Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

With John and Alex either on holiday or otherwise unavailable, Rich is joined by Tom and Oliver for our weekly show discussing the latest gaming and technology news. The team take a look at the recent Star Wars Outlaws previews, Tom gets to grips with Nobody Wants To Die and Visions of Mana, while also taking a look at the RT upgrades to EA Sports titles using the Frostbite engine. Meanwhile, Rich shares the ROG Ally X benchmarks we couldn't share in the preview, and shares his thoughts on AMD's Fluid Motion Frames 2 upgrade.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:02:01 News 01: Star Wars Outlaws gameplay preview!

0:14:31 News 02: Nobody Wants To Die impresses

0:23:05 News 03: EA Sports titles getting RTGI

0:38:55 News 04: PS VR2 dramatically discounted

0:47:47 News 05: Visions of Mana demo released

0:55:47 News 06: ROG Ally X benchmarked!

1:03:40 News 07: AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 previewed

1:17:45 News 08: Destiny 3 not in development

1:25:51 Supporter Q1: Could you compare in-home streaming services like Steam Link?

1:33:01 Supporter Q2: Where is the console Minecraft ray tracing update?

1:38:56 Supporter Q3: Could upcoming consoles feature more bespoke kinds of hardware?

1:46:42 Supporter Q4: Do developers deserve flack for not optimizing their games, or are more demanding titles just a consequence of graphics advancement?

1:54:37 Supporter Q5: Why wasn’t x86 adopted for earlier consoles?

1:58:27 Supporter Q6: Could Microsoft release their backwards compatible Xbox titles on PC?

2:03:29 Supporter Q7: Is the M4 iPad Pro’s display bright enough for Oliver?

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Once again, the PS5 Pro (which doesn't exist apparently) dominates the news, with RDNA 4 ray tracing features revealed - said to be integrated into the upcoming Sony console... but what do these features actually do? Meanwhile, PS5 Pro (which isn't real) has a settings profile in the new No Man's Sky update, so how is Hello Games utilising the enhanced console's hardware? Beyond that, John's enthused about a CRT 'overclocked' to run at 700Hz, Rich and Alex are wondering just what on Earth is happening in the PC CPU space - and the epic Fallout London mod is finally released.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:05 News 01: Potential PS5 Pro RT enhancements leaked

0:11:52 News 02: PS5 Pro settings leaked for No Man’s Sky

0:20:06 News 03: Modder reaches 700Hz on CRT monitor

0:33:49 News 04: Old Xbox Ones suffer from update issues

0:45:22 News 05: Intel seeking to address CPU failures

0:54:46 News 06: Super Monkey Ball 50Hz physics tickrate fixed

0:58:20 News 07: Fallout London launched!

1:05:50 News 08: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood headed to Mega Drive

1:12:48 Supporter Q1: Should Valve provide community settings templates for games on Steam Deck?

1:20:30 Supporter Q2: Will Nintendo launch multiple discrete Switch 2 variants at launch?

1:25:06 Supporter Q3: How can Microsoft deliver a capable Xbox handheld while keeping price in check?

1:30:58 Supporter Q4: Could Microsoft offer generic Xbox emulators to sidestep licensing issues?

1:36:05 Supporter Q5: How would the PS4 have fared if it only shipped with 4GB of RAM?

1:41:54 Supporter Q6: What do you think of stereoscopic 3D on PS3?

1:49:24 Supporter Q7: Have PC ports improved since Alex’s “13 Ways to End Lousy PC Ports”?

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Another big DF Direct Weekly sees John, Rich and Alex discussing PS5 Pro release date uncertainties, the unprecedented support from Hello Games on No Man's Sky and the alarming stories surrounding stability issues on Intel's 13th and 14th Generation Core processors. Alex has much to share in terms of Unreal Engine and GPUOpen presentations, while John gets to play some Death Game Hotel with none other than Swery.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:24 News 01: Will PS5 Pro release in 2024?

0:11:59 News 02: No Man’s Sky updated with new visual features

0:20:12 News 03: Intel CPU stability issues may run deep

0:34:54 News 04: GPUOpen tech presentations with Alex!

0:48:58 News 05: John’s next project: PlayStation vs. Saturn

0:57:48 News 06: Can #StutterStruggle be overcome in Unreal Engine?

1:09:56 News 07: Gears of War Ultimate Edition suffers poor performance on PC

1:17:58 News 08: Playing Death Game Hotel with SWERY!

1:25:05 Supporter Q1: What would you like to see in a hypothetical DirectX 13?

1:30:20 Supporter Q2: Could a new Nvidia Shield device enhance game streaming with local processing?

1:36:58 Supporter Q3: Are large decreases in frame-rates still impactful when targeting high FPS?

1:45:54 Supporter Q4: What should we expect from the mooted handheld Xbox?

1:53:15 Supporter Q5: Is releasing a game as an early access title a good idea?

1:58:01 Supporter Q6: Will Switch 2 devs make use of the console’s hardware decompression functionality?

2:01:47 Supporter Q7: Have any pivotal decisions altered your gaming destinies?

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As we begin to approach the tail-end of the Nintendo Switch era, Oliver Mackenzie and John Linneman get together to discuss their personal selection of the most technically impressive games of the generation - absolute marvels bearing in mind that the core hardware is based on a 2015 Nvidia mobile chipset. In this first video, the emphasis is on first party exclusives published by Nintendo - but there's plenty to come from third parties too in a later video. There are some amazing games here, and a surprise contender at the top slot.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:41 Fast RMX

0:05:53 Metroid Prime Remastered

0:11:01 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

0:16:14 The Touryst

0:22:22 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

0:28:02 Super Mario RPG

0:32:40 Paper Mario: The Origami King

0:36:40 Metroid Dread

0:41:08 Super Mario Odyssey

0:45:49 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

0:51:40 Luigi’s Mansion 3

1:02:13 Runners up

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In this week's Direct, Microsoft says you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox - but if they're talking about streaming on a Fire Stick 4K, we'd beg to differ. Meanwhile, Alex talks about a 1.4GHz CPU overclock for the OG Xbox and shares his thoughts on the new Black Myth: Wukong full RT assets and benchmarks. Oliver tests out Ace Combat 7 on Switch, while Rich checks out frame generation on the First Descendant - in 30fps fidelity mode, 40fps balanced mode and 60fps performance mode. How high does frame-rate get - and are the lower fps modes a write-off?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:54 News 01: Microsoft says you don’t need an Xbox to play Xbox

0:24:31 News 02: Game Pass prices increased

0:38:36 News 03: New Black Myth: Wukong PC details revealed

0:53:26 News 04: Original Xbox gets 1.4 GHz CPU upgrade

1:01:34 News 05: The First Descendant frame gen tested!

1:13:21 News 06: Ace Combat 7 tested on Switch

1:19:41 Supporter Q1: Which Windows-based PC handheld would you recommend most?

1:25:36 Supporter Q2: Will you be doing more 3 person game playing videos?

1:29:44 Supporter Q3: What old unused Nintendo IP would you like to see again?

1:34:45 Supporter Q4: If Microsoft got Windows working seamlessly on ARM, what would that mean for their products?

1:43:27 Supporter Q5: Do you think Valve will give Steam Machines another shot?

1:49:21 Supporter Q6: Why is Intel’s XeSS so much better than AMD’s FSR?

1:59:01 Supporter Q7: Will Unreal Engine traversal stutter be fixed for the new Witcher game?

2:02:08 Supporter Q8: Could the PS Portal be updated or hacked to be a substantially more useful device?

2:06:25 Supporter Q9: John asks: how is the recording session going?

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In the new DF Direct, the team discuss the growing importance of VRR in console gaming - but are we reaching the point where it's becoming essential for good performance? Meanwhile, Rich has some positive things to say about Microsoft's Auto SR upscaling technology, John has much to share on the new Crazy Taxi, and there are some interesting discussion points raised in a recent Mark Cerny interview. Meanwhile, what on Earth is going on with the latest Elden Ring patch notes?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:04 News 01: Has VRR become a crutch for good performance?

0:20:00 News 02: Auto SR impressions!

0:37:26 News 03: New Crazy Taxi is open world, massively multiplayer

0:47:43 News 04: Mark Cerny dishes on PS5 architecture, games

1:03:22 News 05: Sony killing off recordable disc production

1:11:19 News 06: Elden Ring patch notes suggest odd performance fix

1:19:43 News 07: OutRun steeply discounted on Nintendo eShop

1:29:16 Supporter Q1: When do you think we’ll hear more about the PS5 Pro?

1:36:55 Supporter Q2: Could DF provide technical context to Eurogamer or IGN game reviews?

1:47:42 Supporter Q3: Why does the PS5 only support VRR over HDMI 2.1?

1:54:15 Supporter Q4: Why do many developers only offer software Lumen in their UE5 games?

1:56:40 Supporter Q5: Whatever happened to SLI and CrossFire?

2:02:23 Supporter Q6: How should console versions of games expose graphical options?

2:06:17 Supporter Q7: Is there a place for cinematic trailers?

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In the latest DF Direct Weekly, we take a very early first look at FSR 3.1's improved spatial upscaling, which 'dropped' just prior to recording. The team discuss Capcom's reveal of a NEW Dead Rising remaster/remake, while we have first impressions on a potentially game-changing patch for Dragon's Dogma 2. And just why is PlayStation 5 so technically competitive with Xbox Series X, despite having less horsepower? It's been a mystery for years, but we may finally have some answers.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:02:00 News 01: FSR 3.1 tested!

0:10:56 News 02: Dead Rising remake in development

0:22:55 News 03: Dragon’s Dogma 2 patched

0:30:12 News 04: Project Keystone details revealed

0:38:16 News 05: Forza Horizon 4 to be delisted

0:49:38 News 06: SGSSAA appears in new game

0:58:46 News 07: Unity 50Hz physics issue returns

1:07:55 Supporter Q1: Why haven’t more reviewers noted the issues with Elden Ring? And is it really fair to pile so much technical criticism on From Software?

1:27:03 Supporter Q2: What should our expectations be for a potential PS3 emulator on PS5?

1:36:05 Supporter Q3: Why is the Series X still sometimes outperformed by the PS5 in cross-platform games?

1:45:54 Supporter Q4: Could something like Auto SR be implemented on consoles for backwards compatible games?

1:50:00 Supporter Q5: Why do low settings in games look a lot better than they used to?

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Some practical tests in this week's episode of DF Direct as Rich examines the modded performance modes cropping up for the Xbox Series S version of Starfield - while his £2,000 investment in a Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X Elite translates into some truly awful gaming. Meanwhile, John's been checking out the new PlayStation 2 and PSP emulators for PS5, while Alex isn't particularly happy about Game Pass versions of PC games missing DLSS and other upscaler support.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:22 Starfield Series S high frame-rate mods tested!

0:09:26 PS2 and PSP emulation on PS5 analyzed

0:24:58 Snapdragon X Elite gaming performance disappoints

0:44:34 Still Wakes The Deep ships without FSR, DLSS, XeSS on Game Pass

0:54:17 LRG3 showcase features re-releases, remasters

1:05:04 How can I age as gracefully as the Switch?

