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When I reviewed the OnePlus Watch 2 last month, I said it had a digital crown. I did so because it had a button with grooves that you could twist and press. I didn’t think much of it, but a few readers contested its crown-ness. This, they said, was naught but a mere button.
To that, I furrowed my brow.
The problem was that twisting the OnePlus Watch 2’s “digital crown” didn’t do anything. It broke the unspoken nerd covenant that smartwatch crowns must scroll. Pressing the button brings up an app menu, but twisting it? Zip, zilch, nada. On other smartwatches, twisting a crown generally lets you scroll through menus and notifications — whatever’s on your display. Since this button didn’t do that, the people argued, it could not be a digital crown, style be damned.

When I type “What’s a digital crown?” into Google, the top results tell me it is a large, protruding dial on an Apple Watch that’s based on a mechanical watch’s crown. It’s a means of navigating and activating features. This is a deeply dissatisfying answer.
For starters, digital crowns are not limited to Apple Watches. I’m not denying that the first Apple Watch popularized the digital crown: if you look at pre-2015 smartwatches and fitness trackers, you’ll see buttons and pushers were the more common design choice. (Some, like the LG G Watch R, had a crown-like button that could rotate, but like the OnePlus Watch 2, didn’t scroll.) But these days, digital crowns are fairly common outside of Apple’s walled garden. The Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 have one. So do a bunch of my Withings, Mobvoi, and Fossil watches.

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
The OnePlus Watch 2’s crown rotates, but doesn’t do anything.

Secondly, digital crowns have never been the primary means of navigating smartwatch menus. The vast majority use touchscreens where swipes and taps reign supreme. (Some smartwatches don’t even have a single button!) The smartwatches that don’t have touchscreens, like some multisport watches from Garmin or Polar, primarily rely on a five-button system for navigation and selecting. Athletes swear by these buttons because they’re immune to sweat and gloves.
Out of curiosity, I rummaged through four drawers of smartwatches I’ve reviewed over the years. A trend emerged. Most watches with digital crowns — from brands both big and small — were those mimicking the feel of an analog mechanical watch.

Image: Breguet
Crowns used to wind a watch spring. Smartwatches have circuit boards, so what do we want from digital crowns?

That, in turn, made me wonder why watches had crowns to begin with. Before the 1800s, winding a pocket watch or a clock often required a special key — which could get pretty annoying. The “crown” seemingly emerged in the 1830s, letting owners turn a decorative part of their watch to wind its mainspring, thereby powering the device’s internals, too. They did it using a dial with ribbed grooves that looked like a king or queen’s crown.
But earlier inventors call it a “knob,” or simply a way to wind a watch without a key, and enthusiasts have traced keyless winding mechanisms as far back as 1686.

Image: Titles of Patents of Invention, Great Britain Patent Office
An 1820 patent: “A new and additional movement applied to a watch, to enable it to be wound by the pendant knob.”

Image: The London Gazette
The London Gazette, 1686: “Lost … a watch in a black shagreen studded case … the spring being wound up without a key, and it opening contrary to all other watches.”

In short, the traditional watch crown was both the main way of interacting with a watch and crucial to the watch’s functioning. But it was always more knob than button.
That was then. Technically, wristwatch wearers haven’t needed to use crowns to wind springs since Seiko made the Astron 35SQ, the first quartz watch, in 1969. Today, analog knobs are mostly used to set the time. The modern digital crown isn’t even necessary for that, so really, it’s all about interacting with a smartwatch.
Each smartwatch maker is different, but I’m struggling to remember a digital crown that just scrolls. More often than not, it works as a select button, a shortcut, or a way to bring up a voice assistant. Some people don’t even use the crown to scroll menus at all. (Yours truly primarily uses it to adjust volume.) So when did scrolling become the defining criterion of what makes a digital crown?
To that, I could probably point my finger at one Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief. In an interview with Hodinkee, Ive notes that the crown is a “fantastic solution for scrolling and making choices.” Ive mentions scrolling first, and Apple itself made a big hullabaloo about the digital crown as a pioneering input method in the first Apple Watch’s marketing. But again, he primarily refers to it as an input mechanism, a means of interaction — he calls it an alternative to the “panacea” of “direct manipulation,” aka touchscreens.
In typical Ive bombast, he says implementing the digital crown “took a modicum of courage” and that it allowed Apple to “offer a ‘second button’ on the device.”
But you heard the man: it’s a button.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The digital crown, and how it could scroll, was a big part of the original Apple Watch’s marketing.

Today, Apple doesn’t use scrolling as part of its definition of a digital crown. It calls it an “important hardware input” for the Apple Watch and the Vision Pro. On the Vision Pro, turning the crown doesn’t scroll through menus at all. The rotation does, however, have a purpose. When you turn the crown, it lets you adjust your immersion in virtual environments — as in fine-tune your connection to reality. It also acts as a means of adjusting volume and an alternative to pinching your fingers when you want to select a button.
So, even Apple — which popularized the digital crown as we know it — doesn’t seem to have a hard and fast rule about the crown. Just that the rotation should be an intuitive part of the UI.
After much soul-searching, it’s clear that the OnePlus Watch 2 definitely has a crown. Whether it’s digital boils down to if that rotation truly does anything at all. It ought to have some kind of intentional purpose. Otherwise, why not just have a regular old pusher-style button?
Out of curiosity, I reached out to OnePlus.

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
Verdict: this is a crown, just not a digital one.

“The crown does not have any function on the device. The crown rotating when moved leads to the button being more durable than if it was rigid, especially during impacts,” says OnePlus spokesperson Spenser Blank. “Also, Wear OS 4’s intuitive interface plus the OnePlus Watch 2’s large screen allows for easy swipes and interactions, making the adjustments provided by a digital crown unnecessary.”
There you have it. I stand corrected: even OnePlus says it’s not a digital crown. The rotating serves a mechanical purpose — just not one anyone can get particularly excited about. (I know a few glove-wearing athletes who’d take umbrage with Blank’s assertion that a touchscreen suffices.) So let’s leave it at this: the OnePlus Watch 2 has a crown. It’s just not a particularly good one and definitely not digital.

