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Enhanced messaging with emergency services is coming to Android phones. | Image: Google

Texting with emergency services is about to get an upgrade. Starting this winter, Google Messages will support texting 911 through RCS.
Using SMS to contact 911 is available at just over half of all emergency dispatch centers in the US, but in those areas, people using RCS will benefit from a handful of new features like location sharing and read receipts. The timing of the announcement — just days before Apple is expected to announce RCS support in iOS 18 — is probably no coincidence, either.
Google is working with a company called RapidSOS, which can already relay certain medical information to emergency responders for both iPhone and Android users. Once enabled by an emergency dispatch center, people texting that center via Google Messages will see the usual indicators that they’re messaging over RCS. They’ll also see read receipts and typing indicators when the dispatcher is responding.
The ability to text 911 has been slowly rolling out over the past decade. The FCC says that in areas where texting with 911 isn’t supported, wireless carriers are required to provide a bounce-back message directing them to place a call instead. So nobody has been left wondering if a message went through, in theory, but a read receipt is reassuring nonetheless.
RCS will also support higher-quality image and video sharing with first responders and will allow you to send your precise location. Google says it’s working with its partners to expand RCS messaging with emergency services and is “inviting the ecosystem to partner with us to provide reliable emergency messaging for everyone.” I can’t help feeling that’s a nudge in Apple’s direction, which is widely expected to announce RCS support at WWDC next week.

Enhanced messaging with emergency services is coming to Android phones. | Image: Google

Texting with emergency services is about to get an upgrade. Starting this winter, Google Messages will support texting 911 through RCS.

Using SMS to contact 911 is available at just over half of all emergency dispatch centers in the US, but in those areas, people using RCS will benefit from a handful of new features like location sharing and read receipts. The timing of the announcement — just days before Apple is expected to announce RCS support in iOS 18 — is probably no coincidence, either.

Google is working with a company called RapidSOS, which can already relay certain medical information to emergency responders for both iPhone and Android users. Once enabled by an emergency dispatch center, people texting that center via Google Messages will see the usual indicators that they’re messaging over RCS. They’ll also see read receipts and typing indicators when the dispatcher is responding.

The ability to text 911 has been slowly rolling out over the past decade. The FCC says that in areas where texting with 911 isn’t supported, wireless carriers are required to provide a bounce-back message directing them to place a call instead. So nobody has been left wondering if a message went through, in theory, but a read receipt is reassuring nonetheless.

RCS will also support higher-quality image and video sharing with first responders and will allow you to send your precise location. Google says it’s working with its partners to expand RCS messaging with emergency services and is “inviting the ecosystem to partner with us to provide reliable emergency messaging for everyone.” I can’t help feeling that’s a nudge in Apple’s direction, which is widely expected to announce RCS support at WWDC next week.

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Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Livestreaming platform Twitch announced a new program aimed at DJs today that will allow creators to use copyrighted music in their streams by paying a fee.
Twitch signed deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music as well as “hundreds” of independent labels, the company says. CEO Dan Clancy hinted in April that the company was working on building an official system for DJs.
In order to cover the cost of the rights, streamers will pay a percentage of their earnings from a stream to rights holders. The percentage, which Twitch hasn’t shared publicly, will vary slightly depending on which monetization methods streamers use. They’ll share that cost with Twitch in a 50 / 50 split, though Twitch says that, initially, it will cover “more of the cost.” Some DJs will have access to a one-year subsidy paid for by the platform that covers the difference between their earnings and money paid to labels and artists. DJs who aren’t monetizing on Twitch won’t be required to pay fees.
“DJs often build upon and leverage pre-recorded music from other artists as a critical part of their creative expression,” the company wrote in a blog post. “However, when streaming pre-recorded music over the internet, there are a variety of copyright issues that need to be considered that vary across regions.”
Twitch notes that until this point, DJs streaming on the platform have been responsible for handling any copyright problems that arise on their own. Some Twitch DJs have reported in recent years that they’ve been hit with an influx of DMCA takedowns on the platform. The company says it’s been able to “mitigate” risks associated with takedowns while negotiations with labels continued.
“It’s crucial that DJs understand the status quo on Twitch was not sustainable, and any viable future for the community required we find a solution,” Twitch said in the blog post.
The program will launch later this summer, along with a new DJ category for streamers. The licensing feature won’t apply to other types of content like video on demand (previously streamed clips) and highlights, which are covered by a different set of rights than livestreamed content.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

Livestreaming platform Twitch announced a new program aimed at DJs today that will allow creators to use copyrighted music in their streams by paying a fee.

