety of distinct cards to score points and defeat "blinds" within the roguelike gameplay. The game was originally released on PC and consoles in February 2024, and was later brought to MacOS, iOS and Android.In addition to the highly coveted Game of the Year award, the title also secured the win for Best Debut, Best Design, and the Innovation Award.Astro Bot,developed by PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, received two awards for Best Audio and Best Technology. The 3D platforming adventure is a love letter to the many iconic characters and worlds from PlayStations wide roster of franchises, and has been widely praised for its unique and energetic level design, incredible soundtrack, smart integration with the PlayStation 5s hardware and charming aesthetics.Other winners of the night included Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science), which received Best Visual Art, Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS) which won Best Narrative, Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix) which was honored with the Social Impact Award, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) which received the Audience Award.Related:This year, the Game Developers Choice Awards honored writer and director Sam Lake with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer of Alan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awardsincluding Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards.Lucas Pope, well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, was the well-deserving recipient of the Pioneer Award. Pope is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Papers, Please was highly lauded across the board, winning the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival and several awards at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, along with a BAFTA Games Award for Best Strategy and Simulation Game. Return of the Obra Dinn was also heavily praised by critics, again winning Pope the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the IGF Awards, along with several trophies from the Game Developers Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards, and BAFTA Games Awards.Related:The 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards winners are:Best DebutBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)Best Visual ArtBlack Myth: Wukong (Game Science)Best AudioAstro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Best NarrativeMetaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)Social Impact AwardLife is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix)Innovation AwardBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)Best TechnologyAstro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Best DesignBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)Audience AwardFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)Game of the YearBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)Pioneer AwardLucas PopeLifetime Achievement AwardSam LakeThe GDCA ceremony took place as part of the 2025 Game Developers Conference, taking place in San Franciscos Moscone Convention Center. Winners were selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only organization, composed of leading game creators from all parts of the industry.Related:GDC 2025 is happening now in San Francisco, come join us! Check out ourPasses & Prices,and follow the#GDC2025hashtag onBlueskyandLinkedIn.Subscribe to the GDCnewsletterandRSSfeed.Get regular updates onGDC social mediaincluding Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

The European Union has outlined exactly how Apple needs to improve the interoperability of iOS, and the guidance reveals which features could be available to other smartwatches, headphones, and speakers.The specifications adopted by the European Commission on Tuesday explain exactly how Apple needs to open iPhone and iPad operating systems to comply with the blocs Digital Markets Act (DMA) law, and involves two sets of different measures. One is focused on improving the application process for developers who request interoperability with Apples ecosystem. The other is more exciting for iPhone and iPad users, as it specifically outlines nine iOS-exclusive connectivity features that Apple needs to make available for other platforms to use the vast majority of which need to be opened up by the end of 2025 at the latest, according to the EU ruling.One of the standouts is opening access to iOS notifications, which will finally allow third-party smartwatches to display and interact with them in a manner currently only available on Apple Watch devices. A feature that allows apps to run in the background without interruption will also enable third-party devices to more reliably collect information like news and weather updates from connected iPhones. Features like SharePlay and audio-switching capabilities that allow Apple headphones to automatically jump between different devices (switching from playing music on an iPad to receiving an incoming call on iPhones, for example) must be made available on third-party earphones and headsets, sparing iPhone users from needing to buy AirPods. Apple also needs to let devices use the same high-bandwidth iPhone connections currently only available on Apple hardware, which could improve connectivity on third-party VR headsets. Other platforms will also be able to send and receive data via AirDrop and AirPlay when connected with an Apple device, and iOS will need to support alternative services to both AirDrop and AirPlay. Additional improvements expected for third-party devices include making them easier for iPhone users to set up without downloading a companion app, automatically connecting to Wi-Fi networks via iPhones, and easily receiving contactless payment credentials via NFC transfer. These requirements are legally binding and must be applied for Apple to meet its DMA obligations. Apple risks facing a non-compliance investigation that could eventually result in hefty fines of up to ten percent of Apples annual turnover if the EU finds Apple violating DMA rules by not implementing the guidance by its deadlines.Apple has the opportunity to fight the decisions, subject to judicial review. Such opposition seems likely, given Apple said in a statement to The Verge that the EUs requirements are bad for our products and for our European users. The EU seems confident that its ruling will force the company to open up its walled iOS garden for other platform developers, however.See More:

