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Part wuxia epic and part pulp mystery novel, The Acolyte demonstrates what's possible when Star Wars embraces new characters and genres while abandoning the Dark Side of nostalgia. There isn't a Skywalker to be seen (at least in the four episodes I've watched), or any characters you've met before. It's not trying to fill gaps in pre-existing lore. It's simply a kickass Star Wars story, with perfectly executed action choreography, a bevy of talented actors and a story that feels genuinely fresh. And, best of all, you don't have to be caught up on The Book of Boba Fett or 208 episodes of animated shows to enjoy it.

A major reason why The Acolyte feels so unique is that it comes from Leslye Headland, a writer and director with no prior association to Star Wars. As the co-creator of Russian Doll, she proved that she could juggle a fantastical premise with rich, multi-layered characters. Her outsider perspective is exactly what Star Wars needs to avoid feeling stale. It's the counterpoint to the obsessive world-building from Dave Filoni, the George Lucas disciple behind The Clone Wars and many of the franchise's TV shows.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

The Acolyte begins with a scene right out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A lone warrior enters a bar, presents themself to the most powerful person there, and demands a fight. What follows is an expertly choreographed array of kicks, flips and Force-thrown knives, as the Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss), deflects her young attacker with effortless grace. "Who trained you?" She asks, echoing Michelle Yeoh's first confrontation with Zhang Ziyi in Ang Lee's film. (Yes, I got chills upon hearing that.)

I won't say too much about the plot of The Acolyte, but briefly it involves a former Jedi trainee, Mae (Amandla Stenberg), who is suspected of committing a series of crimes. Her former Jedi Master, Sol (played by Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae), is tasked with tracking her down and figuring out what's really going on. They're also joined by his new padwan trainee, played by Dafne Keen (Logan), and the over-eager, by-the-book Jedi Master Yord (Charlie Barnett).

Lucasfilm Ltd.

What makes The Acolyte truly intriguing is the way it explores the role of the Jedi and their chokehold (heh) on Force powers in the Star Wars universe. Are they actually the keepers of the peace, or a group of fanatical monks aligned with whoever happens to be in power? Is there a legitimate path beyond the Jedi for someone Force-capable like Mae, without turning to the Dark Side? I don't know how the series will answer these questions, but their existence alone is fascinating, as the broader franchise has seemed incapable of interrogating itself in recent years.

After The Rise of Skywalker brought the sequel trilogy to a disappointing close, Star Wars has mostly been mining nostalgia on Disney+ with varying levels of success. The Mandalorian started strong, but became bogged down with repetitive storytelling. The Book of Boba Fett was mostly forgettable, except for when it served as a bridge between season's two and three of The Mandalorian. Nobody needed the Obi-Wan series, but it was nice to see Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen back in action.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Ahsoka and Andor were the most uniformly successful of the Star Wars TV projects, but they both also had to wrestle with pre-existing storylines. To truly understand Ahsoka, you needed to have watched over 200 episodes of The Clone Wars and Rebels, as well as several shorts and episodes from other Star Wars shows. Andor was the most mature vision of the franchise we've ever seen, thanks to creator Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, The Bourne Identity), but it was also a slow burn narratively. (And it was still about a character we briefly met in Rogue One, itself a prequel story about finding the Death Star's blueprints.)

The only baggage The Acolyte has to deal with is the trail of middling Star Wars shows behind it. That alone may turn off some audiences. But I'm hoping people recognize it as a fresh start, a world beyond Skywalkers and nostalgia bait. The Acolyte is a reminder of what makes Star Wars great: exciting and pulpy storytelling on a cosmic scale. 

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote is right around the corner. The festivities kick off on Monday, June 10 at 1PM ET. The keynote address is available to the public and you can watch it via Apple’s event website or on the company’s YouTube channel. Alternatively, you can just stay here and watch our embed.

