While it’s really great to get a new tech device — a phone, a laptop, a game console, a Kindle, or a TV — as a gift, it’s even cooler to start working or playing with it. But where to begin?
Here at The Verge, we want to help, so we’ve put together lists of our favorite apps, games, and shows for the year 2020. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, M1-equipped Macs, and TVs. We’ve listed our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass, and our top choices for the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, and Nintendo Switch. We’ve also compiled our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts.
So take a look at what The Verge staff recommends, and enjoy!
Photo by Alex Castro / The Verge
Dec 31, 2020
17 great games on Google Play Pass for your new 2020 Android phone
Illustration by William Joel / The VergeIf you just got a brand-new Android phone for the holidays, you probably want to play some games on your shiny device. Luckily, that’s especially easy to do this year with Google’s $5-per-month Google Play Pass games and apps subscription service, which offers free access to hundreds of games and apps without pushing ads or demanding in-app purchases.
Read Article >We’ve looked through what’s available on Play Pass, and the service has a lot of good games to check out. Here are just a few that we recommend. Since all of the games are also available individually — either free with ads and in-app purchases or for specific prices — we’ve included their Google Play links as well.
Dec 31, 2020
8 great Apple Arcade games for your new 2020 iPhone or iPad
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeThis time last year, Apple Arcade was still a fledgling service, but one with a lot of potential. For $5 a month, you could get unlimited access to a big library of interesting games, the kind that no one really sells in the App Store anymore. It’s still not a place to find the latest blockbusters, but Arcade has steadily evolved into one of the best deals in gaming. Its lineup of games is varied and consistently surprising, with everything from family-friendly multiplayer games to engrossing puzzlers to weird story-driven adventures.
Read Article >If you just picked up a new Apple device and have signed up for Arcade (a new device gets you three months free) the sheer number of games available can be overwhelming. Here are a few great places to start.
Dec 30, 2020
11 great sci-fi books from 2020 to check out on your new Kindle
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeIt’s not easy to make it to a library right now, and with a long winter stuck at home looming ahead for many of us, there’s never been a better time to hunker down with a good book. If you’ve been lucky enough to receive a new Kindle (or a non-Amazon-branded e-reader or just a device with an e-book app on it), you might be looking for some new books to read.
Read Article >To help, here are some of the best new science fiction books released in 2020 (along with some additional recommendations for other books in a series, where applicable), which should be the perfect pairing with your new e-reader.
Dec 30, 2020
10 great games to play on your new 2020 VR headset
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeIf you received a virtual reality gaming headset this holiday season, congratulations! Whether you’ve got the newly released Oculus Quest 2, one of the last few units of the now discontinued Oculus Rift S, or another headset like the PlayStation VR, there are a ton of video games for you to explore with your new head mount display. Here are ten games I personally enjoy and think are worth your time and money.
Read Article >We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)
Dec 29, 2020
26 great apps for your new 2020 Windows PC
Photo by Tom Warren / The VergeIf you bought a new Windows laptop on Black Friday or received one as a gift, you may be struggling to figure out which apps to download. Never fear. I have scoured the internet, the Microsoft Store, and my own downloads folder to find all the best Windows apps for whatever purpose you may need.
Read Article >You might be surprised how many online services you already use that have their own dedicated Windows app. I find that the main benefit of many Windows apps is to help mentally separate my life. It can get hard to navigate all of my various streaming services, work apps, chats, and social media using Chrome tabs — and it also puts me at greater risk of getting distracted.
Dec 29, 2020
11 great apps ready for your new 2020 M1 Mac
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeThis year marked the introduction of the first Macs to be powered by Apple’s own silicon instead of Intel chips. As is evidenced by our reviews of the M1 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, these machines are incredibly powerful and offer wicked fast performance. This is especially true for apps that are designed to run natively on them and take full advantage of Apple’s latest technologies.
Read Article >So in that vein, this year’s Mac apps list is going to focus on some of the software that has already been optimized for this new era of Apple hardware. Last year’s picks remain just as relevant and useful today if you’re on an Intel machine. But if you’ve been gifted (or are gifting yourself) one of these new speed-demon Macs, these are a few great ways of sampling what they can do.
Dec 28, 2020
11 great apps for your new 2020 Android device
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeThe first thing to do when you get a new phone is to log back into all your accounts — email, Facebook, Signal, and so on — to make sure you’re getting all the important notifications you need and messages from friends. But after that, you’ll want to install apps that replace the default tools (like the web browser or weather app) with something better, along with apps that’ll just make your day-to-day usage of the phone a lot more helpful.