Microsoft revealed earlier this year that its combining the best of Xbox and Windows together for handhelds, and now the company is starting to drop the first hints at what that UI might look like. In a blog post about Xbox opening a billion doors, Microsoft briefly revealed a new Xbox UI that looks a lot more console-like across multiple devices and even appears to list Steam games.After briefly posting an image of a new Xbox UI across multiple devices, Microsoft quickly removed it once The Verge inquired about it. The image has a new Xbox UI that can be seen on a TV, where you can clearly see the Steam label listed. The same UI, with the Steam mention, is also shown on the tablet and handheld versions.While the image appears to be a mockup, with owned games listed twice as well as action-adventure titles, I dont think the Steam label here is necessarily a mistake. Sources familiar with Microsofts plans tell me that the company is currently working on an Xbox app update that will show every game you have installed on your PC. That includes games from Steam and the Epic Games Store, and I understand Microsoft will label these games accordingly.Im told Microsoft is still in the early stages of this Xbox app update, so the company might never ship the feature to list all your Steam games, but this mocked up image shows how they might show up eventually. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has also previously hinted that PC stores like Epic Games Store and Itch.io could one day arrive on Xbox consoles.I asked Microsoft to comment on the appearance of this Xbox app UI, but the company didnt respond in time for publication.

The widespread adoption of Large Language Models (LLMs) has significantly changed the landscape of content creation and consumption. However, it has also introduced critical challenges regarding accuracy and factual reliability. The content generated by LLMs often includes claims that lack proper verification, potentially leading to misinformation. Therefore, accurately extracting claims from these outputs for effective fact-checking has become essential, albeit challenging due to inherent ambiguities and context dependencies.Microsoft AI Research has recently developed Claimify, an advanced claim-extraction method based on LLMs, specifically designed to enhance accuracy, comprehensiveness, and context-awareness in extracting claims from LLM outputs. Claimify addresses the limitations of existing methods by explicitly dealing with ambiguity. Unlike other approaches, it identifies sentences with multiple possible interpretations and only proceeds with claim extraction when the intended meaning is clearly determined within the given context. This careful approach ensures higher accuracy and reliability, particularly benefiting subsequent fact-checking efforts.From a technical standpoint, Claimify employs a structured pipeline comprising three key stages: Selection, Disambiguation, and Decomposition. During the Selection stage, Claimify leverages LLMs to identify sentences that contain verifiable information, filtering out those without factual content. In the Disambiguation stage, it uniquely focuses on detecting and resolving ambiguities, such as unclear references or multiple plausible interpretations. Claims are extracted only if ambiguities can be confidently resolved. The final stage, Decomposition, involves converting each clarified sentence into precise, context-independent claims. This structured process enhances both the accuracy and completeness of the resulting claims.In evaluations using the BingCheck datasetwhich covers a broad range of topics and complex LLM-generated responsesClaimify demonstrated notable improvements over previous methods. It achieved a high entailment rate of 99%, indicating a strong consistency between the extracted claims and the original content. Regarding coverage, Claimify captured 87.6% of verifiable content while maintaining a high precision rate of 96.7%, outperforming comparable approaches. Its systematic approach to decontextualization also ensured that essential contextual details were retained, resulting in better-grounded claims compared to prior methods.Overall, Claimify represents a meaningful advancement in the automated extraction of reliable claims from LLM-generated content. By methodically addressing ambiguity and contextuality through a structured and careful evaluation framework, Claimify establishes a new standard for accuracy and reliability. As reliance on LLM-produced content continues to grow, tools like Claimify will play an increasingly crucial role in ensuring the trustworthiness and factual integrity of this content.Check outthe Paper and Technical details.All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,feel free to follow us onTwitterand dont forget to join our80k+ ML SubReddit.The post Microsoft AI Introduces Claimify: A Novel LLM-based Claim-Extraction Method that Outperforms Prior Solutions to Produce More Accurate, Comprehensive, and Substantiated Claims from LLM Outputs appeared first on MarkTechPost.