This is WWDC, so it’ll be a software-focused event. Apple will most likely reveal many of the main features of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. It’s also possible we’ll get updates for watchOS, macOS and even visionOS, which is the operating system behind the Vision Pro headset.

This is Apple, however, so the rumor mill is grinding at a feverish pace. The whole world has gone AI crazy, to varying degrees of success, but Apple has remained mostly mum on the technology. Given the current tech climate, it seems likely that changes sooner rather than later. WWDC would be the perfect place to unveil what the company has been working on.

To that end, Apple is reportedly developing its own AI chatbot, likely an update to Siri. Rumors swirl that this tech isn’t ready yet, so Siri will remain just a fairly decent alarm clock for now. The company has, however, entered into a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. If Gurman is right, and he usually is, we’ll see something about that. The upgraded Siri will likely get a mention, but won’t be on devices until at least early 2025.

As for software updates, it looks like iOS 18 will finally bring RCS support to Messages. This messaging protocol offers end-to-end encryption and better media sharing. It’ll also improve texting compatibility with Android devices. Rumors indicate that Apple Music may get an OpenAI-powered tool that auto-generates playlists and Notes might get a voice-recording option. Other apps like Mail, Fitness and Health are expected to get new features, but there are no details as of this writing.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

There’s also those ever-tantalizing words of “just one more thing.” Last year, the company used WWDC to officially unveil the Vision Pro. Apple won’t introduce a new device category this year, the AVP was its first since Apple Watch, but there should be a Vision Pro global availability announcement and some updated features.

Despite last year's Vision Pro reveal, we're not expecting a lot of hardware news. It’s possible we’ll get a new Apple TV streaming box and, if we’re lucky, an AirPods Max refresh with USB-C. Don’t hold out hope for new tablets or laptops, as Apple recently released both iPads and MacBooks — though Apple could drop the just-released M4 chip in the MacBook Pro. The Mac mini and Mac Studio are both overdue for an update, as well. But it's possible we get none of the above. There won’t be new iPhones until September, and the same goes for Apple Watch.

Heads up for those of you who are clinging onto a second- or third-gen Apple TV box: you'll need to upgrade soon if you want to keep watching Netflix through your set-top box. Netflix is ending support for those devices on July 31.

According to Apple Insider, Netflix is informing customers of the change by email. It didn't fully explain why it's ending support for the two boxes — each of which debuted over a decade ago — other than to say it’s doing so to "maintain the best possible Netflix experience." In fairness, that’s tough to do on old hardware that won’t be able to support newer codecs.

In a broad sense, it’s a pity to see major services abandoning older hardware, especially since that will increase the chances of those products becoming waste and ending up in landfill. That said, there often comes a point where maintaining support for a dwindling user base of aging devices no longer makes sense.

As luck would have it, though, the latest version of the Apple TV 4K is on sale. The 64GB version has dropped to $90, which is $40 off and the lowest price we’ve seen for it to date.

If you're anything like me, you're reading this a bit hunched over and with sore neck and shoulder muscles. While weekly massages would be a great way to treat it, that's a big time and money commitment. Another option is the TheraGun Mini 2.0, our choice as an amazing gift for runners and fitness-minded college students. It's still an investment, but right now, it's on sale for $165, down from $199 — a 17 percent discount. 

The one-pound TheraGun Mini 2.0 is an amazing tool to use on the go, whether at the gym, when traveling or after a sports match. It has three speed settings and attachments with an ergonomic design that makes it easy to hold on to during use. You can get a "moderate 12mm" intensity and see visual routines. 

If you're looking for something cheaper, check out the TheraGun Relief, the company's newest massager. A 13 percent discount has cut its price to a record-low $129 from $149 in both Sand and Navy. The Relief is a good option if you want to keep your device in one place, as it has a larger frame and an extra third of a pound in weight. The massager is good if you don't want anything super firm, with an intensity labeled "comfortable 10mm." Plus, it offers TheraGun's patented triangle grip, three speed settings and three attachments. 