When I reviewed the OnePlus Watch 2 last month, I said it had a digital crown. I did so because it had a button with grooves that you could twist and press. I didn’t think much of it, but a few readers contested its crown-ness. This, they said, was naught but a mere button.

To that, I furrowed my brow.

The problem was that twisting the OnePlus Watch 2’s “digital crown” didn’t do anything. It broke the unspoken nerd covenant that smartwatch crowns must scroll. Pressing the button brings up an app menu, but twisting it? Zip, zilch, nada. On other smartwatches, twisting a crown generally lets you scroll through menus and notifications — whatever’s on your display. Since this button didn’t do that, the people argued, it could not be a digital crown, style be damned.

When I type “What’s a digital crown?” into Google, the top results tell me it is a large, protruding dial on an Apple Watch that’s based on a mechanical watch’s crown. It’s a means of navigating and activating features. This is a deeply dissatisfying answer.

For starters, digital crowns are not limited to Apple Watches. I’m not denying that the first Apple Watch popularized the digital crown: if you look at pre-2015 smartwatches and fitness trackers, you’ll see buttons and pushers were the more common design choice. (Some, like the LG G Watch R, had a crown-like button that could rotate, but like the OnePlus Watch 2, didn’t scroll.) But these days, digital crowns are fairly common outside of Apple’s walled garden. The Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 have one. So do a bunch of my Withings, Mobvoi, and Fossil watches.

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
The OnePlus Watch 2’s crown rotates, but doesn’t do anything.

Secondly, digital crowns have never been the primary means of navigating smartwatch menus. The vast majority use touchscreens where swipes and taps reign supreme. (Some smartwatches don’t even have a single button!) The smartwatches that don’t have touchscreens, like some multisport watches from Garmin or Polar, primarily rely on a five-button system for navigation and selecting. Athletes swear by these buttons because they’re immune to sweat and gloves.

Out of curiosity, I rummaged through four drawers of smartwatches I’ve reviewed over the years. A trend emerged. Most watches with digital crowns — from brands both big and small — were those mimicking the feel of an analog mechanical watch.

Image: Breguet
Crowns used to wind a watch spring. Smartwatches have circuit boards, so what do we want from digital crowns?

That, in turn, made me wonder why watches had crowns to begin with. Before the 1800s, winding a pocket watch or a clock often required a special key — which could get pretty annoying. The “crown” seemingly emerged in the 1830s, letting owners turn a decorative part of their watch to wind its mainspring, thereby powering the device’s internals, too. They did it using a dial with ribbed grooves that looked like a king or queen’s crown.

But earlier inventors call it a “knob,” or simply a way to wind a watch without a key, and enthusiasts have traced keyless winding mechanisms as far back as 1686.

In short, the traditional watch crown was both the main way of interacting with a watch and crucial to the watch’s functioning. But it was always more knob than button.

That was then. Technically, wristwatch wearers haven’t needed to use crowns to wind springs since Seiko made the Astron 35SQ, the first quartz watch, in 1969. Today, analog knobs are mostly used to set the time. The modern digital crown isn’t even necessary for that, so really, it’s all about interacting with a smartwatch.

Each smartwatch maker is different, but I’m struggling to remember a digital crown that just scrolls. More often than not, it works as a select button, a shortcut, or a way to bring up a voice assistant. Some people don’t even use the crown to scroll menus at all. (Yours truly primarily uses it to adjust volume.) So when did scrolling become the defining criterion of what makes a digital crown?

To that, I could probably point my finger at one Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief. In an interview with Hodinkee, Ive notes that the crown is a “fantastic solution for scrolling and making choices.” Ive mentions scrolling first, and Apple itself made a big hullabaloo about the digital crown as a pioneering input method in the first Apple Watch’s marketing. But again, he primarily refers to it as an input mechanism, a means of interaction — he calls it an alternative to the “panacea” of “direct manipulation,” aka touchscreens.

In typical Ive bombast, he says implementing the digital crown “took a modicum of courage” and that it allowed Apple to “offer a ‘second button’ on the device.”

But you heard the man: it’s a button.

Today, Apple doesn’t use scrolling as part of its definition of a digital crown. It calls it an “important hardware input” for the Apple Watch and the Vision Pro. On the Vision Pro, turning the crown doesn’t scroll through menus at all. The rotation does, however, have a purpose. When you turn the crown, it lets you adjust your immersion in virtual environments — as in fine-tune your connection to reality. It also acts as a means of adjusting volume and an alternative to pinching your fingers when you want to select a button.

So, even Apple — which popularized the digital crown as we know it — doesn’t seem to have a hard and fast rule about the crown. Just that the rotation should be an intuitive part of the UI.

After much soul-searching, it’s clear that the OnePlus Watch 2 definitely has a crown. Whether it’s digital boils down to if that rotation truly does anything at all. It ought to have some kind of intentional purpose. Otherwise, why not just have a regular old pusher-style button?

Out of curiosity, I reached out to OnePlus.

“The crown does not have any function on the device. The crown rotating when moved leads to the button being more durable than if it was rigid, especially during impacts,” says OnePlus spokesperson Spenser Blank. “Also, Wear OS 4’s intuitive interface plus the OnePlus Watch 2’s large screen allows for easy swipes and interactions, making the adjustments provided by a digital crown unnecessary.”

There you have it. I stand corrected: even OnePlus says it’s not a digital crown. The rotating serves a mechanical purpose — just not one anyone can get particularly excited about. (I know a few glove-wearing athletes who’d take umbrage with Blank’s assertion that a touchscreen suffices.) So let’s leave it at this: the OnePlus Watch 2 has a crown. It’s just not a particularly good one and definitely not digital.