Sony has confirmed The Last of Us Part II Remastered PC specs ahead of its April 3 release date, PSN sign-in incentives, and announced new content coming to No Return Mode across PC and PlayStation 5.In a post on the PlayStation Blog, developer Naughty Dog listed the features that support studios Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy helped bring to the PC version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered, which arrives a year after the PlayStation 5 version.The Last of Us Part II Remastered PC features:Nvidia DLSS 3 Super Resolution supportAMD FSR 3.1 and AMD FSR 4 support with upscaling and frame generationVSync and framerate cap options, including an uncapped framerate optionDirectStorage supportAdjustable Texture QualityLOD Distance RangeVolumetric QualityShadow QualityAmbient OcclusionReflections QualityTheres also support for Ultrawide monitors, so you can play in 21:9 ultra-wide, 32:9 super ultra-wide, and even 48:9 resolutions with compatibility for triple-monitor setups. As youd expect, you can play in 4K resolution, with various supported controllers as well as keyboard and mouse controls. Theres 3D audio, too.Keyboard and mouse control support includes new control customization options, including full control remapping, primary and secondary bindings for keyboard and mouse control, and an adaptive mode that allows players to combine keyboard and controller inputs. Theres full gamepad support, while DualSense controllers feature full haptic feedback.The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC offers a wide range of graphics settings and presets, to ensure the best possible experience on hardware ranging from high-end PCs to handheld gaming devices, Sony said.The Last of Us Part 2 PC specs:TLOU 2 Remastered PC specs. Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.Moving on to No Return mode, two new characters are being added: The Last of Us Part Is Bill and Marlene.Heres the official blurb from Sony:Like with each No Return combatant, these characters offer their own unique playstyles, and should offer both new and returning fans an exciting new opportunity to test their mettle. Bill is a Smuggler playstyle who can access a custom pump shotgun from dead drops, and receives double rewards from drops as well. Hes stronger against melee attacks but cant dodge. Marlene, meanwhile, features a Risk Taker playstyle that includes a Custom Assault Rifle, All or Nothing gambits, can reroute her No Return path once per run, and more.New characters are coming to No Return mode. Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.Four new maps are coming to No Return, too.Overlook, which is set high above the city of Seattle and features plenty of verticality, is the memorable site of a Seraphites encounter in the campaign. School is, during the campaign, the abandoned elementary school in which Ellie and Dina face off against the W.L.F. Streets is set in the overgrown Seattle neighborhood of Hillcrest, while Nest will be familiar to players who have played as Abby through an Infected-infested building. Weve been so overjoyed about the reaction to this mode since Part II Remastered debuted on PS5 last year, and we hope these new maps further offer more variability and thrills as players tackle new runs.No Return is set for four new maps. Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.All the new No Return content, plus accompanying new Trophies and additional bug fixes, will be available on PS5 day-and-date with the PC launch via a free downloadable 2.0.0 patch, Sony added.In keeping with Sonys recent PlayStation Network requirement U-turn, The Last of Us 2 Remastered on PC has an optional PSN log-in. But if you do log in to PSN, you get PlayStation overlay and PSN Trophies. As an extra incentive, Sony said those who sign in with their PSN account also get access to 50 in-game points to activate bonus features, as well as a new skin for Ellie featuring Jordan A. Muns jacket from Naughty Dogs new PS5 game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Ellie has a new skin featuring Jordan A. Muns jacket from Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.PS5 players will also be able to unlock the Jordans jacket skin, Sony clarified. Its included in the 2.0 patch and unlockable via in-game bonus points.Earlier this month, The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann shared more details about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In an interview with Alex Garland, the writer of zombie movie 28 Days Later, Druckmann talked candidly about the development process, confirming Intergalactic has been in the works for four years."I joke about this with the team. We made a game, The Last of Us 2, we made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate that game," Druckmann said, to which Garland joked: "Who gives a shit?""Exactly," Druckmann added. "But the joke is like, you know what, let's do something that people won't care as much about let's make a game about faith and religion."Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which stars Tati Gabrielle as Jordan A. Mun, takes place in an alternate historical timeline and features a "pretty prominent religion" that has "changed and bastardized and evolved" over the years, Druckmann said.The PC version of The Last of Us 2 Remastered arrives ahead of Season 2 of HBO's hit TV adaptation. Showrunners Druckmann and Craig Mazin have confirmed spores are back following their omission from Season 1.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Amanda Peet is not her character Dianne in Fantasy Life. While the fictional creation bears some similarities of also being an actress and facing the eternal insecurities and foibles of this industry, Peet is not a person so stricken with anxiety that it caused her to be away from the screen. In fact, Peet works constantly, including on shows like Brockmire, Togetherness, and The Chair, the latter a Netflix series she co-created. Still, when we sit down to discuss Dianne and everything else about Fantasy Life, a Matthew Shear comedy-drama which would go on to see Peet win the SXSW Special Jury Prize for Performance, she notes there are certain overlaps.I found out its been 10 years, Peet admits to us when considering how Fantasy Life is the first time shes been on the big screen in a minute. I didnt know that, and it wasnt really a happy moment. Nonetheless, it was a happy moment to be there in Austin with a role she was proud of and a collaborator who believed in her.I want to thank you here publicly for giving me my middle-age break, she says half-jokingly to Shear before adding, perhaps more earnestly, Its like youre my Jewish grandmother right now.Shear, taking it in stride, quips, Im definitely a grandmother type.Hes certainly a filmmaking type with an emerging voice. While Fantasy Life marks his first time in both the writer and directors chair, Shear has also been working prolifically as an actor over the past decade, including in Noah Baumbachs Mistress America and The Meyerowitz Stories and M. Night Shyamalans Old. Still, he concedes he was stepping into a personal space when he conceived of the story of Sam in Fantasy Life, a thirtysomething paralegal with such crippling anxiety that he winds up working as a nanny for Dianne and David (Alessandro Nivola), two well-to-do creatives living with three young daughters in a Brooklyn brownstone.It was really this hybrid creative exercise where I was bringing a lot of myself into the story but also having a lot of fun finding tangents that were kind of dramatic and fun, Shear says about the genesis of Fantasy Life. Hence creating a protagonist so insecure and anxious that in one of the first scenes, Sam admits to his psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch) that he is a Jewish man terrified by the idea of having Antisemitic thoughts.That was a good expression of obsessive compulsive disorder, Shear muses. Theres a tendency to go into thinking that is so opposite to your moral sense [that youre almost] challenging your ability to tolerate it. It kind of scared me and amused me.It was also the scene that won over Peet to do the movie.I mean it really felt like Matthew wrote [the role] for me, Peet says. But when I read it, I was bowled over and wanted to get at it as soon as possible. As soon as I read the shrink scene where hes having these intrusive, self-hating Jewish intrusive thoughts, I went, Im in!In the film, Dianne and David are obviously in different stages of their lives. Theyre happy(ish), if perhaps a little complacent and beset by what could be called midlife ennui.David is just completely distracted by whats going on in his own life, Nivola says about the state of the marriage when the characters first meet Shears Sam. He is like an amiable guy and he likes Sam and treats him almost like a confidant when they first meet, almost winking at him like theyve known each other all their lives, but he leaves him completely unprepared for the job of looking after his children.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!As Nivola muses about the nature of the piece, One of the nice things about the movie is that the film has compassion for all the characters in it, even when they do stupid stuff. there is a feeling that these are good people who are kind of suffering.Suffering is, indeed, perhaps the best way to explain the unlikely connection discovered between Sam and Dianne. While not entirely romantic, per se, these two people find unlikely kinship in the fact that the world does not see them suffer from feelings of alienation, loneliness, or even panic.Sam is in this pretty lost place where hes just been fired from his job [and] hes just mixed up and falls into this job babysitting, Shear considers. Its kind of like being a fish out of water, like he thinks this is the worst fit in the world, but then it quickly becomes maybe the best fit in the world. And that comes to a head when he finds Dianne and realizes that he has this almost spiritual connection to her that is sometimes unspoken, and it develops into a friendship that has sort of romantic touches to it.It transforms into what might be a fantasy life for both peoplealbeit one no less messy or complicated than the real thing.Fantasy Life premiered at the SXSW Film and TV Festival on March 8.

