Intel's Arc B570 is a scaled-down version of the B580 GPU we reviewed about a month ago. The B580 is a budget-minded GPU that really impressed us when we first tested it, but since then things have soured a bit.First and foremost, the discovery of a major overhead issue that negatively impacts performance in CPU-demanding games, particularly when paired with older or slower CPUs. While the B580 is still very usable with a CPU like, say the Ryzen 5 5600, it does result in noticeably slower performance than we initially expected. This shortcoming obviously hurts the overall value of Intel's new GPUs. We have since re-tested the B580 and today's review will incorporate updated data to evaluate the B570.The second issue has been availability. Even a few weeks after launch, the Arc B580 remains frustratingly difficult to find in stock. This is not a great start for Intel's latest GPU lineup, and we will discuss this issue further later in the review.The new Arc B570 is priced at $220, which is only $30 less than the B580. It is based on the same 272mm2 die, but the Xe core count has been reduced by 10%, from 20 to 18. Additionally, the peak core clock has been reduced by 4%, from 2,850 MHz to 2,750 MHz.The memory subsystem has also been downgraded to a 160-bit wide memory bus, which reduces the VRAM buffer to 10 GB. Despite using the same 19 Gbps memory, the memory bandwidth has been reduced by 17%, down to 380 GB/s.In a nutshell, the Arc B570 features a 10% reduction in cores, a 4% decrease in frequency, 20% less VRAM, and 17% less memory bandwidth. All of this comes with a small 12% reduction in price, which could present challenges for the B570's competitiveness. However, we need to examine its performance before drawing any conclusions, so let's dive into that.Gaming BenchmarksMarvel RivalsFirst, we have Marvel Rivals. Here, the B570 roughly matched the performance of the RTX 4060 at native 1440p, achieving 60 fps. This makes it 12% slower than the B580 and 25% faster than the RX 7600.Switching to the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 remained 11% slower than the B580. However, it also became 8% slower than the RTX 4060 and just 10% faster than the RX 7600.When upscaling is enabled on the 5600, performance levels out across the board. However, the B570 emerges as the slowest GPU tested, rendering 82 fps, which is 7% slower than the RX 7600.Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorNext, we have Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. At native 1440p, the B570 was 14% slower than the B580, regardless of whether it was paired with the 9800X3D or the 5600. This performance placed it on par with the RTX 4060 and RX 7600. However, enabling upscaling left it 9% slower than the B580 and 8% slower than the Radeon and GeForce GPUs.Marvel's Spider-Man RemasteredSpider-Man Remastered continues to expose the Arc GPUs' overhead issues, especially when paired with lower-end CPUs. At native 1440p with the 9800X3D, the B570 was 12% slower than the B580 but managed to outperform both the RTX 4060 and RX 7600, boasting a 27% lead over the Radeon GPU.However, when paired with the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 became only 4% slower than the B580. This may seem acceptable, but performance of the Arc GPUs was capped at around 80 fps due to CPU overhead. This limitation negated the earlier advantage, as the B570 dropped from being 27% faster than the RX 7600 with the 9800X3D to being 5% slower with the 5600.Additionally, enabling upscaling exacerbated the issue. The B570 ended up 23% slower than the RX 7600, as performance was again limited to approximately 80 fps with the Ryzen 5 processor.Hogwarts LegacyThe Hogwarts Legacy results are noteworthy. At native 1440p using the 9800X3D, the B570 was 16% slower than the B580, making it the slowest GPU tested. Switching to the Ryzen 5 5600 narrowed this gap to 9%, allowing the B570 to match the RTX 4060.When upscaling was enabled, however, the Arc GPUs fell behind, even when paired with a high-performance CPU like the 9800X3D. In this case, the B570 ended up nearly 30% slower than the RX 7600.Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2In Space Marine 2, the B570 trailed the B580 by 18% at 1440p with the 9800X3D. This margin decreased to 12% when using the Ryzen 5 5600.The bigger issue arose when upscaling was enabled. The Arc GPUs were limited to less than 60 fps with a mid-range CPU, and the problem persisted even with the 9800X3D. At native 1440p with the 5600, the B570 was 20% slower than the RX 7600. Enabling upscaling slightly increased this margin to 22%.Although Radeon GPUs faced their own overhead issues in this scenario, the comparison with the RTX 4060 was less favorable, as the Nvidia GPU was nearly 50% faster than the B570.A Plague Tale: RequiemIn A Plague Tale: Requiem, the Arc CPU overhead issue was not a factor. At native 1440p with either CPU, the B570 was 11% slower than the B580. With upscaling enabled, the B570 matched the RX 7600, offering decent performance overall.Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom LibertyIn Cyberpunk 2077, the B570 performs roughly on par with the RTX 4060, making it slightly faster than the RX 7600, at least when using the 9800X3D. Installing the Ryzen 5 5600 results in performance becoming more CPU-limited, with all four GPUs delivering similar performance at approximately 60 fps.Enabling upscaling pushes all four GPUs to around 80 84 fps. However, the 1% lows are noticeably lower when using the Arc GPUs, which may impact gameplay smoothness.Dying Light 2 Stay HumanDying Light 2 is similar to A Plague Tale: Requiem in that the Arc overhead issue is not a significant factor. Consequently, the B570 performs well in this title, even with the 5600 and when upscaling is enabled. For example, with the 5600 and upscaling, the B570 nearly matches the RTX 4060, trailing by just 4%.StarfieldIn Starfield, the B570 performs poorly, much like the B580. It renders just 37 fps at native 1440p on the medium quality preset. This level of performance is consistent across both the 9800X3D and 5600. With upscaling enabled, the Arc GPUs cap out at around 50 fps on the Ryzen 5 processor, whereas the RTX 4060 achieves 63 fps, making the GeForce GPU 31% faster than the B570.Dragon Age: The VeilguardIn Dragon Age: The Veilguard, both the B570 and B580 are capped at 67 fps when using either the 9800X3D or 5600, matching the performance of the RTX 4060. With upscaling enabled, the Arc GPUs reach just over 80 fps, but the RTX 4060 maintains a slight 6% performance advantage.Star Wars OutlawsStar Wars Outlaws remains an extremely demanding title, even with the medium preset. The B570 achieves only 37 fps at 1440p or 53 fps with upscaling enabled. Interestingly, slightly better performance was observed with the 5600, though this improvement was just a few extra frames.The challenge for the B570 is that while it matches the RTX 4060 at native 1440p with the 5600, enabling upscaling causes the B570 to fall 13% behind as the Arc GPUs struggle to reach 60 fps.War Thunder (DX11)Testing War Thunder in DirectX 11 mode reveals some interesting results. At native 1440p with the 9800X3D, the B570 is actually 10% faster than the RTX 4060. However, switching to the 5600 causes the B570 to become 20% slower, as both Arc GPUs are capped at around 180 fps. This gap widens further with upscaling enabled.War Thunder (DX12 Beta)Switching to DirectX 12 in War Thunder significantly changes the performance landscape. With the 9800X3D, the B570 is only 6% slower than the B580 but remains 8% slower than the RTX 4060. With the Ryzen 5 processor, results are similar, though enabling upscaling gives the RTX 4060 a slight performance edge. The DX12 API effectively addresses the Arc GPUs' overhead issue in this title.The Last of Us Part IIn The Last of Us Part I, the B570 matches