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Illustration: The Verge

A report from Reuters says that work has been ongoing since last year to create a version of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm that operates independently from Douyin, the Chinese version of the app operated by its parent company ByteDance. According to the unnamed sources, completing the project could take more than a year as part of a plan to show lawmakers that the US business is independent of its owner in Beijing.
The report says executives have talked about the project in all-hands meetings and on the company’s internal messaging system, Lark. The sources also said that splitting the source code would cut TikTok off from the “massive engineering development power” of its parent company.
TikTok responded by tweeting, “The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate.”

The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate. As we said in our court filing, the ‘qualified divestiture’ demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not…— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) May 30, 2024

In emails to The Verge, TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said, “While we have continued work in good faith to further safeguard the authenticity of the TikTok experience, it is simply false to suggest that this work would facilitate divestiture or that divestiture is even a possibility,” and when asked if the code is being split, responded that is “100 percent false.”
TikTok has tried to convince lawmakers of its US independence before, with the “Project Texas” data silo that it described as “an unprecedented initiative dedicated to making every American on TikTok feel safe, with confidence that their data is secure and the platform is free from outside influence.” However, Alex Heath visited a Transparency and Accountability Center last year and, amid the project’s transparency theater, found a company that “seems to have realized that it won’t save itself from a US ban on the technical merits.”
TikTok is already suing the US government over the law that gives its parent until January 19th, 2025, to pass control of the app to someone else or face a ban. According to Reuters unnamed sources, there’s no plan to separate the companies; however, “once the code is split, it could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of the U.S. assets.”

Illustration: The Verge

A report from Reuters says that work has been ongoing since last year to create a version of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm that operates independently from Douyin, the Chinese version of the app operated by its parent company ByteDance. According to the unnamed sources, completing the project could take more than a year as part of a plan to show lawmakers that the US business is independent of its owner in Beijing.

The report says executives have talked about the project in all-hands meetings and on the company’s internal messaging system, Lark. The sources also said that splitting the source code would cut TikTok off from the “massive engineering development power” of its parent company.

TikTok responded by tweeting, “The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate.”

In emails to The Verge, TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said, “While we have continued work in good faith to further safeguard the authenticity of the TikTok experience, it is simply false to suggest that this work would facilitate divestiture or that divestiture is even a possibility,” and when asked if the code is being split, responded that is “100 percent false.”

TikTok has tried to convince lawmakers of its US independence before, with the “Project Texas” data silo that it described as “an unprecedented initiative dedicated to making every American on TikTok feel safe, with confidence that their data is secure and the platform is free from outside influence.” However, Alex Heath visited a Transparency and Accountability Center last year and, amid the project’s transparency theater, found a company that “seems to have realized that it won’t save itself from a US ban on the technical merits.”

TikTok is already suing the US government over the law that gives its parent until January 19th, 2025, to pass control of the app to someone else or face a ban. According to Reuters unnamed sources, there’s no plan to separate the companies; however, “once the code is split, it could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of the U.S. assets.”

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Image: The Verge

Last week, Google rolled out its AI search results for millions of users to tinker with. The goal was to deliver a better search experience. Instead, AI delivered all sorts of weird results, like saying people should put glue on their pizza to help the cheese stick and eat rocks.
Google worked quickly to remove some inaccurate AI results, which it calls AI Overviews, but the damage — and meme-ification — was already done.
Now, in a company blog post published Thursday by Google’s head of search, Liz Reid, the tech giant blames “data voids” for the inaccurate results, along with people making up odd questions, and doubled down by claiming that AI results are leading to “higher satisfaction” with Search. Reid argues that AI Overviews generally don’t “hallucinate;” they just sometimes misinterpret what’s already on the web.
“There’s nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches,” she writes. “We’ve also seen nonsensical new searches, seemingly aimed at producing erroneous results.” She also correctly notes that a “very large number of faked screenshots” of AI Overviews have been spreading online.

First, I’d like to point out that “what mammal has the most bones?” is a fair query if you spend any amount of time with an inquisitive toddler. Second, Google opted millions of people into this feature, which resulted in a lot of backlash and even spurred articles explaining how to improvise a way to disable it.
Reid’s blog also explains how Google is fixing AI Overviews by limiting when they appear for “nonsensical” queries and satire. This is good to address because a lot of people were surprised that the well-known satirical website The Onion and a Reddit user named “fucksmith” were not filtered out of AI results in the first place.
Part of Reid’s blog also compares AI Overviews to another longstanding Search feature called featured snippets, which highlight information from a relevant webpage without using generative AI. According to Reid, the “accuracy rate” for featured snippets is “on par” with AI Overviews.
Ultimately, Google’s introduction of AI Overviews has been yet another PR blunder for the company. Meanwhile, Google is racing to compete against OpenAI and AI search startups like Perplexity, which is already worth a rumored $3 billion.
If Google is going to compete, it has to move fast. But it also needs to maintain user trust. That could be difficult to regain after AI Overviews told us all to eat Elmer’s glue.

Image: The Verge

Last week, Google rolled out its AI search results for millions of users to tinker with. The goal was to deliver a better search experience. Instead, AI delivered all sorts of weird results, like saying people should put glue on their pizza to help the cheese stick and eat rocks.

Google worked quickly to remove some inaccurate AI results, which it calls AI Overviews, but the damage — and meme-ification — was already done.

Now, in a company blog post published Thursday by Google’s head of search, Liz Reid, the tech giant blames “data voids” for the inaccurate results, along with people making up odd questions, and doubled down by claiming that AI results are leading to “higher satisfaction” with Search. Reid argues that AI Overviews generally don’t “hallucinate;” they just sometimes misinterpret what’s already on the web.