At Xbox, our goal is to empower as many people as possible to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want, in a way that works for them. This includes the more than 429 million players with some form of disability, who may rely on a variety of accessibility hardware such as the recently launched Xbox Adaptive Joystick and features to get the most from their gaming.For many players, it can be a challenge not having a common and consistent language to describe the accessibility features within different video games. To help solve this, Xbox introduced its Game Accessibility Feature Tags back in November 2021.But we want to do more, and today at Game Developers Conference (GDC), Xbox proudly joined forces with Electronic Arts, Google, Nintendo of America, Ubisoft and other gaming companies to announce that it is a member of the new Accessible Games Initiative.This initiative, helmed by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), strives to provide players with clear information about the accessibility features in video games through a set of tags that players can use to identify the features available in a specific game, before they make a purchase.To ensure there is no duplication between tags, and every tag adds unique value for players, Xbox will replace existing Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags with their equivalent Accessible Games Initiative tags. Any Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags that do not have equivalent Accessible Games Initiative tags will remain on our platform. This combination of tags will make it even easier for players with disabilities to find their next great game and understand the accessibility features available to play.We are excited to be part of the Accessible Games Initiative and happy to share our years of learnings from our Xbox Game Accessibility Feature Tags to help inform these new tags, alongside our partners. As with any advancements made that enable more people to play, we are thrilledto see more steps being taken in the name of inclusion and greater standardization of accessibility in games. We hope thiscollaborative effort across multiple gaming companies signals the power of accessibility to connect people, bring joy, and build community to the rest of the industry.In the same way, we hope the Accessible Games Initiative emboldens game developers to not only implement these tags in the name of inclusion, but inspires them to consider building more accessibility into their games as a result.Xbox is working with developers around the world to implement Accessible Games Initiative tags across participating titles. Once ready, players will be able to find both sets of tags in a variety of digital Xbox experiences.In the meantime, players can find the descriptions for each tag on the Accessible Games Initiative website. With the Accessible Games Initiative tags, players no longer need to worry about guessing what a tag means for each individual game, and you can know exactly what to expect before you buy a game.Stay tuned for more information. Visit www.accessiblegames.com to explore the tags and learn more.

As we touched on earlier this week, there are now over 1,000 developers utilizing Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA) for their games, bringing their amazing experiences to players across a variety of devices they own.If youve never heard of XPA before, let us give you a refresher: when you buy a digital game that supports XPA through the Xbox Store or the Windows Store, its available to play on your Xbox console, Windows 10/11 PC, and supported handheld gaming devices at no additional cost. Even better, your progression comes with you across all platforms.While the benefits of XPA for players are clear, we wanted to show you how developers have embraced this feature for their games. At this years annual ID@Xbox Showcase event at GDC, we chatted with the teams behind upcoming XPA games Clair Obsur: Expedition 33, Detective Dotson, and Towerborne to learn more about what influenced their decision to implement this feature and what benefits it may hold for their gaming communities.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33I mean, I think for us its all about discovery, says Detective Dotson Director Sharlin Shodhan. Making a game is hard enough, but selling a game in 2025 is super hard. This just gives us all the surfaces that Xbox and Microsoft have as a common access point to sell our game.In chatting more with Shodhan, he cites that being able to connect with players across multiple platforms is a key benefit in supporting Xbox Play Anywhere. Having all types of players access their game, and know that it can be played on multiple owned devices, is important for them because it widens the surface where people can access it and thus share it.The upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, launching day one with Game Pass on April 24, will also support Xbox Play Anywhere at launch. Again, allowing a