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Smart TVs are the default option for the largest display in the home (unless you have a projector, that is). Their operating systems can be hit or miss, but thankfully there are other options available in the form of dedicated streaming devices. For those heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, the Apple TV 4K is perhaps the best option of the bunch. The third-gen version is currently on sale at Verizon, where the 64GB model has dropped by $40 to $90. That's the best price we've seen for this variant to date.

The third-gen Apple TV 4K is our pick for the best premium streaming device and we gave it a score of 94 in our review. It's very fast as it runs on an A15 Bionic chip — the same hardware that powers the iPhone 14. It takes barely any time at all to load or switch between apps. With the help of the Siri remote's touch-sensitive directional pad, you can quickly skip to a certain point of an episode or movie. The box (which has a smaller, fan-less design than previous generations) also delivers great picture quality and it has 4K Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support.

Setting up the Apple TV 4K is a cinch if you have an iPhone, but you don't need to have other Apple products to get a lot out of the device (even if the Apple TV app does skew toward Apple TV+ content). Those who are embedded in the Apple ecosystem though will likely appreciate being able to use Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade on a big screen.

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Skydance Interactive is best known for The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, one of the most popular, games on the original PlayStation VR. Combining visceral fights with TWD’s usual dramatic twists, turns and zombies, it felt like a proper VR game. 

Behemoth is an action-adventure game that draws on the combat and physics of The Walking Dead games but focuses more on fighting and less on survival. Like Saints and Sinners, there’s still a crafting system, but it’s a lot simpler, reinforcing the action-adventure slant here. I got to play a slice of the game, which combined early tutorial snippets outlining controls and mechanics with more thrilling set pieces and exploration segments – oh, and a battle with the behemoth itself.

Shawn Kittelsen, vice president of Creative, says Behemoth has a more sophisticated combat system. You will have to observe enemies, time your counterattacks and generally think a little more about your strategy instead of just waving your weapons around in virtual space. Doing that will drain your stamina bar, leaving you unable to dodge or block if you’re not careful. While combat feels weighty, you can still flail around with weapons and do damage — limitations are translating the swing of a plastic PSVR controller to a massive four-pound broadsword. This stamina system does help keep that in check, at least a little.

Kittelsen says the game lightly draws inspiration from Dark Souls for battle dynamics. At the same time, the most compelling part — a brief fight with the giant — reminded me of Shadow of the Colossus… from a completely different perspective.

You could split my demo into two halves. The initial chunk of the demo introduces control systems, traversal techniques and how to fight other human foes. Like a lot of VR games, it takes a moment to get up to speed. Fortunately, Skydance equipped my character with a magical sword that I could throw and resummon, Thor hammer-style. That, however, didn’t fix my habit of dropping my shield immediately after battles.

I tried out bows, an ax and other weapons dropped by human enemies as I traversed the early parts of the game. I swung across monkey bars and climbed vertical rock faces and ropes, and I felt more than a little self-conscious doing so in a room of game developers and PRs. A wrist-mounted grappling hook adds a bit of speed to exploration, but all these systems together (plus not playing VR on the reg) did make me feel a little queasy. The creators have added the ability to reduce your field of view to lessen the effect, but I did break into a cold sweat during my demo. However, it didn’t reach the levels of Resident Evil 7’s notorious nausea-causing demo.

I went into the second part of my demo, a brief skirmish with a behemoth called Seal, with some trepidation. Would running and evading a colossal monster make me feel even more VR-sick? Not the case. Maybe because I focused on a single objective — the giant monster — as I swung around on my grapple hook, fired arrows at his weak points, dodged foot stomps and more, I felt… fine. That’s a great sign, as my brief tussle with the giant was the standout moment of the demo. I did, however, die a few times.

Like SatC and recent Zelda games, you can scale this behemoth (if there’s the right texture of climbable surface). You can also use your grappling hook to launch yourself towards Seal's knee. You can’t simply cling on, though, as your stamina meter will burn away as you inch toward the giant’s weak spots. In a somewhat misguided approach, I tried to use arrows to hit the creature but would inevitably drop the bow rather than release the arrow. That was due to my skill, not the control system.

Like Horizon Call of the Mountain, climbing and traversing with your hands in Behemoth is fun, but that PSVR2 exclusive is a prettier game. However, the good news is Behemoth is coming to almost all contemporary VR headsets, from Meta’s Quest 2 and upwards, as well as PC headsets and PSVR2.

The creators say the primary campaign will last around 12 hours, with an additional arena mode to fight more enemies — or, hopefully, offer a quick shortcut to battle the behemoth. I can’t wait to get squashed again.

Skydance’s Behemoth launches in fall 2024.

Meta’s rolling out a small spring/summer update for the Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets. There’s nothing too major here, but there are some small improvements for regular users.

The biggest news is a new and better way to watch Netflix content. There’s long been a standalone Netflix app available for Quest headsets, but it maxes out at 480p and is generally considered to be, well, crappy. Once updated, you’ll be able to watch Netflix directly from the built-in browser. This offers a much-improved experience, with the option to view content in high resolution.

This browser-based version of Netflix isn’t just for better-looking content. The web app also offers the choice between a flat 2D virtual screen and a simulated theater view. Fake movie theaters are one of the best parts about VR, so this is welcome news.

Meta

Meta announced a dedicated travel mode a few weeks back, but the update brings it to everyone. This is a system mode primarily for air travel, as it tunes the headset’s algorithms to adjust for airplane jostling. The headset will automatically connect to in-flight Wi-Fi and will be available to play anything stored on the device, in addition to movies and TV shows offered by the airline.

The company has entered into a partnership with Lufthansa to offer Quest 3 headsets to people on select business class flights. Of course, you’ll have to be comfortable wearing a giant thing on your face while surrounded by strangers, but you do you.

The rest of the update pertains to existing apps. Beat Saber is getting five free new tracks and the fitness app Supernatural is getting a mixed-reality mode, but only on Quest 3 (for obvious reasons.) Meta has also announced that another trailer for the Quest 3 exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow will drop on June 7 as part of Summer Game Fest.

After getting officially announced way back at CES 2024, all of Samsung’s new 2024 gaming monitors are finally available for pre-order today. However, while the massive 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95SD) garnered most of the attention when initial details came out in January, I recently had a chance to check out its smaller siblings in person (plus one of Samsung’s new smart monitors), which are just as impressive due to their lower prices and more-practical screen sizes.

Similar to the Alienware AW3225QF and HP Omen Transcend 32, the 2024 Odyssey G8 OLED (G80SD) and Odyssey G6 OLED (G60SD) are based on Samsung’s third-gen QD-OLED tech. That means you get rich colors and deep blacks along with support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and increased brightness compared to traditional OLED displays. But from there, the two monitors diverge slightly with the 32-inch G8 being more of an all-rounder thanks to its 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the smaller G6 is better suited for competitive gaming with its 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and 360Hz refresh rate.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

My favorite of the two is the G8, as it features a flat display (not curved like the Alienware) with an anti-reflective matte coating and an extremely sleek design that lets you appreciate its super-thin 0.15-inch panel. Meanwhile, Samsung has equipped both the G8 and G6 with a dynamic cooling system that better reduces temperatures and can even preemptively control brightness if needed. And, for the first time, Samsung is offering a three-year warranty in case the monitor succumbs to burn-in.

I also appreciate that even though it’s a relatively large monitor, the G8 supports height adjustment and the ability to rotate into portrait mode. As a nod towards convenience, it comes with built-in stereo speakers and a solar remote (similar to what you get from Samsung’s flagship TVs), so you can easily connect it to gaming consoles alongside a traditional PC. And in case that’s not enough, the G8 also features Samsung’s Gaming Hub, which allows you to access streaming services like NVIDIA GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming without needing to connect to another device.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Alternatively, for more hardcore gamers, the G6 packs almost all of the same tech (including the remote and matte coating) into an even more practical 27-inch display. You still get Samsung’s CoreLighting+ module in back to supply some ambient RGB hues and a similarly sleek metal design. Samsung even redesigned the G8 and G6’s feet to give people with unusual gaming setups more flexibility and room to position their mouse and keyboard.

Finally, while it’s neither OLED nor a gaming display, Samsung’s M80D Smart Monitor is a neat take on 4K office productivity. It features a magnetic mount for a detachable webcam, so you can easily position it without the need for a tripod or quickly remove it at the end of a video call. You can also pair it over Wi-Fi with other Samsung devices, allowing you to easily move images or files from one to another. Just like the G8 and G6, it supports Samsung’s Gaming Hub and the ability to stream shows from apps like Netflix natively on the monitor.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The G9 remains the true flagship of Samsung’s gaming monitors, but the company has now made great options at smaller sizes too. The Odyssey G8 and G6 will start at $1,300 and $900, respectively, while the M80D Smart Monitor will go for $700. Pre-orders go live today and will come with a $300 discount for anyone who makes an early purchase before official sales begin later this month.

Meta Connect 2024 will take place on September 25 and 26 and "explore the future of AI and mixed reality," the company announced on X. Last year, Meta used the event to launch its latest Quest 3 headset, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and more. 

This year may be even busier. In April, Meta teased a limited-edition Xbox-inspired Quest headset and announced that it was rebranding Quest OS to Meta Horizon OS. It also opened up the OS to third parties and said that both Lenovo and ASUS were working on AR devices. Meta could also reveal a more affordable "Quest 3S" headset, according to a recent store listing leak. 

On a dedicated page, Meta offered a signup portal "for a sneak peak at this year's speakers, sessions and featured technology." As before, the keynote is likely to feature Mark Zuckerberg outlining his vision for Meta over the next year. This could be telling as the company appears to be shifting its focus from mixed reality to AI, despite having "metaverse" right there in the name.

Motorola unveiled the 2024 Moto Edge on Tuesday. The $550 mid-range phone is slightly more expensive than the Pixel 8a but has different strengths and weaknesses. It will be available starting on June 20.

The 2024 Motorola Edge combines the mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor with a 6.6-inch pOLED display (much larger than the Pixel 8a’s 6.1-inch display) at 2400 x 1080 resolution (402ppi). It supports a 144Hz variable refresh rate and a 360Hz touch rate that’s only available when using the handset in Game Mode.

The 2024 Moto Edge has a big 5,000mAh battery and fast 68-watt wired “TurboPower” charging. It also has 256GB of built-in storage and 8GB of RAM.

Motorola

Its main camera is a 50MP shooter using Sony’s LY7-700C sensor. The phone’s backside includes a 13MP ultra-wide lens, while a 32MP sensor sits on the front.

As companies tend to do in 2024, Motorola pointed out the handset’s AI capabilities, in this case when using Google Photos (Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur and Google Auto Enhance). Of course, that pales in comparison to the Pixel 8a’s full suite of Tensor G3-powered AI tools, also including Audio Magic Eraser, Best Take and unlimited uses of the Magic Editor.

The phone is 7.99 mm (0.31 inch) thick and weighs 174g. Its back is made of blue synthetic leather, which should provide a reasonably sophisticated look and feel without killing any cows. It has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, meaning it can withstand up to half an hour of submersion in 1.5 meters of water.

Beginning on June 20, the 2024 Moto Edge will be available unlocked for $550 on Motorola’s website, Amazon and Best Buy. The company says “subsequent availability” will roll out later at T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Spectrum, Consumer Cellular, Straight Talk, Total By Verizon and Visible.