“There’s nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches,” she writes. “We’ve also seen nonsensical new searches, seemingly aimed at producing erroneous results.” She also correctly notes that a “very large number of faked screenshots” of AI Overviews have been spreading online.

First, I’d like to point out that “what mammal has the most bones?” is a fair query if you spend any amount of time with an inquisitive toddler. Second, Google opted millions of people into this feature, which resulted in a lot of backlash and even spurred articles explaining how to improvise a way to disable it.

Reid’s blog also explains how Google is fixing AI Overviews by limiting when they appear for “nonsensical” queries and satire. This is good to address because a lot of people were surprised that the well-known satirical website The Onion and a Reddit user named “fucksmith” were not filtered out of AI results in the first place.

Part of Reid’s blog also compares AI Overviews to another longstanding Search feature called featured snippets, which highlight information from a relevant webpage without using generative AI. According to Reid, the “accuracy rate” for featured snippets is “on par” with AI Overviews.

Ultimately, Google’s introduction of AI Overviews has been yet another PR blunder for the company. Meanwhile, Google is racing to compete against OpenAI and AI search startups like Perplexity, which is already worth a rumored $3 billion.

If Google is going to compete, it has to move fast. But it also needs to maintain user trust. That could be difficult to regain after AI Overviews told us all to eat Elmer’s glue.

Read More 

Image: Konami

Konami provided a fresh — and terrifying — look at its upcoming remake of the survival horror classic Silent Hill 2, sharing a new trailer and release date during Sony’s State of Play and offering an extended look at gameplay during Konami’s Silent Hill Transmission event.
In the trailer, husband of the year James Sunderland makes his way through the haunted town, fighting monstrous nurses and generally looking sad, wet, and guilty. Konami’s Silent Hill presentation expanded on his patheticness featuring extended scenes of James fighting more monsters and interacting with the other people lost in the town. However, developer Team Bloober seemingly realized the value of the tease, exercising restraint in not including any glimpses of the big daddy himself: Pyramid Head. You can watch the full Silent Hill Transmission presentation, which also features a short vignette on the Silent Hill 2 movie, below.

The remake was first announced in 2022 as part of a big drop of Silent Hill news that included multiple spinoffs and a new live-action movie (which is also based on Silent Hill 2). The updated version of the game, which originally launched on the PSone in 2001, is being developed by Polish studio Bloober Team, which is best known for horror games Layers of Fear and The Medium.
At the beginning of the year, Konami put out a trailer detailing the combat of Silent Hill 2, while also surprise launching a short, free spinoff called The Short Message. Interestingly, though today’s two events confirmed the game’s October 8th release date, only Konami’s featured the confirmation that Silent Hill 2 will come day and date to PC.

Image: Konami

Konami provided a fresh — and terrifying — look at its upcoming remake of the survival horror classic Silent Hill 2, sharing a new trailer and release date during Sony’s State of Play and offering an extended look at gameplay during Konami’s Silent Hill Transmission event.

In the trailer, husband of the year James Sunderland makes his way through the haunted town, fighting monstrous nurses and generally looking sad, wet, and guilty. Konami’s Silent Hill presentation expanded on his patheticness featuring extended scenes of James fighting more monsters and interacting with the other people lost in the town. However, developer Team Bloober seemingly realized the value of the tease, exercising restraint in not including any glimpses of the big daddy himself: Pyramid Head. You can watch the full Silent Hill Transmission presentation, which also features a short vignette on the Silent Hill 2 movie, below.

The remake was first announced in 2022 as part of a big drop of Silent Hill news that included multiple spinoffs and a new live-action movie (which is also based on Silent Hill 2). The updated version of the game, which originally launched on the PSone in 2001, is being developed by Polish studio Bloober Team, which is best known for horror games Layers of Fear and The Medium.

At the beginning of the year, Konami put out a trailer detailing the combat of Silent Hill 2, while also surprise launching a short, free spinoff called The Short Message. Interestingly, though today’s two events confirmed the game’s October 8th release date, only Konami’s featured the confirmation that Silent Hill 2 will come day and date to PC.

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In New York today, Jeep unveiled its first fully electric SUV for the North American market. And while all the focus was on the $71,995 Wagoneer S, the automaker had one more thing to show off: an off-road-capable Trailhawk concept of the same EV, sitting pretty on 31.5-inch tires.
The forest green SUV sports several features that distinguish it from the standard Wagoneer S, including an intimidating laser-cut roof rack, 3D-printed tow hooks, lifted suspension, wheel caps, and a host of other goodies for gearheads and boulder lovers alike.
Sitting pretty on 31.5-inch tires
Trailhawk is the trim name usually applied to Jeep’s most rugged off-road vehicles, complete with more durable equipment and materials. In addition, Trailhawk vehicles are often trail rated, meaning they’ve passed a battery of tests for maneuverability, articulation, and ground clearance. And with the Wagoneer S Trailhawk concept, Jeep is signaling its interest in extending those capabilities to its nascent battery-electric segment.

The Trailhawk concept boasts a lot of the same features as the Wagoneer S — while taking them a step further. In addition to those all-terrain 31.5-inch tires, the concept sits on a lifted suspension for better ground clearance. Tow hooks are embedded in the front and rear of the vehicle, and functional air extractors are intended for high-pressure environments. The hood decal is anti-glare, the badging is flush with the vehicle, and the panoramic sunroof is dual panel for letting in fresh air — or trail dust, as it were.