the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 at 1440p when paired with the 9800X3D. Similar performance is observed with the Ryzen 5 processor. Although the Arc GPUs fall slightly behind with upscaling enabled, the B570's performance remains respectable overall.Power ConsumptionIn terms of power, the Arc B570 performs well, consuming 8 14% less power than the B580, which aligns with the hardware downgrades.On average, power consumption is about 20 watts higher than the RTX 4060. However, this is unlikely to concern gamers, as the B570's power consumption is not excessive for its class.Performance SummaryUsing the Ryzen 9800X3D at 1440p, the Arc B570 is on average 13% slower than the B580. It roughly matches the RTX 4060 and Radeon 7600, delivering solid results for a $220 GPU. However, when upscaling was enabled for higher performance, the B570 slipped slightly behind the RX 7600. Even so, the overall performance remains reasonable.Now, when testing with a slower CPU, such as the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 still performed adequately at native 1440p, once again matching the RX 7600 while being 8% slower than the B580.With upscaling enabled, it was 4% slower than the Radeon RX 7600 and 6% slower than the Arc B580. While this represents decent performance for a $220 GPU, we need to evaluate its cost per frame before making any value judgments.Cost Per FrameBefore diving into the data, it's important to acknowledge that Intel B580's $250 MSRP is largely unattainable. Retailers like Newegg remain out of stock, making this pricing unrealistic. Similarly, listing scalper prices is unhelpful. Essentially, if the B580 isn't available at $250 or equivalent pricing in your region, it's not worth buying. The same applies to the B570 if it isn't available at its $220 MSRP, it doesn't offer good value.It's also really difficult to accurately assess the value of the new Arc GPUs as it depends on so many factors. Both the B580 and B570 offer more VRAM than competing AMD and Nvidia GPUs, but the Arc overhead issues often see the Arc GPUs underperform at 1080p or even 1440p with upscaling, and the CPU used plays a key role in all of this. That being the case, we have a few different data sets to make better sense of where these GPUs stand...At native 1440p, the B570 offers excellent value, especially when paired with the 9800X3D. In this configuration, it matches the B580 in value, outperforming the RX 7600 by 15% and the RTX 4060 by 34%.Using the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 improves its value position relative to the B580, coming in 4% better. Against the RX 7600, it provides 12% better value, while it remains 22% better than the RTX 4060.However, when using upscaling, Intel's value proposition becomes less favorable. With the 9800X3D, the B570 is only 10% better value than the RX 7600 and 18% better than the RTX 4060. With the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 delivers just 8% better value per frame than the RX 7600, and when factoring in 1% low data, Intel's position becomes even less favorable.Drawing the LineEvaluating the true value of Intel's new Arc GPUs is not as straightforward as it should be. On one hand, if paired with a powerful CPU, the GPUs perform well. On the other hand, those shopping for a budget GPU are unlikely to have high-end CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7600 or better. So if you're running a Ryzen 5 5600 or slower CPU, opting for a competing GPU like the Radeon RX 7600 ensures better overall performance.This is major problem problem for the B570. As an entry-level GPU designed for budget gaming, it needs to perform well with older and/or less capable CPUs but realistically, most budget gamers do not use CPUs more powerful than the Ryzen 5 5600.In our opinion, the Arc B580 can still be worth the gamble as the 12GB VRAM buffer makes it more attractive than the Radeon RX 7600 or RTX 4060. But the cut-down B570 isn't cheap enough to consider. While the 10GB VRAM buffer is an improvement over 8GB, the difference is marginal. Moving forward, 12GB should be the minimum VRAM for GPUs priced at $200 or more.If the Arc B570 were available for $220, should you buy it? Probably not. At that price, it's better to spend $250 for either the B580 or the RX 7600. Since the B580 is largely unavailable, the Radeon GPU becomes the better choice.So far, availability has been the biggest issue for Intel's Arc GPUs not the drivers or the CPU overhead, but simply finding them in stock. A month after the B580's release, availability remains extremely limited. Pricing in other regions is also less favorable than in the U.S., which exacerbates the problem.For example, in Australia, the B580 is available for $470 AUD, which matches the price of the RTX 4060 and is about $40 more than the RX 7600. Using more favorable 1440p native data but factoring in Australian pricing, the B570 offers just 6% better value than the Radeon 7600 when paired with the 9800X3D, and only 5% better value when using the Ryzen 5 5600. And this is assuming Intel's B570 ends up costing $410 AUD, which we've been told might not be the case, and it might cost nearly as much as the B580, which would be disastrous for its value proposition.What began with optimism and excitement for Intel's second wave of Arc GPUs has been marred by critical setbacks. While Intel still has an opportunity to salvage the lineup, it remains to be seen if they can turn things around.As of writing, the Arc B580 is the only model worth buying as long as it can be found at the $250 MSRP. Prices will vary depending on your region, but our rule of thumb is that the B580 needs to be at least 20% cheaper than the Radeon 7600 or RTX 4060 to be a viable option. Otherwise, the competing GPUs are simply better choices.The B570, on the other hand, needs to be priced even lower $200 is the maximum it should cost. If it's not, it's simply dead on arrival.Shopping Shortcuts:Intel Arc B580 on AmazonIntel Arc B570 on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7600 on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on Amazon

Intel Arc B570MSRP$219.00 Score Details The Arc B570 is truly in a league of its own.ProsExcellent priceFantastic 1080p gaming performanceHolds up well in lighter ray tracing titlesOnly requires a single 8-pin power connectorConsPerformance loss with older CPUsNot quite powerful enough for the most demanding PC gamesTable of ContentsTable of ContentsIntel Arc B570 specs1080p gaming performance1440p gaming performance4K gaming performanceRay tracing and XeSSA note on older CPUsShould you buy the Intel Arc B570?Intels new Arc B570 is a difficult GPU to evaluate. Its hard to call it one of the best graphics cards when it wins by default. Not dissimilar to something like Nvidias RTX 4090 in the previous generation, the Arc B570 faces basically no competition. In this case, though, the class of one works in favor of the Arc B570 rather than working against it.Recommended VideosClocking in at $219, the Arc B570 doesnt face any current-gen competition from AMD or Nvidia. We never saw an RTX 4050, nor an RX 7500 XT to reach down to the sub-$250 price range, and I dont have high hopes that well see those options this generation, either.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Thankfully, the Arc B570 doesnt earn its stripes on price alone. Its a competent follow-up to the wildly popular Arc B580, and it gives PC gamers a much-needed option around $200 that doesnt completely fall apart under scrutiny. Its not without issues driver problems still poke up, and older CPUs may struggle but the Arc B570 is still a very compelling option for a budget gaming PC in 2025.