docs: v9.4 whats-new - an attempt to make it read better.

docs/whats-new.md

@@ -4,29 +4,47 @@ This page contains highlights of each deck.gl release. Also check our [vis.gl bl
 
 ## deck.gl v9.4
 
-Release date: TBD
+Release date: July 2026
+
+deck.gl v9.4 is expected to be the final release in the v9 series. It brings together a collection of completed improvements focused on performance, stability, and usability, and is intended to be a highly compatible, highly recommended upgrade for all v9 applications.
+
+Looking ahead, deck.gl v10 is expected to introduce larger architectural changes, including luma.gl v10, loaders.gl v5, and support for more advanced binary data pipelines and GPU rendering techniques. As a result, v10 will likely be a more substantial and intentional upgrade for applications than this release.
 
 ### Core Performance
 
-- Picking in most instanced layers no longer allocates an `instancePickingColors` attribute buffer, reducing memory usage and initialization times. (deck.gl now using shader builtins `instance_index` / `gl_InstanceID`). 
+- Picking has been optimized. Most layers now use shader builtins (`instance_index`) instead of picking color buffers, reducing GPU memory usage and layer initialization costs.
 
 ### Views and Controllers
 
+deck.gl v9.4 brings additional view and controller improvements on top of the substantial changes in v9.3.
+
 #### GlobeView
 
-`GlobeView`, while still experimental, is improved and nearing graduation: 
+[`GlobeView`](./api-reference/core/globe-view.md) continues to mature, including significantly expanded layer compatibility:
 
 - [TerrainLayer](./api-reference/geo-layers/terrain-layer.md) now renders correctly on `GlobeView`, producing properly projected terrain meshes on the globe.
 - [TerrainExtension](./api-reference/extensions/terrain-extension.md) now supports `GlobeView`, enabling terrain-draped layers on the globe.
 - [Tile3DLayer](./api-reference/geo-layers/tile-3d-layer.md) renders correctly on `GlobeView`.
 
 #### Views
 
-- Views now support a `parameters` prop for per-view GPU draw state overrides. `GlobeView` uses this to enable back-face culling by default, and applications can override it with `new GlobeView({parameters: {cullMode: 'none'}})`.
+- [Views](./api-reference/core/view.md#parameters) now support a `parameters` prop for per-view GPU draw state overrides. `GlobeView` uses this to enable back-face culling by default, and applications can override it with:
+
+```js
+new GlobeView({
+  parameters: {
+    cullMode: 'none'
+  }
+});
+```
 
 #### Controllers
 
-- New `doubleClickDragZoom` gesture on all controllers enables smooth zoom by double-clicking and dragging up/down.
+- All [controllers](./api-reference/core/controller.md) now support a `doubleClickDragZoom` gesture that enables continuous zooming by double-clicking and dragging vertically.
+
+#### View Layout
+
+- A new [`ViewLayout`](./api-reference/widgets/view-layout.md) system makes responsive and dynamic multi-view applications easier to build. Applications define nested, relative view layouts in a simple declarative syntax. The `buildViewsFromViewLayout()` helper then automatically regenerates `View` instances from the specified view layout tree based on browser window size, splitter widget positions, etc.
 
 ### @deck.gl/geo-layers
 
@@ -35,11 +53,7 @@ Release date: TBD
 
 ### @deck.gl/arcgis
 
-- `DeckRenderer` now integrates with ArcGIS `SceneView` through the modern `RenderNode` API instead of the deprecated `externalRenderers`.
-
-### @deck.gl/widgets
-
-A new experimental `ViewLayout` system with a helper function `buildViewsFromViewLayout()` allows advanced nested and relative view layouts to be specified using a declarative layout tree.
+- [`DeckRenderer`](./api-reference/arcgis/deck-renderer.md) now integrates with ArcGIS `SceneView` through the modern [`RenderNode`](https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/api-reference/esri-views-3d-webgl-RenderNode.html) API instead of the deprecated `externalRenderers` API.
 
 ## deck.gl v9.3