1:13:55 Would you still recommend the Steam Deck over the new ROG Ally X?

1:16:46 Could the PS5 last 8 or 9 years as Sony’s flagship console platform?

1:23:25 Do you think a 1080p screen could be too much for a next-gen Switch?

1:28:46 Do you think any unannounced first party games will be released around launch for Switch 2?

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Just when we thought the summer festival of gaming events was over, Nintendo comes out of nowhere with a brand-new Direct featuring a wide rage of excellent titles - not bad for a system reaching the end of its life cycle. John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie team up to share notes on the Direct, including a tech-orientated argument about how it's definitely NOT Switch 2 delivering the Metroid Prime 4 footage!

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:42 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

0:14:08 The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

0:22:43 Lego Horizon Adventures

0:29:44 Mario & Luigi: Brothership

0:35:47 Funko Fusion, Nintendo Switch Online updates, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

0:45:42 Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, Fantasian: Neo Dimension

0:55:37 MIO: Memories In Orbit, The Hundred Line: Last Defence Academy, Super Mario Party Jamboree, ぶっとバード, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection

1:05:24 Evaluating the Direct and looking forward to Switch 2

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John, Alex and a freshly returned Rich deliver a 'come down' Direct that's a little more relaxed after the mania of the summer showcase events. The team bemoan the state of the Ubisoft Forward stream quality, ruining the visual quality of some great games, then move onto the discourse surrounding the Gears of War: E-Day cinematic. John's excited about the UE5 Riven remake, while Alex is even more excited about Sweeney's Prophecy - a brand new store leak promising a range of intriguing PC releases.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:58 News 01: Star Wars Outlaws demo analyzed!

0:28:11 News 02: Assassin’s Creed Shadows unveiled

0:46:24 News 03: Clarifying the Gears of War cinematic trailer

0:54:34 News 04: Epic Games Store leaks upcoming games

1:00:34 News 05: Riven demo released

1:08:28 Supporter Q1: Has any console generation been more boring than this one?

1:13:12 Supporter Q2: Was Microsoft showing Series X or PC footage at their games showcase?

1:19:49 Supporter Q3: Is delaying a physical release the best option for modern games?

1:26:35 Supporter Q4: Will you make an updated PC Gaming on a Budget video?

1:34:01 Supporter Q5: Do you have ambitions for growing your audience?

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Microsoft's Xbox 2024 Showcase turned out to be an excellent presentation, with banger after banger. In this new DF Direct Special, John Linneman, Alex Battaglia and Oliver Mackenzie break down the show with their reactions to each of the key games before moving on to discuss the somewhat underwhelming hardware line-up - plus comments on Phil Spencer's latest remarks on the Xbox multi-platform strategy.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:17 Doom: The Dark Ages

0:11:05 Perfect Dark

0:20:42 Gears of War: E-Day

0:28:53 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

0:40:39 Fable

0:49:43 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

0:59:18 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1:07:17 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

1:15:54 Other games - Mixtape, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, Atomfall, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, State of Decay 3, Age of Mythology: Retold

1:24:36 Updated Xbox Series consoles

1:31:35 Phil Spencer: more Xbox games are coming to other platforms

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The summer game showcase events are now in full swing and in this new episode of DF Direct Weekly, it's John, Oliver and Alex at mics, discussing the games of Summer Games 'Fest', along with other big new stories of the week. What's going on with the removal of the 8K label from the PS5 box? What do the team make of the PC adaptor for PSVR2 - and what's the score with Microsoft's AutoSR upscaling?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:20 News 01: Summer Game Fest: Lego Horizon Adventures

0:13:44 Metaphor: Refantazio, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

0:25:17 Sonic X Shadow Generations, Alan Wake 2: Night Springs, Phantom Blade Zero

0:40:53 Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, Slitterhead, Killer Bean

0:50:14 Black Myth: Wukong, Civilization 7

1:03:59 News 02: Sony removes 8K support from PS5 box

1:22:49 News 03: PS VR2 PC adapter detailed

1:32:58 News 04: Microsoft unveils Auto SR upscaling tech

1:46:20 Supporter Q1: How can you optimize Windows text rendering for WOLED displays?

1:50:03 Supporter Q2: Why do people suggest limiting your frame-rate to just below the display refresh rate when using VRR on PC?

1:53:24 Supporter Q3: Would John recommend a PS VR2 or Meta Quest 3 for PC VR use?

1:55:33 Supporter Q4: Can you recall the first game that left you in awe of its graphics, making it hard to envision a better-looking game?

2:04:30 Supporter Q5: Are the consoles holding back RT use on PC?

2:10:25 Supporter Q6: What games do you wish you had first played on better hardware?

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With the DF team meeting up with IGN this week, this Direct comes to you straight from IGN's UK studio. Rich, John and Alex talk Sony State of Play, from the sublime Astro Bot to the distinctly unimpressive Concord. Meanwhile, the team discuss Sony's intention to sell PS5s from its PC ports and the big news that COD Black Ops 6 will be day one on Game(s) Pass rounds off the week's big stories.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:04 News 01: May 2024 State of Play: Astro Bot

0:11:00 Concord

0:19:51 Marvel Rivals, God of War Ragnarök PC, Dynasty Warriors: Origins

0:38:15 Silent Hill 2

0:51:35 Skydance’s Behemoth, Alien: Rogue Incursion

1:00:18 Monster Hunter Wilds, Path of Exile 2

1:10:22 Infinity Nikki, Ballad of Antara, Where Winds Meet, Until Dawn

1:19:23 News 02: Are PlayStation PC ports meant to sell PS5s?

1:36:03 News 03: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will debut on Game Pass

1:47:30 Supporter Q1: What games will Sony advertise alongside the PS5 Pro?

1:55:26 Supporter Q2: Will Nvidia launch another hardware-reliant software feature with 5000 series GPUs?

2:02:35 Supporter Q3: If Hellblade 2 had arrived last year, where would it have ranked on your Graphics of the Year video?

2:07:00 Supporter Q4: What are the best settings for using the Quest 3 wirelessly with a PC?

2:12:20 Supporter Q5: What’s the best way to deal with VRR flicker on OLEDs?

2:15:32 Supporter Q6: How does DLSS affect CPU usage?

2:21:40 Supporter Q7: Could a PS4 handheld enhance the look of older games?

2:24:44 Supporter Q8: What are you ordering for dinner in London?

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FSR3 frame generation comes to consoles and Rich and John have tested it! That's the lead story in a new Direct that covers the controversy surrounding Hellblade 2, the upcoming launch of Snapdragon X Elite laptops and much, much more. Tom Morgan also joins the panel this week to discuss the arrival of TopSpin 2K25, the latest in the Paper Mario Switch story and his astonishing attempts to get Ark: Survival Ascended to run at 60fps on PlayStation 5.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:15 News 01: Immortals of Aveum FSR3 frame-gen tested!

0:18:16 News 02: Hellblade 2 review reaction

0:45:34 News 03: IGN buys Gamer Network... but what about DF?

0:57:44 News 04: TopSpin 2K25 impressions

1:08:14 News 05: Snapdragon X Elite processors launch

1:21:37 News 06: New Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door details

1:30:23 News 07: Ark: Survival Ascended features console menu on consoles

1:41:12 Supporter Q1: Should ‘artistic’ effects always be optional in games?

1:47:21 Supporter Q2: Should a frame-rate cap option be added to Ghost of Tsushima?

1:52:55 Supporter Q3: Future compatibility enhancements are very helpful - so should they be a standard feature in console games?

2:01:32 Supporter Q4: Is VRR becoming a crutch for console games?

2:09:00 Supporter Q5: Are full UE5 titles finally becoming common?

2:12:35 Supporter Q6: Which game should get an RTX Remix treatment?

2:17:15 Supporter Q7: By 2030, will 8K gaming be ‘a thing’?

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Another massive episode kicks off with the team sharing initial hands-on impressions of Ghost of Tsushima's impressive PC ports, while big changes are PlayStation are discussed - along with the revelation that half of Sony's monthly active users are still on PS4. Grand Theft Auto 6 is pushed back to later in 2025, and there's the enticing possibility that the original Red Dead Redemption will FINALLY come to PC. Finally, John and Oliver have bought new TVs - and it's looking like a full-on OLED vs LCD shoot-out.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:56 News 01: Ghost of Tsushima PC impressions!

0:16:05 News 02: Assassin’s Creed Shadows announced

0:25:33 News 03: PlayStation news roundup!

0:49:10 News 04: GTA 6 to arrive in fall 2025

0:55:22 News 05: Red Dead Redemption possibly coming to PC

1:02:30 News 06: PO’ed remaster released

1:12:13 News 07: John and Oliver’s new TVs!

1:28:42 Supporter Q1: Will the changes to Xbox strategy reduce console competition?

1:36:49 Supporter Q2: Does an Xbox-PC hybrid really make sense?

1:43:49 Supporter Q3: Could Nvidia’s rumoured ARM handheld SoC wipe the floor with Nintendo and Valve?

1:48:50 Supporter Q4: Are there gaming applications for OpenAI’s recently revealed AI tech?

1:52:40 Supporter Q5: What are your most highly anticipated games for the rest of the year in terms of tech?

1:56:21 Supporter Q6: How do you prefer to set up your PC displays when gaming?

1:58:54 Supporter Q7: What are your thoughts on producing repeated videos on games that are delivered in a subpar state?

2:04:25 Supporter Q8: What’s the latest gaming and tech news you’ve enjoyed?

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There's anger, bafflement and frustration this week as John, Rich and Alex discuss Microsoft's decision to close one studio that created one of the greatest immersive games ever made and another studio that's just delivered a BAFTA-winning, critically acclaimed rhythm action game... so what is going on at Xbox right now? Beyond that, the team discuss the latest Switch 2 revelations, the new Asus ROG - or R.O.G. - Ally, Hellblade 2 PC specs and Sony's massive Helldivers 2 own-goal.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:38 News 01: Microsoft shutters Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin

0:44:37 News 02: Nintendo confirms Switch sequel, potential components uncovered

1:03:42 News 03: Asus announces new ROG Ally

1:16:13 News 04: Sony backtracks on Helldivers 2 PC PSN requirements

1:25:25 News 05: Ninja Theory reveal Hellblade 2 PC specs

1:36:15 News 06: Sand Land released!

1:44:17 Supporter Q1: Could the Switch 2 connect to a TV wirelessly?

1:46:52 Supporter Q2: How much longevity will video cards with 8-10 GB of VRAM have?

1:53:41 Supporter Q3: Should next gen consoles have much larger RAM allotments?

1:57:40 Supporter Q4: Do you think mouse and keyboard support will become more common on consoles?

2:00:49 Supporter Q5: How feasible is it to update an older UE5 game to UE 5.4?

2:03:50 Supporter Q6: Could Intel beat AMD in discrete GPU sales by 2029?

2:06:40 Supporter Q7: What’s your favourite immersive sim, and why is it Prey (2017)?