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs the name and price implies, the Arc B570 is a slightly cut-down version of the Arc B580 thats already available. There are 10% fewer cores across the board, a 6% reduction in clock speed, and 17% less memory, and those spec reductions scale almost perfectly with pricing. The Arc B570 is 12% lower in price compared to the Arc B580.Normally, I dont bust out the percentages this early on in a review, rather using this space to talk about architecture, but the specs are important here. Given that there arent any contenders to the Arc B570, the big question for a lot of shoppers will be if you should buy this graphics card or spend an extra $30 to get the Arc B580. There are still some clear comparisons to Nvidias RTX 4060 and AMDs RX 7600, but both of those GPUs fall around the $300 mark spending an extra $80 is significantly different than spending an extra $30.Arc B570Arc B580ArchitectureBattlemageBattlemageProcess nodeTSMC N5TSMC N5Xe cores1820Ray tracing units1820XMX engines144160Graphics clock2,500MHz2,670MHzVRAM10GB GDDR612GB GDDR6Memory bandwidth380GB/s456GB/sBus width160-bit192-bitTotal Graphics Power (TGP)150 watts190 wattsList price$219$249The core reduction is what matters most here when looking at overall performance. Memory is an interesting point of contention, though. The Arc B570 only has a slight reduction in memory capacity, but that forces a thinner bus width, and therefore, reduces memory bandwidth significantly. The bandwidth is still higher than what youll get on 8GB GPUs like the RX 7600 and RTX 4060, but unlike those cards, Intel doesnt include a pool of L3 cache to boost the effective bandwidth of the GPU.That shouldnt pose an issue in most games, but its something to note. We dont see 10GB GPUs often, and understanding the memory subsystem is important. The Arc B570 is closer to an 8GB GPU than it is to the Arc B580 when it comes to the overall memory system. I wouldve liked to see 12GB on the Arc B570, as well, though given the very small difference in price between it and the Arc B580, I understand the design change.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsStarting at 1080p, the Arc B570 is near the bottom of the stack in overall performance, only beating out Intels own Arc A770 and A750 from the previous generation. Its also the least expensive option, and by a fairly significant margin. AMDs RX 7600 XT is 5% faster, but its also 50% more expensive at $330. The RTX 4060 is less extreme at only 36% more expensive, but it comes out just a mere 6% faster than the Arc B570.The most apt comparison is Intels own GPU, though. The Arc B580 is 17% faster than the B570 and 14% more expensive. That means the Arc B580 is still the better value overall, but there are a few devils in the details here to touch on.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsFirst,Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.As you can see from the results above, the Arc B570 gets clobbered in this game, and Im not sure why. Intel says it might be a VRAM-related issue, which is possible. The 8GB RTX 4060 performance significantly better, for example, but it has higher effective bandwidth with a pool of L3 cache. The Arc B570 might be running into a bandwidth issue.Thankfully, thats the only game where I encountered a major issue. As you can see above, the Arc B570 manages a clear lead over the RTX 4060 inCyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2,andRed Dead Redemption 2.The Arc B580 is faster, unsurprisingly, but its astounding the performance Intel is able to deliver in these games considering the price of the Arc B570.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsReturnalalso shines particularly bright on this GPU, which isnt a surprise given the performance of the Arc B580 in this game. Here, the Arc B570 is even nearing the performance of the $400 RTX 4060 Ti, which is downright impressive.Its not all upside, though. There are games likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Forza Motorsport, and Assassins Creed Miragewhere the Arc B570 just doesnt make the cut against the competition. Thats where price works in favor of the Arc B570, though. Youre still getting above 60 frames per second (fps) in these games, which is completely playable. No, youre not getting the performance of an RTX 4060 or RX 7600 XT, but youll also spending a whole $80 less.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThere are also some games that youll struggle to play on such a low-performance GPU.Black Myth: Wukongwith its cutting-edge use of Unreal Engine 5 is a prime example of that. Even with Intels XeSS upscaling, youll struggle to get playable performance without resorting to tools like Lossless Scaling. Those are the trade-offs you make with a $219 graphics card, though.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs I saw with the Arc B580, Intels Battlemage architecture scales up better to higher resolutions, and the Arc B570 is no exception. You can see this flat line from the Arc B570 up to the RTX 4060, with Intels own Arc B580 and much more expensive AMD and Nvidia options breaking the stalemate.Still, the story here doesnt change much compared to 1080p. InReturnal, Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2,andForza Motorsport,the Arc B570 punches far above its weight class, at least compared to the price and performance of the competition.Similarly, the Arc B570 loses inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Forza Motorsport,andAssassins Creed Mirage.As far as comparisons between GPUs go, the situation hasnt changed much.The real-world situation has changed, though. Although the B570 scales well up to 1440p, its falling short of the 60 fps mark in a number of games. Upscaling and settings tweaks can make up that difference, but whereas the Arc B580 is comfortable at 1440p, the Arc B570 will struggle. Memory issues become a largely concern, as well, particularly with recent demanding games likeIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.There are some games where you cant make up the gap, too, with Black Myth: WukongandHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredbeing prime examples. That really shouldnt come as a surprise, though. Even $300 graphics cards are locked to 1080p in most cases, so the fact that the Arc B570 even puts up a fight is impressive.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe Arc B570 already struggles in some games at 1440p, so you really shouldnt use it at 4K that shouldnt be surprising considering the price of this GPU. In an effort to show my work, however, you can see the 4K average for all of the games I tested above. Again, you can see the scaling of this graphics card at a higher resolution. Whereas is fell clearly short of the RTX 4060 on average at lower resolutions, Intel actually claims a small lead here.Still, 4K isnt really an option on the Arc B570. Its a fine option if youre playing less demanding games or indie titles, and it could make a good option for budget-focused home theater PC with a 4K TV. But for the latest games, youll want to focus on 1080p if you plan on picking up the Arc B570.Despite the low price tag, the Arc B570 comes with dedicated ray tracing hardware, and it can run games that feature ray tracing will decent performance.Returnalis a good place to start, as it shows the best of what Intels latest GPU has to offer.Returnaldoesnt have a very demanding implementation of ray tracing, and due to that, the Arc B570 shows some solid performance, particularly at 1080p. Youre getting 70 fps with maxed-out settings, and barely breaking a sweat.More demanding forms of ray tracing arent as favorable, andCyberpunk 2077is a good example of that. Intel has done great work to put pressure on Nvidias ray tracing prowess with its B-series graphics cards, but Nvidia still wins the day when pushing demanding forms of ray tracing likeCyberpunk 2077offers.Most games should perform near the level thatDying Light 2demonstrates. You probably wont get a locked 60 fps in games at 1080p with maxed-out ray tracing, and you