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Technology
The 10 best TVs of 2024
When it comes to the best TV brands on the market, you’ll find numerous options from companies like Samsung, Sony, LG, and many others. And while some TVs are best suited to run your PlayStation and Xbox titles (we have an entire list of gaming TVs for you to look through), other sets are renowned for color and contrast accuracy. You’ll find many of these cinema-approved screens in our best OLED TVs roundup, but what about TVs that use conventional LED lighting?
Fortunately, we’re all about keeping our favorite apples in the same basket, which is why we’ve created the roundup of the best TVs you can buy in 2024. Whether you’re a QLED, OLED, or QD-OLED fan, or you’re looking for a giant monitor for your PC gaming rig, our list has a TV for just about every want or need.
Sony A95L QD-OLED
The best TV you can buy right now
Pros
- Outstanding color accuracy and brightness
- Excellent contrast and luminance
- Great sound
- Gorgeous game mode picture quality
- Incredibly good upscaling
Cons
- Some deep features not available at launch
Our current top pick remains the Sony A95L QD-OLED. When it came out last year, our Caleb Denison called it the best TV he’s ever reviewed, so you know you’re in for some seriously good picture, sound, and other features. And yeah, Sony’s 2023 flagship is still a killer TV, that just so happens to be equipped with cutting-edge QD-OLED display tech.
For those unaware, “QD-OLED” stands for Quantum Dot-Organic Light Emitting Diode. What we’ve got here is an OLED backbone, complete with a screen that contains self-emissive pixels. But on top of that, there’s also a layer of quantum dots built into the A95L, which does wonders for overall color and peak brightness level, not to mention the supremely wide color gamut you’ll get to experience.
It’s not too often we get to rave about a TV’s audio system, but we couldn’t believe the type of sound quality the A95L is capable of. With such bold performance and brilliant soundstaging, you’d think you were using a great soundbar or surround sound-lite, but nope: it’s all in the TV speakers, friends.
Picture-wise, the list of terrific things to say is nearly endless, but highlights include some of the best color purity and saturation levels we’ve ever seen; or at least one with these nit numbers. The A95L also delivers some tremendous 4K upscaling, which not only brings lower-res content closer to Ultra HD quality, but also reduces picture noise and other artifacts to give you final frames that clean and sharp look. The A95L is also a fantastic TV for gaming, especially for those who own a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.
Price-wise, this is going to be one of the most expensive picks on our list, but we really can’t praise the Sony A95L enough. And if you’re on the lookout for a super-great deal on one of last year’s flagship sets, now is the time to track down a Sony A95K.
Sony A95L QD-OLED
The best TV you can buy right now
LG G4 evo OLED
The best OLED that LG has ever made
Pros
- Outstanding brightness
- Astounding accuracy
- Unprecedented flexibility
- Awesome gaming performance
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Hit-or-miss sound
- Frustrating remote
Last year, we were totally gung ho about the amazing LG G3 OLED, a marvel of self-emissive picture that you can still buy — and you should, as they’re likely to go on sale now that the 2024s are here. For now, though, it’s the LG G4’s time to shine.
In our LG G4 video review, Denison not only says that “the LG G4 has the best picture quality I’ve ever tested in a TV,” but that “it’s the brightest TV we’ve tested to date.” This is some high praise, but he does add that getting it there takes a little bit of work in the picture settings. In the end, it has some excellent versatility — it can be the brightest it can be if you’re going to use it in a bright room, or it can be dialed down if your viewing setting is a man cave or light-controlled home theater room, for example. The choice is yours.
There’s been plenty of fanfare about Samsung and Sony’s forays into QD-OLED tech, which has enjoyed the reputation of being brighter than OLED. We’re big fans of QLED and QD-OLED panels, but now LG is forcing its two fiercest competitors to take heed. We’re also pleased to see LG’s latest chip, the a11 AI processor, put to the test. The speedy new chip brings improved processing speed, unparalleled picture upscaling, lag-free streaming, and big audio performance to LG’s flagship lineup.
LG G4 evo OLED
The best OLED that LG has ever made
Samsung S95D OLED TV
Samsung’s best for bright rooms
Pros
- Exellent brightness
- Eye-popping color
- Snappy operation
- Great gaming features
- Awesome for bright rooms
Cons
- Anti-glare treatment is polarizing
- Blacks may appear lifted in bright rooms
The Samsung S95D is further proof that one of the biggest names in TVs shows no signs of stopping. The S95D QD-OLED delivers impressive brightness levels on-par with some of the better-performing LED sets on the market. Another OLED TVs struggle in sunny rooms, but the S95D’s anti-glare screen holds its own, making it a great choice for spaces for even brightly lit rooms. Then there’s the flip side of this awesome coin: its OLED backbone. Thanks to millions of self-emissive pixels, on top of brilliant HDR capabilities, inky black levels and ultra-rich colors are just part of the norm for the S95D.
The S95D’s marquee feature that has been dividing TV enthusiasts is its special anti-glare coating, that’s new to the TV this year. We first saw it demoed at CES earlier this year, and it’s cool tech that does a great job at drastically reducing glare, especially in bright rooms. However, it can ever-so-slightly reduce the picture’s luster compared to traditional OLED TVs. In a completely dark room, you probably wouldn’t notice the difference, but with some light in the room, a keen eye might pick up on it.
The Samsung S95D also surprised us a bit with how good it sounds. Usually, TVs have pretty weak built-in speakers. The S95D’s has rear-firing speakers and eight bass transducers that deliver decent low-end rumble. It won’t replace a dedicated soundbar, but for casual viewing, it gets the job done. Especially if you plan on mounting this TV on the wall, where the speaker design performs best.
The Samsung S95D is a strong contender for the title of best OLED TV, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention that it features Samsung’s One Connect box that keeps your cables at bay. One of our only gripes is that it runs Samsung’s Tizen operating system, which can be easily remedied by connecting your favorite streaming device instead. If you prioritize absolute picture perfection in a dark room over reflection control, you might want to consider other options. But for most viewers, the S95D is a winner.
Samsung S95D OLED TV
Samsung’s best for bright rooms
LG M3 Wireless OLED
Premium picture meets cutting-edge tech
Pros
- Gorgeous OLED picture quality
- Low-latency wireless for gaming
- Solid wireless signal connection
- Easy setup
- Good sound
Cons
- Wireless box needs true line of sight
The LG M3 Wireless OLED has arrived to solve a problem that a lot of home theaters struggle with: having too many wires to run. When it comes to power cables, we’ll always be reliant on a lead and power brick (at least for the foreseeable future), but as far as AV connections go (HDMI and digital optical), this is where TVs like the LG M3 are starting to change the game. In terms of picture quality, the M3 is pretty much toe-to-toe with the amazing LG G3, our favorite OLED this year. But the true calling card feature is the M3’s ability to wirelessly receive picture and sound from a broadcasting unit called the Zero Connect Box.
