Apple has announced the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards which honour 11 apps and games for their quality and ingenuity across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro.
And two of this year’s winners were from close to our neck of the woods – two New Zealand developers with Explore POV and Dredge.
One was Explore POV – the Apple Vision Pro app of the year – by James Hustler who had never written a line of code in his life before getting his idea to offer immersive breathtaking experiences that when, viewed through Vision Pro, will make the viewer feel like they have travelled to that part of the world.
Users can dive into French Polynesia’s crystal-clear lagoons, trek through misty jungles, stroll golden secluded beaches, experience cascading waterfalls and explore Arctic landscapes beneath the midnight sun.
Developer James Hustler may not have any coding experience, but he is an experienced videographer.
As soon as he saw the Apple Vision Pro for the first time he knew his eye for stunning landscapes and scenes could combine and create a unique experience and Explore POV was born.
The videos seen in the immersive app are captured in 16K resolution and filmed with a purpose-built camera created by Australian company BlackMagic Design – the URSA Cine Immersive.
Dredge, from New Zealand game developer Black Salt Games, was named by Apple as the iPad Game of the Year.
Dredge is adventure horror game set on the high seas where you captain your own fishing trawler across a series of remote islands.
The object of the game is to scour the sea for hidden treasures while evading hidden (and not so hidden) creatures in your fight for survival.
Dredge won the award for iPad Game of the Year, but it can also be played on the Mac and iPhone and all on the one account which means if you buy it one Apple platform it can be played on the others at no extra cost.
And what’s even better is the fact you can start a game on your Mac and pick up where you left off on your iPhone or iPad.
Here is the full list of Apple’s 2025 App Store Award Winners:
Apps
iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo, from tiimo.
iPad App of the Year: Detail, from Detail Technologies B.V.
Mac App of the Year: Essayist, from Essayist Software Inc.
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV, from James Hustler.
Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava, from Strava, Inc.
Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max, from WarnerMedia Global Digital Services, LLC.
Games
iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket, from The Pokemon Company.
iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE, from Black Salt Games.
Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, from CD PROJEKT S.A.
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi, from Michael Temper.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?, from Triband ApS.