especially wont at higher resolutions. This comes down to the individual game, however. Titles like Resident Evil 4have a very light tough when it comes to ray tracing, whileDragon Age: The Veilguardis more demanding. With the Arc B570, youll need to make some compromises depending on how demanding the game youre playing is.Intel wants you to use its XeSS upscaling to fill in the gaps, which is a fairly impressive upscaling utility. Unfortunately, Intel doesnt have the same level of support for XeSS as Nvidia has for DLSS and AMD has for FSR; there will be some games where youll have to resort to a tool like a Lossless Scaling. Thankfully, Intels new XeSS 2 with frame generation is very impressive, and it works on the B570. Youll just need patience as Intel broadens support for the feature.Most reviewers, myself included, test new graphics cards with a blistering fast CPU. In my case, I use the Ryzen 9 9950X. Although you can criticize this approach for being unrealistic I mean, who would pair a $220 graphics card with a $600+ CPU? it makes sense for GPU testing. By using a high-end chip, you can remove any potential PC bottlenecks and show case the true performance of the graphics card. Its a way to provide an accurate view of how GPUs scale in relation to each other, and usually the best representation of what you should expect when choosing between different GPU options.9800X3D vs. R5 5600, Old PC vs. New PC: Intel Arc B580 Re-Review!As HardwareUnboxed revealed with the Arc B580, however, Intels latest architecture is particularly sensitive to older CPU architectures. Its so sensitive, in fact, that it can completely change the comparison between two graphics cards. You can see the full video above for specifics.The issue isnt as big of a deal on the Arc B570, especially considering how much less youll spend on it compared to something like the RTX 4060; Intel is still delivering a good value, even accounting for the performance delta with older, slower CPUs. Given the gap, though, it might be worth considering your whole PC build before making a purchase decision. After all, if youre forced to upgrade your CPU alongside the new Arc B570, it might be worth pooling that money and just buying a more powerful graphics card.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs I mentioned at the top of this review, the Arc B570 wins by default. There arent any current-gen options to contest it, and the card absolutely blows away last-gen options around this price like the RTX 3050 and RX 6500 XT. So, yes, you should buy the Arc B570, but you should also be aware of its limitations.Unlike the B580, which directly challenged the AMD and Nvidia competition on price and performance, the B570 takes a clear backseat for a much lower price. It comes with limits, particularly in those prestige AAA games likeBlack Myth: Wukong.Still, Im happy that gamers on a budget have an option to score a GPU around $200 with Intels latest release thats something we havent seen for a while.Editors Recommendations

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One More Turn Civilization VII preview: The most complete package since IV 15 hours in, it seems like an improvement on Civilization VI's missteps. Samuel Axon Jan 16, 2025 9:00 am | 0 Worker units have been replaced by a centralized city management screen. Credit: Samuel Axon Worker units have been replaced by a centralized city management screen. Credit: Samuel Axon Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMaking the seventh Civilization game is a tall order. With six prior entries, each with a different flavor, it's challenging to create a unique identity to get people to buy it while ensuring its familiar enough that it doesnt drive long-time fans away.This week, I spent 15 hours playing Civilization VIIwhich is slated for release next monththrough two of its three ages: Antiquity and Exploration. Thats enough time to know that this is the most radical overhaul yet in a single new release without any expansions.Regardless, my initial impressions are that this is also a return to form for the series. Like many others, I had many gripes about Civilization VI. To be clear, VII isnt a reset to pre-VI times; many concepts introduced in VI (like the hex-based city district system) are revisited and refined here.But theres a lot to like here for new and old players if you have an open mind. A full review is coming early next month, but for now, here are a few initial observations from a long-time Civilization geek.For first-time or lapsed playersAs always, the developers of Civilization VII want this to be an ideal starting point for players new to the franchise or those whove gone a decade or more without starting up a game.Ive played at least a few full games of Civilization a year since about 1996, so its difficult to speak to the uninitiated experience. But let me try to make an informed guess as to how appealing this will be for new players.The tutorials are improved compared to earlier entries. Theyre clearly worded, and they closely guide at the very beginning. Nonetheless, coming to the game from nothing involves reading numerous pop-up text boxes. Its nowhere near as overwhelming as what you face when learning Crusader Kings III or Europa Universalis IV, but its still a lot.Any prior familiarity with 4X-style games like this will make a big difference, though. You can recruit city-states into your civilization, but they start as towns, where you have to spend gold to add new buildings. Credit: Samuel Axon This is the best game to start with, if only because the systems are more clearly laid out and easier to understand. Some prior Civ titles had opaque systems, where even experienced players would ask, Why is that happening? I havent felt that way about VII.As for players who havent played a Civ game since V, IV, or even earlier, I was disappointed that, unlike other recent entries, there werent different tutorial presets. Some other games in the series allowed the player to say whether they were completely new to Civilization or just the new concepts introduced in that particular title. As far as I can tell, theres just one tutorial path here. That means that folks coming from Civilization V will want tutorials on how city district adjacency bonuses work, but to get that, theyll also have to put up with tutorials about stuff that hasnt changed since the dawn of the franchise, like building cities.Thats a little annoying, sure, but its only an issue for the first couple of hours. After that, the tutorials really are less of an issue and only appear when new concepts are introduced as you progress through the ages.Fully fleshed outPlaying through two of the three ages gave me full access to almost all of the games big systems, and the breadth of those systems is the most impressive thing about Civilization VII. I can already tell this game is more fully fleshed out at launch than V or VI were.With both of those, I felt enough systems had been cut from the previous title (and left to be reintroduced in expansions) that they felt a bit barebones when they came out. Thats not the case with Civilization VII. It has brought over (and sometimes expanded upon) almost all the systems that were in VI.Sure, a couple from VI (like the global warming system) didnt make it, but the ones that didnt were my least favorite ones, so Im not complaining.A visual return to formSince I'm comparing prior titles, I prefer VIIs visual presentation to VIs. Its closer to what we got in V, which many felt was the best-looking Civ titleat least until now.Civilization VII is not a city-building game, but its cities look more impressive than before as they gradually sprawl out through hexes adjacent to where they were founded. Credit: Samuel Axon On top of that, the graphics are noticeably more detailed. Cities look awesome as they slowly grow out of their origin hex with new types of