variety of gaming communities on different platforms to come together thanks to XPA was seen as a tremendous benefit, especially for a new studio.Forming new friendships with players who are discovering our game is really the most we can hope for, explains Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Producer and Studio Co-founder Franois Meurisse. Having players able to play our game on different devices they already have at home is ideal. This helps them discover the game and feel a link with the universe, to the characters, and maybe even follow-up [for] future games [we make].Detective DotsonOther teams I talked to had Xbox Play Anywhere on their mind from the get-go. In talking with Towerborne Game Director Daniel McLaren, whose game is focused heavily on co-op, implementing XPA was necessary so anyone could join their community, whether theyre on PC or Xbox.We have built a game structured around playing together. From couch co-op to online co-op, or even just sitting by yourself with someone next to you telling you how to play. We needed to implement Xbox Play Anywhere so that anyone could join our community, whether theyre on PC or Xbox, says McLaren. No matter how you access your Xbox, be it through Game Pass or direct purchase, it was important for us to make sure we had the maximum number of players able to sit down anywhere, anytime, and just be able to play together.And its not just about utilizing XPA to connect with their gaming communities. As players themselves, these developers are also huge fans of what it means to play games they own with their friends and family, then taking that learned experience to implement into their games. In chatting more with McLaren, having XPA as an option to play across platforms is a huge benefit both personally and professionally.Well, the fact that I dont have to segregate my audience [is what I like most about the Xbox Play Anywhere feature]. When trying to build an online game, It [would be]s absurd that I cant sit down at my PC on some games and play with my buddy, who is not a PC person at all, who only has an Xbox console, it just boggles my mind. So, being able to do this I dont understand why everybody wouldnt do it, McLaren says.TowerborneShodhan also looks at it from a player perspective. This is how it should be: If I own a game and several devices, the developer will want me to play their game on as many devices as possible without paying each time or having to go through different store procedures. So, I think thats the ideal player experience, and thats why Im happy to support this for our players and make it a great experience.As a player and a Game Pass member, I really enjoyed the experience, says Meurisse. I havent got a Steam Deck yet but being able to play games on my iPad (with Xbox Cloud Gaming) while in bed is fantastic. The bigger screen of the iPad, combined with a controller, makes for an enjoyable gaming experience.Xbox Play Anywhere offers incredible convenience to players and a strong benefit to developers in fostering a cross-platform community for their games. And only having to purchase a game once to play it on both Xbox and PC is a huge perk for playing on Xbox, wherever you are. When youre a developer, at the end of the day, you just want more people to play your game XPA is here to help make that happen.

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: Siri shake-ups, iOS 19 goals, C2 modem, and new Apple displays. Here are this weeks Apple rumors.Siri shake-ups at AppleEarlier today, Mark Gurman reported that Apple was making a major change to Siris leadership within the company.Siri will no longer be part of Apples AI team with ultimate leadership from John Giannandrea. Instead, Craig Federighi is now the top exec overseeing Siri.Even more significant, however, is that John Rockwell is being moved out of leading the Vision group to now own day-to-day management of Siri instead. As part of the shake-up, a second key Rockwell veteran is moving to the Siri teamjoining Kim Vorrath.My takeawaysThis is a major change for Apple. And while Mike Rockwell might seem like a surprising choice to lead Siri, there have been rumblings that the Vision Pro creator has for years been angling to see Siri fixed.Perhaps my biggest takeaway, which Ill flesh out in a separate article, is that Siri finally has the kind of top-tier Apple leader in charge of it that can help it thrive. Rockwell may not have an AI background, but tasking such a major internal leader with management of Siri shows Apple taking the assistant very seriously.iOS 19 redesign goalsOver the weekend, Mark Gurman reported on Apples internal efforts around the new iOS 19 design in his Power On newsletter.First, Apples apparent goals for iOS 19 involve making it simpler to use, faster to navigate and easier to learn. It will also need to be ready for upcoming new designs, such as next years foldable iPhone, and optimized for an era of AI assistants.The piece also mentions that top Apple executives say they are