Twitch signed deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music as well as “hundreds” of independent labels, the company says. CEO Dan Clancy hinted in April that the company was working on building an official system for DJs.

In order to cover the cost of the rights, streamers will pay a percentage of their earnings from a stream to rights holders. The percentage, which Twitch hasn’t shared publicly, will vary slightly depending on which monetization methods streamers use. They’ll share that cost with Twitch in a 50 / 50 split, though Twitch says that, initially, it will cover “more of the cost.” Some DJs will have access to a one-year subsidy paid for by the platform that covers the difference between their earnings and money paid to labels and artists. DJs who aren’t monetizing on Twitch won’t be required to pay fees.

“DJs often build upon and leverage pre-recorded music from other artists as a critical part of their creative expression,” the company wrote in a blog post. “However, when streaming pre-recorded music over the internet, there are a variety of copyright issues that need to be considered that vary across regions.”

Twitch notes that until this point, DJs streaming on the platform have been responsible for handling any copyright problems that arise on their own. Some Twitch DJs have reported in recent years that they’ve been hit with an influx of DMCA takedowns on the platform. The company says it’s been able to “mitigate” risks associated with takedowns while negotiations with labels continued.

“It’s crucial that DJs understand the status quo on Twitch was not sustainable, and any viable future for the community required we find a solution,” Twitch said in the blog post.

The program will launch later this summer, along with a new DJ category for streamers. The licensing feature won’t apply to other types of content like video on demand (previously streamed clips) and highlights, which are covered by a different set of rights than livestreamed content.

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Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Apple has committed to providing a minimum of five years of iPhone security updates, as reported earlier by Android Authority. The disclosure comes as part of Apple’s plan to comply with the UK’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, which requires companies selling internet-connected products to meet new security standards.
The law, which went into effect in April, compels companies to define the minimum length of time it will provide security updates for a product. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple will cap security updates at five years, as it’s only a minimum. Apple sometimes pushes security updates to older phones, too. In January, the company issued a security update to the nearly 10-year-old iPhone 5S to address a vulnerability. It also pushed an update to the iPhone 5S and 6 in 2022.

Screenshot: Apple

Apple’s filing lists the “defined support date” as a minimum of five years from September 22nd, 2023 — the release date for the iPhone 15. That means the iPhone 15 should receive security updates until at least 2028.
Apple typically doesn’t say how long an iPhone will receive security updates. Google and Samsung, on the other hand, have both guaranteed seven years of security updates on their newer devices.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Apple has committed to providing a minimum of five years of iPhone security updates, as reported earlier by Android Authority. The disclosure comes as part of Apple’s plan to comply with the UK’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, which requires companies selling internet-connected products to meet new security standards.

The law, which went into effect in April, compels companies to define the minimum length of time it will provide security updates for a product. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple will cap security updates at five years, as it’s only a minimum. Apple sometimes pushes security updates to older phones, too. In January, the company issued a security update to the nearly 10-year-old iPhone 5S to address a vulnerability. It also pushed an update to the iPhone 5S and 6 in 2022.

Screenshot: Apple

Apple’s filing lists the “defined support date” as a minimum of five years from September 22nd, 2023 — the release date for the iPhone 15. That means the iPhone 15 should receive security updates until at least 2028.

Apple typically doesn’t say how long an iPhone will receive security updates. Google and Samsung, on the other hand, have both guaranteed seven years of security updates on their newer devices.

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Image: EA

The game formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has a new name — BioWare is calling its next RPG The Veilguard. In a blog post, the studio explained that the change was made in order to “capture what this game is all about,” as the previous name “didn’t show just how strongly we feel about our new heroes, their stories and how you’ll need to bring them together to save all of Thedas.”
The studio didn’t reveal much else about the game but did have this to say:
Each of the seven unique characters that make up your companions will have deep and compelling storylines where the decisions you make will impact your relationships with them — as well as their lives. You’ll unite this team of unforgettable heroes as you take on a terrifying new threat unleashed on the world. Naturally, the Dread Wolf still has an important part in this tale, but you and your companions — not your enemies — are the heart of this new experience.
But it won’t be long before we see the new game in action. EA is extending Summer Game Fest — which kicks off properly on June 7th — by a day, with a Dragon Age-focused event on June 11th, where it will show off the “official first look at gameplay” for The Veilguard.