buildings and public squares. When the age changes, so does the architecture. Firaxis definitely achieved its stated objective of capturing the feeling of an old, sprawling city expanding itself in distinct historical or cultural layers.Age transitions feel like starting a new gameThe most significant change compared to prior titles is a completely new approach to ages. In most of the earlier games, the equivalent of ages was called eras (like Ancient, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Industrial, or Modern) and were just signposts to show how far youd gone through the tech tree. Sometimes, certain buildings would be gated behind eras, but they werent really a system unto themselves.Civilization VI introduced the Ages as a complementary concept to eras. In that, there was a sort of boom-and-bust cycle of golden and dark ages, where youd try to achieve one or the other in the next cycle to gain certain bonuses.Confusingly, the ages in VII mostly resemble eras of past games and include some of the ideas from VIs ages, while also totally overhauling the whole concept.There are now just three ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Each has its own totally distinct tech tree, and each has gameplay systems that are entirely relevant in that age and only that age.Each age also has its own paths and success metrics, akin to classic victory conditions. Yes, there are Science victories for the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages, but the specific goals in the Science victory vary between them. There's a dedicated screen for tracking your progress in each Age, with differing objectives for each. Credit: Samuel Axon When an age concludes, it feels like the end of a classic game of Civilization. Youre shown a recap screen that shows how different civilizations did on their goals for the age, with rankings that make it clear who (if anyone) came out on top. How you did on the aforementioned paths and metrics defines what the starting point of the next age looks like.When you begin the next age, it's like starting a new game entirely, except the city placement and other starting conditions are defined by what happened in the game you played before. (Im told this resembles how the Civilization-like Humankind works, but I havent played that game, so I cant elaborate on that.)This is by far the most radical change weve ever seen in how Civilization plays. I really like it, though. Its hard to articulate why it feels so much better, but I think its because it makes for more frequent and meaningful payoffs for how youve been playing. It allows the games designers to go deeper with the systems when they dont necessarily have to work the same way across the whole span of a playthrough.Diplomacy worksMy biggest complaint about Civilization VI (I had many) was that war weariness was crippling and frustrating to deal with, but the games diplomacy system (or arguably, lack thereof) always meant that AI players were constantly trying to push you into war with them.Once you get sucked into one of those wars, the system for preventing or managing war weariness was too opaque and difficult to deal with. That meant that with most games, I gradually got sucked into being a widely hated global conqueror whether I wanted to play that way or not. You can spend a diplomacy resource on a wide range of interactions with other leaders (or city-states). Credit: Samuel Axon Civilization VII completely redoes all of this. There are still penalties for warmongering, but diplomacy is now handled through a numbered resource akin to science or culture points. You can spend these points to sway leaders (and your own people) to support your wars or to prevent them.Its much more sensible than what we had before, and it makes more peaceful strategies more viable. This is my favorite change coming from VI.Lingering questionsThere are still many things Im curious about or would like to see that I didnt get to experience during my preview time with the game.For example, Id like to know how the late game and Modern Age feeldoes this game address the series longstanding issue with that part sometimes becoming a slog of keeping up with micromanaging too many things?Theres also multiplayer; is it fun? How does it work compared to prior entries, especially with the new ages system that ultimately feels like playing three distinct matches?How well does the game work on consoles or the Steam Deck?These are all questions Ill look to answer in my review. But for now, Im pleased to say that Im more optimistic about the next Civ game than I have been in a while.Samuel AxonSenior EditorSamuel AxonSenior Editor Samuel Axon is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He covers Apple, software development, gaming, AI, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and heis a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development. 0 Comments

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.10 Unexpected, Under the Radar Predictions for 202510 Unexpected, Under the Radar Predictions for 2025From looming energy shortages and forced AI confessions to the rising ranks of AI-faked employees and a glimmer of a new cyber-iron curtain, heres whats happening that may require you to change your companys course.Pam Baker, Contributing WriterJanuary 16, 202510 SlidesAlready have an account?Bombaert Patrick via Alamy StockYouve seen all the expected predictions for 2025 in all the usual places, but you know that there has to be more afoot. After all, 2025 is a year starting off with a bang as a politically loaded, globally tense, technologically lopsided, inflationary trippy, and myopically viewed period. Theres bound to be lots of stuff brewing beneath the radar.Scared yet? Excited instead? Yes, no, maybe? It doesnt matter, we all want to find the opportunities and dodge the risks, like we do every year. To that end, consider the following blips on some very special, somewhat obscure radar screens that may grow into the next thing that changes everything. Or maybe not.Now, whether these barely noticed or unexpected insights slide us back toward normalcy or tip us overboard into chaos is a different story for a different day. For now, lets peer ahead and see whats lurking in the foggy future.About the AuthorPam BakerContributing WriterA prolific writer and analyst, Pam Baker's published work appears in many leading publications. She's also the author of several books, the most recent of which are "Decision Intelligence for Dummies" and "ChatGPT For Dummies." Baker is also a popular speaker at technology conferences and a member of the National Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and the Internet Press Guild.See more from Pam BakerNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