Jeep’s five driver modes for the Wagoneer S gain a sixth mode for the Trailhawk concept: Rock. The mode selector is emergency red in the center console for ease of switching. And the steering wheel is octagonal-shaped, with special grips at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions for those especially hairy moments.
Electric off-roading isn’t exactly a new thing. Ford, Chevy, GMC, and Rivian all market their electric trucks as just as capable on gravel as they are on pavement. And the annual King of the Hammers off-roading competition features a segment just for battery-powered rock crawlers. But Jeep is a brand that prides itself on its overpowered dirt spewers, so introducing a plug-in version would make total sense.
The company isn’t committing to putting the Trailhawk concept into production, but during today’s event, executives hinted heavily that the off-roader would indeed eventually become a real EV. Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said that the Wagoneer S would feature several trims, with the fully loaded Launch Edition coming first.
Photography by Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge

In New York today, Jeep unveiled its first fully electric SUV for the North American market. And while all the focus was on the $71,995 Wagoneer S, the automaker had one more thing to show off: an off-road-capable Trailhawk concept of the same EV, sitting pretty on 31.5-inch tires.

The forest green SUV sports several features that distinguish it from the standard Wagoneer S, including an intimidating laser-cut roof rack, 3D-printed tow hooks, lifted suspension, wheel caps, and a host of other goodies for gearheads and boulder lovers alike.

Trailhawk is the trim name usually applied to Jeep’s most rugged off-road vehicles, complete with more durable equipment and materials. In addition, Trailhawk vehicles are often trail rated, meaning they’ve passed a battery of tests for maneuverability, articulation, and ground clearance. And with the Wagoneer S Trailhawk concept, Jeep is signaling its interest in extending those capabilities to its nascent battery-electric segment.

The Trailhawk concept boasts a lot of the same features as the Wagoneer S — while taking them a step further. In addition to those all-terrain 31.5-inch tires, the concept sits on a lifted suspension for better ground clearance. Tow hooks are embedded in the front and rear of the vehicle, and functional air extractors are intended for high-pressure environments. The hood decal is anti-glare, the badging is flush with the vehicle, and the panoramic sunroof is dual panel for letting in fresh air — or trail dust, as it were.

Jeep’s five driver modes for the Wagoneer S gain a sixth mode for the Trailhawk concept: Rock. The mode selector is emergency red in the center console for ease of switching. And the steering wheel is octagonal-shaped, with special grips at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions for those especially hairy moments.

Electric off-roading isn’t exactly a new thing. Ford, Chevy, GMC, and Rivian all market their electric trucks as just as capable on gravel as they are on pavement. And the annual King of the Hammers off-roading competition features a segment just for battery-powered rock crawlers. But Jeep is a brand that prides itself on its overpowered dirt spewers, so introducing a plug-in version would make total sense.

The company isn’t committing to putting the Trailhawk concept into production, but during today’s event, executives hinted heavily that the off-roader would indeed eventually become a real EV. Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said that the Wagoneer S would feature several trims, with the fully loaded Launch Edition coming first.

Photography by Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge

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Image: Jeep

Spoiler alert. Jeep, the rugged American brand known for popularizing the SUV, finally has its own electric model for the US. Today, in New York City, the company unveiled the Wagoneer S, a premium two-row SUV with an estimated 300 miles of range and a lot of, shall we say, interesting design details. That includes a unique spoiler and a massive 45-inch digital display across the dashboard.
The only trim announced today was the Launch Edition, which goes on sale this fall with a starting price of $71,995. Other trims, including more affordable versions, will be announced later.
An estimated 300 miles of range and a lot of, shall we say, interesting design details
Sure, it’s not the fully electric Wrangler that was initially promised and many thought would come first. (That’s coming later as the Jeep Recon.) And yeah, its premium pricing isn’t exactly what a lot of customers are looking for right now, with sluggish sales and sticker shock keeping many people tethered to their gas engines.
But Jeep is one of the most iconic auto brands in the US. Its hybrid models are very popular. So people are going to be at least curious about the first battery-electric model.
If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ve likely already seen the Wagoneer S. It was previewed back in 2022 as part of Jeep’s big “we’re going electric” event. Then, at the beginning of the year, Jeep accidentally leaked a few photos. And finally, the company pitted a preproduction model against a Tesla Model Y in a drag race a few weeks ago. (Guess who won.)

The Wagoneer S is sporting a lot of the same specs that were first announced in 2022, with one notable exception: range. Jeep initially said the Wagoneer S would have at least 400 miles, but it now looks like that estimate was off by 100 miles. Other than that, the vehicle’s specifications are pretty much the same: dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain capable of 600 horsepower and 617 pound-feet of torque, a zero to 60mph time of about 3.4 seconds, and the iconic seven-pillar grille lit by LEDs.
The iconic seven-pillar grille lit by LEDs
Jeep has kept its fans waiting a long time for the release of an all-electric model. The company outlined a full lineup of EVs in 2022, including an electric Wrangler. The Jeep Avenger, the company’s first BEV, went on sale in Europe last year. (Over 40,000 units have been reserved, according to the most recent data.) And the company has said it’s aiming to have EVs comprise 50 percent of sales in the US and 100 percent of sales in Europe by 2030.
In the meantime, a number of Jeep-like competitors have released their own models, including the Rivian R1T and R1S. Scout, an SUV pioneer now owned by Volkswagen, has said it will reveal its first rugged model later this year. Ford and GM have both released their own electric trucks as well as several midsize SUVs.
But now, it’s Jeep’s turn. The five-passenger Wagoneer S will have a 100.5kWh battery built on parent company Stellantis’ unibody STLA Large vehicle platform, which is one of the four platforms for all the company’s EVs. (There’s STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large, and STLA Frame.)
But unlike other STLA Large platform vehicles with 800-volt architectures, the Wagoneer S will only have a 400-volt architecture, which, theoretically, could mean slightly slower DC fast charging. But Jeep insists it will still be relatively quick, to the tune of charging 20 to 80 percent in 23 minutes.