Image: EA

The game formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has a new name — BioWare is calling its next RPG The Veilguard. In a blog post, the studio explained that the change was made in order to “capture what this game is all about,” as the previous name “didn’t show just how strongly we feel about our new heroes, their stories and how you’ll need to bring them together to save all of Thedas.”

The studio didn’t reveal much else about the game but did have this to say:

Each of the seven unique characters that make up your companions will have deep and compelling storylines where the decisions you make will impact your relationships with them — as well as their lives. You’ll unite this team of unforgettable heroes as you take on a terrifying new threat unleashed on the world. Naturally, the Dread Wolf still has an important part in this tale, but you and your companions — not your enemies — are the heart of this new experience.

But it won’t be long before we see the new game in action. EA is extending Summer Game Fest — which kicks off properly on June 7th — by a day, with a Dragon Age-focused event on June 11th, where it will show off the “official first look at gameplay” for The Veilguard.

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The Starship successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean after launching from Texas on Thursday. | Image: SpaceX / The Verge

The fourth Starship Super Heavy flight test has ended with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The vehicle launched from its pad in Texas at 8:50AM ET, before successfully performing a hot-stage separation from its booster rocket. The Super Heavy booster then performed a landing burn as planned before it came down in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Starship vehicle continued along its planned flight path before reentry. Live camera views showed a damaged flap burning and starting to come apart. However, the vehicle stayed in one piece long enough for the engines to relight and perform a “soft landing.” In a tweet, Elon Musk said, “Despite loss of many tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!”

Super Heavy has splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico pic.twitter.com/hIY3Gkq57k— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024

Congratulations and a huge thank you to our extraordinary @SpaceX team! Successful Super Heavy launch and landing, “orbital” ship (that’s one tough cookie!) entry, engine relight and splashdown. I hope you enjoyed the views, the music and see you back soon for our next flight!— Gwynne Shotwell (@Gwynne_Shotwell) June 6, 2024

The two-stage 394-foot system, comprised of both the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft, is the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. Known collectively as Starship, its immense payload capacity should enable it to transport satellites, large quantities of cargo, and up to 100 people for future space missions. SpaceX designed both the craft and booster components to be fully reusable in a bid to dramatically lower the costs typically associated with space travel.

Image: SpaceX
Here is the flight plan outlining the objectives for Starship’s fourth test.

Today’s launch follows Starship’s three previous test flights. The last attempt in March successfully launched before it was “lost” shortly before its anticipated splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The craft performed several of its objective maneuvers before breaking apart during reentry, including its first full-duration ascent burn, hot-staging separation from its Super Heavy booster, and opening its payload door in space.
The first and second flight tests last year were less successful, with the Starship rocket exploding shortly after launch during both attempts. SpaceX has gathered data through these collective flight tests to improve the probability of success in future Starship launches, with the system expected to carry NASA astronauts back to the Moon during the Artemis III mission by “ no earlier than September 2025.”

Slow motion liftoff of Starship on Flight 4 pic.twitter.com/9itFbrfxW7— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024

The Starship successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean after launching from Texas on Thursday. | Image: SpaceX / The Verge

The fourth Starship Super Heavy flight test has ended with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The vehicle launched from its pad in Texas at 8:50AM ET, before successfully performing a hot-stage separation from its booster rocket. The Super Heavy booster then performed a landing burn as planned before it came down in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Starship vehicle continued along its planned flight path before reentry. Live camera views showed a damaged flap burning and starting to come apart. However, the vehicle stayed in one piece long enough for the engines to relight and perform a “soft landing.” In a tweet, Elon Musk said, “Despite loss of many tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!”

The two-stage 394-foot system, comprised of both the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft, is the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. Known collectively as Starship, its immense payload capacity should enable it to transport satellites, large quantities of cargo, and up to 100 people for future space missions. SpaceX designed both the craft and booster components to be fully reusable in a bid to dramatically lower the costs typically associated with space travel.