A humanoid robot waltzes with help from an AI trained on human motion capture recordingsXuxin Cheng and Mazeyu JiAn AI that helps humanoid robots mirror a persons movement could allow robots to walk, dance and fight in more convincingly human ways.The most agile and fluid robotic movements, such as Boston Dynamicss impressive demonstrations of robot acrobatics, are typically narrow, pre-programmed sequences. Teaching robots to perform a wider repertoire of convincingly human movements is still difficult. AdvertisementTo overcome this hurdle, Xuanbin Peng at the University of California, San Diego, and his colleagues have developed an artificial intelligence system called ExBody2, which lets robots copy and smoothly perform many different human movements in more lifelike ways.Peng and his team first created a database of actions that a humanoid robot might be capable of performing, from simple movements like standing or walking to more complex manoeuvres, such as tricky dance moves. The database included motion capture recordings of hundreds of human volunteers collected in previous research projects. The latest science news delivered to your inbox, every day.Sign up to newsletterSince humanoid robots share a similar physical structure with us, it makes sense to take advantage of the vast amounts of human motion data already available, says Peng. By learning to mimic this kind of motion, the robot can quickly pick up a wide variety of human-like behaviours. This means that whatever humans can do, the robot can potentially learn.To teach a simulated humanoid robot how to move, Peng and his team used reinforcement learning, where an AI is given an example of what a successful movement consists of and then tasked with figuring out how to do it itself by trial and error. They first had ExBody2 learn with complete access to all the data on this virtual robot, such as coordinates of each joint, so it could mimic the human actions as closely as possible. Then, they had it learn from these movements but only using data it would have access to in the real world, such as measurements of inertia or speed from sensors on a real robots body.After it had trained on the database, ExBody2 was put in control of two different commercial humanoid robots. It was able to smoothly string together simple movements, such as walking in a straight line and crouching, as well as perform trickier moves, such as following a 40-second dance routine, throwing punches and waltzing with a human.Humanoid robots work best when they coordinate all their limbs and joints together, says Peng. Many tasks and motions require the arms, legs and torso to work together, and full body coordination greatly expands the robots range of capabilities.Reference:arXiv DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2412.13196Topics:

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. What to expect from Neuralink in 2025 In November, a young man named Noland Arbaugh announced hed be livestreaming from his home for three days straight. His broadcast was in some ways typical fare: a backyard tour, video games, meet mom. The difference is that Arbaugh, who is paralyzed, has thin electrode-studded wires installed in his brain, which he used to move a computer mouse on a screen, click menus, and play chess. The implant, called N1, was installed last year by neurosurgeons working with Neuralink, Elon Musks brain-interface company. Arbaughs livestream is an indicator that Neuralink is a whole lot closer to creating a plug-and-play experience that can restore peoples daily ability to roam the web and play games, giving them what the company has called digital freedom. But this is not yet a commercial product. The current studies are small-scalethey are true experiments, explorations of how the device works and how it can be improved. Read on for our analysis of what to expect from the company in 2025. Antonio Regalado Metas new AI model can translate speech from more than 100 languages Whats new: Meta has released a new AI model that can translate speech from 101 different languages. It represents a step toward real-time, simultaneous interpretation, where words are translated as soon as they come out of someones mouth. Why it matters: Typically, translation models for speech use a multistep approach which can be inefficient, and at each step, errors and mistranslations can creep in. But Metas new model, called SeamlessM4T, enables more direct translation from speech in one language to speech in another. Read the full story. Scott J Mulligan Interest in nuclear power is surging. Is it enough to build new reactors? Lately, the vibes have been good for nuclear power. Public support is building, and public and private funding have made the technology more economical in key markets. Theres also a swell of interest from major companies looking to power their data centers. These shifts have been great for existing nuclear plants. Were seeing efforts to boost their power output, extend the lifetime of old reactors, and even reopen facilities that have shut down. Thats good news for climate action, because nuclear power plants produce consistent electricity with very low greenhouse-gas emissions. I covered all these trends in my latest story, which digs into whats next for nuclear power in 2025 and beyond. But as I spoke with experts, one central question kept coming up for me: Will all of this be enough to actually get new reactors built?Casey Crownhart This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate and energy newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Donald Trump is exploring how to save TikTok An executive order could suspend its ban or sale by up to 90 days. (WP $)+ But questions remain over the legality of such a move. (Axios)+ YouTuber MrBeast has said hes interested in buying the app. (Insider $)+ The depressing truth about TikToks impending ban. (MIT Technology Review)2 Blue Origins New Glenn rocket has made it into space But it lost a booster along the way. (The Verge)3 Angelenos are naming and shaming landlords for illegal price gouging A grassroots Google Sheet is tracking rentals with significant price increases among the wild fires. (Fast Company $)4 How the Trump administration will shake up defense tech Its likely to favor newer players over established firms for lucrative contracts. (FT $)+ Weapons startup Anduril plans to build a $1 billion factory in Ohio. (Axios)+ Palmer Luckey on the Pentagons future of mixed reality. (MIT Technology Review)5 The difference between mistakes made by humans and AIMachines errors are a whole lot weirder, for a start. (IEEE Spectrum) + A new public database lists all the ways AI could go wrong. (MIT Technology Review) 6 The creator economy is bouncing backFunding for creator startups is rising, after two years in the doldrums. (The Information $) 7 Predicting the future of tech is notoriously tough But asking better initial questions is a good place to start. (WSJ $)8 IVF isnt just for combating fertility problems any moreIts becoming a tool for genetic screening before a baby is even born. (The Atlantic $) + Three-parent baby technique could create babies at risk of severe disease. (MIT Technology Review)9 The killer caterpillars could pave the way to better medicine Studying their toxic secretions could help create new drugs more quickly. (Knowable Magazine)10 How to document your life digitally If physical diaries arent for you, there are plenty of smartphone-based options. (NYT $)Quote of the day Americans may only be able to watch as their app rots." Joseph Lorenzo Hall, a technologist at the nonprofit Internet Society, tells Reuters how TikToks complicated network of service providers means that the app could fall apart gradually, rather than all at once, if the proposed US ban goes ahead. The big story How refrigeration ruined fresh food October 2024 Three-quarters of everything in the average American diet passes through the cold chainthe network of warehouses, shipping containers, trucks, display cases, and domestic fridges that keep meat, milk, and more chilled on the journey from farm to fork. As consumers, we put a lot of faith in terms like fresh and natural, but artificial refrigeration has created a blind spot. Weve gotten so good at preserving (and storing) food, that we know more about how to lengthen an apples life span than a humans, and most of us dont give that extraordinary process much thought at all. But all that convenience has come at the expense of diversity and deliciousness. Read the full story. Allison Arieff We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + The biggest and best tours of 2025 look really exciting (especially Oasis!)+ If you love classic mobile phones, you need to check out Aalto Universitys newly launched Nokia Design Archive immediately.+ The one and only Ridley Scott explains how a cigarette inspired that iconic hand-in-wheat shot in Gladiator.+ Set aside your reading goals for the yearyour only aim should be to read the books you really want to.