The Zero Connect includes three HDMI ports that can push 4K at up to 120Hz (and the second port is eARC/ARC compatible), digital optical, ethernet, two USB-A, and an output for an IR blaster. And as long as the transmitting device is in range of the M3 TV’s receiver, you’ll be able to enjoy wireless audio and video. Do keep in mind that if you’re planning on using a soundbar, you’ll want to have the Zero Connect located fairly close to the TV, otherwise, you probably won’t have enough cord length to place the soundbar under the M3.
As mentioned, the picture quality on this model is right on par with the LG G3, and when we tested the M3 ourselves, we experienced zero troubles with latency or any kind of compression or pixelation. This is definitely the kind of next-gen TV that leans on one awesome feature more than any other, and at $5,000 we do wish the Zero Connect box was a little smaller and completely reliable in the signal-range department. But if you told us a year ago that we’d have the ability to go wireless with our HDMI gear, and the picture and sound would be just as good as running physical cables, we’d scoff and laugh. But the LG M3 Wireless OLED has proved us wrong.
LG M3 Wireless OLED
Premium picture meets cutting-edge tech
Hisense U8N
Our favorite Hisense
Pros
- Intense brightness
- Deep blacks/contrast
- Vibrant, accurate color
- Great sound
Cons
- Overly bright HDR
- Poor off-angle viewing
It’s getting harder and harder for us to call Hisense a “budget-friendly” brand. That kind of connotation just doesn’t line up with the type of picture and sound performance you’ll get from a Hisense set, especially if you’ve got your sights set on one of its U8 offerings.
Over the last couple of years, we’ve had the continued opportunity to review several Hisense sets, including a handful of its flagship models. The 2024 Hisense U8N is the newest addition to the Hisense family, and we were simply blown away by the picture quality and medley of features this bad boy brings to the table.
The U8N is a powerful TV that delivers a brilliant and colorful image in both SDR and HDR viewing modes. When measuring nit output for these settings, our reviewer measured peak brightness at 1,300 nits in SDR, with around 3,500 for specular highlights in HDR. There’s no doubting the fact that the U8N can get very bright, but it also delivers the kind of incredible contrast numbers that might fool some folks into thinking it’s actually an OLED set.
While it suffers a bit in the viewing angle department, if you can arrange your furniture appropriately, we have no doubt that the Hisense U8N is one of the best bright TVs on the market for 2024.
Hisense U8N
Our favorite Hisense
Sony Bravia 9
The best mini-LED you can buy right now
Pros
- Super-clean picture
- Deep blacks, minimal blooming
- Excellent contrast
- Searing HDR highlights
- Excellent motion handling
Cons
- Backlight fluctuations visible in dark rooms
- Very expensive
The Sony Bravia 9 is one of the best TVs we’ve ever tested, bar-none; and quite frankly, we were expecting it to be amazing. This is because Sony has basically conditioned us to expect big things when a new premium TV hits shelves. In the case of the Bravia 9, Sony developed a new IC chip that allows the TV’s mini-LED lighting to be meticulously controlled, leading to some of the most accurate colors, contrast, and brightness levels we’ve ever seen from an LED-LCD.
In terms of overall picture quality, our own editor-at-large Caleb Denison thought the Bravia 9 actually did a nice job at striking the balance between a great mini-LED LCD TV and an OLED TV. That being said, because it’s an LCD set, the Bravia 9 performs best in brightly lit rooms and is a champ when it comes to reflection handling. From 4K movies and shows to next-gen gaming, your favorite content gets a solid boost in quality, thanks to Sony’s advanced picture processing and a full suite of HDMI 2.1 ports, which bodes particularly well for gamers who want a TV that delivers fast response time and excellent motion clarity.
One of the best ways to maximize the picture of the Bravia 9 is watching or playing HDR titles. Thanks to Dolby Vision support and compatibility with other leading HDR codecs, the Bravia 9 pushes deep blacks and bright highlights in a way we’ve never seen on an LCD set. Other noteworthy features include a pulse-pounding 70-watt, 2.2.2 audio system, Google TV for apps and streaming content, and VRR support for optimizing your next round of Call of Duty.
While we do wish the off-angle viewing and gray uniformity were a bit better, we’re thrilled to see the kind of precise engineering that went into the development of this 2024 TV.
Sony Bravia 9
The best mini-LED you can buy right now
LG C4 evo OLED
The best LG OLED for most people
Pros
- Excellent colors, contrast, and black levels
- Terrific motion clarity and gaming optimizations
- Great speaker system
Cons
- Not the best off-angle viewing
Let’s not beat around the bush: The LG C4 OLED is one of the best TVs that LG has ever made, and we think most folks will agree. Sitting just one rung below the flagship LG G4 Series, the C4 is equipped with LG’s all-new a9 AI Processor Gen 7 that delivers some of the best picture processing and 4K upscaling we’ve ever seen from an OLED. And unlike its direct predecessor, the C3 Series, the C4 now includes Filmmaker Mode, giving you the kind of picture that a movie or show’s creative team intended for you to see.
Each of the C4’s HDMI 2.1 ports are fine-tuned for both console and PC gaming, so expect lightning-fast response times and low input lag. And because the C4 can handle up to a 144Hz refresh rate, feel free to use this bad boy as a big PC gaming monitor — it’s an excellent gaming TV. We’re glad to see that LG has only improved when it comes to HDR and SDR brightness, colors, and contrast.
We’re also glad to see another example of a TV company giving a little more consideration to its speakers. Not only is the C4 equipped with a 40-watt 2.2 speaker configuration, but thanks to the new A9 AI Sound Pro feature, your favorite movies, shows, games, and music can be up-mixed to 9.1.2 surround sound.
In years past, we’ve talked about how LG’s webOS streaming hub can be a little overwhelming; at least as far as layout and ad drops go. And while these interface elements could still use some love, we think webOS 24 runs smoother than ever before.
