Like every year, Apple unveils its list of the best applications offered on its various devices. The 2024 edition inaugurates a selection for the Vision Pro, the brand’s first mixed reality headset. Also on the program, a selection of applications and games praised for their cultural and societal impact.
Apple rewards developers
The app Kino wins the iPhone category. This application allows you to apply cinema-inspired filters and advanced controls to videos shot on the iPhone. On the iPad side, it’s Moses that stands out: here, developers offer musicians powerful AI tools to perfect their art. On Mac, Adobe Lightroom confirms its dominance in photo editing with its impressive transforming capabilities.
For the first time, Apple is also rewarding Vision Pro applications, its new mixed reality headset. “What If…? An Immersive Story” from Disney takes top honors. This application immerses users in the Marvel universe with an innovative narrative experience. In the gaming category on Vision Pro, THRASHER: Arcade Odyssey transports players into colorful cosmic universes.
Cultural impact at the heart of the awards
This year, Apple placed particular emphasis on societal impact with six special “Cultural Impact” awards. Among the winners, Oko stands out by helping visually impaired people navigate around town, while EF Hello revolutionizes language learning thanks to AI.
The Wreck, a game developed by the French, addresses with finesse the inner struggles faced with life’s crises, and “Do You Really Want to Know? 2” sensitively explores living with HIV, offering resources and educational materials to facilitate difficult conversations.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, highlights the importance of these innovations: “These developers are harnessing the power of our devices to enrich users’ lives and have a profound impact on their communities.”
Zoom on The Wreck
Developed by Florent Maurin (ex-journalist) and Alexandre Grilly, The Wreck is a game that already exists on PC and console. But the developers consider that it is primarily aimed at the general public. Its place in iOS is therefore logical.
This interactive game is completed in less than 5 hours. It is essentially based on conversations as well as the search for clues in 15 settings. The main character, victim of an accident while returning from a visit to the hospital to visit his dying mother, relives 15 memories in which he must find clues in order to resolve existential questions. If parenthood is at the heart of the game, other subjects are mentioned (sisterhood, mourning).
Written by Florent Maurin and his sister, The Wreck found its origins in an experience of the screenwriter. While returning from daycare with his daughter, he narrowly escaped a fatal accident. He then sees some memories of his life flash by. This is where he found the idea for the game.
The Wreck is a little marvel available on iOS. You can immerse yourself in it for free for 1h30 to see if you like the idea. Then, you will have to pay a few euros to complete the experience. An editorial favorite.
- 17 applications rewarded in 2024, including the first Vision Pro apps
- Kino (iPhone), Moises (iPad) and Adobe Lightroom (Mac) dominate the main categories
- Six applications distinguished for their cultural impact, particularly in accessibility and education