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The latest DF Direct Weekly sees Rich, Oliver and Alex at the mics (John returns in the next episode!) discussing Bethesda's unique approach to Starfield's upcoming display mode upgrades, while there's concern about the health of console gaming in the wake of poor AMD gaming revenue. Rich talks PS5 Pro GPU details - including caches, clock speeds and features - while the latest Switch 2 rumours and reports are assessed for their plausibility. There's genuine excitement over AMD's new Strix Point and Strix Halo APUs, while Alex goes into depth about all the path-tracing features now unearthed in Capcom RE Engine games.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:41 News 01: Bethesda announces big Starfield update

0:23:05 News 02: AMD sees massive gaming revenue decline

0:40:14 News 03: New PS5 Pro GPU details!

0:58:27 News 04: Switch 2 rumour roundup

1:07:40 News 05: RTX Remix getting DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction

1:16:02 News 06: Resident Evil titles get path tracing!

1:27:14 News 07: AMD Strix APUs pack great integrated GPU performance

1:35:06 Supporter Q1: Could Nintendo games use DLSS 2 to reach 4K output on Switch 2?

1:40:23 Supporter Q2: What features would you add to Switch 2, if you could pick anything?

1:45:25 Supporter Q3: Could the potential merging of Xbox and PC development hurt Xbox?

1:50:13 Supporter Q4: Could developers run a game’s logic at high rates to improve responsiveness, while keeping frame-rate untouched?

1:54:19 Supporter Q5: Gaming handhelds theoretically seem as fast as a Series S. Why are they slower in practice?

1:57:40 Supporter Q6: Could Valve build a viable console platform to compete with Sony?

2:03:16 Supporter Q7: If you had to pick between #StutterStruggle and FSR 2 artifacts, which would you pick?

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In this 160th edition, it's Tom Morgan joining Rich and Alex to discuss the latest gaming and technology news. There's good news and bad news with Fallout 4's new 'next-gen' upgrade, Rich is impressed with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's new 40fps mode for PS5 and Series X, while Alex talks us through the latest path-tracing innovations revealed at GDC and GTC. Tom shares his impressions on Paper Mario for Nintendo Switch, Rich tests frame-gen on ROG Ally - and are Lords of the Fallen's tech issues resolved in the newly released patch 1.5?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:57 News 01: Fallout 4 gets mixed current-gen upgrade

0:22:14 News 02: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora gets 40fps mode

0:38:07 News 03: Lords of the Fallen receives performance boost

0:49:12 News 04: Alex dives deep into game tech

1:11:56 News 05: ROG Ally updated with AFMF tech

1:22:08 News 06: Paper Mario preview!

1:29:31 Supporter Q1: Could frame gen be used to scale a game from 40fps to 120fps, and then decimate it to 60fps?

1:34:07 Supporter Q2: Why are some Microsoft games exhibiting different settings on PS5 relative to Series X?

1:42:49 Supporter Q3: Do you prefer Doom 1993 or Doom 2016?

1:47:11 Supporter Q4: Is sampler feedback the Series S savior? And is the PS5 API better than Microsoft’s?

1:53:07 Supporter Q5: Is the PS4’s continued developer support a problem for Sony?

2:00:13 Supporter Q6: Could the Switch 2 have an image quality advantage over PC gaming handhelds?

2:05:35 Supporter Q7: Are 13900K and 14900K processors really unstable?

2:10:54 Supporter Q8: What would a Republic of Gamers look like?

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PS5 Pro... ultra boost mode? Rich, Oliver and Alex discuss the possibilities of how Sony's new console can improve existing games, before moving on to discussion of Ghost of Tsushima's PC specs and the 'PlayStation Overlay'. The team mull over the highly attractive Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailer, Oliver tests emulation on Apple while Rich gets to grips with GeForce Now's G-Sync support. And as for Alex? How about a 20-minute monologue on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's remarkable tech disclosures?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:02:16 News 01: PS5 Pro to receive “ultra boost mode”

0:15:50 News 02: Ghost of Tsushima PC requirements announced

0:31:05 News 03: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 revealed

0:38:38 News 04: Avatar devs disclose game tech

1:00:17 News 05: Hands-on with GeForce Now G-Sync

1:09:56 News 06: Apple opens the emulator floodgates!

1:18:45 Supporter Q1: What does a more PC-like console look like? Would it be worthwhile?

1:28:25 Supporter Q2: How could a 5090 improve on today’s gaming experiences?

1:36:16 Supporter Q3: Why can’t Nvidia obtain an x86 license and create x86 CPUs?

1:40:38 Supporter Q4: Will The Last of Us Remastered get a PS5 Pro remaster?

1:42:32 Supporter Q5: What are your most anticipated PS5 Pro patches to existing games?

1:48:36 Supporter Q6: Will Sony release their exclusives on PC on the same day as PS5?

1:55:07 Supporter Q7: Can FSR 3.1 save this console generation’s image quality?

2:03:36 Supporter Q8: If DF released a console motherboard shirt, would Alex wear it?

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What's going on with Microsoft's new game preservation team and commitment to forward compatibility? Alex, Rich and Oliver rake over the details - such as they are. Meanwhile, there's discussion over Fallout 4's upcoming current-gen upgrade, while the new Star Wars Outlaws story trailer gets the DF breakdown. And with FSR 3 frame-gen coming to consoles with Immortals of Aveum, what sort of expectation level should be set?

0:00:00 Introduction and DF Merch

0:01:39 News 01: Xbox establishes game preservation team

0:20:26 News 02: Fallout 4 getting current gen upgrade

0:30:03 News 03: Star Wars Outlaws story trailer drops

0:46:10 News 04: Dead Space is dead!

0:53:56 News 05: Immortals of Aveum gets FSR 3 boost on consoles

1:08:29 Supporter Q1: Can you get console-like convenience on a PC?

1:16:12 Supporter Q2: Is the PS5 Pro’s CPU boost enough to bring a 30fps game to 40fps?

1:20:23 Supporter Q3: Are modern games too ‘fake’, with their reliance on upsampling and frame gen?

1:26:40 Supporter Q4: Could RT be losing traction with upcoming games?

1:34:38 Supporter Q5: Could Microsoft launch a Series S-matching handheld this holiday season?

1:42:06 Supporter Q6: What does Microsoft mean when they claim the next Xbox will have the biggest tech leap in a generation?

1:52:06 Supporter Q7: Should we be happy that more games are targeting 30fps on the consoles?

1:57:57 Supporter Q8: How powerful will the Switch 2 be relative to the Steam Deck and Series S?

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A wide range of Hellblade 2 previews emerged last week, but what have we learned about the game and is the dynamic resolution 30fps revelation in any way surprising? John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts while also sharing reactions to the latest chapter in the PS Portal hack story and Nightdive's POed remaster non-April fool. Alex shares news of his experiments with Intel's PresentMon 2.0 - and how it will change our PC games and hardware coverage - while there's intrigue and some level of excitement surrounding Intel's latest XeSS news.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:04 News 01: Hellblade 2 previews drop!

0:26:53 News 02: PS Portal hack patched before release

0:34:41 News 03: 90s FPS PO'ed getting Nightdive remaster

0:41:07 News 04: C-Smash VRS hits Meta Quest

0:52:03 News 05: Alex’s PresentMon experiments

1:06:57 News 06: Campaign demands: stop killing games!

1:16:19 News 07: Intel updates XeSS with revised modes

1:22:04 Supporter Q1: Would it be more practical to target 1440p than 4K for performance modes?

1:28:11 Supporter Q2: Dragon’s Dogma 2 has unimpressive NPC density, so why can’t it hit 60fps on consoles?

1:35:17 Supporter Q3: Why do some developers implement incorrect 30fps frame-rate caps?

1:43:36 Supporter Q4: Why isn’t low frame-rate compensation the default with 120Hz and VRR on PS5?

1:50:05 Supporter Q5: Could the PS5 Pro be powerful enough to run advanced path traced games?

1:55:04 Supporter Q6: With Microsoft potentially opening Xbox to third parties, was the 3DO approach right all along?

2:01:21 Supporter Q7: Would it have been better to forgo the PS5 Pro and instead shorten this console generation?

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This week's show is dominated by Xbox news in the wake of a new interview with Phil Spencer strongly indicating a big change in direction for the Xbox platform and by extension, its hardware. There's also talk of what form an Xbox handheld may take, while leaked photography of a white Xbox Series X 'All Digital' console brings about bafflement from the team.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:50 News 01: Phil Spencer wants other game stores on Xbox

0:30:36 News 02: Phil Spencer’s gaming handheld wishlist

0:44:21 News 03: White digital-only Series X leaks

0:55:32 News 04: Testing Outcast performance

1:13:31 News 05: Sunsoft’s Uforia: The Saga 2 released!

1:20:26 Supporter Q1: Are Switch cartridges or Blu-ray discs better for long term preservation?

1:27:25 Supporter Q2: What do you make of claims that developers are considering dropping Xbox support?

1:33:33 Supporter Q3: Why didn’t Sony upgrade the CPU further on PS5 Pro?

1:40:43 Supporter Q4: How would Microsoft’s cloud technology be leveraged in a next-gen console?

1:47:59 Supporter Q5: Could Switch 2 receive games at a slower pace than the original Switch?

1:54:39 Supporter Q6: Is Nvidia’s market dominance a bad thing for competition?

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Rich, John and Alex discuss the stunning Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra debut trailer, potentially big upgrades to FSR via its upcoming 3.1 upgrade, while Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's tweaked performance mode (via a new patch) is analysed. Have image quality concerns finally been addressed? Meanwhile, we attempt to draw a line under the whole PS5 Pro/GTA6 60fps situation, while John shares his experiences with Nvidia's AI-powered Covert Protocol demo. Can AI move beyond upscaling to provide new gameplay experiences?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:44 News 01: Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra stuns in debut trailer

0:18:56 News 02: AMD announces FSR 3.1

0:30:52 News 03: Latest PS VR2 update enables PC access

0:40:37 News 04: Could GTA 6 hit 60 FPS on PS5 Pro?

0:57:46 News 05: Covert Protocol demo shows off AI characters

1:10:17 News 06: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gets new graphics options

1:16:05 Supporter Q1: What should Microsoft and Sony do to differentiate their next-gen hardware?

1:36:44 Supporter Q2: Why isn’t Microsoft making more out of their consoles’ machine learning capabilities?

1:43:09 Supporter Q3: Should Sony invest in frame generation? Does PSSR suggest a lack of faith in AMD’s upscaling tech?

1:49:24 Supporter Q4: Could backwards compatibility actually hold back Switch 2?

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In a brand new, DF Direct Special we find Alex, Rich and Oliver confirming the leaked technical specifications for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro console, we talk you through what the various spec points mean in terms of the gameplay experience, we go deep on ray tracing and machine learning-based upscaling and we reveal some new information about the new console based on recent developer disclosures.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:43 The CPU: What's Changed?

0:16:01 GPU Performance Boosts and Architecture

0:27:45 Ray Tracing: Really 2x to 4x Faster?

0:36:38 PSSR Upscaling and Machine Learning Performance

0:46:53 Additional Memory for Games

0:50:16 Closing Thoughts: What Do We Make of PS5 Pro So Far?