LG C4 evo OLED
The best LG OLED for most people
TCL QM8 Series (2024)
The best TCL TV for 2024
Pros
- Exceptional brightness levels
- Great colors and contrast
- Solid gaming optimizations
- Google TV OS is fast and packed with apps
Cons
- Not the best off-angle viewing
- Colors will require some fine-tuning
TCL has been a consistent achiever in the TV world, especially over the last couple of years. As a matter of fact, our own TV expert Caleb Denison gave considerable praise to the previous year’s TCL flagship QM8 Series, a mini-LED-driven QLED set with top-shelf brightness, colors, contrast, and motion clarity. For 2024, the new and improved QM8 brings a few meaningful changes to the table, namely enhanced brightness and a more advanced picture engine. TCL claims the new QM8 delivers double the illumination of its predecessor, with some sizes offering up to 5,000 local dimming zones.
Movie enthusiasts and gamers will love the new QM8’s picture processing and console optimizations. Each of the four HDMI ports is 2.1 certified, making this an excellent TV for lag reduction and fast response times. You’ll even be able to game at up to 4K/144Hz or 1080p/240Hz, though only one of the HDMI ports can do so. With support for leading HDR formats like Dolby Vision and HDR10+, the 2024 QM8 delivers vibrant highlights and solid black levels during dark scenes.
As for all things apps and games, the new QM8 returns to Google TV OS. This fast and intuitive platform gives you access to hundreds of streaming apps, free live TV, AirPlay capabilities, and smart home controls via Google Assistant.
Available in 65, 75, 85, and 98-inch sizes, the latest and greatest TCL QM8 Series is further proof that this fan-favorite TV maker shows no signs of stopping.
TCL QM8 Series (2024)
The best TCL TV for 2024
Sony Bravia 7
The best midrange Sony for 2024
Pros
- Bright and vivid
- Excellent black levels/contrast
- Extremely accurate HDR/Color
- Top-tier motion/upscaling
- Easy to use
Cons
- Limited viewing angle
- Poor reflection handling
We’ve sung the praises of the Sony Bravia 9 mini-LED, a premium TV for the ages that delivers a brilliant picture, complete with top-notch upscaling, terrific colors and contrast, and impeccable motion clarity. While Sony’s Bravia 7 Series sits a couple of rungs below the flagship Bravia 9, we’re still big fans of this midrange 2024 offering. Do keep in mind we’re not talking about the best LED set Sony has this year, so there’s definitely an issue or two that we’d like to get squared away.
First and foremost, this isn’t an excellent TV for off-angle viewing. If you happen to be placing it in a living room or media space where seating is spread around the entire room, guests sitting at the farthest ends (totally off-center with the TV screen) will see a less vibrant and colorful picture than those sitting closer to the screen’s center. We’re also not the biggest fans of the Bravia 7’s reflection handling, so this may not be the best TV for a brightly lit room. These grievances aside, our own TV expert Caleb Denison was impressed by how good this TV can look under optimal viewing conditions.
Expect incredible brightness levels, terrific colors and contrast, reliable image upscaling, and must-have gaming features like 4K/120Hz (on two HDMI ports), next to no input lag, and lightning-fast response times. The Bravia 7 is also loaded with Google TV version 12 for all things Netflix, AirPlay, and smart home.
And if you’re thinking you may want to spend more to get into the Bravia 8 Series, do keep in mind that the latter is actually an OLED TV. Is there a big difference between QLED versus OLED TVs? Our thoughtful comparison should settle the score.
Sony Bravia 7
The best midrange Sony for 2024
Hisense U7N
A cheaper Hisense U8N alternative
Pros
- High brightness
- Great contrast
- Vivid color
- Surprising accuracy
- Great for gaming
Cons
- Poor off-angle viewing
- Risk of dirty screen effect
If you can’t reasonably afford the $1,000-plus splurge that the Hisense U8N requires, you can still own an amazing 2024 Hisense by going with the U7N Series. The U7N delivers similar performance peaks as the U8N and uses a similar mini-LED lighting system. However, the U8N is the better choice for overall brightness, colors, and contrast, as well as reflection handling. Our TV expert Caleb Denison also flagged this set for lackluster off-angle viewing and the occasional dirty screen effect.
This isn’t to say you won’t be blown away by the type of picture the U7N brings to the table. On top of class-leading HDR support, the U7N has excellent gaming features, including an automatic Game Mode for reduced input lag and increased response time and 4K/144Hz (or 1080p/240Hz) support across the TV’s four HDMI 2.1 ports. Google TV OS takes care of the user menus and onboard streaming capabilities, and the remote comes with a Google Assistant button for content searches and smart home controls.
With 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch size options available, the Hisense U7N is one of the best middle-of-the-road sets we’ve tested in 2024 so far, and it’s one of the best TVs you can buy for less than $1,000. We’re also curious to see what a couple of software updates might do for the TV’s overall performance, though we’re pretty sure brightness, colors, and contrast will remain untouched.
Hisense U7N
A cheaper Hisense U8N alternative
Frequently Asked Questions
What size 4K TV should I buy?
The answer to that depends on many factors, including your stylistic preferences, the size of the room, and how far away you’ll be sitting. Take a look at our guide to choosing the perfect TV size for you.
What should you be aware of when it comes to viewing angles for your TV?
If you want to enjoy your TV from a variety of viewing positions, you’ll need a TV with wide viewing angles. Of the two main LCD panel types (IPS and VA), IPS panels offer the greatest viewing angles. However, this can sometimes come at the cost of worse contrast. OLED TVs offer both excellent contrast and viewing angles, compared to their QLED counterparts, which are best watched from the center position.
What is QLED?
QLED stands for quantum dot LED TV, and it uses a layer of tiny particles to enhance an LED TV’s color accuracy without diminishing brightness. QLED TVs still don’t deliver the perfect blacks of OLED TVs, but the newest ones come very, very close. Because QLED TVs often have powerful backlights that use hundred (or in the case of mini-LED, thousands) of LEDs, they can get brighter than the brightest OLED TVs.
You may want to check out our article that covers QLED vs. OLED TV: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?
What is OLED?
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and these TVs are notable for their ability to produce perfect blacks and what is sometimes referred to as “infinite” contrast. These TVs achieve this through their ability to completely shut down the light they emit on a pixel-by-pixel basis, something QLED TVs can’t do because they rely on a separate backlight to create brightness. You can block a lot of the light produced by a backlight, but not 100%.
What is the best Roku TV?
These are the best Roku TVs. Roku has also started manufacturing its own “Roku-made” TVs, which are on store shelves now.
How well does 4K TV upscaling work?