The app Clapper has surged in downloads amid a potential TikTok ban in the US.Clapper is a social-video app founded in 2020 and based in Texas.It offers an ad-free experience and monetization for creators.Clapper, an upstart video and livestreaming app, has soared to third place in the free iPhone app download charts. The surge comes as TikTok awaits a decision from the Supreme Court about whether it will face a ban in the US.Clapper was founded in 2020 when the first Trump administration initially floated the possibilityof a TikTok ban.BitaMotiie, Clapper's head of operations, told BI that since then, Clapper has seen spikes in user growth any time the topic has been in the news."We've seen skyrocketing numbers of users joining us recently due to the fact that people are actively now looking for an alternative," Motiie said.The top trending topic on Clapper on Wednesday was #TikTokRefugees.A similar dynamic seems to have pushed the TikTok-like app Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, to No. 1 on the free iPhone apps leaderboard. Clapper has been seeing an influx of users, likely because of a potential TikTok ban. Clapper The US Congress passed adivest-or-banlaw last year that will force TikTok to stop operating in the US if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, doesn't sell the app. TikTok told the Supreme Court that the app would "go dark" in the US on Sunday if the divestment deadline isn't extended. A Supreme Court decision on TikTok's future is expected this week and legal experts told BI they thought the justices would uphold the law."A lot of our focus right now is helping all these TikTok users join our platform and learn about the differences," Motiie said.Clapper shares much of the same vertical video functionality as TikTok but differs in a few key ways. It's only available to users 17 or older and doesn't carry ads."People are being bombarded with ads 24/7 through their phones, and we want to provide a safe haven where creators can focus on that genuine connection with others," Motiie said.Creators can earn money on Clapper by receiving gifts from other users in livestreams, group chats, and direct messages. Creators can also sell subscriptions to their content or items on Clapper Shop. Clapper takes a 30% commission from some creator earnings and 5% from Clapper Shop.Clapper's content can appear rougher around the edges than some other social-media platforms. On opening the app in the UK on Wednesday morning, BI was served a video of a man seemingly getting a horrific eye injury after being hit in the face, a woman almost being gored by a bull, and sexually suggestive "thirst traps."Users can turn off "not safe for work" content. The app also forbids sexually explicit content or nudity.Motiie said Clapper was focused on hiring three to four additional community managers and utilizing AI moderation tools. Clapper is a small business at present, with around 20 staff based in Dallas, Texas.A Clapper spokesperson said the company hadn't taken on any outside funding since 2023, when it raised $3 million in seed financing. The spokesperson said the company is profitable and that it is not currently seeking further investment.Industry insiders say Clapper needs to move quickly to seize the momentAsti Wagner, CEO of Invyted, an app that connects brands with influencers, said Clapper would need to move quickly to appeal to creators and refine its marketing to ensure its overnight popularity translates into lasting business success."TikTok was lucky in that it massively boomed in lockdown when everyone was on their phones," Wagner told BI."The 'no ads' thing is really interesting, but I don't know how long that will last," Wagner said. Social platforms, in general, tend to derive most of their revenue from ads.Motiie said it was very unlikely Clapper would introduce ads over the next couple of years. However, that doesn't mean brands can't collaborate with Clapper creators, she added. Clapper is also encouraging brands to set up their own profiles on the app.Gigi Robinson, a creator with more than 150,000 followers on TikTok, joined Clapper in 2020.She's only posted four videos and grown her audience there to around 1,000 followers. However, Robinson said that in light of TikTok's precarious position, she's considering posting more content on Clapper and has been in touch with the company's partnership team to get her profile verified.Whatever TikTok's ultimate fate is, Robinson said the potential of the app going dark has highlighted that creators shouldn't be over-reliant on any single platform for their audience and earnings."A majority of creators are scrambling right now," Robinson told BI. "That's going to be the lasting impact."

This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Voxs newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions.Kids lose so much when a disaster strikes. Too many have lost family members to the wildfires that have raged across Los Angeles in recent days. Theyve lost homes. Theyve lost the sense of security and predictability that so many kids depend on. And, to add insult to injury, many of them have lost their schools.At least nine schools in the Los Angeles area have been destroyed or severely damaged by the fires. Video posted by the principal of Odyssey Charter Schools south campus in Altadena shows flames still smoldering in the buildings as smoke rises from the playground, blotting out the sky. Marquez Charter Elementary School in Pacific Palisades is dust, one parent told The Cut. Meanwhile, thousands more schools were closed last week as communities faced evacuation warnings, power outages, and smoke-filled air, leaving more than 600,000 students out of school.Unfortunately, these disruptions are part of a new normal for kids as climate disasters become more frequent. Last year, Americans experienced 27 weather-related disasters costing $1 billion or more in damage, the second-highest number ever meanwhile, the number of days American schools are closed for extreme heat has doubled in recent years.Theres often nothing officials can do to avoid a closure, especially if schools are damaged or without power. But when schools close, kids arent learning, said Melinda Morrill, an economics professor at North Carolina State University who has studied the impact of closures. Research on school closures after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence in North Carolina is sobering. Especially in the early grades, students didnt bounce back, said Cassandra R. Davis, a professor of public policy at UNC Chapel Hill who studied the closures. In some cases, the academic impact persisted for more than a year. Beyond academics, millions of students rely on their schools for mental health support or services like speech therapy; millions more need the free or reduced-price food school cafeterias provide. Schools are also a crucial source of stability in many childrens lives, a place they go five days a week to see their friends, their teachers, their favorite books, their art on the walls, the special stuffed animal in the calm-down corner. Losing all that can be a huge emotional blow.The students from Odyssey Charter School are meeting for now at a local Boys and Girls Club, where teachers and staff have been visiting them, principal Bonnie Brimecombe told me. Some kids who used to have big, vibrant personalities are just not talking, and they just sort of sit, she said. Others are just hugging you so tight and they dont let go. Experts, educators, and families are just beginning to understand what helps students recover after storms or fires devastate their schools. But one thing they agree on is that districts and policymakers need to start preparing schools and students for the next disaster today. Its going to keep happening over and over and over, said Susanna Joy Smith, a mom of two in Asheville, North Carolina, whose kids were out of school for a month last year after Hurricane Helene. We need to learn from these