Image: SpaceX
Here is the flight plan outlining the objectives for Starship’s fourth test.

Today’s launch follows Starship’s three previous test flights. The last attempt in March successfully launched before it was “lost” shortly before its anticipated splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The craft performed several of its objective maneuvers before breaking apart during reentry, including its first full-duration ascent burn, hot-staging separation from its Super Heavy booster, and opening its payload door in space.

The first and second flight tests last year were less successful, with the Starship rocket exploding shortly after launch during both attempts. SpaceX has gathered data through these collective flight tests to improve the probability of success in future Starship launches, with the system expected to carry NASA astronauts back to the Moon during the Artemis III mission by “ no earlier than September 2025.”

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This entire setup is the definition of sleek. | Image: Fractal

When I asked for more PC cases with wood panels, I didn’t realize we’d get another one so soon; on Wednesday, gaming PC case maker Fractal announced its next two small form-factor cases, one of which includes a slatted wooden panel— but it’s also expanding its product line up to include gaming chairs and gaming headsets for the first time.
Its first gaming chair, Refine, looks much closer to a Herman Miller than something from Secretlab. But its mesh seatback is tall like a traditional gaming chair, and it has the same ergonomic features built into modern, high-end office and gaming chairs.

It has adjustable lower back (lumbar) support, head cushion, and 4D armrests, or armrests that have four points of adjustment: height, rotation, forward/back, and closer to or further away from your body. The chair can also tilt and lock into 13 different positions, and if you don’t like sitting against mesh fabric, there’s a solid, padded fabric version.
Refine will be available worldwide sometime this summer in five variations: a light or dark mesh fabric, a light or dark solid fabric, and a dark Alcantara fabric. The standard versions will be $549.99, priced similarly to higher-end gaming chairs from rivals, but the Alcantara version is far more expensive at $899.99.
The feature that stands out the most about Fractal’s first gaming headset, Scape, is the included wireless charging stand. Most gaming headset companies sell stands separately from the headset itself, but I appreciate Fractal is including one with its own headset because it takes the guesswork out of finding a compatible 3rd-party device.

Obviously, an included stand isn’t enough to make a purchasing decision, as the quality of the drivers is most important. (If we get our hands on this headset, we’ll tell you how they sound.) But the Scape headset does have a few quality-of-life features, like a flip-to-mute detachable microphone.
It also supports connectivity through both Bluetooth 5.3 and a low-latency dongle. Fractal didn’t explicitly say it was a 2.4GHz dongle in its press release, but that’s a common wireless option for gaming headsets. The company also didn’t say anything about battery life, but if it can last at least 30 hours to match something like the SteelSeries Arctis 7P Plus, that would be ideal.
Fractal’s first gaming headset will be available later this year for $199.99 in two colors: light and dark.

Fractal’s Era 2 is a redesign of its Era ITX case for small form-factor gaming PCs. Instead of an all-metal body, the magnetic top panel is made of walnut and has over a dozen cutouts for ventilation that span almost its entire length. (It’s reminiscent of one of the case maker’s other wood-accented cases, North.) Fractal says this new design helps keep the case cooler compared to the original Era, which it still sells; that one comes with either a solid wood or tempered glass panel, and its ventilation goes around its outside edges instead across the panel itself.
The Era 2 also has four additional sides with ventilation, and the rest of its paneling is made of anodized aluminum and slides off in one piece. It can also accommodate water cooling and graphics cards up to 12.8 inches (326mm) long. Fractal did not say in its press release how wide a GPU it supports, nor how many liters by volume it is, but given that the previous Era supports dual slot graphics cards up to 11.6 inches (295mm) long, and is 16 liters in volume, I’d be surprised if the new version did not.
It will be available later this summer for $199.99 in three color options: silver, charcoal gray, and midnight blue.