That depends on the TV, but as a general rule of thumb, the better (and more expensive) the TV, the better the upscaling.
Are budget 4K TVs any good?
Almost all new TVs are 4K, so there are plenty of fantastic options to choose from at the lower end of the pricing scale. Don’t expect a standard LED TV to rival an OLED or QLED, though — set your expectations accordingly. We recommend looking for a quantum dot LED TV (QLED) model, as these will offer the best picture quality at lower prices.
Can a 4K TV work well as a PC monitor?
Yes, so long as your computer has an HDMI output. Adapters can be used for other output types but frequently do not pass along audio.
Do 4K TVs usually have Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri?
Most modern TVs can be paired with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant through either an Amazon Echo, Fire TV, or Google Home device. Some televisions even have them built-in, eliminating the need for a smart speaker.
Right now, there are no TVs that have Siri built-in. Those that support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, however, can be controlled using Siri on an iOS device, such as an iPad, iPhone, HomePod, or HomePod Mini, as well as a Mac.
Do 4K TVs have problems with burn-in?
OLED TVs are the only type of 4K TVs that have the potential to suffer from burn-in, though it’s incredibly uncommon. Unless you like to leave the same news channel playing for eight hours a day, seven days a week for weeks on end, you probably don’t need to worry about it.
How do we test TVs?
TVs are a big priority for us at Digital Trends, and our resident TV expert, Caleb Denison, puts all the best TVs from every TV manufacturer through their paces. Check out our detailed rundown of how we test TVs in our reviews.
Glossary of terms
Here’s a rundown of some of the most common terms associated with today’s TV technology.
4K Ultra HD
This refers to a display resolution that is four times that of 1080p HD. A 4K Ultra HD TV’s pixel resolution is a 3,840 x 2,160 grid in a 16:9 aspect ratio, resulting in nearly 8.3 million pixels. This increase in density adds striking detail and realism to an image and allows larger screens to be viewed from closer distances without individual pixels becoming visible.
High dynamic range (HDR)
High dynamic range is probably most familiar to people through the HDR mode on their digital cameras. It’s designed to deliver a picture that has greater details in the shadows and highlights, plus a wider range of colors. HDR in televisions pursues the same goal. The color palette is wider, blacks are deeper, and whites are brighter.
Presently, there are two major HDR formats: HDR10 and Dolby Vision, with a third — HDR10+ — beginning to show up on new models, particularly those from Samsung. The first is the HDR standard, but Dolby Vision offers a premium experience. Consider a TV that supports both. HLG (hybrid log gamma) is another recent addition to the HDR collection, which supports over-the-air (OTA) broadcast content with HDR.
Full-array local dimming (FALD)
This refers to an LED TV’s backlighting system. A FALD display contains an array of LEDs spread out in a grid behind an LCD panel, rather than just at the edges of the TV. This LED array is broken up into zones that can be dimmed when necessary to achieve better black levels. Another benefit is more uniform brightness across the screen.
Wide color gamut (WCG)
These are the expanded color reproduction abilities of a 4K Ultra HD TV, which are closer than ever to what we see in a digital cinema. By approaching (or sometimes exceeding) the Digital Cinema Initiative’s (DCI) P3 color specification, a 4K UHD TV can produce billions of more colors than a 1080p HD TV.
Quantum dots
A layer of film loaded with tiny nanocrystal semiconductors is placed in a TV’s display panel to help produce a more accurate array of colors. Quantum dots work by producing a purer form of white light from a TV’s backlighting system, which helps the TV’s color filter perform more accurately.
Phosphor-coated LED
An alternative to Quantum Dots, phosphor-coated LEDs have a chemical coating to alter the light’s output. When used in a TV, this results in a purer backlight that’s more easily manipulated by a TV’s color filter, resulting in a wide color gamut and increased color accuracy.
HDMI 2.1
The latest version of the HDMI spec. It offers new enhancements for video games like variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) and the ability to pass 4K signals to the TV at up to 120Hz, for ultra-smooth motion. HDMI 2.1 is a requirement for 8K video sources like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. For most non-gamers, HDMI 2.1 is a nice way to future-proof yourself but it’s nowhere near a necessity yet.
HDCP 2.3
The latest version of the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection technology, which provides copy prevention specifically of 4K Ultra HD and 8K content. Any source device that requires HDCP 2.3 will require a TV with an HDCP 2.3-compliant HDMI port for a compatible connection.
HEVC (H.265)
Stands for “High-Efficiency Video Coding.” A compression technology developed to make large 4K UHD video files smaller and, therefore, easier to stream over broadband Internet connections. HEVC is said to double the data compression ratio over H.264, the predominant encoding technology used today for 1080p videos while retaining the same video quality. A smart TV or streaming set-top box must be able to decode HEVC to playback 4K Ultra HD video from sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
VP9
An alternative to HEVC developed by Google and used predominantly for encoding 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos. For a smart TV or streaming set-top box to play 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos, it must be able to decode VP9 videos.
Technology
The Callisto Protocol’s spinoff is a strange, fun Hades clone
If you asked me to imagine what a spinoff of The Callisto Protocol would look like, I’d probably have some quick answers. Maybe it could be more of a horror narrative adventure akin to games like Until Dawn. Maybe there’s some sort of PVE shooter like Back 4 Blood in the franchise’s DNA. What I wouldn’t have pitched, though, is an isometric roguelike modeled after Hades that’s full of sardonic quips and punk rock music.
That’s exactly what Striking Distance Studios has cooked up with Redacted, stylized as [external-link href=”https://store.steampowered.com/app/2229940/REDACTED/” newtab=”true” nofollow=”false” noopener=”true” noreferrer=”false” norewrite=”false”]REDACTED[/external-link], an unlikely spinoff on par with Bayonetta Origins. In this total reimagining, players fight their way out of the alien-infested Black Iron Prison in style. Gone is the gritty realism and serious tone of The Callisto Protocol; in its place is bright pop art and hammy comedy. Yes, it comes off as a desperate left turn that’s way too derivative of its inspiration. Set aside the context as best you can, though, and you’ll find some reliable fun and surprising ideas in one of 2024’s oddest projects.
Race to the pod
On its surface, and even below it, Redacted feels like Hades with some nouns switched around. When I jump into my first roguelike run, I dashed from room to room bashing aliens with my baton and shooting them by holding my right joystick in their direction. Most Hades hooks have an equivalent here. There are boon-like upgrades that modify my skills, NPCs whose stories evolve through subsequent runs, and lots of currencies I can trade between runs for permanent rewards. That formula is successful for a reason, so it didn’t take long for it to hook me here.
