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Tag: Entertainment
Apple’s iPad and MacBook lineup just got some nice upgrades
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 74, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, sorry in advance for my terrible TV taste, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’ve been reading about Bybit, Walmart, and sports analytics; devouring the first season of Running Point and the seventh season of Drive to Survive; listening to Scam Inc and Tested; obsessing over my progress in Fantasy Hike; getting the hang of Tiny Wings again; and making a lot of pancakes for a toddler who suddenly won’t eat anything else.
I also have for you a couple of exciting new Apple products, some fun stuff to watch this weekend, the return of a legendary social media platform, and much more. Plus, I’m an idiot. More on that in a minute. Let’s dig in.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you into right now? What are you playing / reading / watching / downloading / building / eating with toast this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, tell them to subscribe here.)
- The new MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is probably my longest-running default recommendation. If you just want a laptop, no follow-up questions, get an Air. This one’s faster and has a better webcam, and I even like the pale blue here. And it’s cheaper! A miracle!
- The new iPad. The new iPad Air got all of Apple’s attention this week, but I think the new base model is the bigger deal. This is the iPad I’d tell most people to buy — I wish it had gotten a bigger chip bump, but this’ll still do iPad things nicely. And $349 is the right price.
- Split Fiction. I need more gamer friends, because wow does this game look like a fun co-op. It looks like Blade Runner and Tron. There’s a company called Radar. There are puzzles and fights and — seriously, who wants to play a lot of this with me? Like, right now.
- Daredevil: Born Again. I always liked the old Daredevil series and Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. As ever with Marvel TV, this one sounds a little uneven in its execution and requires an annoying amount of lore knowledge, but I still enjoy watching some kickass crime fighting. And there’s plenty of it.
- The Nothing Phone 3A. Nothing might be the most interesting company in smartphones right now. It’s doing really cool, unique stuff, and it seems to be really starting to dial in its cameras. I particularly like the new Essential Space feature that collects and organizes all the photos, screenshots, and other stuff your phone accumulates all day.
- “Technology isn’t fun anymore.” In this video, Drew Gooden puts words to what I think a lot of people are feeling about the state of technology right now. I don’t agree with all of it, but it’s a pretty solid argument — and raises a lot of questions about why we feel so disillusioned with the state of things and what better would even look like.
- Twitter: Breaking the Bird. A four-part CNN series, starting on Sunday, about how Twitter got big, changed the world, and screwed up a million ways along the journey. I know this story pretty well, but I’m still fascinated to see how this series tries to make sense of it all.
- Deli Boys. I swear I’ve been seeing ads for this show in my feeds for, like, a decade. But it seems to be funny and timely — a comedy, a crime show, and a critique of capitalism? As ever, give me more fun half-hour shows. I’m in on this one.
- Palworld for Mac. Pokémon with guns continues to be a thing, and it’s now available on any Mac with at least an M1 chip. It sounds like crossplay doesn’t work, though, so make sure you have Mac friends to play with.
- Digg. Right now, the new Digg is just a landing page and a signup list. But having spent some time with the folks bringing it back (including original creator Kevin Rose), I’m excited to see what new ideas about online community might turn into over time.
This week is Installer 74. Until about six minutes ago, I thought it was Installer 75, which meant it would have been time for me to share my own homescreen, as I do every 25 issues here. Since I am terrible at counting, I neglected to find someone else to share their homescreen in this space. (This is the kind of week I’m having. Send good vibes.)
Anyway! It turns out there are no actual rules around here, so we’re jumping the gun a week — and since so many of you liked seeing Charlie Harding’s computer screen a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to show you mine. So here is a (mostly) unfiltered look at what’s happening on my computer right now:
The computer: a base model M4 Mac Mini, which I bought last fall. It does not have enough USB-C ports, but I love it nonetheless.
The wallpaper: The 1984-era Macintosh wallpaper that comes with MacOS Sequoia. I have it in gray — I like it better in other colors, but then the screen reflection gives my face a sort of sickly hue. So it’s gray.
The apps: Mimestream, Messages, Fission, Downie, Signal, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Spotify, Things, Calendar, 1Password, Notion Calendar, Notion, Anybox, Arc, MyMind, Craft, Slack, NotePlan, App Store, Loopback, Settings, iPhone Mirroring, VLC, Apple Frames, Vocaster Hub, Quicktime, Chrome, TextEdit.
I use most of these apps on a daily basis. (I have no idea why Calendar is here. I never use Calendar.) A bunch of them — Fission, Downie, VLC, Loopback — are for various podcasting-related things. I use Notion for all my project management stuff and NotePlan for my day-to-day tasks and notes. Once a week or so, I debate switching everything into Craft just because the app is so lovely (but still just a feature or two away from what I need).
MyMind and Anybox are for storing links, images, and other stuff I might want or need later, and everything else is pretty self-explanatory. I really recommend downloading desktop versions of all your messaging apps; I am now the world’s fastest texter because I’m hardly ever texting from my phone.
I go through phases with my computer. I’ll let the desktop and downloads folder get really messy, then spend an hour organizing and deleting things. I’ll let my dock get unwieldy and then organize it all at once. Sometimes I’m a religious one-app-at-a-time person, and other times I open so many windows on my 27-inch screen that I can barely read them all.
But mostly, honestly, I live in the browser. I’ve been using Arc for years (I use Chrome because our podcast-recording software likes it better, but for nothing else) and perpetually have between three and eight windows full of tabs. It’s bonkers, but it’s the only way I know.
My most important recent upgrade has been going all-in on Raycast. I use it for opening apps, managing windows, changing settings, accessing apps, and much more. It took me a while to really start using it like a power user, and it’s still not the most user-friendly tool out there, but it has made a huge difference in how efficiently I use my computer.
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now, as well! Email installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here every week. For more great recommendations, check out this post on Threads and this post on Bluesky. (But I think I’m about done with Threads, so pretty soon it’ll just be Bluesky.)
“You should check out the Feeeed app. Probably the best representation of a timeline app I’ve seen to date.” — Daniel
“Fountain pens. Who knew?! In a world full of Notions — which I use and love — I wanted an analog outlet for my brain dumps and light journaling. That led me to this TWSBI pen and this ink. The pen has a piston mechanism that makes it super easy to suck up ink. Love the feeling of the nib on paper. And don’t get me started on how cool ink bottles can be. Good times.” — Austin
“Moonbound by Robin Sloan. Highly recommend it. It’s like Ursula K. Le Guin writing about Thundarr the barbarian crossed with Narnia.” — Joe
“Working at a computer all day and reading on my phone all evening really strains my eyes. I’ve downloaded the LookAway app for Mac to actually enforce my optician’s advice of resting my eyes, and it’s worth every penny. My eyes feel a lot more comfortable at work now. For my reading, I’ve bought a Boox Palma with the FeedMe app using Feedbin as an RSS service — the verdict is still out on how much it’ll help my eyes, but it’s a really interesting device.” — Tom
“I’ve found CheapCharts, a great app to track when Apple movie prices are discounted. I’ve got myself some real bargains and reduced the low-level stress of switching streaming services off and on.” — Chris
“Five Books, if you want some non-obvious books on a subject for serious reading.” — Astrid
“I started using Bend 26 days ago after it was mentioned in The New York Times. The streak nature has me hooked, and the five-minute wake up routine is a low hurdle with a defined time limit so I know when to get on with my day. Good luck on getting more flexible!” — Sean
“I wanted to put a quick shout out for the series Six Nations: Full Contact on Netflix. Think DTS but for rugby. And for the uninitiated, rugby is often described as the NFL without pads.” — Alex
“To cope with the US’ continued descent into unitary religious authoritarianism, I’m doing what any sane person would and starting the Horus Heresy series of Warhammer 40k books!” — Luis
“SonoPhone and SonoPad. These apps blow away the Sonos app.” — Tony
“I can’t believe y’all haven’t posted anything about Pantheon, the animated series on Netflix! I actually just discovered it myself, but it’s in its third season, and it’s an amazing futuristic techy thriller. Check it out!” — Erik
A weird thing about TikTok is that the algorithm is so diverse and so specific that there aren’t a lot of shared experiences on the platform. That means that when I say the sentence, “I can’t believe how invested I got in the Zach vs. Danny cup game battle,” a few of you are going to get really excited and the vast majority are going to have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about.
The short version: it’s two brothers competing to see who can win a TikTok game, in which you toss a ball into a line of cups the fastest. (This link is a complete and total spoiler of the whole thing.) It’s both incredibly boring and absolutely riveting, and I have checked TikTok for updates every single day for nearly six weeks. And now I’m wondering how many equally awesome things are happening on other corners of the internet. If there’s something online that you’re outrageously, unnecessarily, and embarrassingly invested in, I want to know about it. And good news: Zach and Danny are back at it again. And you’ve barely missed anything.
Oscars 2025 red carpet: The dreamiest and most daring fashion of the night – National
The Oscars are back, and so is the fashion.
Hollywood’s A-list worked the red carpet Sunday evening outside of Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre, ahead of the 97th Academy Awards.
And while there’s no set costume theme for the Oscars, we can’t help but notice this year’s guests really embraced romanticism and drama in their sartorial selections, sporting plenty of peach, petal pink and rose tones, as well as lot of structured couture and metal embellishments.
Last year’s award show season was all about the battle of Oppenheimer and Barbie. But this year the focus is on the music with musical Emilia Pérez, Broadway musical adaptation Wicked and Bob Dylan musical biopic A Complete Unknown.
Enjoy all of the best red carpet looks from the 2025 Oscars, below. You can check out our list of winners, updated as the night goes on, here.
Cynthia Erivo
Elle Fanning
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Ariana Grande
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Demi Moore
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Amelia Dimoldenberg
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Monica Barbaro
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Edvin Ryding
Julian Brave NoiseCat
Savion Washington/Getty Images
Bowen Yang
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Storm Reid
![Click to play video: 'Big Oscar moments to watch for this Sunday']()
Coco Jones
Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images
Joe Alwyn
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Nick Offerman
Savion Washington/Getty Images
Lena Waithe
Felicity Jones
Mindy Kaling
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Adriana Paz
Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic
Lupita Nyong’o
Savion Washington/Getty Images
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Lisa
Anok Yai
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Kristy Sarah
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
H.E.R.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Lesley Barber
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Sebastian Stan
Savion Washington/Getty Images
![Click to play video: 'Documentary investigating B.C. residential school is up for Oscar']()
Amy Poehler
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Goldie Hawn
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus
Bruna Marquezine
Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic
Annabelle Wallis
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Emma Stone
Ava DuVernay
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Doja Cat
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Laura Dern
Keleigh Sperry Teller
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Selena Gomez
Raye
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Margaret Qualley
Jon M. Chu
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Timothee Chalamet
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Rachel Zegler
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Dave Bautista
Ana de Armas
Josephine Reitman
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Ryan Michelle Bathe
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Queen Latifah
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Michelle Yeoh
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Penélope Cruz
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Colman Domingo
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Andrew Garfield
Gayle King
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Raffey Cassidy
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
![Click to play video: '2025 Oscar nominations: Who will win Best Picture?']()
Omar Apollo
Rachel Sennott
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
Scarlett Johansson
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
June Squibb
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Charlotte Lawrence
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Image
Andrew Watt
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Emilie Livingston and Jeff Goldblum
Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic
Laura Blount
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Yasmin Finney
Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic
Whoopi Goldberg
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd
Savion Washington/Getty Images
Edward Norton and Shauna Robertson
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Bretman Rock
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Marissa Bode
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Conan O’Brien and Liza Powel O’Brien
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Halle Berry
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Gal Gadot
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Mikey Madison
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Lily-Rose Depp
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Open access, digital memory, and the politics of piracy
Since its founding in 2007, the Mumbai-based collaborative studio CAMP has used surveillance, TV networks, and digital archives to examine how we move through and record the world. In addition to their film and video projects, the wildly prolific studio runs a rooftop cinema in Mumbai and maintains several online video archives, including the largest digital archive of Indian film.
CAMP’s first major US museum exhibition is on view now at the Museum of Modern Art in New York through July 20th and includes three video projects spanning two decades of work. The exhibit’s three films repurposed private television sets into interactive neighborhood portrayals, collected cellphone footage recorded by sailors navigating the Indian Ocean, and reimagined how a CCTV camera could be utilized for exploration rather than control. In one film, CAMP collected cellphone videos that sailors shared at ports via bluetooth; in another, passersby on street level control a surveillance camera 35 stories above.