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Rich is still trapped in a white room with two plants, but the Direct discussions continue regardless. Oliver's been checking out Rise of the Ronin on PlayStation 5, Alex has much to say about Nvidia's DLSS-based GDC reveals, while Rich is intrigued by Intel's latest PresentMon 2.0 features. Meanwhile, the surprise release - and withdrawal - of the PS5 Stellar Blade demo raises more questions about our digital library future.

0:00:00 Introduction and DF merchandise

0:02:26 News 01: Rise of the Ronin preview

0:11:40 News 02: Nvidia announces upcoming game enhancements

0:35:55 News 03: Intel unveils PresentMon 2.0

0:51:08 News 04: Stellar Blade demo released, quickly pulled

0:56:48 News 05: Peter Moore questions the future of consoles

1:12:11 Supporter Q1: Should console platforms let you impose frame-rate caps yourself?

1:19:39 Supporter Q2: What rendering tech will we see pushed after path tracing?

1:27:22 Supporter Q3: Should more developers expose debug menus in their games?

1:31:43 Supporter Q4: What storage tech do you work off of?

1:39:38 Supporter Q5: What would Digital Foundry have looked like in the 1990s?

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Trapped in a plain white room with only two plants for company, an on-location Rich dials into the next DF Direct Weekly for salvation. Joining him this week as John and Alex, discussing the shutdown of the Yuzu and Citra emulators, the latest Sony PC ports from Nixxes, the Xbox partner showcase and hints of machine learning-based upscaling from AMD. Meanwhile, John's beard attracts an extraordinary level of attention.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:30 News 01: Nintendo forces Yuzu, Citra shutdown

0:28:16 News 02: Horizon PC specs released, Ghost of Tsushima PC announced

0:39:29 News 03: Xbox partner showcase drops!

0:58:53 News 04: Dragon’s Dogma 2 has unlocked frame-rate on consoles

1:09:03 News 05: Footage emerges from cancelled TimeSplitters game

1:15:30 News 06: AMD teases AI upscaling… but what is it?

1:26:42 Should I buy an OLED Steam Deck now, or wait for new portable Windows handhelds?

1:33:56 If cost were no issue, what VR headset would be best for PC gaming?

1:37:23 How does DLSS quality at 1440p compare to DLSS performance at 4K?

1:42:28 Do you think Sony will release their own dedicated gaming handheld?

1:48:20 How does John feel about being labeled as a television producer?

1:49:00 Did John and Marc get up to any shenanigans in Germany?

1:52:16 What’s the longest John has gone without shaving his beard?

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Another big DF Direct Weekly sees John, Rich and Alex tackle the massive issue of lay-offs in the industry along with the welcome response from some developers in taking back control of their own destinies. Meanwhile, the team reacts to THAT Kingmakers trailer, while assessing Nintendo's legal action against the Yuzu Switch emulator. Finally, what is DirectSR?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:42 News 01: Massive gaming layoffs at Sony and EA

0:28:39 News 02: Studios take back control

0:39:37 John’s game buying interlude

0:41:59 News 03: Kingmakers trailer impresses

0:49:03 News 04: Nintendo seeking Yuzu emulator shutdown

0:57:12 News 05: Pentiment PS5 doubles Xbox version FPS target

1:07:38 News 06: DirectSR streamlines PC upsampling

1:16:08 Supporter Q1: Is the 5700X3D a good upgrade over a 2700X on an older system?

1:21:04 Supporter Q2: What kind of performance do you expect from a PS5 Pro?

1:26:35 Supporter Q3: When games are fully path traced, what options do you expect to see in their graphics menus?

1:30:27 Supporter Q4: How do you think the recent rounds of layoffs will impact QA?

1:33:45 Supporter Q5: Could a next-gen Xbox be much more powerful than its PlayStation counterpart?

1:41:03 Supporter Q6: Why don’t we see more physics-oriented features like PhysX today?

1:50:48 John’s next DF Retro!

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The news comes thick and fast this week as John, Alex and Rich discuss topics as diverse as the Switch 2's mooted 'delay' until Q1 2025, the fall-out of Microsoft's multi-platform strategy in the wake of the first releases, and Nvidia finally doing something about its ancient control panel with its new app. The implications of the PlayStation Portal hack are dissected and the logistics of PSVR2 support for PC are discussed in depth. Then finally, Rich reveals the results of BRAND NEW testing of the Radeon 7. PS5 vs R7... which is best? Many thanks to DF Supporter Chriz86 for helping us out on that one!

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:28 News 01: Switch 2 reportedly delayed until 2025

0:13:08 News 02: Microsoft multi-plat games revealed

0:29:55 News 03: Nvidia debuts new all-in-one PC gaming app

0:47:43 News 04: PlayStation Portal hacked

0:54:31 News 05: PSVR2 support coming to PC?

1:05:57 News 06: Radeon 7 re-tested in 2024!

1:20:19 Supporter Q1: In the age of ray tracing, why do so many games forego shiny mirrors?

1:25:44 Supporter Q2: Is cross-gen game scalability really that transformative?

1:32:50 Supporter Q3: Could Game Pass become a reality on PlayStation and Switch?

1:38:55 Supporter Q4: Could a future Xbox lower-spec console be a handheld?

1:50:25 Supporter Q5: Is the traditional console generation model breaking down?

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This week, Xbox finally responded to the rumours and speculations surrounding its multi-platform plans, while Sony boldly announced that we are entering the latter stages of the PlayStation 5's lifecycle - and that new initiatives are required to increase profit margins. John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts on the announcements and strategies before moving on to other topics. John's been working on a new modern retro game - Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - while a defective LCD screen sees Rich 'downgrading' from 8K to 4K and embarking on a one-man marketing campaign for Facebook Marketplace in the process.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:02:14 News 01: Microsoft explains multiplatform strategy

0:45:50 News 02: Sony: PS5 sales have peaked

1:05:22 News 03: Rich ‘downgrades’ from 8K to 4K

1:17:15 News 04: Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore released

1:23:01 Supporter Q1: Why don’t more games support Dolby Vision and HDR 10+?

1:32:41 Supporter Q2: Given the limited power of the consoles, should developers reconsider including performance modes?

1:41:16 Supporter Q3: Given Nvidia’s tech lead in GPUs, aren’t they an attractive choice for a next-gen console?

1:47:00 Supporter Q4: Can Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s image quality issues be fixed with a quick patch, or is there a more fundamental limit?

1:53:09 Supporter Q5: Whatever happened to the Vulkan graphics API?

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The week in gaming news was dominated by Xbox Multi-Platform Game debate, outrage and meltdowns - and we can't quite believe what we were seeing. John, Rich and Alex share their views before moving to other topics: we go hands-on with Helldivers 2, check out the FF7 Rebirth demo and John shares his excitement over Penny's Big Breakaway. Meanwhile, DF Supporters strike gold once again with a range of questions and discussion points.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:52 News 01: Is Microsoft embracing multiplatform gaming?

0:43:52 News 02: Hands-on with Helldivers 2

0:54:41 News 03: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth impressions!

1:05:03 News 04: Penny’s Big Breakaway preview

1:11:42 Supporter Q1: What’s the minimum advisable frame-rate when using frame gen with a controller?

1:17:50 Supporter Q2: Is Nvidia purposefully limiting frame gen to the RTX 4000 series to increase sales?

1:27:18 Supporter Q3: Given that the Series S is the best-selling current-gen Xbox, should we consider it the baseline experience this gen?

1:34:14 Supporter Q4: Has the use of FSR been good or bad for console gaming?

1:43:14 Supporter Q5: Why doesn’t AMD often pioneer new graphics techniques like Nvidia?

1:51:44 Supporter Q6: Can John recommend any 3D Sonic titles?

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Another big, big episode of DF Direct Weekly as the team share their positive views on Sony's State of Play January 2024 presentation. Meanwhile, John and Rich have been playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and have much to say about it. The team also tackle the mounting evidence that Switch 2 will ship with an eight-inch LCD. The lack of OLED is a bit disappointing, but more to the point, the sheer size of the screen may have significant ramifications for the design of the overall product. And finally, a happy outcome is revealed for one of John's game preservation worries.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:00 News 01: State of Play reaction: Death Stranding 2

0:17:45 News 01: Stellar Blade, Dragon’s Dogma 2

0:28:50 News 01: Sonic X Shadow Generations, Judas

0:38:21 News 01: Metro Awakening, Until Dawn

0:50:23 News 01: Silent Hill: The Short Message, Silent Hill 2

1:01:48 News 02: Suicide Squad impressions!

1:19:14 News 03: New Switch rumoured to have 8 inch LCD

1:31:02 News 04: GT Sport patched with offline save support

1:37:49 Supporter Q1: How can Epic’s TSR beat DLSS 2?

1:42:00 Supporter Q2: Why does per-pixel motion blur look good, while display sample-and-hold blur looks bad?

1:45:50 Supporter Q3: Will frame generation make VRR obsolete?

1:49:07 Supporter Q4: What speed of hardware adoption should we expect from gamers?

1:54:27 Supporter Q5: Rich, when did you become interested in PC hardware and technology?

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Hitting its 'maximum break' 147th edition, the DF team reconvene to discuss the charms and the jank of Palworld, Capcom's puzzling DRM strategy and the wonders of Tekken 8. Meanwhile, Alex has been testing AMD's AFMF frame generation technology, John's dug deep into input lag analysis - and Rich is distressed to discover that his Radeon 7 graphics card doesn't work any more.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:54 News 01: What’s up with Palworld?

0:25:45 News 02: Capcom adds Enigma DRM to older games

0:35:31 News 03: AMD releases Fluid Motion Frames tech

0:52:30 News 04: Horizon Forbidden West PC features detailed

1:05:22 News 05: Tekken 8: a superb fighter

1:15:53 News 06: Input lag deep dive

1:32:52 Supporter Q1: What would you recommend spec wise for an upper-midrange PC?

1:37:08 Supporter Q2: Should id Software commercialize their id Tech engine?

1:40:12 Supporter Q3: Is the time of 1080p monitors over?

1:43:55 Supporter Q14 Could Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony develop their own Proton-like translation layers to run games from other platforms?

1:46:55 Supporter Q5: With John’s new Direct background, isn’t he worried about burn-in?

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Microsoft's latest Developer_Direct makes the right impression with the DF team this week, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in particular attracting unrestricted praise. Meanwhile, we've got to talk about what's happening with physical media releases on Xbox, there are many questions to answer about the Nvidia RTX 40-series Super refresh and John's not happy about Bulletstorm VR.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:44 News 01: Developer_Direct 2024 reaction: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

0:21:06 News 01: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

0:33:41 News 01: Ara: History Untold

0:39:35 News 01: Visions of Mana

0:46:15 News 01: Avowed

0:54:03 News 02: Hellblade 2 to go physical-only

1:10:49 News 03: Is The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered worthwhile?

1:23:08 News 04: RTX 40 Super series reaction + Q&A

1:45:50 News 05: Bulletstorm VR is a disappointment

1:53:05 Supporter Q1: How much manpower does it take to produce current-gen 60fps patches for consoles?