I have a few moves at my disposal during combat. In addition to my melee and equipped gun, I have an evasive dash, a kick, and a special power that blows enemies back. Combat isn’t quite as lightning fast as it is in Hades; there’s a heaviness to my hits that better mirrors the powerful feedback of The Callisto Protocol. Upgrades help make each run feel just a bit different, imbuing each ability with health-draining effects, burn powers, and more. With a handful of weapons to mix and match, I quickly found my experimental groove run after run.
While it’s all fun, Redacted is another roguelike that doesn’t fully nail what makes Hades so special. In that game, and its excellent sequel, the Boons I receive can radically change how I use a weapon. There are tons of synergies to find that can create powerful builds. Both this and other copycats like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate tend to nail the systems around combat, but struggle to find the depth beyond simply spamming attack buttons. Redacted feels a bit limited in scope as a result – its four- biome run especially gets repetitive after a bit. Its immediate thrills are still enjoyable; just don’t expect to spend dozens of hours sinking into its evolving lore.
This isn’t to say that Redacted doesn’t bring some genuinely great ideas to the table that help differentiate it from other games like it. In fact, it’s a bit ingenious at times. The big twist is that I’m not the only one trying to escape Black Iron Prison. As I try more runs, I meet computer-controlled characters who are also racing to the escape bay. It turns out that simply clearing a run isn’t enough; I need to do it faster than my rivals, because there’s only one escape pod. That creates a more urgent, speed-focused action game that incentivizes me to get risky instead of dodging from danger.
That core idea branches off into a pair of unique systems. One of those is a disruption menu that lets me slow down my rivals during a run. When my hacking power is charged, I can call up a menu and select one of my three active competitors. Once I choose one, I dial up an interference with a specific button command – think Helldivers 2’s stratagems. I have to hit the button sequence fast or else it’ll fail. What’s more interesting is that my foes can hit me with their own disruptions. Sometimes I’ll enter a room to find that the lights have been shut off or that there’s a gas leak. That idea adds some needed variance to the otherwise stagnant run.
The other twist is that I can occasionally find computers that contain files on my foes. When I discover them, I’m able to uncover one piece of blacked-out information. This doesn’t just tell me what they were in space jail for, but permanently debuffs them. That’s important, because they double as powerful sub bosses that can ruin a run when I catch up to them. All of these ideas make Redacted feel distinct, with an emphasis on slowly stripping rivals of power in tandem with my own power rise.
An uneven tone
What’s less successful is its tone, which is where it’s most unrecognizable as a Callisto Protocol spinoff. It looks like a comic book and sounds like Hi-Fi Rush with its wailing guitar riffs. That part is fine, as it gives the roguelike a stylish punk rock sheen, but it falters when it goes for comedy. Redacted is full of faux-edgy writing that had me cringing anytime a character spoke. Dialogue snippets are childishly irreverent, peppered with dull dirty jokes and left-field pop culture references. They also pop up constantly, as all three of my rivals fire off bad one-liners during my runs. It feels more like Dead Rising than anything.
None of this is to say that Striking Distance can’t have fun with its IP. This is meant to be a playful side-game that goofs around with its existing lore in ways that a true sequel couldn’t. I’m just left feeling like it’s so far removed from The Callisto Protocol’s dark world that I’m not even sure why it was envisioned as a spinoff as opposed to a new game. I don’t feel like I’ve gotten a deeper understanding of that world here so much as a Scary Movie-style parody of it. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not sure that the series has enough die-hards fans yet to earn that kind of treatment.
Redacted feels a bit like a hail Mary for Striking Distance Studios. The Callisto Protocol was a commercial flop that received a lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. A high-budget sequel was already feeling like it was out of the cards, but the studio had already poured so much into crafting the universe. This feels like a fast way to salvage what it can from those ashes and reimagine The Callisto Protocol as a smaller-scope title in a popular genre framework. It’s a fair survival instinct that sees the studio dashing for the closest escape pod. I’m not sure it has the fuel to get very far, but there are plenty of intriguing ideas here that are worth saving.
Redacted launches on October 31 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Technology
The A&Ultima SP3000M is the portable player you need!
Remember back in the day when the MP3 player was all the rage? Well, that device pretty much died out in the mainstream once smartphones took on the role of music player. However, the MP3 player was reincarnated as a niche hi-fi audio player for audiophiles called a DAP (Digital Audio Player). The latest portable player from audio brand Astell&Kern is the A&Ultima SP3000M, and it’s the device to get.
Astell&Kern has a lineage dating back more than a decade, having launched its first audio player back in 2013. Founded as a high-end audio device company, Astell&Kern is one of the top brands when it comes to portable players. Since then, it has developed some amazing tech like several DAPs, headphones, speakers, amplifiers, and network players.
Why should the A&Ultima SP3000M be your next device?
This isn’t your typical store-shelf MP3 player, so it has a price to reflect that. It comes in at a toasty $2,300 (£2,299/€2,599), which isn’t chump change. However, this is lower compared to the more expensive A&Ultima SP3000, which is the more premium version of this portable player. That one comes in at $3,699 (£3799). Be that as it may, the SP3000M brings some serious audio chops that make it an extraordinary device.
A treat for the eyes as well as the ears
Astell&Kern has established a unique design aesthetic for its devices, and the A&Ultima SP3000M continues that legacy. It has a design that would remind people of a high-quality amp. It’s a rather blocky device that extends a bit at the top.
What’s most notable about the device is the knob at the top of the right of the device. The knob is surrounded by subtle geometric shapes that add distinction to the device. Also, the knob has a unique texture to it. Moving to the other side, we see the three buttons.
On the back of the DAP, there are two textures that look elegant. We see the A&Ultima branding at the top. Moving to the top of the device, we see the two headphone ports along with the power button.
The star of the show is the sizable display on the front. This is what you’ll use to navigate the software and choose the music that you want to listen to.
This is a beautiful-looking device. It definitely has an eye-catching design.
Top-of-the-line tech
This might be a less expensive version of the SP3000, but that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking in the hardware department. In fact, it carries over one of the most important innovations found in the SP3000, and this is the separation of the analog and digital processing.
Most other DAPs process both the analog and digital signals on the same chip, which is the DAC. While that’s not the worst thing in the world, Astell&Kern decided to rewrite the book on audio and separate this process.