Read Article >Here are our suggestions for where to start when setting up an Android phone.
Dec 28, 2020
12 great apps for your new iPhone in 2020
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeIf you’re lucky enough to have unwrapped a new iPhone as a holiday gift this year, you’ll probably want to install some new apps on it. Fortunately, we’re here to help with some suggestions. We’ve included great apps that are just generally fun or useful to have on your phone, and apps that you should download to replace the default ones that Apple ships.
Read Article >We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)
Dec 26, 2020
10 great games from 2020 for your new Nintendo Switch
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeWe’re now at a point where you can comfortably describe the Nintendo Switch as “mature.” It’s no longer a new device, but one several years into its life, with a robust and varied line-up of games available. There’s a good chance you picked up a Switch to play one of Nintendo’s tentpole franchises — whether that’s Super Mario, Animal Crossing, or Pokémon — but there are a lot of different kinds of experiences available on the tablet. That includes big social titles, classic games, and inventive indie releases. Heck, one of my favorite experiences this year has been relearning chess on the Switch.
Read Article >If you’re new to the Switch ecosystem, here are 10 great games to get you started.
Dec 26, 2020
10 great games from 2020 for your new gaming PC
Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The VergeWhether you’ve just gotten a new Windows-based gaming laptop or desktop, or you just want some new game ideas, we have 10 suggestions to make your gaming experience fun. Not all of them are new or the most graphically demanding, but they should provide you with hours of enjoyment.
Read Article >Unlike gaming on a console, there are several ways for PC gamers to get their fix, from Steam and the Epic Game Store to GOG and Xbox Game Pass. It’s important to know that not all platforms offer the same games due to exclusivity rights. But in most cases, you can (and should) shop around — you might find a better price at one storefront versus the other.
Dec 25, 2020
10 great games from 2020 for your new Xbox
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeWhether you recently bought or soon plan to buy an Xbox Series X or an Xbox Series S, or are sticking with your Xbox One console, it’s sure nice to have a stack of good games to play. And what better way to do that than to barely spend any money at all? Individual games, while sometimes worth the cost, can be pricey. Instead, you can get a ton of value out of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Read Article >For $14.99 per month ($1 for each of your first three months if you’re a new subscriber), the all-in-one Game Pass Ultimate subscription gets you access to a growing number of games to download and exclusive discounts on popular games. You also get the ability to download games on consoles and Android devices.
Dec 25, 2020
9 great games from 2020 for your new PlayStation 5
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeIf you’re one of the lucky few who has snagged a PlayStation 5 since it launched in early November — congratulations. Securing a next-gen console, especially Sony’s, has been no easy feat, and there’s no telling when buying one won’t involve a mad online rush that’s basically no different than a chaotic lottery.
Read Article >If you did secure a PS5, you’re probably wondering what exactly you can play on it. After all, next-gen consoles rarely launch with rich libraries of new games. Instead, game console makers tend to reserve a handful of launch titles to hold over the early adopters until at least a year or so into the device’s life cycle, when the development of new titles really starts to pick up.
Dec 22, 2020
10 great streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus for 2020
Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeThe year 2020 was when most of us went from going out with loved ones to exchanging recommendations on what type of TV show or movie to stream next. One way to suit everyone’s taste — kids, adults, and sports fans — is to try the Disney Bundle, a streaming pack that consists of Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu.
Read Article >Each of these services offers a slew of streaming options, so for a $12.99-a-month price tag, you are getting a ton of bang for your buck. You can also opt just for Disney Plus at a cost of $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
Dec 21, 2020
10 great streaming shows on Netflix for 2020
Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeThe year 2020 likely kept many of us inside for most of it, and it looks like that situation may last at least into part of 2021. One of the few positives is that many great movies and TV shows were released on streaming services such as Netflix. The streaming service has made available a plethora of movies and TV shows, some original to Netflix.
Read Article >Netflix currently offers three plans: Basic ($8.99 / month) lets you watch content on one screen at a time; Standard ($13.99 / month) brings it up to two screens and adds HD content; and Premium ($17.99) offers a total of four screens and Ultra HD content.
Dec 19, 2020
The Verge’s 17 favorite podcasts of 2020
Many of us were not commuting as usual during 2020, so our podcast listening time may have been somewhat lessened. However, podcasts are still popular. They’re great to listen to while driving, cleaning your home, exercising, or just hanging out. There are podcasts to suit every taste, including topics like politics, history, music, and comedy. In fact, there are so many out there that it may be difficult to choose where to start. We asked the staff at The Verge what their current favorite podcasts were. Here they are — try them out and see what you think.
Read Article >We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)