1:57:32 Supporter Q2: Was 2023 the year of the in-house engine?

2:04:24 Supporter Q3: Will 2024 be the year of Linux gaming?

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John, Rich and Alex return for another Weekly, discussing the potential implications of Xbox going multi-platform on selected titles, what we should - and shouldn't - expect from Horizon Forbidden West on PC and John's surprise gaming purchase. Meanwhile, the team explains why Nvidia's G-Sync Pulsar technology is such a big deal - and the announcement of VRR support for GeForce Now seems set to make the best cloud streaming solution even better still.

0:00:58 News 01: Microsoft to go multiplatform on selected games?

0:22:41 News 02: Horizon Forbidden West gets PC trailer

0:40:38 News 03: Nvidia CES announcements

0:55:34 News 04: John’s surprise

1:10:35 Supporter Q1: Why is double-buffer vsync good in some circumstances and bad in others?

1:17:39 Supporter Q2: What are the specs of your editing rigs?

1:24:45 Supporter Q3: Do you think any TV manufacturers will start integrating nearest neighbour scaling?

1:32:47 Supporter Q4: Why is dynamic resolution not often used in PC games?

1:37:35 Supporter Q5: Are GPU makers’ resolution recommendations too conservative?

1:43:13 Supporter Q6: What videos are you excited to make this year?

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The Digital Foundry team re-assemble to kick off 2024 with a look at the excitement surrounding CES, the possibilities of PS5 Pro and Switch 2 this year, the reveal of the MSI Claw, plus all the new surrounding the RTX 40-Series 'Super' Refresh. Meanwhile, John shares his experiences with the potentially disruptive Unreal Engine VR injector, Alex talks about optimised settings and there's already an unhealthy focus on Crysis 4 - even though the chances of actually seeing it in 2024 are vanishingly tiny.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:24 News 01: 2024 Expectations : Upcoming displays

0:18:12 2024 Expectations: Games and gaming hardware

0:51:24 News 02: RTX 40 Super series to be announced

1:12:09 News 03: MSI Claw gaming handheld leaked

1:21:04 News 04: Unreal Engine VR injector released!

1:27:19 Supporter Q1: Has Alex changed his approach to optimized settings as games have gotten more demanding?

1:32:59 Supporter Q2: Could ray traced lighting become a key part of gameplay in current-gen titles?

1:38:26 Supporter Q3: What’s your biggest graphical pet peeve besides stuttering?

1:44:06 Supporter Q4: What are your hopes for Crysis 4?

1:50:47 Supporter Q5: Could CD Projekt Red open source their Red Engine tech?

1:52:48 Supporter Q6: If you could have an incredible version of Crysis 4, or get a 10/10 Turok remake, which would you choose?

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It's the last edition of DF Direct Weekly for the year that is 2023, and it kicks off with discussion surrounding Insomniac data hack. What sets this 'leak' apart from others that makes media think twice about publishing stories on it? How does it compare in scale to other leaks? It's a tricky one for sure. Meanwhile, rumours are starting to emerge that Xbox may be considering a 2026 release for its next-gen console, but how viable is that in the context of the information that emerged from the FTC leak? Finally, John reveals the results of his GT7 vs Forza Motorsport in-video quiz, while the DF Supporter Program's community awards are unveiled!

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:50 News 01: Insomniac hacked

0:19:27 News 02: Valhalla DLC launches for God of War Ragnarök

0:27:51 News 03: PS5 outsells Xbox Series 3 to 1, next Xbox rumoured for 2026 launch

0:49:10 News 04: John’s Forza Motorsport vs. GT7 poll results!

0:54:09 News 05: DF Community Awards 2023!

1:06:25 Supporter Q1: Will 2024 be the year RT becomes pervasive?

1:09:00 Supporter Q2: How does Resident Evil 4 on Apple Silicon run?

1:11:50 Supporter Q3: When using an IPS panel, how can you reduce IPS glow?

1:21:18 Supporter Q4: Would John consider doing a DF Retro on fur or grass rendering in games?

1:23:40 Supporter Q5: When path tracing becomes more common in games, what will be left to critique visually?

1:28:43 Supporter Q6: What was your favourite Digital Foundry moment of the year?

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As is DF tradition, we round off the year with a look at the team's personal picks for the best game graphics of 2023. Covering off the very best in both PC and console rendering, Alex Battaglia, John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie share their thoughts on the most impressive visuals of the year, leading to an open debate on which title did it best: Alan Wake 2, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora or Cyberpunk 2077's RT Overdrive?

0:00:00 Overview

0:01:55 Honourable Mentions

0:16:14 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

0:21:28 Final Fantasy 16

0:27:10 Robocop: Rogue City

0:32:56 Resident Evil 4

0:40:33 Hi-Fi Rush

0:45:45 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

0:49:45 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

0:55:50 Cyberpunk 2077 RT Overdrive

1:02:57 Alan Wake 2

1:12:29 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

1:22:43 Top Three Debate

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You'd think that the news would be drying up as we approach Chriastmas, but here we are again with another two hour DF Direct Weekly. John, Rich and Alex mull over the cancellation of The Last Of Us Online, while the team rake the coals of E3's demise. Meanwhile, John discusses the short-lived PC port of Link's Awakening, while Alex unearths what looks very much like Intel's innovative approach to frame generation. We've got good news about improvements to the Xbox Series version of Teardown, while the team discuss the reaction to the epic Gran Turismo 7 vs Forza Motorsport head-to-head.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:25 News 01: The Last of Us multiplayer project cancelled

0:21:21 News 02: E3 officially dead

0:36:08 News 03: Link’s Awakening ported to PC

0:43:22 News 04: Intel working on frame extrapolation

0:50:14 News 05: Teardown improved on consoles

0:53:56 DF Content Discussion: Forza Motorsport vs. Gran Turismo 7

1:24:16 Supporter Q1: Are there any older games with certain advanced effects that surpass modern games?

1:29:18 Supporter Q2: Should bad performance be a consideration when reviewing games?

1:35:41 Supporter Q3: Does running an RTX 4090 at PCIe Gen 4 x8 or x16 make a difference?

1:38:50 Supporter Q4: Why can’t Windows handhelds run SteamOS?

1:41:14 Supporter Q5: AMD has released the source code for FSR 3. Will this make console implementations of FSR 3 more common?

1:47:28 Supporter Q6: Should “Unobtanium” style extreme settings options be standard across all PC games?

1:51:55 Supporter Q7: Why do console games often use a mix of temporal reconstruction and bilinear scaling to reach a 4K output?

1:55:14 Supporter Q8: What gaming-related gift would you like to get for Christmas if money was no object?

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In the wake of the release of the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, we produced our initial reaction video, but it turns out that the community has a big bunch of questions about the game they'd like us to tackle - so Rich, Oliver and Alex came together to continue the discussion. Enjoy!

00:00 Introduction

01:20 How will GTA 6 run on Series S?

05:57 Can GTA 6 run at 60fps on current-gen consoles?

08:30 Supporter Q1: How far off is the GTA 6 PC port? Is a Switch 2 port possible?

14:43 Supporter Q2: How do studios like Rockstar keep their games current graphically over long development cycles?

18:53 Supporter Q3: Were the RT features on GTA 5 on current-gen a test for RT in GTA 6?

20:29 Supporter Q4: Given that the GTA 6 leaks showed the game running on 10 series Nvidia GPUs, will those GPUs be able to run the final game?

23:16 Supporter Q5: What improvements should we expect in the PC version of GTA 6?

27:11 Supporter Q6: Do you think the GTA 6 trailer was captured on PS5 Pro development hardware?

30:36 Supporter Q7: Could the PS5 Pro run GTA 6 at 60fps? What other enhancements could we expect?

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It's TGAs week and Alex, Rich and Oliver convene for this week's DF Direct to discuss the highlights of the Wurlde Prm'ears - and to wonder what on earth OD actually is! Hellblade 2 is looking phenomenally good, while No Rest for the Wicked also catches the team's eye. Meanwhile, the group compare notes on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, with Alex continuing to rave about the PC version while Rich and Oliver offer a warm welcome to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions... and even Series S pulls off a good showing of this technologically advanced games.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:48 News 01: The Game Awards - Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

0:08:51 OD

0:17:48 No Rest for the Wicked, Monster Hunter Wilds

0:26:58 Marvel’s Blade, Light No Fire

0:39:13 Black Myth: Wukong, Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor Refantazio, Skull and Bones

0:51:58 News 02: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora released!

1:01:58 Supporter Q1: How do you pixel count games with upsampling?

1:09:06 Supporter Q2: Do modern games avoid physics-based gameplay because of processing constraints or game design?

1:12:19 Supporter Q3: Does the addition of path tracing to Call of Duty’s lobbies suggest a wider implementation later on?

1:16:07 Supporter Q4: Should the console makers release jailbreak patches for older consoles?

1:19:38 Supporter Q5: Should GPU manufacturers introduce features from Special K into their drivers?

1:24:25 Supporter Q6: Can you pixel count The Game Awards?

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The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 has 'dropped' and we have reacted by bringing together three contributors to comb over the circa 90 seconds of footage and extract as much technological information about the latest iteration of the RAGE engine as possible. Is what we've seen here viable on current-gen consoles in real-time? Is there any evidence of hardware-accelerated ray tracing effects? How do the characters and hair rendering look so good? And is 60fps on PS5/Series X and an Xbox Series S port actually viable?

00:00 Introduction

01:53 Is the trailer real-time?

07:13 Ray traced global illumination

11:10 Ray traced reflections

17:04 Shadows and hair

23:50 Character rendering

26:30 Could consoles hit 60fps?

30:50 Closing discussion

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Batman: Arkham Trilogy arrived on Nintendo Switch just before we started filming - but let's just say that it hardly requires a deep dive analysis to see that Arkham Knight is a complete disaster. There's better news from Alex as we look at the optimisation efforts in Baldur's Gate 3, while Rich gets to grips with Half-Life 2 - and the entirety of The Orange Box - running at 4K 60fps on Xbox Series X. There's Dragon's Dogma 2 tech talk, John's VR odyssey continues apace, while the team discuss the fascinating story behind Gran Turismo PSP cheat codes finally being discovered 14 years since the game launched!

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:03 News 01: Arkham Knight on Switch is a disaster

0:15:46 News 02: Larian boosts Baldur’s Gate 3 performance

0:26:06 News 03: Half-Life 2, Portal unlocked to run at 60fps on Xbox Series consoles

0:37:56 News 04: Dragon’s Dogma 2 trailer released

0:49:05 News 05: Cheat codes discovered for Gran Turismo PSP

0:58:39 News 06: John’s VR odyssey continues!

1:09:25 News 07: Duke Nukem games released for Evercade

1:17:17 Supporter Q1: To play an older 360 game, is the best option original hardware plus a RetroTINK, or a Series X?

1:22:38 Supporter Q2: Have PC GPUs fallen behind in performance scaling relative to consoles over this generation?

1:28:28 Supporter Q3: Why do some UE5 titles skip over hardware Lumen, even on PC?

1:32:30 Supporter Q4: Could Sony improve the PS Portal with software updates?