The A&Ultima SP3000M uses a set of two AK4191EQ chips and a digital delta-sigma modulator to process the digital signal and reduce the noise. After that, the signal is sent to a set of premium AK4499EX DACs to convert the digital signal into an analog signal.
The digital and analog signals are processed in separate parts of the device. This boosts the sound quality, and it’s something that you can only get from an Astell&Kern device. This is called the HEXA structure.
Further improving the audio quality, there’s a silver-plated shield can. It’s designed to eliminate any electromagnetic interference from affecting your music.
Audio quality
This device’s incredible hardware is capable of pushing some high-quality audio. For starters, the A&Ultima SP3000M uses both unbalanced and balanced wired output through the 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone jacks, respectively. It supports native DSD512 and up to 32-bit/768kHz audio playback.
The device can play your MP3 files, but if you’re an audiophile, you’re not likely to carry around too many of those. Along with those, you’re also able to play WAV, FLAC, MQA, WMA, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, and DSF files. These include popular uncompressed audio formats so, you’ll be able to hear bit-perfect music.
Along with playing music over a wire, you can also use Bluetooth connectivity. Even though Bluetooth technology doesn’t give the best audio quality, the A&Ultima SP3000M is compatible with some of the top audio codecs on the market. These include Sony’s LDAC and Qualcomm’s aptX HD. LDAC allows you to stream audio at up to 24-bit/96kHz and aptX lets you stream at up to 24-bit/48kHz.
Connectivity
You’re able to listen to your favorite music files, but this is an all-around music-listening device, so you know that there is more than one way of playing music. The A&Ultima SP3000M can download apps such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Apple Music, and others. So, you can access your music right from these services.
If you’re a person who uses Roon devices, then you’re in luck. The A&Ultima SP3000M is compatible with the Roon standard. When it comes to connecting to other devices, BT Sink allows you to connect the A&Ultima SP3000M to external devices like computers and phones via Bluetooth. You’ll be able to stream your audio via the high-quality audio codecs mentioned above. This ensures hi-fi audio no matter what.
Device specs
The A&Ultima SP3000M uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6125, This is an octa-core processor that should give it some good performance. You’re not exactly going to be running Genshin Impact on it, so you’ll be fine with the hardware.
Along with that, there’s a decent 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of storage. These are specs that you’d see on a mid-range phone, but they’re more than enough for an audio player.
The A&Ultima SP3000M has a 4.1-inch 720p display. That’s decent enough to see your music apps and interface.
Keeping the lights on, there’s a 4,200mAh battery, and that equates to about 10 hours of continuous playback. Charging it is a pretty slow affair, as it takes about 3.5 hours. So, if you’re planning on using this on a long trip or a day out, you’ll want to plan accordingly.
Audio Specs
- Frequency Response:
(Unbalanced ) ±0.020dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) (Balanced) ±0.025dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz)
(Unbalanced ) ±0.032dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz)
(Balanced) ±0.025dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) - S/N:
(Unbalanced) 126dB @ 1kHz
(Balanced) 130dB @ 1kHz - Crosstalk:
(Unbalanced) -140dB @ 1kHz
(Balanced) -144dB @ 1kHz - THD+N:
(Unbalanced) 0.0005% @ 1kHz
(Balanced) 0.0003% @ 1kHz - IMD SMPTE:
(Unbalanced/Balanced) 0.0004% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) - Output Impedance:
(Unbalanced) 3.5mm (0.6ohm)
(Balanced) 4.4mm (1.2ohm) - Decoding:
Support up to 32bit / 768kHz playback - Input:
USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC) - Outputs:
Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Balanced Out 4.4m (only 5-pole supported) - Wi-Fi:
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) - Bluetooth:
V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC, LHDC) - Dimensions (W x H x D):
2.72in x 4.7in x .78in (69.1mm x 119.6mm x 18.8mm) - Weight:
8.36oz (237g)
Technology
Apple’s Week of Announcements starts Monday
If you’re fluent with concepts like release schedules and calendars, you may notice Apple hasn’t updated its computers in a while. It’s nearly a full year since the iMac and MacBook Pro got speed bumps, and just over a year for the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. .
It’s easy to assume we’ll see those models getting pushed from variants of the M3 to the M4. Given the M4’s focus on AI, expect plenty of attention on Apple Intelligence, which comes to users as part of iOS 18.1’s update at the same time. That each model is likely to be announced piecemeal across the week, rather than at one glitzy event, suggests we won’t see too many other big changes.
The rumor suggests only the Mac Mini will get a major hardware revision, shrinking its chassis to a far smaller footprint. If I’m honest, I’m secretly hoping the Mac Mini doesn’t become the same size as an Apple TV model, which has been hinted at. Especially if it means saddling us with a beefy power brick to clutter the floor instead.
— Dan Cooper
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News in Brief
The longer you shilly-shally, the harder the pain will be.
The UN has published a new report on the climate crisis. It can be best summed up as “are you even listening?” . If we want to avoid climate events of Biblical proportions, we’re going to need to curb emissions far more aggressively.
Does Samsung know why it bothers making Fan Edition phones?
After each flagship phone launch, Samsung releases a Fan Edition, offering most of the same features in a slightly cheaper package. . After all, you can pick up a no-compromise version of the handset for almost the same price when it goes on sale.
Including a ban on giving AI control over nuclear weapons.
The White House has issued a memorandum outlining where AI should — and shouldn’t — be used in military and intelligence applications. . Now all we need to do is make sure the AI doesn’t get smart enough to trick people into making those decisions on its behalf.
Good.
Bluesky has revealed its plans to make money without simply handing the platform over to advertisers. . Hopefully, the users who flocked to Bluesky from that place will appreciate it enough to pay to keep the lights on.
Science & Environment
Oil slides over 4% as Israel’s attack on Iran unlikely to disrupt supplies
View of Iran’s oil industry installations in Mahshahr, Khuzestan province, southern Iran.
Kaveh Kazemi | Getty Images
Oil prices will remain under pressure for the rest of this year, it may be difficult to see Brent crude oil prices reaching $80 in the foreseeable future.
Andy Lipow
president at Lipow Oil Associates
“The recent Israel military action is unlikely to be seen by the market as leading to an escalation that impacts oil supply,” Citi analysts wrote in a note on Monday, cutting the bank’s Brent oil forecast by $4 to $70 per barrel over the next three months.
Oil markets are also staring at an oversupply. “With Israel deliberately, and perhaps with some American encouragement, avoiding the targeting of crude oil facilities, the oil market is back to looking at an oversupplied market,” said Andy Lipow, president at Lipow Oil Associates.