The look of the Wagoneer S is certainly unique. The seven-pillar LED lights in the grille are sure to be a conversation starter — if not outright controversial. And the cantilevered rear spoiler, while not Cybertruck-level weird, still takes some getting used to. Jeep fans are already sounding off in Reddit threads and various message boards.
By electrifying its premium SUV, Jeep isn’t exactly signaling this will be an off-roader’s ideal EV. Tellingly, the words “off-road” don’t appear anywhere in Jeep’s six-page press release. (The company saved that for the Trailhawk concept that may or may not get built.) Still, the Wagoneer S will have its own 4xe (pronounced “four by E”) bona fides to boast of. Stellantis has been pouring millions of dollars into developing its own electric drive modules (no, not that kind of EDM) at three different US plants to power its future EVs.
And now those EDMs are being put to use in the Wagoneer S, powering both the front and rear wheels independently. According to Jeep:
The Jeep Wagoneer S’s 3-in-1 EDMs combine the electric motor, gearing and power electronics into a single, compact unit that is both powerful and efficient. The front EDM is equipped with wheel disconnects to reduce energy draw when cruising and to help optimize range.
In order to make the ride as smooth and silent as possible, Jeep’s engineers tweaked the body torsion stiffness for a 35 percent improvement over other midsize Jeeps. The vehicle’s aerodynamics are also optimized — which is typical of an EV — with a drag coefficient of 0.29. And there is some indication of off-road capabilities, with five distinct drive modes: Auto, Eco, Sport, Snow, and Sand. (I’m told that Jeep recommends you select Sand when driving in deep snow and Snow when looking to avoid slippage. Makes sense!)
Most notably, Jeep is betting big on interior screen real estate. A massive 45-inch glass display stretches the width of the dash, including a segment just for passengers — a first for Jeep. The 10.25-inch passenger display also runs on Stellantis’ Uconnect operating system and can “talk” with the main display, so passengers can share driving directions and other information.

The instrument cluster and central display both measure 12.3 inches and also run on Uconnect. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. And while the price tag may turn some people off, Jeep says the Wagoneer S is likely to qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which can be applied directly at the dealership.
There’s a lot riding on the Wagoneer S. Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa, who assumed the role from Christian Meunier last year, has been slashing prices and reorienting the brand’s marketing strategy in a bid to reverse flagging US sales. The Wagoneer S will be a key component in Filosa’s effort to breathe new life into the company. (Look for my Q&A with Filosa tomorrow on The Verge.)
Jeep’s approach is interesting, to say the least. Picking a fight with a Tesla Model Y in a drag race, when the Tesla sells for $20,000 less, may strike some as a mismatched fight. A better equivalent would probably have been Rivian, but more people know Tesla, the clear leader in the EV race.
Jeep has its sights set on the top dog. And it thinks it can win.

Image: Jeep

Spoiler alert.

Jeep, the rugged American brand known for popularizing the SUV, finally has its own electric model for the US. Today, in New York City, the company unveiled the Wagoneer S, a premium two-row SUV with an estimated 300 miles of range and a lot of, shall we say, interesting design details. That includes a unique spoiler and a massive 45-inch digital display across the dashboard.

The only trim announced today was the Launch Edition, which goes on sale this fall with a starting price of $71,995. Other trims, including more affordable versions, will be announced later.

Sure, it’s not the fully electric Wrangler that was initially promised and many thought would come first. (That’s coming later as the Jeep Recon.) And yeah, its premium pricing isn’t exactly what a lot of customers are looking for right now, with sluggish sales and sticker shock keeping many people tethered to their gas engines.

But Jeep is one of the most iconic auto brands in the US. Its hybrid models are very popular. So people are going to be at least curious about the first battery-electric model.

If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ve likely already seen the Wagoneer S. It was previewed back in 2022 as part of Jeep’s big “we’re going electric” event. Then, at the beginning of the year, Jeep accidentally leaked a few photos. And finally, the company pitted a preproduction model against a Tesla Model Y in a drag race a few weeks ago. (Guess who won.)

The Wagoneer S is sporting a lot of the same specs that were first announced in 2022, with one notable exception: range. Jeep initially said the Wagoneer S would have at least 400 miles, but it now looks like that estimate was off by 100 miles. Other than that, the vehicle’s specifications are pretty much the same: dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain capable of 600 horsepower and 617 pound-feet of torque, a zero to 60mph time of about 3.4 seconds, and the iconic seven-pillar grille lit by LEDs.

Jeep has kept its fans waiting a long time for the release of an all-electric model. The company outlined a full lineup of EVs in 2022, including an electric Wrangler. The Jeep Avenger, the company’s first BEV, went on sale in Europe last year. (Over 40,000 units have been reserved, according to the most recent data.) And the company has said it’s aiming to have EVs comprise 50 percent of sales in the US and 100 percent of sales in Europe by 2030.

In the meantime, a number of Jeep-like competitors have released their own models, including the Rivian R1T and R1S. Scout, an SUV pioneer now owned by Volkswagen, has said it will reveal its first rugged model later this year. Ford and GM have both released their own electric trucks as well as several midsize SUVs.

But now, it’s Jeep’s turn. The five-passenger Wagoneer S will have a 100.5kWh battery built on parent company Stellantis’ unibody STLA Large vehicle platform, which is one of the four platforms for all the company’s EVs. (There’s STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large, and STLA Frame.)

But unlike other STLA Large platform vehicles with 800-volt architectures, the Wagoneer S will only have a 400-volt architecture, which, theoretically, could mean slightly slower DC fast charging. But Jeep insists it will still be relatively quick, to the tune of charging 20 to 80 percent in 23 minutes.

The look of the Wagoneer S is certainly unique. The seven-pillar LED lights in the grille are sure to be a conversation starter — if not outright controversial. And the cantilevered rear spoiler, while not Cybertruck-level weird, still takes some getting used to. Jeep fans are already sounding off in Reddit threads and various message boards.

By electrifying its premium SUV, Jeep isn’t exactly signaling this will be an off-roader’s ideal EV. Tellingly, the words “off-road” don’t appear anywhere in Jeep’s six-page press release. (The company saved that for the Trailhawk concept that may or may not get built.) Still, the Wagoneer S will have its own 4xe (pronounced “four by E”) bona fides to boast of. Stellantis has been pouring millions of dollars into developing its own electric drive modules (no, not that kind of EDM) at three different US plants to power its future EVs.