1:41:29 Supporter Q5: Could frame generation be used to improve motion blur?

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In this week's DF Direct, the team catches up with the news about The Last of Us Part 2's remaster and wonders what the fuss is about, while Alex takes another look at Cyberpunk 2077 DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction across its updates and via the Alan Wake 2 DLL. Rich finally gets his hands on a PlayStation 5 'Slim' and unboxes it for your viewing pleasure, and Half-Life's 25th anniversary is celebrated by the team. Also: what is actually going on with Xbox's console sales in Europe?

0:00:00 Introduction and DF merch store!

0:03:13 News 01: The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered announced

0:17:27 News 02: Cyberpunk 2077 gets Ultimate Edition

0:35:16 News 03: Xbox sales down in Europe

0:53:19 News 04: Half-Life hits 25th anniversary, documentary released

1:07:59 News 05: StarEngine graphics update video released

1:19:30 News 06: Rich unboxes a PS5 Slim!

1:33:56 DF Supporter Q1: Have you checked out the Portal port for N64?

1:41:59 DF Supporter Q2: I think TLOU Part 2 looks similar to path traced games, with better image clarity - what do you think?

1:47:44 DF Supporter Q3: Do you worry that you emphasize top-end graphics too much in your game coverage?

1:50:37 DF Supporter Q4: Is there a niche for a powerful, exclusively handheld system in today’s market?

1:57:26 DF Supporter Q5: What if the new Switch was actually two consoles - a portable console and a home console?

2:02:07 DF Supporter Q6: Happy Thanksgiving! Do the American expats at DF celebrate Thanksgiving in their new European homes?

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We've finally got hold of a PlayStation Portal and we've got some initial impressions for you as we keep off this week's DF Direct Weekly, but beyond that we're talking about Steam Deck vs ROG Ally complete with some fresh benchmarks, we update you with our latest adventures with EA WRC on PC, while John spends plenty of time discussing the new RetroTink and its $750 price-point - along with his latest adventures with Meta Quest 3, Doom VR and the new Assassin's Creed VR experience.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:52 News 01: PlayStation Portal first impressions!

0:26:47 News 02: New Suicide Squad deep dive video lands

0:45:01 News 03: RetroTINK 4K to cost $750 USD

1:00:42 News 04: EA WRC PC update

1:08:59 News 05: Steam Deck OLED vs. ROG Ally!

1:25:12 News 06: John’s continuing Quest adventures

1:37:23 Supporter Q1: Will we ever see an arcade racing resurgence?

1:43:53 Supporter Q2: Did Starfield ship “unoptimized”? Why did it take so long to improve performance and add DLSS?

1:54:27 Supporter Q3: Is it possible Nintendo’s next console will be a traditional home system?

1:58:30 Supporter Q4: Is the Xbox One the only console to be obsoleted completely by its successor?

2:04:19 Supporter Q5: Will you ever do a retrospective on failed past consoles, like the Ouya?

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A massive, cosmic-sized DF Direct Weekly sees John, Rich and Alex react to the surprise reveal of the Steam Deck OLED, while tackling a bunch of questions about Rockstar's GTA 6 reveal. Meanwhile, media has started to tear down the new PS5 'Slim', answering our final questions about the make-up of the revised console revision. Beyond that, Nintendo denies everything about Switch 2 and Alex shares his experiences with his brand new Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU upgrade.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:50 News 01: Steam Deck OLED revealed and reviewed!

0:26:44 News 02: Rockstar announces GTA 6 announcement trailer

0:41:02 News 03: New PS5 model disassembled

0:49:06 News 04: Alex upgrades to a 7800X3D!

1:10:33 News 05: Nintendo denies Switch 2 briefings

1:14:50 News 06: RTX 40 Series “Super” cards specs leaked

1:25:18 News 07: John’s experiments with in-home VR streaming

1:35:44 Supporter Q1: If the EGS launcher were good, would EGS be profitable?

1:42:10 Supporter Q2: Can we expect a true PS5 Slim console in the future?

1:47:29 Supporter Q3: What’s the difference between ray tracing and path tracing?

1:51:02 Supporter Q4: How long will it take for the retro game market to truly settle down?

1:58:47 Supporter Q5: Why hasn’t Red Dead Redemption 2 been updated for Series X and PS5?

2:03:07 Supporter Q6: Why aren’t there more gaming technology outlets like Digital Foundry?

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In another packed DF Direct Weekly, we find Rich, John and Oliver taking a first look at the Modern Warfare 3 campaign, Oliver shares his thoughts on the Apple M3 launch, John talks Gran Turismo 7 updates and Super Mario RPG, while Rich tests out Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on the worst PS5 SSD upgrade available... hobbled to run at PCIe x1 bandwidth. Does the game still work?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:05 News 01: Modern Warfare 3 campaign launches in early access

0:20:28 News 02: Apple announces M3 line of Mac chips

0:36:58 News 03: Gran Turismo 7 updated with new track, cars, 4-player splitscreen

0:43:36 News 04: How does Spider-Man 2 work on the slowest PS5 SSD?

0:53:16 News 05: Super Mario RPG previewed!

0:58:11 News 06: Switch OLED: does it burn in?

1:05:59 News 07: EA WRC: problematic PC performance

1:18:31 Supporter Q1: What OLED would you recommend to someone who enjoys both new and old games?

1:26:31 Supporter Q2: What are your hopes for the Max Payne remakes’ use of Northlight?

1:35:32 Supporter Q3: For retro themed games and collections, what can developers do to improve low-res visuals?

1:40:49 Supporter Q4: Some people seem to be rejecting graphical improvements - what are your thoughts?

1:49:39 Supporter Q5: Do you think Metroid Prime 4 will skip the current Switch and ship only on the upcoming Switch?

1:53:22 Supporter Q6: Is there a market for publishers to release older games without upgrades?

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In this week's DF Direct Weekly, Rich returns to join Alex and John for an appreciation of Alan Wake 2 and to discuss the latest news surrounding the new PlayStation 5's detachable Blu-ray drive. Meanwhile, there's a double helping of Metal Gear Solid news as the disastrous MGS 'Master' Collection releases and a new MGS Delta Snake Eater trailer emerges. Finally, Alex gets excited about the latest Star Citizen tech upgrades and the announcement that Squadron 42 is 'content complete'.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:45 News 01: Alan Wake 2: a tech masterpiece

0:34:12 News 02: New PS5 needs internet to pair disc drive

0:42:18 News 03: MGS Master Collection Volume 1 released

0:58:16 News 04: MGS Delta Snake Eater demoed

1:07:37 News 05: Star Citizen improvements, new content shown off at CitizenCon

1:21:48 Supporter Q1: Given that Alan Wake 2 doesn’t support Pascal GPUs, is it time for a GTX 1080/Ti eulogy?

1:28:51 Supporter Q2: Any thoughts on Intel’s 14th gen CPUs?

1:31:24 Supporter Q3: How could Horizon: Zero Dawn and TLOU 2 be meaningfully remastered for PS5?

1:40:53 Supporter Q4: Are better visual features really worth the image quality hit on consoles?

1:49:10 Supporter Q5: What are John’s impressions of the Meta Quest 3?

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Jörg Tittel, director and writer of C-Smash VRS, joins Alex Battaglia and John Linneman for the latest edition of DF Direct Weekly, discussing their reactions to Marvel's Spider-Man, the prospects of TLOU2 and Horizon Zero Dawn Remakes along with the Alan Wake: Flashback concept. Meanwhile, AMD pulling AntiLag+ makes its way to the docket, and with Jörg on the panel this week, we get an excellent insight into the current state of virtual reality gaming.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:58 News 01: Spider-Man 2 review reaction!

0:24:55 News 02: Is a The Last of Us Part 2 remaster really needed?

0:35:27 News 03: What’s up with Alan Wake: Flashback?

0:43:15 News 04: AMD disables AntiLag+ tech

0:48:35 News 05: Assessing the state of VR

1:13:50 Supporter Q1: What are the best GPU control panel settings for PC gaming?

1:16:34 Supporter Q2: What do you make of the rumour that the next Switch will have a digital-only model?

1:20:49 Supporter Q3: Why can’t games optimize for graphics drivers, instead of the other way around?

1:26:46 Supporter Q4: What do you think about Cities: Skylines 2 being released despite admitted performance issues?

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Welcome to the 133rd edition of DF Direct Weekly, where Alex, Rich and John discuss the big news stories of the week - including confirmation that the PS5 'Slim' is real but not slim and Redfall getting a 60fps upgrade - but is it too late? Meanwhile, John raves out Super Mario Bros Wonder and Robocop Rogue City, and the team gets to grips on whether Sony could ever roll out their own FPS Boost program.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:01 News 01: Sony announces updated PS5

0:23:29 News 02: Super Mario Bros. Wonder previewed!

0:33:16 News 03: Redfall updated with 60fps mode on Xbox

0:47:22 News 04: Robocop: Rogue City impressions

1:03:12 News 05: John’s gaming pickups!

1:11:34 Supporter Q1: Are more expensive CPUs becoming a requirement for 4K gaming?

1:19:31 Supporter Q2: Are consoles just going to get bigger and bigger as time goes on?

1:24:03 Supporter Q3: How does John decide between PC and consoles for digital games?

1:28:40 Supporter Q4: Should ReBAR be forced on for all games on Nvidia GPUs? Why isn’t it enabled more often?

1:32:27 Supporter Q5: Will we ever see an FPS Boost style feature on PlayStation?

1:37:31 Supporter Q6: If I usually use DLSS to hit 4K resolutions, should I look at native 1080p or 1440p benchmarks to indicate how well games will run?

1:42:42 Supporter Q7: What are some Activision Blizzard franchises you’d like to see revived under Microsoft ownership?

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In another mammoth edition of DF Direct Weekly, Rich Leadbetter, Alex Battaglia and a returning John Linneman tackle the big topics head-on. Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation 5 gets a 60fps upgrade and Oliver provides us with a bunch of assets to look at. Meanwhile, the team discuss the initial marketing for Forza Motorsport vs the final game - and they've got some issues. Beyond that, could FSR 3 frame-gen work on current-gen consoles? Rich puts some tests together. Also: John spills the beans on his recent trip to Japan.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:25 News 01: 60fps Red Dead Redemption patch released on PS5

0:12:03 News 02: Forza Motorsport reaction - and what’s up with the game’s visual downgrade?

0:28:56 News 03: FSR 3: could it work on consoles?

0:43:42 News 04: Ubisoft adds Denuvo DRM to Assassin’s Creed Mirage post-release

0:51:20 News 05: Horizon Forbidden West to be first 2-disc PS5 title

1:03:03 News 06: Intel Arc A580 budget GPU leaks

1:11:34 News 07: Nightdive mulling unofficial game enhancements

1:17:30 Supporter Q1: John, how was your trip to Japan?

1:32:08 Supporter Q2: Should Sony increase the internal storage on PS5?

1:34:26 Supporter Q3: If the Switch 2 uses DLSS at low handheld-class resolutions, will this hurt image quality?

1:37:30 Supporter Q4: What do you suggest to prevent OLED burn-in while gaming?