I chatted with two of CAMP’s founders, Shaina Anand and Ashok Sukumaran, about the importance of maintaining an open digital archive, the slippery definition of piracy, and how footage that never makes it into a finished film is often the most illuminating.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Shaina Anand and Ashok Sukumaran at the opening for the exhibit Video After Video: The Critical Media of CAMP, at The Museum of Modern Art in New York on February 20th, 2025. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeYour film, From Gulf to Gulf to Gulf, offers a portrait of sailors navigating the Indian Ocean, using cellphone videos to document their journeys and daily lives. Can you talk about how that project came to be and how this partnership with the sailors began?
Ashok Sukumaran: Around the global financial crisis, in 2009, we were walking around the city of Sharjah in the UAE. Sharjah is a creek city, like Dubai. Before oil was discovered, the creeks were the main city center focus. And these boats were these kind of weird, out-of-time wooden ships, and many of them were going to Somali ports. So, we asked them, “How come there were no issues with pirates?” Because everything we were hearing about Somalia at that time was about piracy. They said, “No, no, there’s a difference between going to the Somali town carrying everything they need and driving past it with a ton of oil.”
Shaina Anand: Almost all of these giant wooden boats were built in these twin towns in the Gulf of Kutch, in Gujarat, and they were massive. They were 800–2,000-ton giant wooden crafts.
AS: There’s a kind of language of the port. The Iranians, the UAE folks, the Somali, and of course, Indians and Pakistanis speak a kind of common language, which is close to a Hindustani mix of Farsi and Urdu. So, we were able to talk to everyone, to some extent, and we discovered a kind of music video genre that was really inspiring. This was the 2000s, with early Nokia phones, and sailors would shoot video and add music to it. Then their memory cards would run out [and they’d get deleted]. Some of the videos were 100 by 200 pixels.
SA: It was really important to us to try to trace the genealogy of the cellphone video, and it obviously was changing so fast. [The videos were] 10 frames a second, or 13 frames a second, in odd, square formats. It was rapidly changing.
For us, what was striking was that this image emerged in the middle of nowhere, out at sea, when a brethren boat or a comrade boat was filming on a phone. When our film had its festival run at the National Theatre in London, one of the film programmers came and told me, “It gives us such joy to see those images on the best screen in London.” And it gave us the same joy, too. That there is an equality, then.
Many people misread this “low-res image” and [call it] “a poor image,” and we’re like, that is not what it is at all.
How were the videos originally transferred and shared among sailors?
SA: It was a very physical process because these were not found on the internet. We were physically sitting down with people and saying, “What’s on your phone? Can I have a look at it? What did you film?” These [videos] were exchanged over Bluetooth, so they were not uploaded to YouTube, but they were literally transferred by putting the phones together.
AS: [When the boats] anchor for a bit at these smaller islands along the Gulf of Aden or Gulf of Persia, they’re still always in pairs or threes. They travel together for safety. That’s also the time for leisure and piping in those songs.
From Gulf to Gulf to Gulf presented in the first room of the Video After Video: The Critical Media of CAMP exhibition. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeThere’s something sweet about this moment of being bored at sea and using that space to create something.
SA: In a lot of our work, you see this idea that the subject of the film is usually behind the camera. They’re usually running the thing, and they are looking out at whatever interests them. At sea, you have a lot of time, even though it’s busy when it’s loading and unloading. But at sea, a lot of people are basically hanging out and taking pictures of the things that they can see. Then the music adds the emotional tenor. All the music in the film was found with the video; we didn’t add any music ourselves.
AS: And then if your phone has 2GB memory, that’s the ephemera bit. The video gets deleted, but it’s found on another boat on someone else’s phone.
SA: And within these communities, the videos are quite traceable because the boats are known. There are a thousand boats, but people would instantly recognize, “That’s so and so.” Even by looking at the shape of the boat in a 100-pixel video, they would know which boat it was.
You talked a little bit about how these videos were really ephemeral; they got erased very quickly. So much of your work seems to be about a commitment to maintaining an archive.
AS: We set up CAMP in 2007, with our collaborators who were lawyers and coders and cinephiles, and then, all of us together, good friends. We set up Pad.ma, our first online archive, and the lawyers were working around copyright law and trying to challenge them legally, pushing fair use. We didn’t want to valorize piracy, but we realized how, for countries in Asia, piracy was vital.
You didn’t even think of [buying software from] Microsoft. You bought the parts of a computer with help from the person selling them, saying, “Okay, so much RAM, this motherboard,” and so on, and then loaded what you wanted.
Shaina Anand, Ashok Sukumaran, Rohan Chavan, and Jan Gerber from left. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeSA: The whole Indian tech sector was built on piracy, or what’s called piracy. People were not able to pay the fees. With Pad.ma, we basically initiated this idea of a footage archive or a collection of material that was not films, but things that were shot by people during film projects that never made it into the cut. For political reasons, for economic reasons, for the reasons that the films were only 30 or 60 minutes long and they had filmed for years, all those kinds of things. The idea was that Pad.ma was a footage archive that allowed you to deeply access that material.
So it’s an archive of scraps — the things around the edges that maybe weren’t shown elsewhere.
SA: Yeah, but here, the scraps are 20 times the size of the finished thing.
AS: I think that’s the important thing. You had 100 hours of footage for a 60-minute film. That was really the reason for building a non-state archive, and we’re the custodians and collaborators who think the 99 hours may be more important. It’s not those old remnant scraps.
It’s the other way around.
AS: It’s the other way around. I mean, you have a one-hour interview, and two minutes might make it into a film.
SA: You had all these examples of European avant-garde filmmakers coming to India making films and then doing these edits of what they thought they were seeing. But the footage is saying much more than their particular edit at the time. It can be very revealing of what was actually going on and how they filmed.
So the archives contain a huge amount of data.
SA: I mean, we have committed to that. We raised money from various sources for the projects. Indiancine.ma, which is a sister project, that’s like the whole of Indian cinema as a metadata archive. AS: There were magical things in 2008 on the platform. One was that the timeline had cut detection. So, you can actually go to a cut just by using your left and right arrow keys. And you don’t have that even in [Adobe] Premiere. You could also densely annotate. So you have researchers working, you have activists, you have film scholars, and they may take from the archive. But in that process, they’ve given back their expertise or their views of the archive.
Can you talk more about your work with participatory filmmaking?
AS: On one level, what had been occupying my head space was this critique of how documentary images are taken, or why this relationship between subject, author, and technology is so dumb.
I would keep saying, “look at the image,” and we can say a white guy filmed it, or we can know this really important Indian filmmaker filmed it, or you can say a top feminist filmmaker filmed it, or a queer person filmed it or a person from that community. But something’s a bit off in that form as well. Not just [in terms of] who’s speaking for who and all of that.
Another of your projects in the exhibit, Khirkeeyaan, which created video portals between neighbors and community centers using CCTV, seems like a place where the subject has a lot of authority over their image.
AS: Between 2005 and 2006, CCTV cameras started to proliferate all over. And they were cheap. So, the electronic market where we’d go to buy computer stuff now had become a CCTV market.
It was $10 for those static cameras. You could get that quad box, like a four-channel mixer. They were everywhere really fast: the grocery store, the dive bar, the beauty salon, the abortion clinic. Wherever I went, I was seeing these tiny things.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
SA: When you put the camera on top of the TV and you allow the two systems to meet, you can just look into the television, and then that’s part of the cable television network. By default, these systems are kind of oppositional. One is a broadcast system, or one is a sucking and one is a closed thing, and if you join them together, they start to talk to each other or—
Download and upload simultaneously.
AS: Exactly, which was the key property of video. That there was feedback. It was immediate.
SA: It was live, and unlike film, you don’t have to process it. They were ambient. They would go on for 24 hours. You were able to say that your household TV is now a portal.
AS: The key thing was that this wasn’t the internet. The cables were all 100 meters each. For a long time, until it got replaced by dish antennas, coaxial cable just used to snake across our cities. The cable would come to your house from the window sill, where the coax would be wrapped around, and there’d be a little booster. It would go from neighborhood to neighborhood, building to building, terrace to terrace. [With Khirkeeyaan], the network was neighborly, but these neighbors were meeting each other for the first time.
Was there anything that kind of surprised you about the way that this network was used?
AS: What always surprises me, and continues to, is that when you set up your own kind of collaboration with the subjects, and then you exit, you’re not asking those leading questions of, “Tell me about your life,” or “Which village do you come from?” And poetry happens. I think, what was very affirmative for me, was just the confidence with which people sat and looked at their TV sets. You sit and look at your TV set all the time, but the TV set now had a hole in it, and it was looking back at you.
Shaina Anand stands in front of the projection of Bombay Tilts Down displayed in the final room of the exhibit, Video After Video: The Critical Media of CAMP. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeAnother of your videos in the show, Bombay Tilts Down, uses a CCTV camera. Can you talk more about your work utilizing surveillance?
SA: CCTV, in a way, changes how we behave. It sort of infects, depending on who is watching us and how.
In Bombay Tilts Down, it was the simple idea that this gaze of the camera is already there. In the city, there are 5,000 of exactly the same kind of camera, and probably many more.
They’re all at least 4K, and now they’re 8K, but they are robotic controllable cameras that are designed to do facial recognition at a distance. Instead of being a guard, waiting for something to happen, we used it to film the city. And the range is incredible; it goes way beyond the property line of the thing it’s trying to protect. You can see 15 kilometers away with it, from the 35th floor.
So you installed the camera yourself.
SA: This one, yes. The people you see in Bombay Tilts Down are looking up at the camera because people could see the stream downstairs, and some of them were moving the camera around, calling the shots.
Lenovo Legion Go S review: feels good, plays bad
The Lenovo Legion Go S was supposed to change things. It was poised to show Valve isn’t the only one that can build an affordable, portable, potent handheld gaming PC — you just need the right design and the right OS.
I was intrigued when Valve’s own Steam Deck designers told me this Windows handheld would double as the first authorized third-party SteamOS handheld this May. When I heard Lenovo had procured an exclusive AMD chip that would help that SteamOS version hit $499, I got excited for a true Steam Deck competitor.
But I’m afraid that chip ain’t it.
I’ve spent weeks living with a Legion Go S powered by AMD’s Z2 Go, the same chip slated to appear in that $499 handheld. I’ve used it with both Windows and Bazzite, a SteamOS-like Linux distro that eliminates many of Windows’ most annoying quirks. I tested both directly against a Steam Deck OLED and the original Legion Go, expecting to find it between the two in terms of performance and battery life. But that’s not what I found.
Watt for watt, its Z2 Go chip simply can’t compete with the Steam Deck, and it’s far weaker than the Z1 Extreme in last year’s handhelds. That’s inexcusable at the $730 price you’ll currently pay for the Windows version, and I won’t be the first reviewer to say so. But with this less efficient chip and a mere 55 watt-hour battery, I worry the Legion Go S isn’t a good choice at all.
$730
The Good
- Good ergonomics
- Great variable refresh rate screen
- Powerful cooling
- Fast 100W charging
The Bad
- Performance is too low
- Windows is bloated and can’t be trusted to sleep
- Somewhat slippery texture
- Nearly useless touchpad
I want to say that the Legion Go S “makes a great first impression,” but Windows 11 still features a terrible out-of-box experience. I spent nearly 45 minutes waiting for mandatory updates to install and dismissing dark-patterned offers for Microsoft products that have no business being on my handheld gaming machine.
Still, the Go S is built far better than the original Legion Go, whose flat-faced controllers felt awkward in my hands. The new portable has some of the best-sculpted grips I’ve felt on a handheld, though their smooth texture can feel a little slippery. I’d have gone with more aggressive stippling to help me hold its 1.61-pound weight.
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
But its buttons all feel precise and secure, if the triggers are longer than I’d like, and its concave-topped, drift-resistant Hall effect joysticks feel comfy and wonderfully smooth to spin. The only weak control is the touchpad, which is so tiny I flick repeatedly to move the cursor an inch at a time.
Audio is much improved from front-facing speakers, and a larger fan moves more air while staying quieter than before. And it’s one of the fastest-charging handhelds yet — I clocked each of its top-mounted USB 4 ports drawing a full 100 watts of USB-C PD power during actual use. The cooling and charging are so good, Lenovo lets you crank the chip up to 40-watt TDP while it’s plugged in or 33 watts on battery alone.
The backs of the original Legion Go and Legion Go S, showing detachable controls vs. fixed grips. Photo by Sean Hollister / The VergeBut as you’ll see in my benchmark charts, the Z2 Go simply isn’t in the same ballpark as the Steam Deck OLED’s “Sephiroth” chip. In some games, it can’t beat the Steam Deck at all, even if you plug it in and crank it all the way up.