Fractal’s new Mood case has a completely different vibe compared to the Era 2. It’s taller, wrapped in fabric, and doesn’t look like a stereotypical gaming desktop PC at all, but it has some of the same design features as the Era 2. The fabric paneling slides off in one piece, and it accommodates graphics cards up to 12.8 inches (325mm) in length. Again, Fractal did not call out GPU thickness, or the case’s liters of volume, in its press release.
There’s also a 180mm fan situated at the top of the case that draws hot air up and out; based on my experience with similar PC cases and pre-builts in the past, the Mood should expel hot air just as effectively as a traditional case.
It will be available on June 18th for $149.99 in two colors: black and light gray.

This entire setup is the definition of sleek. | Image: Fractal

When I asked for more PC cases with wood panels, I didn’t realize we’d get another one so soon; on Wednesday, gaming PC case maker Fractal announced its next two small form-factor cases, one of which includes a slatted wooden panel— but it’s also expanding its product line up to include gaming chairs and gaming headsets for the first time.

Its first gaming chair, Refine, looks much closer to a Herman Miller than something from Secretlab. But its mesh seatback is tall like a traditional gaming chair, and it has the same ergonomic features built into modern, high-end office and gaming chairs.

It has adjustable lower back (lumbar) support, head cushion, and 4D armrests, or armrests that have four points of adjustment: height, rotation, forward/back, and closer to or further away from your body. The chair can also tilt and lock into 13 different positions, and if you don’t like sitting against mesh fabric, there’s a solid, padded fabric version.

Refine will be available worldwide sometime this summer in five variations: a light or dark mesh fabric, a light or dark solid fabric, and a dark Alcantara fabric. The standard versions will be $549.99, priced similarly to higher-end gaming chairs from rivals, but the Alcantara version is far more expensive at $899.99.

The feature that stands out the most about Fractal’s first gaming headset, Scape, is the included wireless charging stand. Most gaming headset companies sell stands separately from the headset itself, but I appreciate Fractal is including one with its own headset because it takes the guesswork out of finding a compatible 3rd-party device.

Obviously, an included stand isn’t enough to make a purchasing decision, as the quality of the drivers is most important. (If we get our hands on this headset, we’ll tell you how they sound.) But the Scape headset does have a few quality-of-life features, like a flip-to-mute detachable microphone.

It also supports connectivity through both Bluetooth 5.3 and a low-latency dongle. Fractal didn’t explicitly say it was a 2.4GHz dongle in its press release, but that’s a common wireless option for gaming headsets. The company also didn’t say anything about battery life, but if it can last at least 30 hours to match something like the SteelSeries Arctis 7P Plus, that would be ideal.

Fractal’s first gaming headset will be available later this year for $199.99 in two colors: light and dark.

Fractal’s Era 2 is a redesign of its Era ITX case for small form-factor gaming PCs. Instead of an all-metal body, the magnetic top panel is made of walnut and has over a dozen cutouts for ventilation that span almost its entire length. (It’s reminiscent of one of the case maker’s other wood-accented cases, North.) Fractal says this new design helps keep the case cooler compared to the original Era, which it still sells; that one comes with either a solid wood or tempered glass panel, and its ventilation goes around its outside edges instead across the panel itself.

The Era 2 also has four additional sides with ventilation, and the rest of its paneling is made of anodized aluminum and slides off in one piece. It can also accommodate water cooling and graphics cards up to 12.8 inches (326mm) long. Fractal did not say in its press release how wide a GPU it supports, nor how many liters by volume it is, but given that the previous Era supports dual slot graphics cards up to 11.6 inches (295mm) long, and is 16 liters in volume, I’d be surprised if the new version did not.

It will be available later this summer for $199.99 in three color options: silver, charcoal gray, and midnight blue.

Fractal’s new Mood case has a completely different vibe compared to the Era 2. It’s taller, wrapped in fabric, and doesn’t look like a stereotypical gaming desktop PC at all, but it has some of the same design features as the Era 2. The fabric paneling slides off in one piece, and it accommodates graphics cards up to 12.8 inches (325mm) in length. Again, Fractal did not call out GPU thickness, or the case’s liters of volume, in its press release.

There’s also a 180mm fan situated at the top of the case that draws hot air up and out; based on my experience with similar PC cases and pre-builts in the past, the Mood should expel hot air just as effectively as a traditional case.

It will be available on June 18th for $149.99 in two colors: black and light gray.