1:43:07 Supporter Q5: Can you end the show with “This Is Digital Foundry, bidding you farewell und auf wiedersehen”?

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A big DF Direct Weekly hoves into view in the wake of another week of BIG news in the gaming/technology space. Rich, Alex and Oliver discuss Jim Ryan's upcoming retirement from Sony and the legacy he leaves behind, and there's a sombre tone as the scale of Epic Games' staff layoffs becomes clear. In happier news, Alex shares more of his thoughts and hopes for Alan Wake 2, while the possibilities of the PC port of Horizon Forbidden West are talked through. Meanwhile... are we reading too much into the fact a new patch for the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight is in development?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:53 News 01: Jim Ryan to retire as head of Sony Interactive Entertainment

0:19:59 News 02: Epic Games lays off 830 staff

0:39:51 News 03: New Alan Wake 2 footage released

0:50:01 News 04: Horizon Forbidden West getting PC release

0:58:59 News 05: Resident Evil 4 remake to cost $60 on iPhone

1:07:09 News 06: Arkham Knight Steam update sparks remaster hopes

1:16:01 Supporter Q1: How will CD Projekt Red fare with Unreal Engine 5? Will they be able to implement a path-traced renderer?

1:23:36 Supporter Q2: How do the console versions of Cyberpunk 2077 stack up in terms of PC settings?

1:29:07 Supporter Q3: Could Intel be in a position to deliver a next-gen console chip?

1:34:03 Supporter Q4: Could Microsoft ship a next-gen Xbox handheld?

1:37:00 Supporter Q5: What do you think of the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally? Will they last long?

1:42:42 Supporter Q6: Is it better to buy a high-end GPU now, or wait until more AI features are implemented in hardware?

1:48:11 Supporter Q7: Given how poorly Elon Musk’s tenure as Twitter owner has gone, are you considering switching to other social media sites?

1:53:14 Supporter Q8: If Oliver’s TV died, would he switch to an OLED? And can he please grow his hair out longer?

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In a packed show, it's Rich, Alex and Oliver at mics, discussing their first reactions to the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty expansion, the sorry state of Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch, and what to expect from Switch 2 performance based on Bobby Kotick's comments. Meanwhile, downtime on The Matrix Awakens demo returns us to the topic of online DRM, while we ask our audience to weigh in with their thoughts on the process of reviewing graphics cards in the era of DLSS and reconstruction technologies.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:55 News 01: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty reaction!

0:11:36 News 02: We need to talk about GPU reviews

0:34:00 News 03: Mortal Kombat 1 on Switch has performance, visual issues

0:46:13 News 04: Switch 2 reportedly close to PS4, Xbox One power

0:51:01 News 05: The Matrix Awakens goes offline… then returns!

0:56:32 Supporter Q1: How do you think Nintendo and Sony will react to the Microsoft next-gen console proposal leak?

1:01:34 Supporter Q2: For hybrid cloud gaming, what features should be on the cloud and which should remain on local hardware?

1:09:54 Supporter Q3: What can be done to convince gamers of the importance of the CPU for game performance?

1:15:10 Supporter Q4: Are frame-rate limiters the responsibility of the game developers, or hardware manufacturers?

1:20:54 Supporter Q5: Couldn’t games self-adjust to hit a target frame-rate on PC?

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In the wake of the biggest video games leak in recent memory, the Digital Foundry team come together to discuss the now infamous Xbox PDF leak. The refresh Xbox Series console specs are discussed and the team share their thoughts on Microsoft's direction for its next-gen machine. Is another AMD-based machine and 'the power of the cloud' ambitious enough for a new piece of 2028 hardware?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:02:48 The end of physical media?

0:14:55 Revised Series X, Series S consoles incoming

0:36:02 Updated Xbox controller in the works

0:41:51 Microsoft’s next-gen console proposal

1:04:53 Supporter Q1: Can Sony really pull off a cost-effective, powerful “PS5 Pro” console to put Microsoft under pressure?

1:11:02 Supporter Q2: Could Microsoft scrap some of their console plans because of this leak?

1:14:50 Supporter Q3: Which leak is bigger, the Xbox FTC leak or Jensen’s Prophecy?

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The onslaught of new gaming and technical stories continues, making for another BIG episode of DF Direct Weekly. John, Rich and Alex discuss the big games at the Sony State of Play and Nintendo Direct, before looking into the promised upgrades to Starfield - which look a lot like a direct response to John and Alex's review critiques. Meanwhile, Rich examines the new Immortals of Aveum patch, while there's a general sense of excitement about the line-up of triple-A games coming to the latest iPhone 15 Pro and Max.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:35 News 01: Sony September State of Play

0:37:42 News 02: September Nintendo Direct

0:49:58 News 03: Starfield post-release update plans detailed!

0:55:03 News 04: Horizon Forbidden West to hit PC?

0:59:04 News 05: Immortals of Aveum patched, developer cuts staff

1:07:16 News 06: iPhone 15 Pro gets ray tracing support, big budget games

1:15:16 Supporter Q1: With compromised releases like Jedi: Survivor, don’t publishers realize they are leaving sales on the table? And will Respawn disable some of the game’s problematic screen-space reflections?

1:23:21 Supporter Q2: Are the higher-end versions of a given graphics card worth it?

1:27:30 Supporter Q3: Which GPU of the past gave you the feeling that it was a quality product?

1:31:22 Supporter Q4: Is it possible that the Switch 2 could exceed the RT abilities of current-gen consoles?

1:34:25 Supporter Q5: Now that the PS5 Pro rumours have firmed up, do you think the console is worthwhile?

1:41:11 Supporter Q6: What is something happening in gaming right now that makes you happy?

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A packed week of news as John, Rich and Oliver discuss the shock Switch 2 tech demo leaks - what should we expect from the system in the wake of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Matrix Awakens leaks? Meanwhile, John's excited about Daytona 2's upcoming arrival via emulation, while Oliver shares initial impressions on the new Star Wars Jedi: Survivor patch that improves the 60fps performance mode. Rich shares RX 7800 XT impressions, while it quickly emerges that corrective lenses are the unsung heroes of the whole Digital Foundry enterprise.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:42 News 01: Next-gen Switch demoed with BOTW, Matrix Awakens

0:23:30 News 02: Daytona USA 2 re-release incoming!

0:32:51 News 03: Paid, DRM-laden DLSS 3 Starfield mod cracked

0:40:40 News 04: Jedi: Survivor patch improves performance mode

0:52:19 News 05: AMD releases RX 7700 XT, RX 7800 XT GPUs

1:14:20 News 06: Interviewer asks: why didn’t Todd Howard optimize Starfield on PC?

1:21:58 Supporter Q1: Will the Switch successor rely on the same cartridges as Switch 1?

1:26:03 Supporter Q2: Will Nintendo do “next-gen” patches for existing Switch games?

1:29:38 Supporter Q3: Do you think Nintendo could use a discrete dock-only GPU for the new Switch?

1:33:28 Supporter Q4: Why hasn’t Bethesda switched to Id Tech for all their games?

1:37:86 Supporter Q5: Have you considered reporting GPU wattage when benchmarking PC games?

1:40:29 Supporter Q6: Are corrective lenses the unsung heroes of Digital Foundry?

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In a DF Direct Starfield special, Rich, John and Oliver share their impressions of the game, answer a ton of supporter questions and offer up some impressions on the PC version. And we also attempt to tackle the biggest question of them all: is a 60fps performance mode possible on Xbox Series X? To answer that, we use the actual Xbox Series X CPU via the AMD 4800S Desktop Kit, paired with a GPU that's a close match for the PS5's. From there, we unlocked frame-rate and examine the characteristics of Starfield and what options are open to the developer.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:00 Why is Starfield 30fps on consoles?

0:05:12 How would Starfield run unlocked? Frankenstein console tested!

0:12:37 Could Starfield hit 60fps on consoles?

0:22:01 Ways to increase contrast and improve HDR

0:28:38 Adding DLSS support through modding

0:38:09 Supporter Q1: What are your thoughts on the upgrades to the Creation Engine? What are some areas for improvement?

0:46:51 Supporter Q2: Is this Bethesda’s most bug-free game? What’s the weirdest bug you’ve seen so far?

0:54:21 Supporter Q3: Does the procedurally generated content fit in with the rest of the game?

1:01:50 Supporter Q4: What’s the difference between Bethesda’s real-time global illumination and ray-traced global illumination?

1:04:01 Supporter Q5: Does Starfield benefit from console exclusivity?

1:06:58 Final thoughts

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After last week's get-together, the DF Team are back in their boxes, talking Starfield reviews, how Larian and Microsoft resolved the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox impasse and the unfortunate closure of Volition. John's excited about Sonic Superstars and Armored Core 6, while Rich and Alex decide that there needs to be an intervention and some level of expectation management when it comes to FSR 3 frame generation's deployment on the consoles. All this and more in this special 'go on lads!' edition of DF Direct Weekly.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:14 News 01: Starfield: reviews and reactions

0:44:09 News 02: Baldur’s Gate 3 to hit Xbox this year, without Series S split-screen

0:49:45 News 03: PSA: FSR 3 won’t fix console performance

1:00:39 News 04: Volition closes after 30 years

1:08:30 News 05: Sonic Superstars impressions!

1:12:52 News 06: Armored Core 6 is good on PC

1:20:49 Supporter Q1: Did you see Switch 2 at Gamescom? And do you think the Switch 2 in portable mode could run Switch 1 software with docked mode settings?

1:25:15 Supporter Q2: Do you think running games designed for CRTs at super high resolutions makes sense?

1:29:49 Supporter Q3: Should DF give medals for technically accomplished games?

1:35:14 Supporter Q4: What games would you like to see remastered by Nightdive Studios?

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With Rich, John and Alex meeting up together at Gamescom for the first time since 2019, this one is a very different, very special DF Direct Weekly. The team discuss Starfield at Gamescom and their meeting with Phil Spencer and Todd Howard, before ploughing on into their reaction to the FSR and AMD Fluid Motion Frames demonstration they saw at the show. Meanwhile, Nvidia takes things to the next level with DLSS 3.5 ray reconstruction, there's reaction to the latest PlayStation Portal disclosures, STALKER 2 hands-on and much, much more.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:45 News 01: Gamescom Starfield impressions!

0:12:06 News 02: AMD shows off FSR 3

0:27:54 News 03: AMD demos Fluid Motion Frames

0:36:54 News 04: DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction revealed

0:56:12 News 05: PlayStation Portal named, detailed

1:00:09 News 06: MGS Collection targets 1080p, 720p

1:06:31 News 07: STALKER 2 demoed at Gamescom

1:14:24 News 08: New Nightdive remasters unveiled

1:23:51 Supporter Q1: What are the benefits for DF to go to Gamescom? What does a typical Gamescom day look like?

1:30:10 Supporter Q2: Could XeSS be viable on current-gen console hardware?

1:31:11 Supporter Q3: How do you feel about your various signature phrases?