confident that users will love the new look and feel. My takeawaysiOS 19 sounds like its attempting something very difficult, but also important. It aims to make Apples software ready to serve modern and future needs while also offering a fresh level of simplicity and ease for users.Thats a very risky proposition in my mind, but one that could pay off big if Apple succeeds.Multiple new displays in the works, not just Studio DisplayMark Gurman wrote recently about Apple having a new Studio Display in the works. It will reportedly launch later this yearlikely alongside the M5 MacBook Proor else early next year.But Gurman also added that Apple has a second new display being developed. Its codename is J527 while the expected Studio Display 2 is J427. He writes: here are two possibilities: Apple is developing both and will choose one to launch, or its a second model with a different screen size or set of specifications.My takeawaysIm very much looking forward to grabbing a new Studio Display when it does arrive, but this second monitor in development is especially curious. The simplest answer is that its a new Pro Display XDR, but the J527 codename being so similar to that of the Studio Display makes that seem unlikely. I suspect Gurmans first guess is right, and Apple is still prototyping two different approaches for its next Studio Display but will only launch one.C2 coming to iPhone 18 Pro modelsAnalyst Jeff Pu shared this week that he expects Apples next generation 5G modemthe C2to arrive next year. Rather than launching the C2 in all devices, he believes Apple will include it in the high-end iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.My takeawaysIm fairly skeptical of this rumor. Largely because I suspect Pu is basing his belief on a prior Bloomberg report about Apple bringing the C2 to higher-end iPhones. Theres nothing in that original report, though, about this happening to the exclusion of other iPhone models.Its certainly possible Apple will use its new in-house modems to differentiate iPhone models more than it has before. For example, putting the C1 in the entry iPhone 18, and C2 in the 18 Pro models. But right now, I dont think we have any solid evidence thats going to happen. Apple adding the C2 to the full iPhone 18 line seems a safer bet.What are your takeaways from this weeks Apple rumors? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Believe it or not, Apples 2025 iPad lineup is actually much less confusing than in years past. Although, with four main modelsthe iPad (11th Gen), iPad Mini 7, M3 iPad Air, and M4 iPad Prothere is still plenty of nuance to understand to make sure you make the right choice. But the reality is that all iPads handle about 90% of the same tasks, such as web browsing, note-taking, streaming, app ecosystem, and creative and professional work, and they all even have the same design language. Its that final 10%the extra power, display technology, better efficiencies, and accessoriesthat makes the difference.This guide will break down each iPads strengths, who its best for, and how to make the best decision for your use cases!Before we get into it, I am fully aware that you can find cheaper or better value iPads in the used and refurbished market. But this guide will focus on Apples latest and newest iPads.I wanted a way to illustrate the idea that most of the iPad experience can be had at the cheapest level of iPad, and the best way to do that was with the iPad buying triangle. Where the bottom of this triangle focuses on the commonalities across all iPads, and as you move up the triangle, you add the software and hardware features you gain by going to a higher-tier iPad. So, to simplify the iPad line this is how we did it:Base Tier This tier represents what all iPads have in common, regardless of price. Every iPad runs iPadOS 18, features a USB-C port, shares a similar design language, and supports some form of Apple Pencil and keyboard. 90% of the iPad experience falls into this tierMid Tier At this level, iPads start adding more premium features. This introduces a significant power boost. These models support Stage Manager for advanced multitasking, Apple Intelligence is available, and Apple Pencil Pro with hover support and better accessory compatibility, making them a step up from the base model but still not as fully capable as the Pro models.Top Tier Sitting at the peak of the pyramid, the iPad Pro is the only model that does everything. It has the M4 chip for extreme performance, ProMotion (120Hz refresh rate) for the best display experience, Thunderbolt connectivity, and Face ID. Each tier builds on the last, meaning that while all iPads can handle the basic iPad experience, only the highest-tier models can do it all. Understanding this structure makes deciding which iPad best fits your needs easier.What all iPads have in common Before diving into the differences, its important to mention what all iPads share. As I continue to say, these common features make up most of the iPad experience. iPadOS 