Legion Go S 720p benchmarks
Game
Legion Go S (Z2 Go)
Steam Deck OLED
Legion Go (Z1 Extreme)
Z1E vs. Z2 Go
AC Valhalla, 15-watt TDP 44 52 49 11.36% 20-watt TDP 55 N/A 63 14.55% 25-watt TDP 60 N/A 69 15.00% 30-watt TDP 62 N/A 71 14.52% Plugged in 65 52 73 12.31% Cyberpunk 2077, 15-watt TDP 36 52 42 16.67% 20-watt TDP 41 N/A 54 31.71% 25-watt TDP 45 N/A 59 31.11% 30-watt TDP 46 N/A 61 32.61% Plugged in 49 52 62 26.53% DX: Mankind Divided, 15-watt TDP 56 70 61 8.93% 20-watt TDP 63 N/A 84 33.33% 25-watt TDP 66 N/A 89 34.85% 30-watt TDP 67 N/A 91 35.82% Plugged in 70 70 92 31.43% Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, 15-watt TDP 18 34 25 38.89% 20-watt TDP 21 N/A 28 33.33% 25-watt TDP 20 N/A 28 40.00% 30-watt TDP 24 N/A 28 16.67% Plugged in 24 34 33 37.50% Returnal, 15-watt TDP 24 26 32 33.33% 20-watt TDP 26 N/A 38 46.15% 25-watt TDP 29 N/A 40 37.93% 30-watt TDP 30 N/A 41 36.67% Plugged in 32 26 38 18.75% Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 15-watt TDP 53 61 50 -5.66% 20-watt TDP 53 N/A 69 30.19% 25-watt TDP 55 N/A 75 36.36% 30-watt TDP 64 N/A 73 14.06% Plugged in 65 61 75 15.38% Average framerates. All games tested at 720p and low or (Cyberpunk 2077) handheld-specific settings. Take Cyberpunk 2077. With the Steam Deck, which runs at 15-watt TDP, I can average 52 frames per second at an upscaled 720p resolution and low settings on battery power alone. But even if I feed the Legion Go S with 40 watts and plug it into a wall, the open-world game runs slower at 49fps. And that’s after a new set of drivers; the shipping ones were much worse.
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
In other games, cranking up Lenovo’s TDP by five, 10, or 15 watts can give it a comfortable lead over the Deck. But that significantly impacts battery. In Lenovo’s default 25W “Performance” mode, I saw some games run just as smoothly as on the Deck — but with total system power consumption of around 36 watts, draining the handheld’s 55 watt-hour battery in about an hour and a half. The Steam Deck, which drains at around 22 to 24 watts at full bore, lasts two hours at the same smoothness.
I have possible good news about SteamOS: when I installed Bazzite, which can serve as a decent preview of what SteamOS might look and feel like, I saw frame rates improve by an average of 16 percent in early tests (minus Returnal, which seems to hate Linux for some reason), and Bazzite is such a breath of fresh air after attempting to use Windows. But it still didn’t reach Steam Deck performance unless I sacrificed more battery to get it. That works with a handheld like the Asus ROG Ally X with a big 80 watt-hour battery, but not so much here.
Legion Go S Windows vs. Bazzite
Game
Legion Go S (Windows)
Legion Go S (Bazzite)
Steam Deck OLED
Bazzite vs. Windows
Cyberpunk 2077, 15-watt TDP 36 42 52 16.67% 20-watt TDP 41 53 N/A 29.27% 25-watt TDP 45 59 N/A 31.11% 30-watt TDP 46 60 N/A 30.43% Plugged in 49 60 52 22.45% DX: Mankind Divided, 15-watt TDP 56 62 70 10.71% 20-watt TDP 63 74 N/A 17.46% 25-watt TDP 66 80 N/A 21.21% 30-watt TDP 67 84 N/A 25.37% Plugged in 70 82 70 17.14% Returnal, 15-watt TDP 24 17 26 -29.17% 20-watt TDP 26 22 N/A -15.38% 25-watt TDP 29 24 N/A -17.24% 30-watt TDP 30 25 N/A -16.67% Plugged in 32 25 26 -21.88% Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 15-watt TDP 53 51 61 -3.77% 20-watt TDP 53 59 N/A 11.32% 25-watt TDP 55 62 N/A 12.73% 30-watt TDP 64 63 N/A -1.56% Plugged in 65 65 61 0.00% Average framerates. All games tested at 720p and low or (Cyberpunk 2077) handheld-specific settings. Even if you crank up the Z2 Go, its “turbo” modes are never anywhere near as effective as the Z1 Extreme in last year’s portables. In my tests, the original Legion Go with Z1E runs anywhere from 15 percent to 40 percent faster comparing Windows to Windows — a lot for a handheld, where modern games struggle to reach smooth frame rates at all.
The Legion Go S does have an ace up its sleeve: its crisp, colorful 1920 x 1200 IPS screen looks better at lower resolutions than its predecessor’s 2560 x 1600 panel, and it runs more smoothly at lower frame rates now that it has VRR to adjust its refresh rate anywhere between 48Hz and 120Hz on the fly. I would not buy a Legion Go over a Legion Go S for this reason alone.
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
And if you primarily play games that don’t require performance, the Legion Go S is a bit more efficient at lower wattage: by setting TDP, brightness, and refresh rate low, I was able to achieve a total of just 7.5W battery drain in Windows and 7W in Bazzite while playing magic math poker game Balatro. That should net me seven to eight hours of battery life, and you should be able to hit the four-hour mark without those tricks just by setting the Legion Go S to its 8-watt TDP “Quiet” mode. When I played the similarly easy to run Slay the Spire on the original Legion Go, pulling out all the stops, I couldn’t even reach five hours.
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
But again, the Steam Deck does efficiency better. Simply limiting frame rate to 25fps and brightness to 40 percent can yield over eight hours of Balatro on the Deck, and I’ve gotten four hours, 42 minutes in Dave the Diver there. With the Legion Go S, my Dave only got 2.5 hours to hunt those sushi ingredients and blow up fake environmentalists!
I am comfortable saying no one should buy the Windows version of the Lenovo Legion Go S, which costs $730 at Best Buy. Even if the performance, battery life, and price weren’t disqualifiers, Windows is a stain on this machine. And like other recent Windows handhelds I’ve tested, it does not reliably go to sleep and wake up again: I woke several mornings to find the system hot with fans spinning, even though I’d pressed the power button the previous evening. I found it uncomfortably warm pulling it out of my bag the other day.
Even if you prefer Windows to SteamOS, you can get notably better performance and far better battery life from the $800 Asus ROG Ally X, which is worth every extra penny, particularly since it doubles as the best Bazzite machine you can buy.
But even if you add Bazzite to the Legion Go S, it’s no Steam Deck, and I’m not sure that’ll change by May. If you’re waiting for a $499 Legion Go S with SteamOS, here’s my advice: just buy a $530 Steam Deck OLED instead.
Agree to Continue: Legion Go S
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them, since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.
To start using the Legion Go S, you’ll need to agree to the following:
- Microsoft Software License Terms: Windows Operating System and Terms of Use
- Lenovo Limited Warranty and “Software license agreements”
You can also say “yes” or “no” to the following:
- Privacy settings (location, Find My Device, sharing diagnostic data, inking and typing, tailored experience, advertising ID)
That’s two mandatory agreements and six optional agreements. Windows also asks you if you want a variety of software and subscription services during the out-of-box experience.
SNL50 on Peacock is a treasure trove of comedy history
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 71, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy long weekend to all those allowed to celebrate, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’ve been reading about Alan Turing and OnlyFans and street booze and convenience stores, dusting off my Fortnite skills for the first time in a while, reading The Ministry of Time, working up the courage to make air fryer donuts, trying out a Sony ZV-1 M2 as my webcam, catching up on The White Lotus before season 3 starts, trying Anybox as a bookmarking / note-taking app, and seeing if the Simplify Gmail extension will make me like email more.
I also have for you a place to watch all the best SNL sketches, a great new pair of Beats headphones, a new drawing tablet for creators of all kinds, a fun-sounding sci-fi movie on Apple TV Plus, and much more.
Oh, and thanks to everyone who sent in music thoughts last week! I got a ton of good responses, and to be completely honest, I haven’t been able to properly read and respond to everything yet. That means next week’s gonna be a big, huge, music-setup extravaganza, and that means if you have thoughts on music services, favorite music gadgets, apps you love, a deep love for Victrolas, or anything else, you’ve still got time to tell me all about it. Hit me up!
All right, big streaming weekend ahead. Let’s do this.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What do you want to know more about? What awesome tricks do you know that everyone else should? What app should everyone be using? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, tell them to subscribe here.)
- SNL50. I am very excited for the three-hour SNL anniversary show on Sunday, and even the concert on Saturday night, but I might be even more excited about this Peacock landing page. It’s just playlist after playlist of iconic sketches, monologues, and musical performances — you could easily spend your whole weekend just watching these clips.
- Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. All the useful Apple-y features of AirPods Pros, but in cooler colors and with earhooks that actually keep the buds in my ears. I bought a pair in the (slightly boring but that’s the point) “quick sand” color, and I’m very happy with my purchase. I do wish the mic was a little better, though.
- The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep. I haven’t really dug into the whole Witcher Netflix-verse, after hearing so many mixed things about the show. But this, an animated movie with none of the baggage but all of the cool monster-hunting, sounds like my kind of thing.
- The Wacom Intuos Pro. Easily the biggest thing to happen to drawing tablets in, I don’t know, a decade? I like the idea of putting the controls at the top and making them more tactile, and I like that they’re a little smaller and slimmer, but I do wonder how many yearslong workflows are going to need some time to adjust.
- The Gorge. I like the premise of this movie so much — two people on either side of a huge, deep, fog-filled gorge, tasked with protecting the world from whatever is down there, and also something something love story — that I don’t really care that the reviews aren’t great. (Or that Apple TV Plus movies mostly suck.) I’m here for this one.
- Apple TV Plus for Android. And oh, look, a new way to watch The Gorge! Apple obviously timed this launch for Severance’s comeback and the upcoming MLS season, but it’s a big win for subscribers and a long overdue move from Apple.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. On Netflix, this is the rare show my wife and I are equally into — about influencer culture and the lengths people will go to get likes. Along with An Update on Our Family and a few others, we’re building a deeply bleak genre here.
- Is This Seat Taken? All you can play right now is a Steam demo, but this puzzler game — which is like Guess Who meets RollerCoaster Tycoon — is fun and funny and extremely easy to get lost in. It’s sucking me in the way Balatro did, which is terrifying and great.
- Routine for Android. I’ve been watching Routine for a while, and it’s shaping into a really powerful (if slightly convoluted) app for notes, tasks, calendars, and more. The Android app isn’t quite fully featured yet, but it’ll get there, and it’s one to try out.
I play with a lot of gadgets. (Perk of the job.) But Sean Hollister? Sean Hollister plays with a lot of gadgets. Whether he’s toying with stuff for his awesome video series or taking things apart with wildly complicated Apple tools, I am perpetually jealous of his gadget adventures. Like, just the other day: double magnetic rings! Never seen ‘em before, want ‘em real bad!
I asked Sean to share his homescreen with us, because I figured I’d probably discover a bunch of cool new stuff that way, too. Here’s his homescreen, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:
The phone: Galaxy Z Flip 5.
The wallpaper: The bog-standard stock wallpaper. I don’t even know if it has a name.
The apps: Openvibe, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, NewsBlur, Yelp, Google Photos, The Verge, Slack, Evernote, MyFitnessPal, Discord, Chrome, Gmail, Google Calendar, Home Assistant, Phone, Messages, Camera, Google Maps.
You’re looking at the homescreen of an information junkie in transition — the clues are all there. First, I’m down to just 36 percent battery at 4:25PM and I’ve barely used this phone today… so I’m actively looking for my next phone.
Second, I’ve got four social media clients up top because I’ve been hedging my bets on which to keep — you might notice I’ve got notifications from X, but no X on the homescreen, because I only still follow a handful of accounts there for news! Instead, The Verge gets its own dedicated shortcut.
Third, the reason Signal and Messenger are in an ugly drawer together and Facebook has 54 unreads is because I’m trying to reduce my support for Meta after certain, ahem, societal shifts, but haven’t fully managed it yet.
The key apps on this homescreen are actually MyFitnessPal, which I’m using almost every day just as a calorie counter to actually lose weight; Evernote, where far too much of my memory lives; and Home Assistant for controlling things around my house. Of course the first two apps are getting far too bloated with unwanted features, and my smart home has a tendency to break!