And now those EDMs are being put to use in the Wagoneer S, powering both the front and rear wheels independently. According to Jeep:

The Jeep Wagoneer S’s 3-in-1 EDMs combine the electric motor, gearing and power electronics into a single, compact unit that is both powerful and efficient. The front EDM is equipped with wheel disconnects to reduce energy draw when cruising and to help optimize range.

In order to make the ride as smooth and silent as possible, Jeep’s engineers tweaked the body torsion stiffness for a 35 percent improvement over other midsize Jeeps. The vehicle’s aerodynamics are also optimized — which is typical of an EV — with a drag coefficient of 0.29. And there is some indication of off-road capabilities, with five distinct drive modes: Auto, Eco, Sport, Snow, and Sand. (I’m told that Jeep recommends you select Sand when driving in deep snow and Snow when looking to avoid slippage. Makes sense!)

Most notably, Jeep is betting big on interior screen real estate. A massive 45-inch glass display stretches the width of the dash, including a segment just for passengers — a first for Jeep. The 10.25-inch passenger display also runs on Stellantis’ Uconnect operating system and can “talk” with the main display, so passengers can share driving directions and other information.

The instrument cluster and central display both measure 12.3 inches and also run on Uconnect. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. And while the price tag may turn some people off, Jeep says the Wagoneer S is likely to qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which can be applied directly at the dealership.

There’s a lot riding on the Wagoneer S. Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa, who assumed the role from Christian Meunier last year, has been slashing prices and reorienting the brand’s marketing strategy in a bid to reverse flagging US sales. The Wagoneer S will be a key component in Filosa’s effort to breathe new life into the company. (Look for my Q&A with Filosa tomorrow on The Verge.)

Jeep’s approach is interesting, to say the least. Picking a fight with a Tesla Model Y in a drag race, when the Tesla sells for $20,000 less, may strike some as a mismatched fight. A better equivalent would probably have been Rivian, but more people know Tesla, the clear leader in the EV race.

Jeep has its sights set on the top dog. And it thinks it can win.

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Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

According to a report published at CNBC, Twitch has decided to terminate the contracts of all the existing members of its Safety Advisory Council. The council received the news that Twitch would not be renewing their contracts earlier this month, and they will reportedly be terminated effective Friday, May 31st, without further pay.
The advisory council was formed in May 2020 with the goal to “enhance Twitch’s approach to issues of trust and safety.” It was made up of nine members, including Twitch streamers, moderators, and outside experts with experience studying and combating online harassment. The group assisted Twitch on the development of new safety policies and products while also acting as a liaison, able to bring the Twitch community’s safety concerns to decision makers.
Though these contracts are at their end, Twitch intends for the Safety Advisory Council to continue. In a statement to The Verge, Twitch trust and safety communications manager Elizabeth Busby writes that the streaming platform will expand the council’s membership to the roughly 180 members of Twitch’s ambassador program.
“After working with many of the same core members for several years, we have brought in new council members to offer fresh, diverse perspectives,” Busby wrote. “We’re excited to work with our global Twitch Ambassadors, all of whom are active on Twitch, know our safety work first hand, and have a range of experiences to pull from.”
CNBC writes that Twitch declined to say whether the ambassadors would be paid. Paid ethics teams have often been cut back as tech companies have tightened their belts over the past couple of years.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge

According to a report published at CNBC, Twitch has decided to terminate the contracts of all the existing members of its Safety Advisory Council. The council received the news that Twitch would not be renewing their contracts earlier this month, and they will reportedly be terminated effective Friday, May 31st, without further pay.

The advisory council was formed in May 2020 with the goal to “enhance Twitch’s approach to issues of trust and safety.” It was made up of nine members, including Twitch streamers, moderators, and outside experts with experience studying and combating online harassment. The group assisted Twitch on the development of new safety policies and products while also acting as a liaison, able to bring the Twitch community’s safety concerns to decision makers.

Though these contracts are at their end, Twitch intends for the Safety Advisory Council to continue. In a statement to The Verge, Twitch trust and safety communications manager Elizabeth Busby writes that the streaming platform will expand the council’s membership to the roughly 180 members of Twitch’s ambassador program.

“After working with many of the same core members for several years, we have brought in new council members to offer fresh, diverse perspectives,” Busby wrote. “We’re excited to work with our global Twitch Ambassadors, all of whom are active on Twitch, know our safety work first hand, and have a range of experiences to pull from.”

CNBC writes that Twitch declined to say whether the ambassadors would be paid. Paid ethics teams have often been cut back as tech companies have tightened their belts over the past couple of years.

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Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony’s most adorable character (sorry, Sackboy) is getting another outing. At its State of Play showcase today, the company revealed the latest Astro Bot game, which was rumored earlier in the month.
It appears to be a direct sequel to Astro’s Playroom, so it should make excellent use of the PS5’s controller and all of its various functions. The game features 50 worlds to explore — like its predecessor, it looks like those levels will explore PlayStation history to varying degrees — and launches on September 6th. It’ll be a PS5 when it does come out.
This will be the first title in the series since Astro’s Playroom, a Wii Sports-style pack-in for the PlayStation 5, which was designed to show off the console’s then-new DualSense controller. It was developed by Japan Studio, which has since morphed into Team Asobi, a studio focused entirely on the Astro series.

Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony’s most adorable character (sorry, Sackboy) is getting another outing. At its State of Play showcase today, the company revealed the latest Astro Bot game, which was rumored earlier in the month.

It appears to be a direct sequel to Astro’s Playroom, so it should make excellent use of the PS5’s controller and all of its various functions. The game features 50 worlds to explore — like its predecessor, it looks like those levels will explore PlayStation history to varying degrees — and launches on September 6th. It’ll be a PS5 when it does come out.

