This digest compiles the latest from The Verge.
Today’s The Verge Roundup
I tested a bunch of Switch 2 screen protectors, and these are the best
21 Jan 2026, 2:50 pm by Cameron Faulkner
A glass screen protector is one of a few essential accessories that I strongly recommend to every Switch 2 owner. In fact, it should be a priority to stick one onto the console’s screen as soon as possible to avoid accidental scratches.
To test the candidates below, I installed and removed Switch 2 screen protectors on my console at an alarming rate, more than any sane person should, and here are the most important takeaways:
- Do not buy a flimsy plastic screen protector. They are a waste of money and won’t protect your Switch 2 enough.
- It’s impossible to tell different brands’ protectors apart once they’re on your screen; product packaging and the installation process are the biggest differences (as well as the key factors that increase cost).
- Some protectors are glossy and some are anti-reflective, each with its own tradeoffs. For my money, glossy is the way to go. The matte finish looks good, but it reduces the screen’s vivid quality and its viewing angles.
Of the options below, it’s easiest to recommend amFilm’s three-pack of glossy screen protectors. Not only is the pack affordable ($7.99 from Amazon), but the tray also allows for perfect alignment of the glass protector for easy, bubble-free installation. I’ve used this company’s screen protectors on various gadgets for years, and I particularly like its glossy option over the matte finish, since it lets the Switch 2’s screen fully shine through.
amFilm three-pack of glossy screen protectors
Where to Buy:
amFilm OneTouch two-pack of glossy screen protectors
Where to Buy:
Dbrand Prism 2.0 two-pack of glossy screen protectors
Where to Buy:
Genki Aegis Shield two-pack of glossy screen protectors
Where to Buy:
amFilm two-pack of matte screen protectors
Where to Buy:
amFilm OneTouch two-pack of matte screen protectors
Where to Buy:
Update, January 21st: Adjusted prices as needed.
Instagram’s top boss is missing the point about AI on the platform
21 Jan 2026, 2:15 pm by Allison Johnson
A couple of weeks ago, Adam Mosseri posted to his grid. In a series of messages, Instagram’s top exec laid out his concerns for the platform in the coming year, largely around AI. The post was equal parts Working Through It, a sounding of alarms, and a rallying cry to creators who use the platform: AI is about to be everywhere on Instagram, and the best way to stand out from “inauthentic” content is to be an authentic, original voice.
“Everything that made creators matter – the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn’t be faked – is now accessible to anyone with the right tools,” he says. The people want gritty realness …
Adobe Acrobat uses AI to turn your PDFs into podcasts
21 Jan 2026, 2:00 pm by Jess Weatherbed
Adobe has added new generative AI features to Acrobat that aim to help you quickly edit PDFs and summarize them in audio and visual formats. These updates include chat-based editing and the ability to generate personalized podcasts and presentations based on your docs, which are now available in Acrobat Studio – the AI-infused document workspace app that’s distinct from Adobe’s basic PDF reader.
The new Generate Podcast feature provides a podcast-style audio summarization of whatever documents you feed it, including notes, meeting transcriptions, lengthy reports, and educational guides. While Adobe does have its own audio AI model, Generate …
YouTubers will be able to make Shorts with their own AI likenesses
21 Jan 2026, 2:00 pm by Jay Peters
Your YouTube Shorts feed might soon be filled with a lot more AI-generated content from your favorite creators – including AI-generated versions of the creators themselves. In his annual letter released today, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says that sometime this year, creators will be able to make Shorts using their “own likeness.”
Mohan didn’t share further details about these likenesses. “We’ll have more to share soon, including the launch date and how the feature will work,” according to YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle. But the likenesses are part of a growing push from YouTube into AI tools; this year, creators will also be able to use A …
YouTube TV will launch custom multiview and channel packages ‘soon’
21 Jan 2026, 2:00 pm by Emma Roth
YouTube TV is getting ready to launch two major updates that will allow you to watch multiple non-sports channels simultaneously, as well as choose from 10 new paid plans focused on a range of topics, including sports, entertainment, and news. In his annual letter to users, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says both of these changes will arrive “soon.”
YouTube TV has been slowly expanding its multiview feature over the past few years. It introduced multiview for sports broadcasts in 2023 before expanding it to news, weather, and business programming – but only for preselected channels. The platform later started testing the ability for users to cust …
Detective games get extra cryptic with TR-49’s code-breaking mystery
21 Jan 2026, 1:30 pm by Andrew Webster
We’re living in a pretty great time for detective games. Over the last few years, developers have been experimenting with all kinds of different ways of turning the act of investigation into a compelling game, which has led to the likes of Her Story, Return of the Obra Dinn, and the Golden Idol series, to name just a few. Now you can add TR-49 to that list – a game that builds on the genre by introducing a bizarre code-breaking computer.
Developed by Inkle, the studio behind 80 Days and Heaven’s Vault, TR-49 is confounding from its very first moments. When you start the game you have no idea what’s going on – and neither does your character …
What a Sony and TCL partnership means for the future of TVs
21 Jan 2026, 12:00 pm by John.Higgins
I’m not sure anyone saw this news coming, but the TV landscape as we know it could change considerably over the next year or two. Sony, the storied Japanese TV brand, has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with its Chinese competitor TCL. This potential partnership – with TCL set to hold a 51 percent stake and Sony 49 percent – has prompted speculation across the internet and I’m sure many meetings at a couple of other TV companies in South Korea.
Before we get too apocalyptic and proclaim the end of Sony TVs, it’s important to understand that this isn’t a done deal. The memorandum of understanding indicates that the …
Burritos from Heaven: Are drones the future of delivery?
21 Jan 2026, 12:00 pm by Tim Stevens
On a blustery afternoon late last year, on the lawn just outside City Hall in Rowlett, Texas, a strange-looking craft cleared the trees just before me. It hovered overhead for a moment before lowering a second craft on a thin rope all the way to a parched patch of grass. The little, white thing deposited a brown paper payload, then rode its tether back up to its waiting mothership, which turned and left. The experience lasted less than 30 seconds.
This wasn’t some UFO experience. This was a Zipline drone delivery, out in the real world, and that payload was my lunch. It was just one of the two million such deliveries this company has made s …
OpenAI says its data centers will pay for their own energy and limit water usage
21 Jan 2026, 10:58 am by Robert Hart
OpenAI says it will minimize water use and pay for energy infrastructure upgrades needed to power its data centers. “We’re being good neighbors,” the company said, directly addressing the growing opposition to AI projects amid rising utility bills.
“We commit to paying our own way on energy, so that our operations don’t increase your electricity prices,” OpenAI said. The company promised to work with local communities to minimize the impact of its Stargate data centers. OpenAI was not specific but said plans could involve securing its own energy supplies or paying for local grid upgrades.
OpenAI also highlighted the vast amounts of water …
ChatGPT is using age prediction to restrict what minors see
21 Jan 2026, 10:23 am by Jess Weatherbed
OpenAI has added age prediction features to ChatGPT, meant to identify and bolster protections for underage users. These age detection plans were announced in December alongside updated guidelines for interacting with teens and follow a rise in similar age-gating efforts from online platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Roblox.
ChatGPT’s age prediction model works by examining behavioral and account-level signals, including a user’s stated age, how old the account is, when the user is active, and usage patterns over time. Additional protections will then be applied to persons that ChatGPT estimates are under the age of 18, re …
End of today’s The Verge roundup.