Not pictured: Pokémon TCG Pocket, which I recently moved to the fifth homescreen to reduce addiction.I also asked Sean to share a few things he’s into right now. Here’s what he sent back:
- Oh, it’s catch-up season for me! I’m playing 1000xResist, which made Polygon’s best of 2024, and watching The OA, which I missed the first time around. I guess they’re similar in a way: they’re both bizarre works of science fiction with intriguing, nuanced, relatable villains.
- Oh, and fairly new K-drama When The Phone Rings, whose first episode absolutely bored me until I saw how cleverly they hid the twist, and now it’s one of the more exciting ones I’ve watched. Don’t Google it if you can help it, even a one-sentence synopsis will spoil episode 1.
- Meanwhile, I can’t get enough of the Game Boy modding antics of Hairo Satoh, aka haihaisb, who has repeatedly proven that everything’s better with an extra Game Boy Advance SP screen. If you’re reading this, Satoh-san, we want to interview you about how you do it!
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now as well! Email installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here every week. For more great recommendations, check out the replies to this post on Threads and this post on Bluesky.
“Trying to stay sane by limiting my consumption of news and screen time amidst the chaos going around. Reading The Wager from David Grann, the author of Killers of the Flower Moon. Essentially about conflicting reports of a real-life Lord of the Flies that transpires in the 1700s. Very interesting!” – Colin
“We just started watching Paradise over here and it’s fantastic.” – Jules
“As the topic of digital self-determination is more and more a topic (yes, here in Germany too), I was looking into different OSes for my mobile phone. I found a rather good working alternative to Google’s Android and iOS which is called /e/OS. It works really well, and I can still use all my apps. And they sell phones with pre-installed /e/.” – Christian
“Played a lot of this game called Hole. The name is unfortunate, but it’s cheap and a very good time.” – Sophie
“I don’t know if a lot of people care about this but Notion and TickTick have a two-way integration and it’s great!! I still feel it’s limited in functionality because I can only send one list at a time, which doesn’t make sense, and it’s limited to three lists.” – Barry
“Found some joy on the Internet this week with this video. It’s playing the Star Trek TNG theme song as if it was blaring from the Enterprise itself!” – Mike
“Recently downloaded the National Film Board app and it’s a delight. ‘Get free access to the largest collection of Canadian films online. No subscription or ads.’” – Christine
“After Instagram showed me video recordings from BBC’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue I delved into old episodes. If you appreciate British humo(u)r and can stand some musical parts, it’s gloriously fun. I am back to being the crazy person laughing out loud on public transport.” – Sinan
“I recently discovered Bear Blog, it’s a cool minimalistic blogging platform with a lot of customization and a Discovery page that feels a little like Hacker News.” – Sammie
You know what might be my favorite new-ish thing on the internet? Reddit Answers. I’ve been using it a lot recently, and I’ve found it to be a basically unparalleled system for getting lots of recommendations. “What are some great, lesser-known brands of dark chocolate” got me a long list of great ideas, with links to relevant posts and comments. “Are Bose or Sony headphones better” offered a pretty cogent back-and-forth debate. “What are the most popular conspiracy theories about Severance” sent me down an hourslong rabbit hole.
As with all AI search, my rules are simple: nothing with high stakes, no believing the answers without clicking the links. But the more I use Answers, the more I’m convinced there’s something real here. And the more Severance theories I start to believe.
All the Captain America movies, ranked
The last 10 years have helped us all understand who Captain America is. Before then, the character was largely confined to comics, with only occasional forays onto the big screen. He may be our most patriotic hero and one of the staples of the Marvel universe, but Captain America’s history on the big screen is long and winding.
In honor of Captain America: Brave New World, we’re ranking every Captain America movie, including TV movies, and the series that first adapted the character in the 1940s. While Chris Evans will show up a bunch on this list (including in Avengers movies), he’s not the only man to wear the shield. With that in mind, here’s every Captain America movie, ranked:
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
11. Captain America TV Movies (1979)
How far we’ve come. Two TV movies were made about Steve Rogers in 1979, and neither is worth considering. Although these movies had some impact on the course Steve ultimately took in the comics, the movies themselves weren’t widely seen at the time, and both of them featured fairly generic plotlines and were made on shoestring budgets.
Cheap movies can be great, but these movies are neither cheap nor great.
10. Captain America (1990)
It would be fair to say that MGM did not pour a ton of resources into this Captain America movie, which was made cheaply in the aftermath of Batman‘s enormous success.
Starring Matt Salinger in the titular role, Captain America follows the titular hero as he’s thawed out of ice and must save the president of the United States from the Red Skull. Cheap, mindless, and uninteresting, the movie has been forgotten because it deserves to be.
You can buy Captain America on Amazon.
9. Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Unless you were the one person looking for a sequel to both The Incredible Hulk and Eternals, Brave New World probably isn’t the Captain America movie you were looking for.
Sam Wilson’s first outing as the character on the big screen was less successful than many had hoped, and that’s true even though Harrison Ford is giving it his best as Thunderbolt Ross. The movie has no sense of propulsion, and it feels like just the latest piece of evidence that the MCU in general is almost completely rudderless.
You can watch Captain America: Brave New World in theaters.
8. Captain America Serial (1944)
Serials are fascinating because they were so transparently produced in a different era. These serials are only loosely based on the comics and follow a district attorney whose alter ego is Captain America as he takes on a museum curator who assumes the mantle of the Scarab.
While these serials might seem slow, they were actually hugely expensive at the time of their release. Today, they’re most interesting as an exploration of the patriotism that was a fixture of serials of all kinds in that era.
You can watch the full serial on YouTube.
7. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Joss Whedon’s second Avengers film fails to hit the highs of the first. It also doesn’t have much room for Steve to be a central character. Although he is still seen commanding the troops, this Avengers is much more Tony Stark-focused than the first.
The movie also feels mostly like a retread, and Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are not the dynamite new additions that many had hoped for. Not a disaster, by any means, but not one of Cap’s best MCU ventures.
You can watch Avengers: Age of Ultron on Disney+.
6. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Basically an Avengers movie, Civil War was thrilling at the time but loses a few points because of how little time it seems to actually have for Cap as a character. While the argument between Tony and Steve is a real one, the revelation that Bucky killed Tony’s parents ultimately drives a wedge between them.
It’s a fairly silly reveal, especially because everyone understands that Bucky was brainwashed. Even so, Civil War gets some juice out of its climactic battle between our heroes and sets the stage for their fights to come.
You can watch Captain America: Civil War on Disney+.
5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The darkest movie in the entirety of the MCU, Infinity War, is only this low on the list because Cap joins the party fairly late. His return, complete with a beard, is as triumphant a moment as you might expect, but it’s not until Endgame that he really gets to flex his leadership muscles again.
Here, he’s one part of the broader Avengers as they take on Thanos and his army in an attempt to keep him from the Infinity Stones. The movie is a super-fun watch, but it spends more of its time on characters like Thor and Doctor Strange.
You can watch Avengers: Infinity War on Disney+.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Winter Soldier isn’t quite as revelatory as you might have thought it was at the time, but it remains an impressive movie. With shades of the paranoid thrillers that were so common in the 1970s, the movie follows Cap as he discovers a conspiracy that lives deep inside the heart of the U.S. government.
Cap also must face the return of Bucky Barnes. The movie has one too many fakeout deaths, but its elevator fight is every bit as good as you remember, and it’s one of only a couple of Marvel movies that has bigger things in mind.
You can watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Disney+.
3. The Avengers (2012)
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No one thought it would work. The Avengers was the MCU’s biggest gambit, proof that you could bring a bunch of disparate superheroes together to tell one story. Thankfully, The Avengers worked mainly due to the leadership that Captain America ultimately brings to the table.
Tony Stark might be the original Avenger, but Steve Rogers is the group’s heart and soul. The Avengers succeeds because it understands exactly that and puts him at the center as a man out of time.
You can watch The Avengers on Disney+.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
This movie is, honestly, a miracle. Its ability to include a sprawling cast but also give both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers a proper sendoff is its defining accomplishment, and what a sendoff it turns out to be. Cap gets his girl and can undo the biggest failure of his life.
Endgame is structured in three defined acts, the first involving getting the team back together, the second involving an extended nostalgia trip, and the third an all-out brawl. And you know what? All three are excellent. An utter triumph of a movie, and probably the moment when Marvel should have called it quits.
You can watch Avengers: Endgame on Disney+.
1. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
This may sound crazy, but Chris Evans’s first outing as Steve Rogers remains his best. This movie, set almost entirely in the 1940s, remains one of Marvel’s very best films precisely because it doesn’t feel all that much like a Marvel movie.
It’s relatively light on action, focuses much of its plot on the dynamite chemistry between its two leads, and has a great roster of supporting players. Marvel was still experimenting in this early phase, and The First Avenger is probably the best result of that experimentation.
You can watch Captain America: The First Avenger on Disney+.
Back in theaters, Parasite is the perfect thriller for our post-Luigi world
Cho Yeo-jeong and Song Kang-ho in Parasite Neon / Neon Five years after it took the Cannes Film Festival, the Academy Awards, and the global box office by storm, Parasite is back on the big screen. That’s a pretty short amount of time to commemorate with an anniversary rerelease. Then again, it’s been a long five years, hasn’t it? Oh, how the world has changed since the halcyon days of 2019 — “the last f***ing year for cinema,” to quote Quentin Tarantino, whose Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood premiered within hours of Bong Joon-ho’s darkly ingenious class-warfare caper. In retrospect, Parasite winning Best Picture on Oscar night a few months later really did feel like the final joyous surprise of an old era — a last gasp before COVID closed theaters and changed everything.
Watching the film today, via its current IMAX victory lap or from the comfort of your own home, actually emphasizes the ways things haven’t changed so much these past five years. Or maybe it’s just that the tensions and resentments Parasite dramatized back then have fully exploded to the surface of the culture, as surely as they simmer to a boil in the climax of the movie. Like Mr. Kim (Song Kang-ho), people are fed up. Does his shocking act of violence look so shocking these days? You might think suddenly of a real, more premeditated crime that just stirred the media into a frenzy and sent a jolt of understanding through the public — a murder with a motive so clear, the killer etched it on the bullets.
Yes, the time is right for a Parasite encore. It’s very much a movie for the moment, a tale of rage and desperation fit for our post-Luigi Mangione world. At the same time, there’s no mistaking this South Korean award-winner — more acclaimed, perhaps, than any film that’s come in its wake — for a simple eat-the-rich parable. Not with Bong at the reins. The sheer slipperiness of his demented take on upstairs-downstairs drama is what elevates it beyond mere timeliness.
The title alone is provocative in its potential double meaning. Who are the parasites in this story of a destitute family, the Kims, that latches itself to the payroll teat of a wealthy family, the Parks? It’s less a trick question than a Rorschach test. Parasite’s huge success the world over could reflect a certain universal frustration, the kind that the murder of a CEO just illuminated like a black light. Or it could be chalked up to people seeing what they want to see in the master-servant relationship that develops between these economically entwined clans. To win the top prize on Hollywood’s biggest night, the film had to have spoken to people who saw a kind of horror movie about the dangers of opening your house to the help.
Bong leaves us to sort through our biases. He’s too shrewd a dramatist to reduce his characters to emblems of their social station — to divide our sympathies by tax bracket alone. The Parks are not cartoon fat cats. They are clueless and easily manipulated, in the case of Mrs. Park (Cho Yeo-jeong), or snobbishly condescending, in the case of Mr. Park (Lee Sun-kyun), who prefers those he hires respect professional boundaries and not “cross the line.” Their most odious offense is rudely fixating on odor. They are awful in the casual, everyday way that the wealthy can be. They are recognizably human, not blatant guillotine fodder.
Likewise, the Kims are not cardboard saints — the noble working-class heroes a more self-righteous parable might position upon a pedestal. They are, at times, bluntly and hilariously underhanded. They lie and steal and screw over other people for a shot at the cash the Parks thoughtlessly splurge on luxury and convenience and creature comforts. Parasite says that desperate times call for desperate measures. Every transgression in the movie is a scramble to survive. “Money is an iron,” as Mrs. Kim (Jang Hye-jin) says. It smooths out the difficulties of life — and with them, the challenges to our moral compasses.
Parasite Neon / Neon No one widely familiar with Bong’s work could confuse Parasite for a pro-elite cautionary tale, even if its narrative wickedly toys with the Saltburn-like fears of a ruling class paranoid that the Great Unwashed are coming for them. Rarely one for didactic screeds, the writer-director has spent most of his career smuggling his class politics onto screens under cover of rollicking genre scenarios. Take The Host, which savages American imperialism and corporate disregard for public safety in the form of a primo kaiju movie of original Gojira vintage. Or Snowpiercer, which takes late-stage capitalism to its logical endpoint, with all that remains of civilization stuffed aboard a train endlessly looping a ravaged planet. It’s arranged like a social ladder turned on its side, the poor in the back, the rich in the front.
Parasite flips that hierarchical structure vertically again: Here, privilege is a matter of altitude — a theme established right from the subterranean opening shot. The film is one of Bong’s most purely entertaining Trojan horses. That, maybe more than its politics, might account for its enduring popularity and for its ability to smash the language barriers that traditionally keep films not in English off the box-office charts and out of the Academy’s winner circle. For a while, it almost plays like an Ocean’s Eleven-style heist movie where the “score” is gainful employment. And the twists arrive with dizzying force, Bong opening his satirical scenario up into the realm of perverse farce (no doors are slammed, but tables are scurried under) and downright Hitchcockian thrills. Parasite remains about as fun as any movie this ultimately, witheringly downbeat can be.
The Parks aren’t the real villains of the film. They’re but a symptom of an unjust system. Capitalism is a zero sum game in Parasite. It keeps the 99% divided, fighting over the same crumbs, scrambling for the same tiny wedge of the pie. Most of the violence in the movie is between the Kims and the family of the housekeeper (Lee Jung-eun) they muscle out of a job. Only in the climax, when all hell breaks loose at that party, do the Parks experience any kind of reckoning. And it’s hard to call that a victory, regardless of where your sympathies lie. After all, Mr. Kim’s actions don’t even radicalize his son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), who remains seduced by a fantasy of upward mobility, dreaming of keeping up with the Joneses (or Parks).
Choi Woo-shik in Parasite Neon / Neon Since 2019, Parasite’s finger hasn’t left the pulse of an economically lopsided world. The Kims don’t see the big picture of their misadventure — namely, that they’re trying to win a rigged game on an uneven playing field, and that they’re trapped in a system designed to keep them literally and figuratively down. But the audience might see that picture more clearly than ever. After all, Parasite has returned to theaters at a time when newsfeeds are filled with daily reminders of the unjust disparity of life under capitalism. It remains a crazed crowdpleaser for an exploited world, building madcap complications around its social conscience… never mind the inconvenient truth that every ticket bought puts a few extra dollars in the pockets of the Friedkins, a family whose wealth makes the Parks look like the Kims.
All that said, you have to wonder if the pointedly unsubtle Parasite might actually be a little too subtle for 2025. In a key scene, the Kims sit around, drinking the Park family’s liquor, enjoying the mirage of a life within the household they serve. “She’s rich, but still nice,” Mr. Kim says of his employer, to which his wife replies, with a snort: “She’s rich, therefore she’s nice.” Right now, though, the mask of niceness the obscenely monied often wear has slipped. As these words are written, and maybe as you read them, the world’s richest man is waging war on the middle and lower class in broad daylight — unlawfully destroying public services, hurting American workers to line his own pockets, slashing cancer research for kids. Him and his kind are monsters too broad for the broadest of satires, the kind Bong would be embarrassed to put in a movie. They’re parasites in the truest sense.
Parasite is currently playing on select IMAX screens, streaming on Netflix, and available to rent or purchase from digital services owned by wealthy men who don’t care about you. For more of A.A. Dowd’s writing, visit his Authory page.
Tate McRae, Josh Ross lead Juno Award nominees with 5 each
Pop performer Tate McRae and country star Josh Ross are leading contenders at the 2025 Juno Awards.
The Calgary-raised McRae and Burlington, Ont.-native Ross each have five nominations, including in the single and artist of the year categories, as well as for the viewer-voted fan choice award.
Both artists are also up for album of the year — McRae for her sophomore record Think Later, and Ross for Complicated.
![Click to play video: 'Calgary’s Tate McRae to appear on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as musical guest']()
They’re trailed by fellow fan choice nominees Shawn Mendes and the Weeknd who each hold four noms.
McRae has been a favourite of the Junos since she picked up her first nomination in 2021. She won two awards last year — artist of the year and single of the year for her hit “Greedy.”
Ross is newer on the Junos radar, having only previously been nominated for the fan choice prize.
![Click to play video: 'Josh Ross on his new single and hitting the road with Nickelback']()
Other big nominees this year are Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon, two breakout stars of the Punjabi music scene. They’re both nominated three times, including in the newly minted South Asian music recording of the year category.
The Junos take place in Vancouver on March 30 with crooner Michael Bublé as host.
![Click to play video: 'Michael Buble receives National Arts Centre Award']()
This year’s album of the year contenders represent an array of languages, with Elisapie’s Inuktitut recorded in the Inuk singer’s native tongue, Quebec singer Roxane Bruneau’s Submergé in French and Sukha’s Undisputed in Punjabi. McRae’s Think Later and Ross’s Complicated are both in English.
For single of the year, the nominees are Ross for “Single Again,” Aujla’s “Winning Speech,” “Mendes for “Why Why Why,” McRae with “Exes” and “Timeless,” a collaboration between the Weeknd and Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti.
Rock band Sum 41, which recently wrapped a farewell tour, was previously announced as the Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee.
![Click to play video: 'Sum 41 reflects on their final tour and upcoming farewells']()
Matthew Samuels, better known as Toronto producer Boi-1da, will receive the international achievement award for a career that includes working on Drake’s first mixtape.
Burlington, Ont.-native Sarah Harmer is this year’s humanitarian award recipient for her support of environmental and human rights issues.
![Click to play video: 'Singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer tees up a free concert to raise awareness about Kingston’s upcoming referendum']()
You can view the complete list of 2025 Juno Award nominees below:
TIKTOK JUNO FAN CHOICE
bbno$ Independent*Stem
Dean Brody Starseed
Jade Eagleson Starseed
Josh Ross Universal
Karan Aujla Independent*Warner
Les Cowboys Fringants Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande
Preston Pablo Universal
Shawn Mendes Universal
Tate McRae RCA*Sony
The Weeknd XO*UniversalSINGLE OF THE YEAR
Single Again Josh Ross Universal
Winning Speech Karan Aujla Independent
Why Why Why Shawn Mendes Island*Universal
exes Tate McRae RCA*Sony
Timeless The Weeknd & Playboi Carti XO*UniversalALBUM OF THE YEAR
Inuktitut Elisapie Bonsound*Sony
Complicated Josh Ross Universal
Submergé Roxane Bruneau Disques Artic*Sony
UNDISPUTED Sukha GK*Universal
THINK LATER Tate McRae RCA*SonyBREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Alexander Stewart FAE*The Orchard
AP Dhillon Republic*Universal
AR Paisley Warner
Chris Grey Rebellion Records
EKKSTACY Dine Alone*The Orchard
Nemahsis Independent
Owen Riegling Universal
Sukha GK*Universal
Tony Ann Decca*Universal
Zeina Artist Partner GroupARTIST OF THE YEAR
Josh Ross Universal
Kaytranada RCA*Sony
Shawn Mendes Island*Universal
Tate McRae RCA*Sony
The Weeknd XO*Universal
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Crash Adams Warner
Mother Mother Warner
Spiritbox BMG*Universal
Sum 41 Rise BMG*Universal
The Beaches Independent*AWALCLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR SOLO ARTIST
Signature Philip Glass Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard
Messiaen Barbara Hannigan Alpha Classics*Naxos
freezing Emily D’Angelo Deutsche Grammophon*Universal
Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth India Gailey Red Shift*Believe
Williams Violin Concerto No. 1; Bernstein Serenade James Ehnes Pentatone*Naxos/The OrchardCLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SMALL ENSEMBLE)
Known To Dreamers: Black Voices in Canadian Art Song Canadian Art Song Project Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos
Rituæls collectif9 Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard
East is East Infusion Baroque Leaf*Naxos
Marie Hubert : Fille du Roy Karina Gauvin ATMA*Universal
Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars St. John-Mercer-Park Trio Leaf*NaxosCLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (LARGE ENSEMBLE)
Ispiciwin Luminous Voices Leaf*Naxos
Alikeness Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia, conducted by/dirigé par Mark Fewer featuring Aiyun Huang, Deantha Edmunds and Mark Fewer Leaf*Naxos
Sibelius 2 & 5 Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin ATMA*Universal
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande & Verklärte Nacht Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, conducted by/dirigé par Rafael Payare Pentatone*Naxos/PIAS
Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by/dirigé par Gustavo Gimeno featuring Marc-André Hamelin and Nathalie Forget Harmonia MundiJAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SOLO)
Montreal Jazz Series 1 (Échanges Synaptiques) André Leroux Disques BG*Believe
The Head Of A Mouse Audrey Ochoa Chronograph*Fontana North
Portrait of Right Now Jocelyn Gould Independent
Slice of Life Larnell Lewis Independent
The Antrim Coast Mark Kelso Modica
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JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR (GROUP)
Time Will Tell Andy Milne and Unison Sunnyside*AMPED
Reverence Carn Davidson 9 Independent
Harbour Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk
Gravity Jeremy Ledbetter Trio Independent
Jaya Raagaverse IndependentVOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Oh Mother Andrea Superstein Cellar*La Reserve
Hello! How Are You? Caity Gyorgy La Reserve*The Orchard
Winter Song Kellylee Evans Independent
Wintersongs Laila Biali Independent/Believe
Magpie Sarah Jerrom TPR*Outside InINSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Disaster Pony Disaster Pony Independent*The Orchard
Distant Places Eric Bearclaw Independent
Ginger Beef Ginger Beef Independent
memory palace Intervals Independent*Believe
Confluencias Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong IndependentBLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR
This Old Life Big Dave McLean Cordova Bay*Fontana North
New Orleans Sessions Blue Moon Marquee Independent
YEAH! David Gogo Cordova Bay*Fontana North
Samantha King and the Midnight Outfit Samantha King & The Midnight Outfit Independent
One Guitar Woman Sue Foley Stony Plain*Fontana NorthTRADITIONAL ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Hemispheres Inn Echo Independent
Retro Man … More and More (Expanded Edition) Jake Vaadeland Jayward*The Orchard
Domino! La Bottine Souriante LABE*Sony/The Orchard
The Road Back Home (Live) Loreena McKennitt Independent*Universal
At The End Of The Day Sylvia Tyson Stony Plain*Fontana NorthCONTEMPORARY ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Anniversary Abigail Lapell Outside
For Eden Boy Golden Six Shooter*The Orchard
Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now Donovan Woods End Times*The Orchard
Pathways Julian Taylor Howling Turtle*ADA
Strange Medicine Kaia Kater acronym*The OrchardCOUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Compass Project – West Album Brett Kissel Independent*Universal
Dallas Smith Dallas Smith Big Loud*Universal
Complicated Josh Ross Universal
Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart MacKenzie Porter Big Loud*Universal
Going Home Tyler Joe Miller Independent*The OrchardADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Inuktitut Elisapie Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard
Revelation Leif Vollebekk Secret City*F.A.B.