This will be the first title in the series since Astro’s Playroom, a Wii Sports-style pack-in for the PlayStation 5, which was designed to show off the console’s then-new DualSense controller. It was developed by Japan Studio, which has since morphed into Team Asobi, a studio focused entirely on the Astro series.

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Image: Capcom

We finally have a few more details about the previously mysterious next Monster Hunter game. Capcom released a new gameplay trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds at Sony’s State of Play event, and it features some free-flowing combat, a pretty dark-looking world, and what appears to be some new monsters — including one that looks a lot like a Final Fantasy chocobo. Naturally, it serves as a mount. Capcom describes the new game as taking place in “a living world.”
Wilds is a follow-up to 2018’s open-world title Monster Hunter World, which went on to become Capcom’s bestselling game ever, topping the likes of Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Devil May Cry. It was first announced at The Game Awards last year and is coming to the PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC sometime next year. 2023 also saw the launch of the MonHun mobile spinoff Monster Hunter Now from Pokémon Go developer Niantic and EA’s take on the monster-hunting genre with Wild Hearts.

Image: Capcom

We finally have a few more details about the previously mysterious next Monster Hunter game. Capcom released a new gameplay trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds at Sony’s State of Play event, and it features some free-flowing combat, a pretty dark-looking world, and what appears to be some new monsters — including one that looks a lot like a Final Fantasy chocobo. Naturally, it serves as a mount. Capcom describes the new game as taking place in “a living world.”

Wilds is a follow-up to 2018’s open-world title Monster Hunter World, which went on to become Capcom’s bestselling game ever, topping the likes of Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Devil May Cry. It was first announced at The Game Awards last year and is coming to the PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC sometime next year. 2023 also saw the launch of the MonHun mobile spinoff Monster Hunter Now from Pokémon Go developer Niantic and EA’s take on the monster-hunting genre with Wild Hearts.

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Image: Santa Monica Studio

Ragnarök is nigh — that is, if you’ve got a PC capable of handling it. During its summer State of Play event, Sony announced that God of War Ragnarök is coming to PC on September 19th. The news was accompanied by a brand-new trailer including the info that the game is now available for preorder.
It’s been just over a year since God of War Ragnarök released, adding another emotional beat to the story of Kratos, the god of war, and his son, Atreus. When we last left the pair in 2018’s God of War, the two had just returned from an epic journey to disperse Atreus’ mother’s ashes from the highest peak in the nine realms. In Ragnarök, Kratos and Atreus’ lives have been upended by the omens heralding the destruction of the realms, an event that is connected to Atreus’ destiny. The two go on a journey — sometimes separate, sometimes together — to figure out that destiny and to put a stop to the god Odin’s evil plans.
In an accompanying blog post and announce video, Sony says God of War Ragnarök will require a PlayStation Network account. It is not clear why and comes weeks after the controversy surrounding a similar requirement for Helldivers 2. Sony eventually backed down and reversed the PSN requirement for Helldivers 2 after blistering player reaction.
Ragnarök is coming to PC at a time when gaming publishers are considering branching out beyond the walled gardens of console exclusivity to reach new players. This is one of the fastest PC ports for a first-party single-player Sony game, releasing a little more than an year after its console launch. Other Sony exclusives like The Last Of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ghost of Tsushima remained on console for several years before seeing their own PC ports.
The timing of this announcement is also somewhat ironic, however, as earlier this week, PlayStation’s new CEO, Hermen Hulst, commented that while multiplayer games will see day and date releases on PC, the strategy for single-player games is to entice players to experience them on the PlayStation console.
And there’s an interesting if unfortunate merit to that strategy, as Sony’s single-player PC ports have a reputation of being quite poor at launch. Hopefully, though, with the full might of Ragnarök behind him, the God of War will avoid such issues.
Update May 30th: Article updated with PSN requirement information.

Image: Santa Monica Studio

Ragnarök is nigh — that is, if you’ve got a PC capable of handling it. During its summer State of Play event, Sony announced that God of War Ragnarök is coming to PC on September 19th. The news was accompanied by a brand-new trailer including the info that the game is now available for preorder.

It’s been just over a year since God of War Ragnarök released, adding another emotional beat to the story of Kratos, the god of war, and his son, Atreus. When we last left the pair in 2018’s God of War, the two had just returned from an epic journey to disperse Atreus’ mother’s ashes from the highest peak in the nine realms. In Ragnarök, Kratos and Atreus’ lives have been upended by the omens heralding the destruction of the realms, an event that is connected to Atreus’ destiny. The two go on a journey — sometimes separate, sometimes together — to figure out that destiny and to put a stop to the god Odin’s evil plans.

In an accompanying blog post and announce video, Sony says God of War Ragnarök will require a PlayStation Network account. It is not clear why and comes weeks after the controversy surrounding a similar requirement for Helldivers 2. Sony eventually backed down and reversed the PSN requirement for Helldivers 2 after blistering player reaction.

Ragnarök is coming to PC at a time when gaming publishers are considering branching out beyond the walled gardens of console exclusivity to reach new players. This is one of the fastest PC ports for a first-party single-player Sony game, releasing a little more than an year after its console launch. Other Sony exclusives like The Last Of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ghost of Tsushima remained on console for several years before seeing their own PC ports.

The timing of this announcement is also somewhat ironic, however, as earlier this week, PlayStation’s new CEO, Hermen Hulst, commented that while multiplayer games will see day and date releases on PC, the strategy for single-player games is to entice players to experience them on the PlayStation console.

And there’s an interesting if unfortunate merit to that strategy, as Sony’s single-player PC ports have a reputation of being quite poor at launch. Hopefully, though, with the full might of Ragnarök behind him, the God of War will avoid such issues.

Update May 30th: Article updated with PSN requirement information.

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