A new decade is upon us, with all the hopes and anticipation that it brings. So, what are we most looking forward to seeing in the year ahead? Here’s our selection of tech, movies, games, TV shows and anything else that has us eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Wonder Woman 1984
DC movies have struggled a bit of late, especially when compared to the all-conquering output from Marvel Studios, but the one shining light was the excellent Wonder Woman movie released in 2017. Now, Gal Gadot returns to the titular role, as the story leaves behind WW1 and goes into the neon drenched lands of 1984.
Chris Pine is literally resurrected to play Steve Trevor (although from the trailer we’re not exactly sure how) and together they face mysterious high-power businessman Maxwell Lord.
Due to be released on 5 June 2020, we can’t wait for this one.
5G goes mainstream
While technically not a product in its own right, 2020 should be the year where 5G network connections finally make it into the mainstream. The new iPhone 12 that’s set to arrive in September will bring the faster connection to Apple customers, while Samsung, Motorola, LG, Huawei, OnePlus and any other manufacturer worth their salt will either add more 5G models to their line-up or introduce ones for the first time.
This critical mass should see network operators stepping up the 5G contracts available, meaning we’ll all spend a lot less time waiting for things to download to our handsets.
To see what the fuss is all about, read our What is 5G? guide.
Cyberpunk 2077
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of the best games of the current console generation, if not of all time. Now, developers CD Projekt Red return with a futuristic, open-world adventure set in the Blade Runner-esque Night City.
You play out the story of V, a street-smart mercenary searching for a unique implant that could unlock enternal life. Expect plenty of detailed world-building, rich characters, a huge story, hours and hours of your life drained away, oh and Keanu Reeves.
Cyberpunk 2077 is due to release on 16 April 2020. Visit the Cyberpunk 2077 site for more details.
PlayStation 5
Since its launch in 2013, the PS4 has gone on to comprehensively win this round of the console wars by selling over 100million units and expected to continue doing so for a good while yet. The real threat to its dominance is due to appear in the run-up to next Christmas when Sony will release the long-awaited PlayStation 5.
There’s little detail at the moment on what the console will offer in terms of features or components, but we do know that there will be backwards compatibility for PS4 games, native 4K graphics for games, and support for up to 8K. Roll on Christmas 2020.
Keep up to date with the latest news by reading PlayStation 5 release date, price, features & news.
No Time To Die
James Bond returns in Daniel Craig’s fifth movie as 007. This time around we meet Bond after he’s left the service and enjoying early retirement. It doesn’t last long though, as his CIA contact Felix Leiter contacts him regarding a scientist they believe has been kidnapped.
As you’d expect, there then follows a series of exotic locations, car chases (in the old DB5 again!), romantic interludes, and the introduction of a new 00 agent that was intended to take Bond’s place.
No Time To Die will hit the big screen in April 2020.
Xbox Series X
Not to be outdone by Sony, Microsoft is also gearing up to unleash its latest iteration of the Xbox family. Recently revealed as Xbox Series X, the new console (or consoles) promises four-times the power of the current Xbox One X, 120fps in gameplay, 8K resolutions, and hardware accelerated ray-tracing.
The release date is down as Holiday 2020 and the new console will be accompanied by the arrival of Halo: Infinite which sees the return of Master Chief.
Make sure you know the latest on the new console by reading The new Xbox is called the Xbox Series X.
Motorola Razr
Phones with foldable displays got off to a rocky start in 2019 when the Samsung Fold experienced serious issues almost immediately after being launched. Hopefully 2020 sees this new technology improved, with the Motorola Razr being the one that many of us are keeping a close eye on.
Essentially, it’s a modern-day flip-phone but the display is a continuous panel when opened. This has the advantage not only of being more compact, but also looking pretty damn cool.
A tentative release date is set for January 2020 but there is already a delay due to high demand. In any case we’ll be keeping all our fingers crossed that this is the one that truly starts the foldable era.
Read our complete guide to the Motorola Razr for more details.
Succession Season 3
Very rich people being incredibly mean to each other, what’s not to love? Brian Cox heads the Roy family as they scheme and fight for their place at the head of their media empire. Who will come out on top and what will they be prepared to do to get there? Hopefully season three will reveal all.
Watch Succession on Sky
Last of Us Part II
Another landmark game from this decade was the Last of Us, which told the story of a world infected by a virus that mutated humans into grotesque monsters. We followed the journey of Ellie and Joel as they travelled across the ruined United States all to deliver the girl to a medical research facility where hopefully she would prove the key to a cure.
Now, the story is set to continue with Ellie older, angrier and on a mission to take down a group of survivors that have turned into monsters of a different sort.
Last of Us Part 2 will be released on 29 May 2020. Visit the Naughty Dog to keep up to date with news about the game.
Ghostbusters : Afterlife
Taking up the story from the original Ghostbusters movies that starred Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson, this latest instalment follows the adventures of a new generation, headed up by the grandson of one of the original ‘busters played by Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things.
Cameos are confirmed for Murray, Ackroyd, Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts, with Paul Rudd, fresh from Avengers duties, heading up the adult contingent.
Disney+ comes to the UK
The hottest new streaming service in town has to be Disney+. Since its launch in the US at the end of 2019, the platform has grabbed quite a few of the headlines, albeit mainly for Baby Yoda in the Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian.
With tons of classic Disney content plus new shows arriving regularly on the service, we expect this to be a big success when it lands in the UK on 31 March 2020.
Project Athena laptops
In 2019 Intel announced a new initiative called Project Athena, which would set a standard for laptops in the year to come. The company outlined criteria that includes at least nine hours of battery life in real-world use, fast recharging, fast performance and a constant internet connection, plus a minimum spec for hardware.
It’s reminiscent of the Ultrabook standard laid out by Intel back in 2012, all with the aim to move the PC forward and guarantee certain performance. 2020 should see the first Project Athena laptops arrive, with many top manufacturers already signed up to the program.
If it all works out, then there it could be a wonderful year for those looking to buy a new PC.
Read What is Project Athena? for more details.
Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.