18 The latest version of iPadOS runs on all models, offering the same core software experience.USB-C Charging Every iPad now uses USB-C, making charging and accessory compatibility more universal.Apple Pencil & Keyboard Support While compatibility varies, all iPads work with an Apple Pencil and some form of keyboard.Great App Ecosystem Every iPad runs powerful apps for productivity, creativity, and entertainment.Now, lets look at the differences.Who its for: Students, casual users, families, educators, Chip: A16Display: 10.9 LCDFeatures: TouchID, USB-C, iPadOS 18 supportOptions: 4 colors, 3 storage options, wifi and cellularAccessory support: Apple pencil gen 1, Apple pencil USB-C & Magic Keyboard FolioBest Use Cases: Web browsing, schoolwork, media consumption, light gamingWhats Missing: Apple intelligence, Stage manager, external display support, Thunderbolt, ProMotion, etcPrice: Starts at $329The 11th Gen iPad is the most affordable option, making it great for students, kids, and casual users. Its powerful enough for everyday tasks, creative work, business work, and daily management but lacks the premium features of higher-end models.Who its for: Professionals, creatives, students needing more powerChip: M3Display: Liquid RetinaFeatures: Apple Intelligence, Touch ID, Stage manager, Extended monitor support, Hover supportOptions: two sizes (11in and 13in), four colors, four storage options, wifi and cellularAccessory support: Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil USB-C, Magic Keyboard compatibilityBest Use Cases: Multitasking, moderate creative work, productivityWhats Missing: High-end hardware like Thunderbolt port, Tandem OLED display, ProMotion, LiDARPrice: Starts at $549The iPad Air is the best option for those who want more power without paying for an iPad Pro. An M3 chip can handle demanding apps like Photoshop, Lumafusion, Affinity Photo, and Final Cut Pro while still being portable and relatively affordable. Its a fantastic balance of price and performance.Who its for: Power users, pixel peepers, professionals, creative industry workersChip: M4 with up to 16GB of RAMDisplay: Tandem OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, Nano-textured (Option)Features: Apple Intelligence, Stage manager, Extended monitor support, Hover support, Thunderbolt support, ProMotion, LiDAROptions: two sizes (11in and 13in), two colors, four storage options, two display options, wifi and cellularAccessory support: Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil USB-C, Magic Keyboard compatibilityBest Use Cases: Video editing, 3D modeling, high-end creative workWhats Missing: NOTHINGPrice: Starts at $909The iPad Pro is designed for professionals who need the best performance possible. Whether youre editing 4K video, using multiple pro apps at once, or working with 3D models, the M4 chip and ProMotion display make this the ultimate iPad experience. But one thing I will note, is that you are mostly paying for the hardware here. The m3 iPad Air can do 99% of what the M4 iPad Pro can do from a software perspective. But the iPad Pro has all the premium hardware. So if you want the best of the best from hardware and software and budget is no issue, then this is the best iPad!Who its for: Travelers, note-takers, handheld users, pretty much anyoneChip: A17 ProDisplay: 8.3 Liquid RetinaFeatures: Apple Intelligence, Touch ID, Stage manager, Extended monitor support, Hover supportOptions: four colors, three storage options, wifi and cellularAccessory support: Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil USB-CBest Use Cases: Reading, sketching, one-handed use, portable gamingPrice: Starting at $399 ($100 off!)I didnt forget about the iPad mini! This has to be the most unique one because it can be used in any situation. You can read, game, note take, do creative task, run image playgrounds, and more. There is no real wrong situation to use this in unless you re trying to do some crazy video editing on it. But even then it will work just slower than an Air or a Pro. That is why its the floater iPad in my opinion, you either get it for a very specific use case based on the portability or you get it just to add to your workflow. Final thoughtsSo, to sum it all up, I broke it down below as simply as I could so you can glance and make a decision!Need a budget-friendly option for basic tasks? Get the 11th gen iPad.Want the most portable and compact option? The iPad Mini is perfect.Looking for the best balance of power and price? The M3 iPad Air is the way to go.Need the absolute best performance and display? M4 iPad Pro is the top choice.I am an iPad Pro user, and I will always be an iPad Pro user, even if I dont technically need all that power. But its nice to know that every iPad can handle the basics, and the best choice depends on your specific needs. Hopefully, this guide helped make your decision a little easier! Let me know in the comments which iPad youre choosing and why!Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel