The best apps and games for all of your new tech in 2018

The holidays are here, and it looks like you got a new Kindle (or a device with a Kindle app). You now have before you a fun task: to build a portable library of all the books that you have on your reading list — or to create a new list for the coming year.

If you’re looking for recommendations, here are 13 science fiction books that stand on their own (or are loosely part of a bigger world) to start off with. (If you’re interested in trying a series, you can also check out some of last year’s recommendations.)

So you came out of the holidays with a fancy new 4K TV? It doesn’t get much better than that. After managing to unbox it and finding the perfect spot in your living room to put it, the next crucial step is downloading the right apps that can showcase that big screen.

The easiest, fastest way to locate these apps is to open the app store on your TV — whether it be a Roku TV, Samsung TV, LG, Sony, Vizio, or something else — and look for a list of the most popular downloads. You’ll likely spot many of the choices that I’ve included below right there. If your TV comes with a voice remote, you can also look for them that way.

Microsoft has done a good job updating its Windows 10 operating system with useful utilities and features, but there’s still room for plenty of third-party apps. If you’ve just received a new PC over the holidays, we have some favorite Windows apps that will improve your experience — and maybe your life.

We here at The Verge have rounded up our favorite and most-used apps, games, and utilities. Look for our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, and Macs; our favorite games for PCs, iOS and Android, and our top choices for the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

Apple’s macOS operating system has matured to the point where, out of the box, your new Mac laptop or desktop pretty much has the bases covered when it comes to email, calendar management, and some basic productivity tools. But there’s a whole world of better and more powerful Mac software out there that can make everything from GIF-making to photo editing to window organization a whole lot easier.

While paying for software might seem like some pre-Google anachronism, many of the best Mac applications out there cost just a few dollars and can drastically improve your workflow or your day-to-day computer use — without any privacy concerns or intrusive advertising. And some are so good that they warrant a monthly or annual subscription — especially if they really help you at your job or in a serious hobby like photography.

Does it matter whether you got an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone for the holidays? Not if you want to play games. The great thing about smartphones and tablets is that, no matter what device you get, there’s going to be some great games for it. So if you were lucky enough to unwrap a new portable and are looking for ways to waste some time, here are a few great options.

We here at The Verge have rounded up our favorite and most-used apps, games, and utilities. Look for our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, and Macs; our favorite games for PCs, iOS and Android, and our top choices for the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

Microsoft’s Xbox One has been on the market for more than five years, which means there are hundreds of good games for it. While there haven’t been many top exclusives for the Xbox One this year, there are still some classic games you should absolutely try. And don’t forget Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription ($9.99 a month) that provides access to more than 100 Xbox One games. If you just unwrapped a new Xbox One and you’re looking for some games to play, here are a few of our favorites to get you started.

We here at The Verge have rounded up our favorite and most-used apps, games, and utilities. Look for our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, and Macs; our favorite games for PCs, iOS and Android, and our top choices for the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

If you’re getting a new gaming PC as a gift this holiday season, you’re going to want some games to play. So to help you out, we’ve collected a list of free and paid PC games that you should definitely check out. Some of these titles are graphically intensive (i.e. you need a powerful PC to run them well), so make sure your drivers are up to date and that you fulfill the recommended specs.

There’s a game here for every type of new (or seasoned) PC gamer: first-person shooters, simulation, strategy, party, MOBA (multiplayer online battle area), driving, and indie. Many of these games are used in our benchmark testing for gaming PCs, so besides serving a productive purpose, they’re also some of my favorites. Take note that some of these PC games are only available from their publishers directly (e.g. Origin, Ubisoft), while others are also available on Steam. Keep this in mind when considering how many gaming store apps you want to download onto your machine (and subsequently create online accounts for).

The holidays are here, and if you’re lucky, you might be unwrapping a brand-new iPhone. But whether it’s a fancy iPhone XS Max or an older iPhone 7, chances are you’re going to need a few apps for that phone. And while a lot of your choices are pretty straightforward — odds are you already know that you’ll want things like Instagram or YouTube — here are recommendations for some interesting apps that you might not know about.

We here at The Verge have rounded up our favorite and most-used apps, games, and utilities. Look for our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, and Macs; our favorite games for PCs, iOS and Android, and our top choices for the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

You’ve just unwrapped a new Android phone, logged in, typed in a hundred passwords, downloaded all the big social apps, and synced all the things that need syncing. Now it’s time to fill your phone up with everything else: the apps for reading, for getting things done, and for having fun. You probably have some ideas of your own, but we’ve got a bunch of suggestions, too. Here are 10 great Android apps that are definitely worth installing.

We here at The Verge have rounded up our favorite and most-used apps, games, and utilities. Look for our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, and Macs; our favorite games for PCs, iOS and Android, and our top choices for the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

It’s safe to say Sony has unequivocally won over this console generation. Just last month, the company announced that the PlayStation 4 had sold more than 86 million units in its lifetime, surpassing the PlayStation 3 and far outpacing Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Part of the success involved Sony’s early lead back in 2013, when the device came out with a price tag $100 lower than Microsoft’s competing console and a honed focus on a core game-playing audience. Then Sony kept the momentum up by releasing a string of excellent exclusives. For the last half-decade or so, the PS4 has been home to some of the best games ever made, a majority of which can’t be played on any other console out there.