Read More 

Discord is updating its monetization terms. | Image: Discord

Discord is introducing new tools and monetization features that aim to make it easier for app developers to make money by selling premium perks via storefronts on the platform. After rolling out support for premium app subscriptions last year, Discord is now halving the 30 percent platform fee for the first $1 million that developers make in cumulative gross sales.
Described in its announcement blog as a new “Growth” tier for Discord’s monetization terms, the 15 percent fee will be available starting June 6th. The communications platform is also adding the ability to offer one-time purchases, allowing developers to sell products like games, cosmetic skins, and other premium assets without requiring a subscription.
These can be provided as both “durable” one-time purchase SKUs — which offer permanent benefits — or consumables that can expire or be used up. Developers can now also list their creations via a new store surface, which can be found via the app directory or profile on Discord. These changes follow the company’s decision to steer its app back to gaming after previously attempting to develop itself into a more generalized chatting app during the covid pandemic.
All of these new tools are currently being rolled out in the US, UK, and European Union but will be expanded to additional regions “later on.” Support to enable Discord developers to offer multiple subscription tiers for their products is also currently being developed, though Discord hasn’t mentioned when this will be available.

Discord is updating its monetization terms. | Image: Discord

Discord is introducing new tools and monetization features that aim to make it easier for app developers to make money by selling premium perks via storefronts on the platform. After rolling out support for premium app subscriptions last year, Discord is now halving the 30 percent platform fee for the first $1 million that developers make in cumulative gross sales.

Described in its announcement blog as a new “Growth” tier for Discord’s monetization terms, the 15 percent fee will be available starting June 6th. The communications platform is also adding the ability to offer one-time purchases, allowing developers to sell products like games, cosmetic skins, and other premium assets without requiring a subscription.

These can be provided as both “durable” one-time purchase SKUs — which offer permanent benefits — or consumables that can expire or be used up. Developers can now also list their creations via a new store surface, which can be found via the app directory or profile on Discord. These changes follow the company’s decision to steer its app back to gaming after previously attempting to develop itself into a more generalized chatting app during the covid pandemic.

All of these new tools are currently being rolled out in the US, UK, and European Union but will be expanded to additional regions “later on.” Support to enable Discord developers to offer multiple subscription tiers for their products is also currently being developed, though Discord hasn’t mentioned when this will be available.

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Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Hopefully, by now, you’ve read through my written review of the Sonos Ace headphones. They’re an extremely impressive first effort from the company, but with several features still in the “coming soon” column, it feels like they were rushed.
In this video review, I go deeper into what Sonos got right with the Ace and what still needs work. There’s also a segment where I cover why these aren’t quite the magical Wi-Fi headphones that many of the brand’s most loyal customers had long dreamed of. Crucially, the Ace can’t be grouped with other Sonos speakers, but at one point, the company prototyped headphones that could.
It turns out, they sucked — at least within the confines of today’s technology. This Reddit AMA post goes into more detail about the battery and CPU constraints. (The Ace have just a sliver of the CPU power compared to regular Sonos speakers, even including the Roam.) I hope we get there someday; it’d be wonderful to listen to vinyl through the Ace or have them seamlessly hand off music to my speakers when I walk through the door at home. Maybe next time.
Speaking of the Roam, I’ve got a short review of the new second-gen model coming up in the days ahead. After that, I’ll finally be able to come up for air and focus on non-Sonos products for a while — until the next leak that is.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Hopefully, by now, you’ve read through my written review of the Sonos Ace headphones. They’re an extremely impressive first effort from the company, but with several features still in the “coming soon” column, it feels like they were rushed.

In this video review, I go deeper into what Sonos got right with the Ace and what still needs work. There’s also a segment where I cover why these aren’t quite the magical Wi-Fi headphones that many of the brand’s most loyal customers had long dreamed of. Crucially, the Ace can’t be grouped with other Sonos speakers, but at one point, the company prototyped headphones that could.

It turns out, they sucked — at least within the confines of today’s technology. This Reddit AMA post goes into more detail about the battery and CPU constraints. (The Ace have just a sliver of the CPU power compared to regular Sonos speakers, even including the Roam.) I hope we get there someday; it’d be wonderful to listen to vinyl through the Ace or have them seamlessly hand off music to my speakers when I walk through the door at home. Maybe next time.

Speaking of the Roam, I’ve got a short review of the new second-gen model coming up in the days ahead. After that, I’ll finally be able to come up for air and focus on non-Sonos products for a while — until the next leak that is.

Read More 

Illustration: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Today, we’re talking about the state of the video game industry, which is honestly kind of all over the place. We don’t talk a lot about video games here on Decoder, but we should do more of it. Games are an enormous slice of both the tech and media industries. Here in the US, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) — the big industry trade group — more than 212 million people played games last year, and they spent more than $47 billion on the games and the content inside of them.
A lot of those games get announced here in June, which is absolutely hype season for pretty much the entire video game industry. We’re about to hear about a lot of very cool projects. After the next few days, almost every major game maker will have announced what’s on their slate for this year and beyond.

But behind the flashy trailers and release dates, there’s something of a crisis: tens of thousands of workers in every part of the video game industry have been laid off since 2022. This year alone, there have already been more than 10,000 layoffs in video games, and we’re not even halfway through the year yet. Dozens of studios have closed, and countless projects have ended before we ever even got to hear about them.
It feels like a grim time to be in the business of making games, even though the art of video game design is flourishing. Huge global publishers and tiny indie studios alike are facing these financial pressures, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.
So, if sales are great, where did this enormous pressure on the business come from? How is the math working out so badly if there’s so much interest from consumers and players?
I invited Verge video game reporter Ash Parrish on the show to break this down and explain what’s happening in gaming and what these shifts — from a business, culture, and labor perspective — can tell us about what might happen next.

Illustration: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Today, we’re talking about the state of the video game industry, which is honestly kind of all over the place. We don’t talk a lot about video games here on Decoder, but we should do more of it. Games are an enormous slice of both the tech and media industries. Here in the US, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) — the big industry trade group — more than 212 million people played games last year, and they spent more than $47 billion on the games and the content inside of them.

A lot of those games get announced here in June, which is absolutely hype season for pretty much the entire video game industry. We’re about to hear about a lot of very cool projects. After the next few days, almost every major game maker will have announced what’s on their slate for this year and beyond.

But behind the flashy trailers and release dates, there’s something of a crisis: tens of thousands of workers in every part of the video game industry have been laid off since 2022. This year alone, there have already been more than 10,000 layoffs in video games, and we’re not even halfway through the year yet. Dozens of studios have closed, and countless projects have ended before we ever even got to hear about them.

It feels like a grim time to be in the business of making games, even though the art of video game design is flourishing. Huge global publishers and tiny indie studios alike are facing these financial pressures, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

So, if sales are great, where did this enormous pressure on the business come from? How is the math working out so badly if there’s so much interest from consumers and players?

I invited Verge video game reporter Ash Parrish on the show to break this down and explain what’s happening in gaming and what these shifts — from a business, culture, and labor perspective — can tell us about what might happen next.

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Image: Ubisoft

It seems like roguelikes, early access games, and Prince of Persia are all the rage this year. So, it makes sense to release a game that combines all three. The Rogue Prince of Persia, developed by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire, released in early access late last month after being delayed by a week to get out of the way of the Hades 2 stealth drop.
The game takes the elements the Prince of Persia series is known for — combat, platforming, and time manipulation shenanigans — and remixes them to fit the roguelike format while also remixing the roguelike format itself into something interesting and different. You play as the Prince desperate to stop an invading force of Huns that have devastated his home and people. Whenever the Prince dies during his assault, he’s sent back in time to start over again, except each time, the landscape, enemy placement, and platforming hazards change.
Neither combat nor platforming gets as intensive as they do in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. At first, I was tempted to think both elements were so simple as to be boring. But as I got further into the game, both improved to a pleasant level of difficulty. And unlike in The Lost Crown, you can be reasonably assured that you’ll always find something worthwhile like a powerful weapon upgrade or health at the end of an extensive platforming sequence instead of a measly collectible.

With roguelikes, there’s always an initial difficulty spike to surmount, getting used to the combat and learning what upgrades are worth my time. So, even though I was prepared to die a lot at the beginning, I still found myself getting annoyed battling my way through the starting area over and over — until the game switched up on me. I was so preoccupied with progressing that I didn’t take the time to explore the starting area each time it changed. After returning to the game after a short frustration break, I took my time to explore like I should have and wound up finding a special encounter that unlocked a new starting area.
Now when I died, I could choose a new location from which to begin my assault, injecting a bit of variety into each run. On top of that, the new area itself had another one of those special encounters that unlocked yet another new location. Evil Empire seemingly understood that the initial fight-die-repeat cycle can get grating and introduced a novel way to experience new areas that don’t require brute-forcing progression.