Oil production has been increasing not just in key countries such as U.S., Canada and Brazil, but even among smaller players such as Argentina and Senegal, he added.
“Oil prices will remain under pressure for the rest of this year, it may be difficult to see Brent crude oil prices reaching $80 in the foreseeable future,” Lipow told CNBC via email.
The risk premium has come off a few dollars a barrel as the more limited nature of the strikes, including avoiding oil infrastructure, have raised hopes for a de-escalatory pathway, said Saul Kavonic, an energy analyst at MST Marquee.
Oil prices year-to-date
The spotlight now will be on whether Iran will counter the attack in the coming weeks, which would see risk premium rise again, Kavonic told CNBC, noting that the overall trend still remains one of escalation, with the scope for another round of attacks remaining high.
During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s right to react to Israel’s attack, but maintained that they do not seek war.
“We do not seek war, but we will defend our country and the rights of our people. We will give a proportionate response to the aggression,” he said.
Market attention will turn to Hamas‑Israel and Israel‑Hezbollah ceasefire talks that resumed over the weekend, director of mining and energy commodities research at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Vivek Dhar said.
“Despite Israel’s choice of a low‑aggression response to Iran, we have doubts that Israel and Iran’s proxies (i.e. Hamas and Hezbollah) are on track for an enduring ceasefire,” Dhar wrote in a note.
Technology
Batman: Arkham Shadow is the VR game I’ve been waiting for
This week, I’ve been reading about Simone Giertz and billionaire assistants and Checo Pérez and Call Her Daddy, learning about “Earthrise,” listening to Quinta Brunson and Conan O’Brien talk comedy, trying to decide whether to get super into Bluesky or just quit social altogether, and throwing myself into baseball so I can pretend I know what I’m talking about during the World Series.
I also have for you an excellent new VR game, a delightful new reading gadget, a nice RSS reader update, a new browser worth trying, and much more.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you into right now? What does everyone else need to be watching / reading / playing / baking / cutting up with scissors this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.)
The Drop
- Batman: Arkham Shadow. I am hopelessly biased in favor of this game, the latest in my all-time favorite series of video games. But a surprising amount of what worked for the old Arkham games works in VR, too — the story, as always, is kind of whatever, but the action is fun and intense and everything I wanted it to be. This is the most I’ve used my Quest in months.
- The Boox Palma 2. Another week, another reading gadget I’m going to feel ridiculous buying but definitely buy anyway. One of my favorite devices of the year got a faster processor, new Android… and not much else. But I still love this tiny Android e-reader.
- Hasan Minhaj: Off With His Head. I’ve been waiting for this ever since that New Yorker story, and it delivers. His whole digression into crypto bros and podcast listeners has been all over my For You pages this week, and for good reason.
- Inoreader. Inoreader is a really good RSS reader, but I always thought it was… ugly. The new redesign is really nice! It’s still very dense and text-heavy, but in a news reader, I actually like that. I’m also enjoying all the new filters, which are helping me find to-do list app news easier than ever.
- “Shrek ASMR.” One of the most off-the-wall, committed-to-the-bit things I’ve ever seen on YouTube: a full remake of Shrek, ASMR-style. I loaded up the video after reading a really fun story about it from our friends at Polygon and ended up watching the whole thing. It’s remarkable… in so many senses.
- Vivaldi. I’m still slightly torn on the new tab design, which is lovely but kind of busy. But I love the new Dashboard feature, which just lets you embed a bunch of apps and websites and see them all at once. It’s like what iGoogle used to be, only much better.
- Sonic x Shadow Generations. Sonic. And Evil Sonic. What else do you need to know? All the reviews I’ve read say this game is an excellent remaster of a classic, plus lots of new stuff including a huge new Shadow-focused campaign. I immediately cleared space on my Switch for this one.
- Notion Forms. Notion’s quest to be all things to all people continues! The new Notion Mail app looks pretty great, but day to day, I think Forms is a bigger deal. Even if you just use Notion (or Sheets or Airtable or whatever), setting up a bunch of forms for easy data input is such a simple way to make your life easier.
- Mailbird. One of the best — maybe the best — Windows email apps is now available on the Mac. The free tier is pretty limited, but at least it’ll give you a sense if the app is right for you. I’m still a Mimestream devotee, but especially if you’re balancing Outlook and Gmail, this is worth a look.
- Computer use in Claude. Anthropic’s AI bot got an upgrade this week, including a new feature that can just use your computer on your behalf. The video explaining how it works is great and a useful explainer of how simple some of this complex stuff really can be. Eventually. Someday.
Screen share
I reviewed the new iPad Mini this week and, as a result, spent a bunch of time setting up a new tablet and thinking a lot about how to organize the homescreen. I’ve deliberately kept this space phone-centric so far, because I really think you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their phone, but after spending all that time thinking about my iPad life, I’m wondering if I need to broaden the scope a little bit. Maybe I should get people to share, like, their computer desktops? Or their game console homescreens? Maybe the first screen of their smart TVs? I don’t know, there are a lot of homescreens out there. We’ll try some stuff.
All that said, here’s my iPad Mini homescreen, plus some info on the apps I’m using and why:
The tablet: iPad Mini, 2024. I love the iPad Mini. I wish this one were a lot better and that Apple would care about the Mini a lot more, but here we are.
The wallpaper: Apple’s weather wallpaper, which adapts to the current weather outside. It’s a total gimmick, and I am shocked at how much I love it.
The apps: Balatro, Madden, EA Sports FC, Retro Goal, Retro Bowl, Delta, Call of Duty: Warzone, Coffee Golf, Real Racing 3, Tiny Wings, NYT Games, The New York Times, Apple News, The Washington Post, Unread, Netflix, TikTok, Disney Plus, Prime Video, Sling, YouTube, Peacock, Max, Hulu, ESPN, Arc, Kindle, Workflowy, Readwise Reader, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Mela.
I feel like there are two ways you can go with your iPad. You can use it to try and do laptop things, or you can decide to use your iPad mostly as a way to avoid doing laptop things. I’ve picked the latter: roughly 100 percent of my iPad use is reading, watching, and playing. I don’t have Gmail or Slack or Google Docs on here; nothing is allowed to send me notifications. My iPad is a place for relaxation and fun, period.