Healing Power Terra Lightfoot Sonic Unyon*Universal
We were born here, what’s your excuse? The Secret Beach Victory Pool*The Orchard
Never Better Wild Rivers Nettwerk*F.A.B./NettwerkALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
When a Thought Grows Wings Luna Li In Real Life*AWAL
Verbathim Nemahsis Independent
Magpie Peach Pit Columbia*Sony
What’s The Point Ruby Waters Independent*Dine Alone
Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden Valley UniversalROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Pages Big Wreck Sonic Unyon*Universal
Vices JJ Wilde Black Box
Grief Chapter Mother Mother Warner
Set Your Pussy Free NOBRO Dine Alone*The Orchard
Heaven :x: Hell Sum 41 Rise/BMG*UniversalMETAL/HARD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Beyond the Reach of the Sun Anciients Season of Mist*The Orchard
PowerNerd Devin Townsend InsideOutMusic*Sony
Fire Kittie Sumerian*Virgin
The Fear of Fear Spiritbox BMG*Universal
ULTRAPOWER Striker IndependentADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Roses Aphrose Independent
Boundless Possibilities Celeigh Cardinal Independent
Transitions Kellie Loder Independent*Warner
Songs of Love & Death Maddee Ritter Independent*Universal
Lovers’ Gothic Maïa Davies acronymPOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
bleeding heart Alexander Stewart FAE*The Orchard
if this is it… Jamie Fine Universal
Anywhere But Here Preston Pablo 31 East*Universal
Shawn Shawn Mendes Island*Universal
THINK LATER Tate McRae RCA*SonyDANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
UH HUH DijahSB Never Worry*The Orchard
No Time Interplanetary Criminal & SadBoi Room Two*Columbia
Give in to you REZZ, Virtual Riot & One True God Monstercat
Call Me When So Sus Independent
FOUL TASTE WAWA IndependentUNDERGROUND DANCE SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Bamboo Ciel Independent
Keepsake Destrata Independent
Distant Memories Hernan Cattaneo, Hicky & Kalo Independent
La Vérité Jesse Mac Cormack, Charlie Houston & Brö Secret City*F.A.B
WTP Suray Sertin Altered States*UniversalELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Honey Caribou Merge*F.A.B
Union ÈBONY Independent*ADA
Love, Care, Kindness & Hope Fred Everything Lazy Days*Prime Direct
Timeless Kaytranada RCA*Sony
This but More Priori NAFF*One Eye WitnessRAP SINGLE OF THE YEAR
People Classified Independent
Double The Fun Haviah Mighty Independent
SHUT UP Jessie Reyez FMLY/Island*Universal
BBE Snotty Nose Rez Kids Sony
Hier encore Souldia & Lost Disques 7ième CielRAP ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR
96 Miles From Bethlehem Belly SALXCO*Universal
Luke’s View Classified Independent
The Flower That Knew DijahSB Lowly
See You When I See You… Dom Vallie Awesome*The Orchard
RED FUTURE Snotty Nose Rez Kids SonyTRADITIONAL R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Limbo Aqyila Sony
The Worst Benita Independent*Believe
Cyan Blue Charlotte Day Wilson Independent*The Orchard
Halfway Broken Luna Elle Hot Freestyle*Independent
VELVET SOUL THEHONESTGUY Independent*BelieveCONTEMPORARY R&B RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Bloom Aqyila Sony
Noire Avenoir Independent*LISTEN TO THE KIDS
FOR THE BOY IN ME Dylan Sinclair Five Stone*The Orchard
LOONY LOONY Independent*AWAL
Eastend Confessions Zeina Artist Partner GroupREGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Born to Be Free Exco Levi Independent
FALLBACK King Cruff & Runkus Tuff Gong*Universal
Destiny Lee “Scratch” Perry & Bob Riddim Independent
Sky’s The Limit Skystar Independent
Rise Tonya P IndependentCHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Shun Beh Nats’ujeh: We Are Healing Through Songs Kym Gouchie Independent
Penny Penguin Raffi & Good Lovelies Independent*Universal
Riley Rocket: Songs From Season One Riley Rocket and Megablast Independent
Buon Appetito Walk off the Earth & Romeo Eats Golden Carrot*The Orchard
Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro “Rhyme Travellers” Young Maestro IndependentCOMEDY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Wonder Woman Courtney Gilmour Comedy Records*Downtown
Honourable Intentions Debra DiGiovanni Independent
Popcorn Ivan Decker Independent
Sad Witch Jess Salomon Independent
Down With Tech Nathan Macintosh Comedy Records*DowntownTRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
New Comings Black Bear Singers Independent
Winston & I Brianna Lizotte Independent
Travelling Home Cree Confederation Independent
REZilience Northern Cree Independent
Ostesihtowin-“Brotherhood” Young Spirit IndependentCONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Precious Diamonds Adrian Sutherland Independent
Boundless Possibilities Celeigh Cardinal Independent
Brown Man Sebastian Gaskin Ishkōdé*Universal
RED FUTURE Snotty Nose Rez Kids Sony
Pretty Red Bird Tia Wood SonyFRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Aliocha Schneider Aliocha Schneider Les Disques Audiogramme*Sony/The Orchard
Demain il fera beau Fredz La Taniere*Believe
Toutes les rues sont silencieuses Jay Scøtt Disques 7ième Ciel*Believe
Abracadabra Klô Pelgag Secret City*F.A.B.
Pub Royal Les Cowboys Fringants Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande/BelieveCONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
elenee. Elenee Independent
My Foundation Jordan St. Cyr Independent*The Orchard
Restore Ryan Ofei Independent*Platoon/Believe
Miracle In The Making Tehillah Worship Independent
Hymns Alive (Live) Toronto Mass Choir Independent*BelieveGLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Aarambh Abby V Sufiscore
Kanzafula Ahmed Moneka Lulaworld*Independent
Malak Didon Electrofone*Independent
Dankoroba Djely Tapa Independent*Believe
Niebla Ramon Chicharron Independent*BelieveSOUTH ASIAN MUSIC RECORDING OF THE YEAR
The Brownprint AP Dhillon Republic*Universal
COOLIN Chani Nattan, Inderpal Moga & Jazzy B Warner
Love Like That Jonita Gandhi Warner
Tauba Tauba (From “Bad Newz”) Karan Aujla T-Series
Arul Yanchan Produced & Sandeep Narayan IndependentALBUM ARTWORK OF THE YEAR
Erik M. Grice (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Vanessa Elizabeth Heins (Photographer/Photographe)
Chandler – Wyatt C. Louis Independent*Universal
Gabriel Noel Altrows (Art Director/Directeur artistique, Illustrator/Illustrateur)
Good Kid 4 – Good Kid Independent/The Orchard
Kee Avil, Jacqueline Beaumont (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Fatine-Violette Sabiri (Photographer/Photographe)
Spine – Kee Avil Constellation*Secretly Canadian
Keenan Gregory (Art Director/Directeur artistique)
Altruistic – Royal Tusk MNRK
Kevin Hearn, Lauchlan Reid (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Antoine Jean Moonen (Designer/Concepteur), Lauchlan Reid (Illustrator/Illustrateur)
Basement Days – The Glacials Celery*IDLAMUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Human Adrian Villagomez Apashe & Wasiu Kannibalen*Create
Nasty Jonah Haber Tinashe Independent
GRAVITY Jorden Lee Sean Leon Independent
Name of God Mustafa Mustafa Arts & Crafts*Universal
Jump Cut Winston Hacking Corridor Bonsound*Sony/The OrchardJACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
“intro (end of the world)” – co-producer/co-producteur Ariana Grande, Nick Lee, Shintaro Yasuda
eternal sunshine – Ariana Grande Republic*Universal
“Bought The Earth” – co-producer/co-producteur Calton McDowell, Charlie Coffeen, Rex Kudo
2093 – Yeat Universal
“Let It Breathe” – co-producer/co-producteur Charlie Coffeen, Carton, REWIND, Rex Kudo, Russell Boring, The Kount
11th Dimension – Ski Mask the Slump God Republic*Universal
“Tiger Eye” – co-producer/co-producteur Akeel Henry
Tiger Eye – LOONY Independent*AWAL
“DISHONORED” – co-producer/co-producteur Jack Rochon, Leonardo Dessi, Matthew Sean Leon
IN LOVING MEMORY – Sean Leon, Jessie Reyez Independent
“In The Dirt” – co-producer/co-producteurRussell Vitale, Brad Watt, A.J. Hall
Russ IndependentAkeel Henry
“Spin feat. Victoria Monét” – co-producer/co-producteur Yonatan Ayal
MEGAN – Megan Thee Stallion Hot Girl*Warner
“Smoke” – co-producer/co-producteur Bongo ByTheWay
Smoke – Ari Lennox Interscope*Dreamville
“Shake feat. Jeremih” – co-producer/co-producteur Bongo ByTheWay, Kareen Lomax, Trey Campbell
Trouble In Paradise – Chlöe Parkwood*Sony
“Oh, Wait… feat. Nao” – co-producer/co-producteur Ari PenSmith, Blake Straus
Love’s Letter (Deluxe) – Shae Universe, Independent
“I Choose You” – co-producer/co-producteur Yonatan Ayal
Say Yes – Melanie Fiona Independent
“Love Ain’t Guaranteed” – co-producer/co-producteur Harry Beech
Redemption – MIST WarnerEvan Blair
“Pretty Slowly”
Benson Boone Warner
“Beautiful Things”
Benson Boone Warner
“club heaven”
Nessa Barrett Warner
“No High”
David Kushner Independent
“this is how a woman leaves”
Intermission – Maren Morris Columbia*Sony
“i hope i never fall in love”
Intermission – Maren Morris Columbia*SonyJack Rochon
“II HANDS II HEAVEN” – co-producer/co-producteur Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé Columbia*Sony
“PROTECTOR” – co-producer/co-producteur Beyoncé
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé Columbia*Sony
“JOLENE” – co-producer/co-producteur Alex Vickery, Beyoncé, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Khirye Tyler
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé Columbia*Sony
“My Way” – co-producer/co-producteur Charlotte Day Wilson, Leon Thomas
Cyan Blue – Charlotte Day Wilson Stone Woman Music*Independent
“Crash” – co-producer/co-producteur Aaron Paris, Aidan, Alex Goldblatt, Khris Riddick, Mariel Gomerez-Rodriguez, Oak
CRASH – Kehlani TSNMI/Atlantic Records*Warner
“Tears (Feat. Omah Lay)” – co-producer/co-producteur Etienne, GuiltyBeatz, Mariel Gomerez-Rodriguez, Oak, Symphony
CRASH – Kehlani TSNMI/Atlantic*WarnerShawn Everett
“II MOST WANTED” – co-producer/co-producteur Beyoncé, Jonathan Rado, Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé Columbia*Sony
“Found Heaven”
Found Heaven – Conan Gray Republic*Universal
“Bright Lights” – co-producer/co-producteur Jonathan Rado
Bright Lights – The Killers Island*Universal
“I Don’t” – co-producer/co-producteur Brittany Howard
What Now – Brittany Howard, Island*Universal
“Eye of the Night”
Found Heaven- Conan Gray, Republic*Universal
“Prove it to You” – co-producer/co-producteur Brittany Howard
What Now – Brittany Howard, Island*UniversalRECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
George Seara
“Soft Spot”
Requiem – keshi Island*Universal
“Dream”
Requiem – keshi Island*UniversalHill Kourkoutis
“Ghost”
Ghost – Sebastian Gaskin Ishkōdé*Universal
“Should We”
Razzle – Emi Jeen UGIV Music*SymphonicMitch McCarthy
“Good Luck, Babe!”
Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan Island*Universal
“Make You Mine”
Make You Mine – Madison Beer Epic*SonySerban Ghenea
“Please Please Please”
Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter Island*Universal
“Lose Control”
I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) – Teddy Swims WarnerShawn Everett
“Don’t Forget Me”
Don’t Forget Me – Maggie Rogers Capitol*Universal
“Deeper Well”
Deeper Well- Kacey Musgraves Interscope*UniversalCLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
Angmalukisaa Deantha Edmunds Independent*Leaf/Naxos
the fog in our poise Gabriel Dharmoo Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos
L’écoute du perdu : III. « Voix jetées » Keiko Devaux ATMA*Universal
Dark Flower Linda Catlin Smith Redshift*Independent
String Quartet No. 4 “Insects and Machines” Vivian Fung IndependentSONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
PUBLISHER: XO MUSIC PUBLISHING/UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“Dancing in the Flames” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Max Martin, Oscar Holter
Dancing in the Flames – The Weeknd XO*UniversalPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Timeless” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Blessed, Jarrod “Twisco” Morgan, Jordan Terrell Carter, Kobe “BbyKobe” Hood, Lawson, Mark Williams, MIKE DEAN, Pharrel Williams, Raul Cubina (Volta), Tariq “BL$$D” Sharrieff
Timeless – The Weeknd XO * UniversalPUBLISHER: XO MUSIC PUBLISHING/UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“São Paulo” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Agustinho Raphael Dos Santos, Andre Luiz Viegas, Everton Ramos De Araujo, Flavio Seraphim De Almeida, Larissa de Macedo Machado, Marcelo Nei Leal, MIKE DEAN, Sean Solymar, Tatiana Dos Santos Lourenco, Washington Luis Costa Vaz
Sao Paulo – The Weeknd, Anitta XO * UniversalAP Dhillon
PUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Old Money” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Abdul Aziz Dieng, Chris Mathew LaRocca-Cerrone, Luke Maurizio Mauti, Michael Tompa, Robert Benvegnu, Satinderpal Singh
The Brownprint – AP Dhillon Republic*UniversalPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Losing Myself feat. Gunna” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Abdul Aziz Dieng, Herman Atwal, , Luke Maurizio Mauti, Rashpal Singh, Sergio Giavanni Kitchens
Losing Myself feat. Gunna – AP Dhillon Republic*UniversalPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Bora Bora (feat. Arya Starr)” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Anas Rahmoune, Joseph Watchorn, Mason Tanner, Satinderpal Singh
The Brownprint – AP Dhillon Republic*UniversalJessie Reyez
PUBLISHER: BERTELSMANN MUSIC GROUP
“Child of Fire” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Oladipo Omishore, Spencer Stewart, Tiffany Day
Child of Fire – Jessie Reyez Independant*FugaPUBLISHER: FMLY/BERTELSMANN MUSIC GROUP
“RIDIN (feat. Lil Wayne)” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Dwayne Carter, Jeff Gitelman, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson
RIDIN (feat. Lil Wayne) – Jessie Reyez Island*UniversalPUBLISHER: FMLY/BERTELSMANN MUSIC GROUP
“SHUT UP feat. Big Sean” – co-songwriter/co-compositeurs Christopher Smith, Giovani Figueroa-Borges, Julian Harris, Nolan Lambroza, Sean Anderson, Uforo Ebong
SHUT UP feat. Big Sean – Jessie Reyez Island*UniversalMustafa
PUBLISHER: UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“Name of God” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Aaron Dessner, Simon Hessman,
Dunya – Mustafa Arts&Crafts*UniversalPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Leaving Toronto” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Jonah Yano, Rodaidh Mcdonald, Simon Hessman
Dunya – Mustafa Arts&Crafts*UniversalPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“I’ll Go Anywhere” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Simon Hessman
Dunya – Mustafa Arts&Crafts*UniversalNemah Hasan
PUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“stick of gum” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Danny Casio, Pablo Bowman
Verbathim – Nemah Hasan IndependentPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“you wore it better” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Danny Casio, Pablo Bowman
Verbathim – Nemah Hasan IndependentPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“coloured concrete” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Danny Casio, Pablo Bowman
Verbathim – Nemah Hasan IndependentSONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (NON-PERFORMER)
Evan Blair
PUBLISHER: SELECTORSONGS/SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING
“Beautiful Things” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Benson Boone, Jackson Lafrantz Larsen
Beautiful Things – Benson Boone WarnerPUBLISHER: SELECTORSONGS/SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING
“Pretty Slowly” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Benson Boone, Jackson Lafrantz Larsen
Pretty Slowly – Benson Boone WarnerPUBLISHER: SELECTORSONGS/SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING
“i hope i never fall in love” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Delacey, Lucy Healey, Maren Morris
Intermission – Maren Morris Columbia * SonyLowell
PUBLISHER: ARTIST PUBLISHING GROUP WEST/KOBALT MUSIC GROUP
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Atia “Ink” Boggs, Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq
TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé Columbia*SonyPUBLISHER: ARTIST PUBLISHING GROUP WEST/KOBALT MUSIC GROUP
“BODYGUARD” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Beatty, Shantoni Ajane Nichols, Terius “The Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant
COWBOY CARTER – Beyoncé Columbia*SonyPUBLISHER: ARTIST PUBLISHING GROUP WEST/KOBALT MUSIC GROUP
“Takes One To Know One” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Eliza Enman-Mcdaniel, Gus van Go, Jordan Miller, Kylie Miller, Leandra Earl
Takes One To Know One – The Beaches Independent*AWALNathan Ferraro
PUBLISHER: HEART AND ART MUS/SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Atia “Ink” Boggs, Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Raphael Saadiq
TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé Columbia*SonyPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Smoke” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Akeel Henry, Ant Clemons, Courtney Salter, Uforo Ebong Smoke – Ari Lennox Interscope*UniversalPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Michael Wise, Sofia Camara
Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent) – Sofia Camara UniversalShaun Frank
PUBLISHER: REGICIDE ENT/CANADIANA MUS
“Love Somebody” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Ashley Gorley, Elof Loelv, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, John Bryon, Martina Sorbara, Morgan Wallen, Nicholas Gale, Ryan Vojtesak, Steve Richard Francis Mastroianni, Yaakov Gruzman
Love Somebody – Morgan Wallen Big Loud*Mercury/Republic/UniversalPUBLISHER: WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CO / CANADIANA MUS
“Training Season” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Dua Lipa, Kevin Parker, Martina Sorbara, Nicholas Gate, Steve Francis Richard Mastroianni, Tobias Jesso Jr., Yaakov Gruzman
Training Season – Dua Lipa WarnerPUBLISHER: SELF PUBLISHED
“Sideways” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs A. Graham, David Karbal, Marcel Kosic, Richard Beynon, Tiernan Kelly, Tinashe Sibanda
DIAMANTE – Gordo IndependentTobias Jesso Jr.
PUBLISHER: UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“Houdini” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Danny L Harle, Kevin Parker
Houdini – Dua Lipa WarnerPUBLISHER: UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“push me over” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Catherine Hope Gavin, Josette Maskin, Maren Morris, Naomi McPherson
Intermission – Maren Morris Columbia*SonyPUBLISHER: UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“Come Show Me” – co-songwriters/co-compositeurs Camila Cabello, DJ Spinn (Morris Anthony Harper), Jasper Harris, Pablo Diaz-Reixa
C,XOXO (Magic City Edition) – Camila Cabello Interscope*Universal
10 best fantasy shows of all time, ranked
Great fantasy shows invite viewers to step away from the ordinary and enter new realms where anything is possible. These worlds are anything but mundane, delivering dazzling spectacles and character-driven stories that keep fans hooked for seasons on end. Whether it’s sprawling kingdoms full of political warfare or magical domains overrun by bizarre creatures, the genre has a variety of enthralling worlds to choose from.
From cultural phenomenons like Game of Thrones to beloved cult classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the best fantasy shows shaped and defined the genre. This spectacular series offers excitement and escapism through the small screen, with the very best going on to be influential and award-winning classics that fans can revisit over and over again.
10. Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)
Renaissance Pictures / Universal Television Xena: Warrior Princess is a nostalgic cult classic from the 1990s that served as a spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys where the titular protagonist was introduced as a supporting character. Focusing on here as the star instead, the spinoff chronicles Xena’s (Lucy Lawless) redemption arc as a former warlord wanting atonement by using her skills as a warrior for good. Alongside the storyteller-turned-fighter Gabrielle (Renee O’Connor), the duo take on mythological creatures, warlords, and even gods on their journey across the ancient world.
Xena‘s setting is inspired by Greek mythology, making each episode an interestingly-rich and imagined world brimming with fascinating characters. The show also doesn’t take itself seriously, with high-stakes drama complemented by campy humor that showcases the writers’ wit. Xena was also a trailblazer in fantasy TV, as it served as a precursor to modern female-led action epics and tackled feminist themes through its main characters’ storylines.
Stream Xena: Warrior Princess on Prime Video.
9. Charmed (1998-2006)
The WB With the “Power of Three,” Charmed cast a spell on countless fans and became one of the most popular fantasy shows of its era. The WB series follows the Halliwell sisters — Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) — as they explore their abilities and roles as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches ever prophesied. Living in their ancestral San Francisco manor, the trio struggle to balance their ordinary lives with their supernatural side. The group was also later joined by Paige (Rose McGowan).
Charmed offered magical whimsy with some binge-worthy drama, keeping fans coming back for more. At its core, the show is beloved for its celebration of the friendship between three powerful women who choose to be good witches. Its impact as a pioneering series is still felt today, with new audiences discovering it on streaming platforms. Charmed has even inspired a less successful reboot on The CW, which premiered in 2018.
Stream Charmed on Prime Video.
8. Outlander (2014-)
Starz Outlander is a historical drama and fantasy series based on Diana Gabaldon’s eponymous novels. The show follows Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a World War II nurse mysteriously transported back to 1743 Scotland through the standing stones of Craigh na Dun. While navigating a chaotic era where her freedom and identity are changed significantly, Claire unexpectedly falls in love with the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). She’s then caught between the life she made in 1743 and the one she left with her husband in 1945.
After a decade’s worth of storytelling, Outlander has captivated viewers with its unique time-traveling period story that tells an epic romance. On top of that, the series also places its protagonists in historical settings, involving them in political events, real-life rebellions, and more. It becomes impossible not to root for them as they experience the march of history and fight for their love across time and space. Fans of the series can look forward to a confirmed spinoff titled Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which will further explore the original’s one-of-a-kind world.
Stream Outlander on Starz.
7. Merlin (2008-2012)
BBC One In a reimagining of the Arthurian legends, Merlin sees the titular wizard (played by Colin Morgan) first as a young man who discovers his magical powers. He must keep them a secret since King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head) has outlawed the use of magic in his kingdom. When Merlin is tasked with protecting the king’s son, Prince Arthur (Bradley James), he realizes that he must use his powers to protect him while also guiding him to become a better future ruler.
The bond that forms between Arthur and Merlin becomes the cornerstone of the series, with the duo evolving as characters with each new threat they face. Merlin attracts audiences with its light-hearted adventures but keeps them investing in the increasingly serious stakes as Arthur faces his role and Merlin finds himself. While its CGI hasn’t aged the best and betrays the show’s low budget, it’s still worth revisiting for fans of the genre.
Stream Merlin on Prime Video.
6. Bewitched (1964-1972)
ABC Bewitched is a must-see classic sitcom that centers on a charming witch, Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery), who marries mortal adman, Darrin Stephens (Dick York, later Dick Sargent), and vows to live as an ordinary suburban housewife. Of course, suppressing her magical powers proves easier said than done, as it’s much easier to get through daily life with them. There’s also the problem of her meddling spell-casting relatives, who mostly dislike her husband and resent her situation.
The comedic series relies on funny domestic situations with a twist on magic. What made it such a standout, however, is that it uses this mischievous humor to subtly comment on modern domesticity and gender roles. Samantha’s efforts to balance her built-in magic with her desire for a “normal” life mirror the struggles of women in the 1960s, cementing Bewitched as a groundbreaking and daring show that would inspire the fantasy sitcoms that followed.
Stream Bewitched on The Roku Channel.
5. The Witcher (2019-)
Netflix Based on the eponymous book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is a gritty fantasy show that follows Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), who hunts monsters for a living. The series is set in a fictional medieval-inspired world where the titular witcher finds himself following the destined path that leads him to Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra). The trio then works together as they fight bigger forces and participate in larger political conflicts that escalate into all-out wars.
Fans of both the books and the game can appreciate The Witcher‘s interpretation of its source material. It thrives thanks to its morally gray approach, lending the show a darker and grittier feel for fantasy enthusiasts who prefer those types of stories. While it remains to be seen how Cavill’s controversial recasting — with Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia — will affect the series, it’s safe to say that for now, it’s considered among the best modern fantasy shows.
Stream The Witcher on Netflix.
4. Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Netflix Netflix’s crowning achievement in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, Stranger Things is a megahit that needs no introduction. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the series begins in 1983 with the mysterious disappearance of young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). As his friends—Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)—search for him, they find Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a mysterious girl with telekinetic abilities. Their journey soon leads to the discovery of a secret government experiment and a parallel dimension known as the Upside Down.
Stranger Things soars thanks to the friendship between its characters and the satisfying way fans have grown up alongside the talented cast. It also seamlessly fuses 1980s nostalgia with a supernatural story that can be scary at times, without ever losing sight of the fun times between the group. The fifth and final season, slated for release in 2025, promises to provide an explosive ending to what the show has been building up to all of these years, and viewers can only hope that they stick the landing.
Stream Stranger Things on Netflix.
3. Supernatural (2005-2020)
Warner Bros. Supernatural is a genre-defining series that ran for an unprecedented 15 seasons, becoming one of the most beloved and enduring TV shows of all time. It’s centered on the brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who travel across America on what is essentially a “monster-of-the-week” road trip. The show evolves to incorporate more complicated storylines that touch on the brothers’ familial issues and bigger supernatural foes.
Supernatural embraces its horror roots, drawing inspiration from urban legends, folklore, and pop culture to create enthralling stories every week. The brothers’ relationship is at the heart of the series, which made it so popular. The Winchester brothers are the iconic duo that served as the anchor for the show for all those years, keeping fans coming back for more each week. The show would eventually focus on their arcs, focusing on their struggles and inner battles, giving audiences even more reasons to stay tuned.
Stream Supernatural on Netflix.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Warner Bros. A pioneering work within the supernatural and fantasy genres, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an addictive blend of action, humor, and drama. It revolves around Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a high school student who reluctantly accepts her role as the Chosen One — destined to battle dark forces like vampires and demons. Relocating to Sunnydale, a California town situated over a Hellmouth, Buffy struggles to balance her supernatural duties with the everyday hardships of teenage life.
Each season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer features a “Big Bad” or a major antagonist like the ancient vampire The Master. To take them down, Buffy is supported by the “Scooby Gang,” made up of her friends and mentor. With sharp storytelling and numerous innovative twists on classic tropes, the series became a celebrated classic that many fans continue to reference and revisit today. It has an active fandom that collects its hundreds of tie-in products, and the show also spawned the “Buffyverse,” which includes its popular spinoff titled Angel.
Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.
1. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
HBO HBO’s epic adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, Game of Thrones is a monumental achievement in fantasy television and an undeniable cultural phenomenon. Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the series begins as noble families vie for control of the Iron Throne while a looming threat from beyond the Wall—the White Walkers—threatens to upend the known world. Over eight seasons, the show explores the various political factions, new romances and alliances, dramatic betrayals, and so much more.
Despite its terrible final season, Game of Thrones still stands as the peak of fantasy TV, thanks to its cutting-edge visuals, ambitious and far-reaching arcs, and amazing cast. The series is a spectacle that delivered an unparalleled sense of scale to the small screen, all while relying on Shakespearean drama to keep fans glued to their screens every week. While it didn’t end on a high note, Game of Thrones’ influence on the genre has cemented it alongside the greats, with numerous planned spin-offs being a testament to its legacy.
Stream Game of Thrones on Max.
The best Xbox controllers: Microsoft, Razer, PowerA, and more
We live in a golden age of gaming controllers. The gamepads on the market now are higher quality, more versatile, and more customizable than anything from just a few console generations ago. If you play on an Xbox Series X or Series S (or a Windows PC), you can choose between several high-quality controllers from Microsoft as well as a plethora of great options from the likes of 8BitDo, PowerA, Razer, Scuf, Nacon, and Turtle Beach, some of which have even started using drift-proof Hall effect sticks for improved longevity. The days of the cheap “little sibling” controller that looked cool but barely worked are over.
I’ve spent a ton of time playing all kinds of games (first-person shooters, fighters, third-person action-adventure, racing, indie roguelikes, etc.) to test a wide swath of Xbox controllers, and it may not be a surprise that the standard Xbox Wireless Controller is the best option for most folks. It makes a great PC controller, too.
But while the default Xbox gamepad strikes the right balance of quality, comfort, versatility, and price, there are several alternatives worth considering.
Is it wireless? Does it support Bluetooth? Or is it wired only? If so, is the cable replaceable?
Does it feel cheap or nicely made? Any glitches or reliability issues while testing?
Does it have handy extras like remappable extra buttons or fancy triggers?
Can you remap buttons or tune it with custom software profiles? Is there a fun cosmetic flair to its design?
Is it priced affordably, about average, or does it come at a steep premium?
The best Xbox controller for most people
$44
The official Xbox Wireless Controller has a dedicated share button for saving clips and screenshots and sharing them online, Bluetooth support, and a USB-C port for charging up Microsoft’s play-and-charge rechargeable battery.
Connectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Power: AA batteries or add-on rechargeable
Okay, I already know what you’re thinking. “The best controller for Xbox is the one that comes with the Xbox?” That may seem like a no-brainer, but this standard controller truly does earn this title as the best all-rounder. It lacks some extras found on pricier options, but this controller is the distillation of over 20 years of Xbox gamepads, and it shows.
Thanks to Microsoft’s proprietary wireless protocol, this is the only affordable wireless Xbox controller out there. (Third-party wireless options have been trickling out in recent years, but they’re mostly at the high end.) While some hate the standard Xbox Wireless Controller for its use of AA batteries instead of a built-in rechargeable cell, that also means it’s flexible, allowing for rechargeable AAs or a battery pack. And user-replaceable batteries mean you’re not stuck with a controller that doesn’t hold its charge after years of use. It also works over a USB-C connection.
The standard Xbox controller looks great, feels great, plays great, and is available in cool colors. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeAttention to detail: Microsoft color-matches the light-up Xbox button to the controller. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeBut the standard-issue Xbox pad isn’t just great because of its connectivity. The hardware itself is excellent for the controller’s $60 asking price. The sticks, buttons, triggers, and the sunken dish-shaped D-pad all feel impeccably tight, with the latter having a satisfying clickiness to it. If you’re a hardcore fighting game fan, you may be better served by a dedicated fight stick or a controller geared toward that genre — one with a superb D-pad like Hori’s Horipad Pro — but the Xbox Wireless Controller is an extraordinary jack-of-all-trades.
The only things it really lacks compared to pricier options are extra, customizable buttons and software tuning for things like stick sensitivity, though Microsoft does offer cosmetic customization through its Xbox Design Lab, which bumps the price from $69.99 to $109.93 depending on the configuration. There’s a lot to love about these controllers, whether you make your own or pick one from the many colors Microsoft offers.
The best cheap Xbox controller
$27
PowerA’s Advantage Wired Controller is a budget-minded gamepad for Xbox and PC that connects via USB-C and features two customizable rear buttons and three-way trigger lockouts.
Connectivity: Wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Two / Software customization: No / Power: Wired
If you’re looking for a great controller but don’t have a lot of money to spend — and you don’t mind a cable — PowerA’s Advantage Wired Controller offers a solid value without much sacrifice. Its full retail price is $37.99, but some color schemes dip as low as $25. The Advantage is PowerA’s follow-up to its Enhanced Wired Controller, our previous budget pick. Like the Enhanced, the Advantage comes in a wide variety of hues and designs, but it has some nice improvements. Namely, the new model has a detachable USB-C cable (instead of micro-USB) and three-way hair-trigger lockouts. It also has two customizable rear buttons like the Enhanced, rounding out a nice arsenal of features for a low-cost gamepad.
You don’t normally find a feature like hair-trigger lockouts on a controller this affordable. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThe only other thing I’d love to see in a controller this cheap are drift-free Hall effect sticks. If that’s a priority to you while on a tight budget, consider spending a little more on the GameSir G7 SE. It’s another great USB-C wired option that puts the drift worries to bed for around $40, though it doesn’t have trigger lockouts like the Advantage does.
$45
A wired controller for Xbox and Windows PC with two programmable rear buttons, detachable USB-C cable, and drift-free Hall effect sticks.
The best “pro” Xbox controller
$169
The Xbox Elite Series 2 is easily one of our favorite controllers at The Verge. It’s an improvement on the already excellent Elite controller, with deep customization, optional rear paddle buttons, a swappable D-pad, and analog sticks that allow you to tailor its layout to suit your play style.
Connectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Up to four / Software customization: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is Microsoft’s fancy controller, and it’s got a lot of nice extras, like better build quality, extra buttons, user-swappable sticks and D-pad, a built-in rechargeable battery, and loads of software customization. Where the standard Xbox controller is constructed entirely of unassuming plastic, the Elite mixes higher quality soft-touch plastic, rubberized grips, and metallic touches for a superior fit and finish. This makes it heftier than the stock controller, and it just feels nice in your hands. It also comes with a charging dock and zip-up case with passthrough charging, completing a really nice package for $179.99. There’s also the stripped-down Elite Series 2 “Core” version with an MSRP of $129.99, which ditches the add-ons. You can buy them separately in a $59.99 accessories pack, but you’ll end up paying more that way, barring sales or discounts.
A pricey controller like an Xbox Elite is a bit of an emotional purchase. Most of us are not competing at e-sports levels, but it’s fun to use something that feels nicer, offers ways to custom-tailor it to your likings, and maybe gives you a slight competitive edge thanks to features like hair triggers and removable rear paddles. In theory, you may be able to get shots off faster in an online shooter with the hair triggers, and you can map the paddles to functions like jump, crouch, reload, etc. while keeping your thumb on the right stick. You could teach yourself claw grip to accomplish the latter with even a cheap wired controller, sure, but it just won’t feel as cool as when using an Elite. (And why try to get good or learn something when I can buy my way there instead?)
The Xbox Elite Series 2 is made from premium materials but has a nice, subdued aesthetic. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThe metal, dish-like D-pad is a small work of art. Sadly, however, it’s a far cry from the best D-pad around. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThe four removable paddles on the rear sit beneath the trigger locks and charging dock pins. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeWhile the Elite is still a great controller in 2025, you should keep in mind that it’s been around since 2019 and a Series 3 revision is feeling long overdue. The Series 2 also has a bit of a reputation for lackluster quality control — with horror stories from users about going through multiple replacements under warranty. Microsoft extended the controller’s warranty from 90 days to a year in late 2020 to help address concerns, but buying an Elite Series 2 may still feel like a slightly risky proposition. It also predates the current-gen implementation of a dedicated Share button, and its potentiometer-based sticks run the risk of stick drift after long-term use (something third parties are addressing with controllers that use drift-free Hall effect sticks, unlike all three big console manufacturers).
Even with those heaping mouthfuls of salt, the Elite 2 remains by far the most well-rounded option for a step-up Xbox controller — thanks in large part to its impressive build and expansive software experience. If all these caveats give you pause, though, there is another promising option.
Read our Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 review.
A formidable alternative to the Elite
$200
Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro is its first wireless controller for Xbox and PC. It also features Hall effect sticks, mouse click-like hair triggers, swappable stick toppers, and six customizable buttons.
Connectivity: Wireless USB dongle (Xbox / PC), wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Four / Software customization: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable
At $199.99, Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro controller is even more expensive than the Elite Series 2, but it’s worth the added cost if you want a high-end controller with drift-free sticks. Not only is the V3 Pro Razer’s first foray into using Hall effect sticks, it’s the company’s first fully wireless Xbox gamepad. It also sports some of the best hair-trigger lockouts around, with a mouse-like click usually found on even pricier Scuf controllers (a previous high-ranking pick of ours). Other than that, the V3 Pro is similar to the previous V2 Pro, with six remappable buttons — four rear paddles in new, angled orientations and two extra shoulder buttons — and some RGB lighting. The buttons and D-pad still have that satisfying micro-switch tactility and audible clickiness like the previous-gen V2 Pro, but the RGB lighting is more subtle this time around.
The V3 Pro has four angled rear buttons and two extra shoulder buttons. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeIn addition to standard stick toppers it comes with a short, domed option and an extra-tall concave one. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThe extra shoulder buttons are handy for claw grip, or freeing up some of the rear paddles for other functions. Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThe Wolverine V3 Pro’s biggest shortcomings compared to Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 are its more basic software customization, lack of Bluetooth, and the fact that it needs a USB dongle to work wirelessly. The V3 Pro is otherwise the better pick if you can justify its very high cost. And if you can’t, there’s also the $99.99 Wolverine V3 Pro Tournament Edition that has a nearly identical set of features in a wired version.
Other controllers worth knowing about
- Nacon’s Revolution X is one of the most customizable wired controllers you can get (it even has removable weights in its handles), and its software is nearly as expansive as Microsoft’s first-party app.
- Turtle Beach’s controllers have offerings with handy audio features geared toward competitive shooters, like the Recon and React-R. Its fanciest option, the Stealth Ultra, is a $200 wireless model with Hall effect sticks that’s overall very good. Though, for the same money, I prefer the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, since it feels better to use and the Stealth Ultra’s built-in 1.5-inch screen for customizing functions (or getting social media notifications) is clunky.
- 8BitDo’s Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox and PC is a quality, affordable gamepad with two rear buttons and software customization, though the lengthy USB cable is not detachable. There’s a new model with Hall effect sticks and a detachable USB-C cable that looks like a real contender. It’s on our shortlist of options to test next alongside the 8BitDo Ultimate C, which has RGB analog stick rings but lacks rear buttons, and the 8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode, which is wired on Xbox but includes wireless connectivity for PC and mobile.
- Briefly mentioned above, the Horipad Pro has one of the best D-pads around. It also offers a lot of software customization at an affordable price, but its shoulder buttons are a bit stiff.
- If you’re the nostalgic type, the Hyperkin Duke, DuchesS, and Xenon are faithful wired recreations of Xbox gamepads from Microsoft’s first two console generations. They’re kind of dumb but endearing (especially the chunky Duke), but they’re unique collector pieces you can also use on modern games.
- We’re planning to test PowerA’s newest pro-style Xbox controllers, including the Fusion Pro 4 Wired and PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless. The former is primarily standard fare for a pro-style controller these days, but it does come with height-adjustable Hall effect sticks. It also features remappable rear buttons, three-way trigger locks, and onboard volume controls. The Fusion Pro Wireless is similar but offers some trippy Lumectra lighting, letting you customize four separate RGB zones with six different lighting modes.
- We’d be remiss not to give the wireless Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot a spin (pun intended). The customizable controller uses a unique swivel system that allows you to quickly swap the analog sticks for additional face buttons, which makes it ideal for fighting game purists and other retro gaming needs. We plan on getting our hands on one in the coming weeks, so we’ll let you know whether it’s the next best thing or just a fun party trick.
Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Update, February 5th: Updated with current pricing and availability, plus details on new controllers we’re planning to test.
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