Image: Ubisoft
Some boss fight animations look like they’re missing.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is very clearly an early access game. I ran into some UI glitches that made it look like upgrades I picked up persisted through death (they don’t). And the first boss fight seems to be missing some attack animations as it frequently blinked in and out, making it hard to anticipate attacks. I’m also guessing more robust tutorials are coming in future updates because the game’s upgrade system feels a little opaque.
During each run, you can collect and equip medallions that grant special abilities and stat bonuses and can upgrade the medallions around it. Placing a medallion in one slot can upgrade adjacent slots, meaning that when a medallion is placed on that improved slot, you’ll get access to higher bonus levels. Medallion placement then becomes just as important as medallion choice, but the game doesn’t do a good job of explaining that, leaving me to piece all that together myself.
Overall, The Rogue Prince of Persia isn’t bad for a $20 early access game. I appreciate its attempt to do something different with the roguelike format, and I’m eager to see how future updates improve the little problems I had with the game.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is available in early access on Steam and another great example of a game made for the Steam Deck.

Image: Ubisoft

It seems like roguelikes, early access games, and Prince of Persia are all the rage this year. So, it makes sense to release a game that combines all three. The Rogue Prince of Persia, developed by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire, released in early access late last month after being delayed by a week to get out of the way of the Hades 2 stealth drop.

The game takes the elements the Prince of Persia series is known for — combat, platforming, and time manipulation shenanigans — and remixes them to fit the roguelike format while also remixing the roguelike format itself into something interesting and different. You play as the Prince desperate to stop an invading force of Huns that have devastated his home and people. Whenever the Prince dies during his assault, he’s sent back in time to start over again, except each time, the landscape, enemy placement, and platforming hazards change.

Neither combat nor platforming gets as intensive as they do in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. At first, I was tempted to think both elements were so simple as to be boring. But as I got further into the game, both improved to a pleasant level of difficulty. And unlike in The Lost Crown, you can be reasonably assured that you’ll always find something worthwhile like a powerful weapon upgrade or health at the end of an extensive platforming sequence instead of a measly collectible.

With roguelikes, there’s always an initial difficulty spike to surmount, getting used to the combat and learning what upgrades are worth my time. So, even though I was prepared to die a lot at the beginning, I still found myself getting annoyed battling my way through the starting area over and over — until the game switched up on me. I was so preoccupied with progressing that I didn’t take the time to explore the starting area each time it changed. After returning to the game after a short frustration break, I took my time to explore like I should have and wound up finding a special encounter that unlocked a new starting area.

Now when I died, I could choose a new location from which to begin my assault, injecting a bit of variety into each run. On top of that, the new area itself had another one of those special encounters that unlocked yet another new location. Evil Empire seemingly understood that the initial fight-die-repeat cycle can get grating and introduced a novel way to experience new areas that don’t require brute-forcing progression.

Image: Ubisoft
Some boss fight animations look like they’re missing.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is very clearly an early access game. I ran into some UI glitches that made it look like upgrades I picked up persisted through death (they don’t). And the first boss fight seems to be missing some attack animations as it frequently blinked in and out, making it hard to anticipate attacks. I’m also guessing more robust tutorials are coming in future updates because the game’s upgrade system feels a little opaque.

During each run, you can collect and equip medallions that grant special abilities and stat bonuses and can upgrade the medallions around it. Placing a medallion in one slot can upgrade adjacent slots, meaning that when a medallion is placed on that improved slot, you’ll get access to higher bonus levels. Medallion placement then becomes just as important as medallion choice, but the game doesn’t do a good job of explaining that, leaving me to piece all that together myself.

Overall, The Rogue Prince of Persia isn’t bad for a $20 early access game. I appreciate its attempt to do something different with the roguelike format, and I’m eager to see how future updates improve the little problems I had with the game.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is available in early access on Steam and another great example of a game made for the Steam Deck.

Read More