experiences and we need to adapt.Losing school hurts kids academically and emotionallyIn the Los Angeles Unified School District, all schools closed for at least two days last week as the fires raged. Many reopened on Monday, but as of Monday evening around 10 remained closed, some because they were in evacuation zones and three because they had been badly damaged or destroyed, the office of LAUSD deputy superintendent of business services and operations Pedro Salcido told me. Students from Marquez and another destroyed elementary school will be relocated to two nearby schools for the rest of the school year. All 23 schools in the Pasadena Unified School District, which includes Altadena and other areas devastated by the Eaton Fire, remain closed this week.Its a disruption sadly familiar to more and more kids and families around the country. In 2018, the Camp Fire destroyed eight of the nine schools in Paradise, California. The same year, Hurricane Florence raged through North Carolina, forcing some schools to close for as long as 26 days. Then, last year, Hurricane Helene hit the western part of the state, destroying at least one school and leaving others closed for weeks due to flood damage and lack of power or water.School closures after Hurricane Florence were associated with significant drops in students math and reading test scores, Morrill found, with the impact seen across demographic groups and among both higher- and lower-performing students. All students are affected, Morrill said.For Smiths older son, missing a month of the second grade is just huge, especially since the early grades are so important for building reading skills.Many school districts are shifting to remote instruction for at least some weather-related closures, like snow days. But remote school was difficult for many students during Covid lockdowns, a time when kids experienced significant learning loss. Not every kid has access to a laptop or internet connection, and neurodivergent students or those with learning differences may especially struggle with virtual learning. The students at Odyssey are scared of a return to the days of pandemic virtual learning, Brimecombe told me. Theres so much trauma from their experiences being on Zoom.The impact of missed days can also compound when disaster strikes the same kids again and again. In places like North Carolina, where we typically get hit by a tropical storm every other year, students can find their education disrupted again and again, pushing them further behind, Davis said. Its like a constant catchup.Meanwhile, students can struggle emotionally long after a disaster is over. Months after Hurricane Matthew, teachers had to stop class during rainstorms to help students who were afraid of getting washed away, Davis said.In the wake of Helene, Smiths younger son, who is 4, is very aware of the fact that the lights could go out overnight and they might not go on for weeks, she told me. Its heartbreaking, but its also the reality these kids are growing up in.Kids face a complicated recovery, tooAdults can still help kids cope with this reality, experts say. That means learning how to adjust curricula to account for lost time as well as providing mental health support to both students and teachers, Davis said. Kids also need to learn about climate change and disaster preparedness in school, Smith said. Theyre just life skills for kids today. Voxs Allie Volpe has tips for preparing kids for climate disasters; LAist has a list of resources for talking to kids about fires, specifically.Making school buildings more climate-resilient is also important, experts say, something school districts around the country are already working on. And when disaster does strike, districts need to figure out how to get kids back to school as quickly as possible and arrange makeup time for the days they missed, Morrill said. Its not enough to hold weekend classes for the bottom 10 percent, she told me. Everybody is going to experience some harm.At Odyssey, the first priority is finding classroom space kids can return to school leaders are reaching out to local churches and rental spaces, and have launched a GoFundMe to help with costs. They hope to be back in person next week.When they are together in a new space, were not going to start with learning, Brimecombe said. Were going to start with community. Were going to start with social-emotional lessons. Were going to start with joy.What Im readingFourteen-year-old Avery Colvert, whose school was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, has started a recovery fund for teens affected by the disaster. I want specific items for these girls so they can feel like themselves again and get their confidence back, she told Time.A majority of 11- and 12-year-olds have accounts on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat even though the sites technically require users to be 13, a new study found.Evidence for the benefits of risky play like climbing and jumping keeps piling up, but kids have less access to it than ever.My younger kid and I are enjoying the perfect Days With Frog and Toad, in which other animals are weirdly mean (who hurt you, robins?) but the bond between the titular amphibians is forever.From my inboxThis week, my older kid has been concerned about the wildfires in LA. I told him I am concerned too, but that it felt good to speak with people who are working on getting kids back to school.Now Id love to hear from you how you talk to the kids in your life about disasters like storms and wildfires. What are their questions? What are your answers? How are you helping them cope with the world we live in (and how are you coping yourself)? Let me know at anna.north@vox.com.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Nintendo has announced its long-awaited successor to the 150m-selling Switch console, called the Nintendo Switch 2. It will be out later in 2025.The first Nintendo Switch debuted on 3 March 2017, and pioneered the hybrid console: it can be played both on the move, with its snap-on controllers, and at home, connected to a TV. The Switch 2 follows the same model, with a larger screen and bigger, redesigned controllers that attach magnetically to its sides. The controllers can be used like a mouse, or held in the hands like a traditional joypad, and also have motion-control functionality.In a short trailer, a new version of Mario Kart was shown running on the console.This continuity represents a step-change for Nintendo, which has innovated consistently throughout its 40-year history in the video games market. The Nintendo 64, launched in 1997 was the first console to introduce an analogue stick to control characters movements in three dimensions, and 2006s Wii was the first to bring motion-controlled games into homes with Wii Sports tennis and bowling. Less successfully, 1995s Virtual Boy experimented with an early form of VR, and the Wii U was the first console to have a screen embedded in its controller. With a few exceptions, the size, shape and names of Nintendo consoles have been distinct in each new generation.The Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with all Nintendo Switch games, allowing players to bring the games they have bought over its eight years on the market forward with them to the new console when it launches later this year.The wider video games industry has recently been experiencing a contraction, with widespread layoffs, protracted game development cycles and uncertainty around the viability of increasingly expensive business models. Analysts and commentators have expressed hopes that the launch of a new Nintendo console will provide a shot in the arm, reviving sales and excitement in the sector.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionMore details are due on 2 April, and Nintendo will hold several events across the world later that month where people will be able to play the new console. A lottery will open on 17 January at 2pm for fans to win tickets to attend.