I like and use all these apps, but there are a few to call out specifically: I’ve tried a lot of recipe apps, and Mela is still the simplest and the best at pulling recipes out of websites; Balatro is the most addicting game I’ve downloaded in years; I finally became an Apple News Plus subscriber and am blown away by how much I’m using it; the iPad Mini is the perfect tablet to use as a steering wheel, and Real Racing 3 is a fabulous driving game.
My dock is reserved for the apps I use at least close to every day, which means it’s reading, notes, recipes, podcasts, and music. (I just realized I should move Workflowy, so it’s not between the reading apps — I’ll get to that.) The most-used non-dock app right now is probably Peacock, which has Community and Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine and is, thus, the streaming service I have on in the background basically all the time.
For years, I tried to turn my iPad into something like a laptop replacement. But the more I’ve leaned into it being a purely recreational device, the screen for when I don’t want to be stressed out by screens, the more I find myself using it. It’s a weird and expensive strategy, but it’s working for me.
Crowdsourced
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 even more great recommendations, check out the replies to this post on Threads.
“I saw Adi ask for a Goodreads alternative and wanted to suggest The StoryGraph! It’s really great at showcasing stats about what you read, rather than the updates-sharing focus of GR, and it has really nice monthly summaries!” – Aurora
“Reading about Adi’s suffering with LibraryThing, I remembered that just a few days ago, I started using Hardcover, and so far, I’m finding it really cool.” – AH
“Taskly is a very straightforward list app for iOS with absolutely nothing else. I have been looking for something to manage my grocery list or just things I need to buy. Twodos is another such app, except it has a very clever way to separate the list into two categories: Sooner and Later. That’s something I really love about it.” – Karan
“I just put about six hours into Wagotabi, and I’m wildly impressed. It is one of the most clever and effective Japanese learning games I’ve ever played. It’s structured like Pokémon, but instead of catching monsters, you’re learning Japanese words and grammar. Instead of battling, you’re engaging in social interactions that put your new skills to the test. Over time, it replaces more and more English text with Japanese. And it’s genuinely fun! Duolingo be damned; Wagotabi is the king.” – Tom
“I grabbed a Steam Deck OLED a few weeks back and have been diving into games I just kind of missed. Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy were great. Now digging into the modern Tomb Raider trilogy. I guess I like adventure games when FIFA isn’t available.” – Andi
“I upgrade phones every two to three years, and one way I keep it fresh is to get a new case every year. This year’s case upgrade was from Keyway Designs. They make gorgeous wood and metal phone cases (and other goodies). Check them out!” – Bill
“Trying a new second brain app, Sublime, that adds a few interesting features. Will try for a few weeks and see how it grows on me.” – Miguel
“I have a seriously good Switch controller for you: the GuliKit Zen Pro is awesome, supports everything the Pro Controller does, and has Hall effect sticks to boot. It’s also a lot cheaper than the Pro Controller, so I’d recommend it for anyone buying a new Switch, too!” – Ben
“I’ve been using Capture for iOS, and it’s low-key amazing. Like should be a built-in feature-level amazing. Anything I come across online, I can set aside, hold it off to the side, and then send it where it needs to go later.” – Max
“The premise of MovieCart is simple: it’s for watching full-length movies on an actual Atari 2600. The reality is quite complex. It’s the work of a mad genius, and you may feel like one, too, once you actually get a film running!” – Tom
Signing off
Approximately every single person on the internet has been talking about the Chicken Shop Date episode with Andrew Garfield, which really is as charming as you can imagine. (Garfield has a history of great YouTube moments, like his convo about grief with Stephen Colbert.) The episode sent me down the rabbit hole of all things Chicken Shop Date, and it turns out, host Amelia Dimoldenberg has been through a truly fascinating ride as a creator.
Last year, she did a great interview with Colin and Samir, which doubles as a (very funny and silly) masterclass in how to turn a YouTube channel into a show at the very center of pop culture. All my favorite creator stories are equal parts ruthless execution and constant aimless experimentation, and Dimoldenberg is a perfect example of both.
Technology
Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, October 28 (game #1008)
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1008) – hint #1 – Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1008) – hint #2 – repeated letters
Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.
Quordle today (game #1008) – hint #3 – uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1008) – hint #4 – starting letters (1)
Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?
• The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #1008) – hint #5 – starting letters (2)
What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with?
• M
• L
• G
• C
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1008) – the answers
The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1008, are…
Quordle really threw all of the repeats at us today, with MACAW, LIEGE and GOUGE each containing one. These are all fairly tough words in their own right, too. MACAW has a W at the end, which isn’t a common thing, while LIEGE is just not a widely used word at all. I solved all four thanks to help from my start words but I suspect others won’t be so lucky today.
How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.
Daily Sequence today (game #1008) – the answers
The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1008, are…
Quordle answers: The past 20
- Quordle #1007, Sunday 27 October: STUNG, CLOUT, SOWER, BASIS
- Quordle #1006, Saturday 26 October: DUCHY, CANNY, BLOCK, SMART
- Quordle #1005, Friday 25 October: PRANK, EXIST, RUDDY, PICKY
- Quordle #1004, Thursday 24 October: DAIRY, RALLY, CURLY, LABEL
- Quordle #1003, Wednesday 23 October: DROSS, ANNEX, GRAVE, BROKE
- Quordle #1002, Tuesday 22 October: ADORE, SMITH, AFOOT, LUCID
- Quordle #1001, Monday 21 October: TREAD, NINTH, GRIEF, UNSET
- Quordle #1000, Sunday 20 October: CORAL, WHOSE, HEIST, SOAPY
- Quordle #999, Saturday 19 October: GUSTY, BROKE, ENJOY, HAZEL
- Quordle #998, Friday 18 October: PUPIL, MOCHA, EGRET, NATAL
- Quordle #997, Thursday 17 October: BUILD, BIRTH, LURCH, SASSY
- Quordle #996, Wednesday 16 October: EERIE, SMIRK, HUNCH, EMBED
- Quordle #995, Tuesday 15 October: UMBRA, BRIEF, GRAVY, TORUS
- Quordle #994, Monday 14 October: ROGUE, STORY, EMCEE, AUNTY
- Quordle #993, Sunday 13 October: UNFIT, NYMPH, THUMB, PUREE
- Quordle #992, Saturday 12 October: SAUCY, UNDUE, EGRET, HELLO
- Quordle #991, Friday 11 October: RINSE, ANIME, PUSHY, ZEBRA
- Quordle #990, Thursday 10 October: UNTIL, MARSH, METAL, WINDY
- Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE
- Quordle #988, Tuesday 8 October: TROUT, HATER, BARGE, DOZEN
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