The M1 series shot from 4 performance cores to 16, Ventura turned up as an update instead of an upgrade, then there came cryptexes, System Settings and Stage Manager.
cryptex
Expected in Ventura 13.1 is a new lightweight system for applying security patches. This article explains how it uses cryptexes, already being used in macOS 13.
Three phases of updating, download, preparation and installation, are now fully integrated. They also involve updating Cryptexes, as revealed in the log.
Updated charts of containers and volumes on boot volume groups for Ventura, with details of cryptexes and what they do.
In Monterey, the size of macOS updates has been steadily shrinking. Ventura brings RSRs, which should be small patches to fix security bugs without fuss. Here are the details.
The Eclectic Light Company 