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Another big DF Direct Weekly 'drops' as John, Rich and Alex look forward to visiting Gamescom 2023, a range of big Intel news is discussed and new information emerges on Immortals of Aveum in the wake of a extensive tech interview. Meanwhile, the mooted demise of the Xbox 360 store is lamented, while John raves about Bomb Rush Cyberfunk - a 'spiritual successor' to Jet Set Radio.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:20 News 01: Gamescom: what to expect!

00:19:07 News 02: Intel update: Arc DX11 driver, PresentMon Benchmarking

00:39:28 News 03: Xbox 360 store shutting down

00:51:35 News 04: Immortals of Aveum tech interview

01:00:52 News 05: Bomb Rush Cyberfunk launches

01:08:36 Should we expect most UE5 titles to struggle with performance? And are upsampling technologies just a crutch in lieu of optimization?

01:23:40 Are you pleased or dissatisfied that the rumoured RTX 4090 Ti may not be getting a release?

01:27:26 Could path tracing be beneficial or highly stylized games?

01:31:25 The end of the year will be loaded with titles, so how are you planning to keep up?

01:35:55 There’s a wide price difference between Microsoft’s Xbox storage cards and regular SSDs. Should Microsoft try to lower their prices?

01:40:03 Would moving gaming towards a single platform be beneficial for the industry?

01:44:54 What are the best phrases to use for a Digital Foundry drinking game?

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In the latest DF Direct Weekly, John, Rich and Alex discuss the controversy surrounding the Red Dead Redemption conversions, Mark Cerny gets in touch to reveal more about PlayStation 5's Dolby Atmos support, a brace of leaks look set to confirm a new PlayStation 5 model with detachable optical drive - but it's not looking particularly slim. Meanwhile, RDNA4 rumours are discussed, while John shares impressions on the Quake 2 Remaster and new 4K retro scaler, RetroTink 4K.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:36 News 01: Red Dead Redemption ports announced

00:20:04 News 02: Mark Cerny on PS5 Dolby Atmos

00:34:00 News 03: Revised PS5 model appears in apparent leaks

00:48:53 News 04: RDNA 4 to skip high-end GPUs?

01:11:35 News 05: Sony starts testing PS5 cloud streaming

01:20:16 News 06: Quake 2 remaster released!

01:30:56 News 07: RetroTink 4K: John’s impressions

01:42:41 Supporter Q1: Has John recovered from Sonic 2006 yet?

01:47:27 Supporter Q2: With limited competition and a lucrative server market, will Nvidia GPUs become a worse gaming value in the future?

01:54:48 Supporter Q3: Why are PC game frame-rate limiters often so poor?

02:04:38 Supporter Q4: Could older 3D games prove unsuitable for ray tracing upgrades?

02:11:40 Supporter Q5: Given that DLSS 3 works best at high frame-rates, might it prove unsuitable for a hypothetical Switch 2?

02:15:47 Supporter Q6: Rich is in the credits for Panzer Dragoon Saga! Is anyone else at DF in a game’s credits?

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In this week's DF Direct Weekly, the team discuss EA's announcement of a last-gen version of Star Wars Jedi Survivor, wondering how this new development fits in with the fact that the current-gen versions still need work. Meanwhile, an amazing-looking path-traced version of Skyrim is trailered - and the RT upgrade could work on all DX9+ games. John shares his thoughts on PS5's beta firmware Dolby Atmos support, while Rich reveals the results of a new PS5 exploit - showing Gravity Rush PS4 Pro running at 60fps for the first game. Finally, news of The Last Hope's departure from the Switch eShop causes all manner of amusement.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:56 News 01: Jedi: Survivor coming to last-gen consoles

00:21:17 News 02: Skyrim modded with path-traced lighting

00:29:29 News 03: PS5 exploit allows modded PS4 games to run

00:39:58 News 04: Beta PS5 firmware features Dolby Atmos support

00:48:36 News 05: Switch 2 to launch in 2H 2024?

00:56:57 News 06: The Last Hope removed from Nintendo eShop

01:05:28 Supporter Q1: Doesn’t targeting 8K with a hypothetical PS5 Pro benefit 4K displays through downsampling?

01:10:49 Supporter Q2: What could the PS5 Pro’s rumoured AI acceleration enhancements mean?

01:18:12 Supporter Q3: Mark Cerny suggested that the PS5 could load in high quality assets as the player moved the camera viewport. Will this actually be implemented?

01:21:27 Supporter Q4: Is it time for Microsoft to let developers skip certain features on Series S?

01:28:39 Supporter Q5: With Sony aggressively discounting the PS5, are they trying to bury Microsoft’s ninth-gen console hopes?

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A clean sweep of Sony news stories this week, as John, Oliver and Rich react to the alleged PlayStation 5 Pro specs and discuss the apparent debut of the Project Q handheld device in the flesh in the least flattering manner possible. At the same time, Sony is slashing the price on PS5 consoles... so could a new, replacement model be arriving soon? After that, there's more footage from Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart running off a launch PlayStation 4 hard drive. Plus: are GPU teraflop metrics now essentially useless?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:50 News 01: PS5 Pro detailed in new rumours

00:29:08 News 02: Big PS5 summer discounts: what could they mean?

00:37:48 News 03: Project Q handheld potentially leaked

00:46:09 News 04: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart vs PS4 HDD!

00:59:13 Supporter Q1: Why don’t developers include an uncapped mode in games, for the benefit of more powerful future consoles?

01:03:58 Supporter Q2: Are teraflop figures for GPU hardware pointless nowadays?

01:08:53 Supporter Q3: Could Rich be given the high-end PC version in system comparison videos for once?

01:10:49 Supporter Q4: Oliver operates in a totally different timezone to everyone else at DF. Is this ever helpful?

01:12:26 Supporter Q5: What are the benefits of playing on original hardware if the console can be emulated very effectively?

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In this week's DF Direct, John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts on the latest Spider-Man 2 trailer and its accompanying custom PS5, sort (likely) facts from the fiction surrounding the upcoming Switch 2, and lament the total lack of review coverage for the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB. Meanwhile, there's clarification on the Dolphin emulator's no-show on Steam and discussion on the lack of a Saturn mini retro console - and the end of the mini console phase in general. And did you know that Digital Foundry is actually 18 years old?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:58 News 01: Spider-Man 2 story trailer released

00:20:48 News 02: Beware fake Switch 2 leaks!

00:35:09 News 03: RTX 4060 Ti 16GB launched

00:44:31 News 04: Sega Saturn mini console unlikely?

00:50:15 News 05: Dolphin emulator skipping Steam

00:58:01 Supporter Q1: Have you considered benchmarking CoD on Steam Deck to gauge whether it is “too big for Switch”?

01:00:49 Supporter Q2: Should Sony include a wired option for their streaming-based Project Q handheld?

01:03:13 Supporter Q3: Could Intel break into the console market?

01:08:12 Supporter Q4: What Japan-only Sega Saturn games would you recommend for someone who can’t speak Japanese?

01:13:58 Supporter Q5: What piece of old gaming media would you like to see re-released in higher quality?

01:21:25 Supporter Q6: Digital Foundry is 18 years old! How do you feel about DF after all these years?

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With the recent legal challenges to the deal failing or crumbling as we speak, it's time to discuss the realities of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, Blizzard and King. Where does the deal stand right now? What are/were Microsoft's business objectives? Can Call of Duty actually run on Nintendo Switch? Does the recent Sony deal mean Microsoft gets early access to PS6? And to conclude, what final words does the panel have for Xbox boss Phil Spencer?

00:00 Introductions

01:50 Acquisition overview and legal proceedings

10:02 Microsoft’s business objectives

25:44 Can Call of Duty work on Switch?

31:47 Would Call of Duty be compromised on PS6?

34:43 Current CMA proceedings

40:58 Discussion and final thoughts

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This week, the team take a look at the specs required to run Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on PC and discuss how crucial DirectStorage is to the future of PC gaming. Meanwhile, the AMD Starfield partnership sees specs reveals turned into an awkward marketing exercise that confuses gamers. Classic cut content is coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, while Rich reveals initial results using the world's first full HDMI 2.1 capture card.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:48 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart PC requirements drop

00:29:11 Halo cut content returning to Master Chief Collection

00:35:40 X68000 Mini retro device has issues

00:38:26 Limited Run Games shows off new and old titles

00:47:02 Leaked document details Sega of America’s struggles

01:05:40 What’s up with the new HDMI 2.1 capture cards? And can’t PCs record 4K120 internally?

01:12:10 Does console software receive system-wide performance boosts over the course of a generation?

01:15:42 Why has Nvidia, besides the Switch, checked out of consoles?

01:23:24 Why was the Digital Foundry Twitter account in a Twitter Spaces event on UFOs?

01:26:32 Do you have plans for more conference commentary videos?

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In this week's DF Direct Weekly, the team discuss potential PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro hardware as revealed by... Microsoft? Meanwhile, Final Fantasy 16's motion blur is revised via a new patch, John tells us about a bunch of excellent PSVR2 games you may not have heard about - and the team chat tech concerning a potential Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag remake. Finally, CD Projekt RED's opinions about the Cyberpunk 2077 launch have caused some minor controversy... but why?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:25 News 01: Microsoft expects $400 PS5 Slim, sub-$300 “Project Q” handheld

00:19:24 News 02: Final Fantasy 16 gets motion blur options

00:28:17 News 03: John’s PSVR2 game roundup!

00:41:57 News 04: Assassin’s Creed 4: Blag Flag remake rumoured

00:46:59 News 05: CD Projekt claims Cyberpunk reception was overly harsh

01:01:14 Supporter Q1: Now that RT is here, what’s the next big real-time graphical breakthrough?

01:14:20 Supporter Q2: Why can’t DLSS be added to the Nvidia Control Panel?

01:15:41 Supporter Q3: Now that gamers are used to 60fps, will it be hard for developers to go back? Is it smarter to target 60fps even if it means cutbacks to resolution?

01:23:51 Supporter Q4: People often claim that game updates improve performance, when they often don’t. How can gamers get over the placebo effect here?

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A packed 89-minute DF Direct Weekly for you this week, as the team discuss the controversy surrounding AMD's technology partnership with Starfield. Does the deal mean that AMD is paying to block competing DLSS and XeSS upscalers from appearing in the game? AMD says: no comment. Meanwhile, the team mull over the week's FTC vs Microsoft revelations, Rich is excited by huge Assassin's Creed Unity perf improvements on Intel Arc, Red Dead Redemption seems to be getting a remaster, while amazing new footage of the GameCube launch in Japan at Spaceworld 2000 emerges.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:04 News 01: Starfield to skip out on DLSS, XeSS?

00:22:28 News 02: FTC vs Microsoft court fight continues

00:46:02 News 03: Red Dead Redemption remaster incoming?

00:52:08 News 04: Assassin’s Creed Unity gets huge performance boost on Intel Arc GPUs

00:57:42 News 05: New Space World 2000 footage unearthed!

01:08:55 Supporter Q1: If I run a 60fps game on an 85Hz CRT, will there be judder?

01:10:19 Supporter Q2: With the next-gen Switch rumoured to have PS4-level power, what specs would it have?

01:15:19 Supporter Q3: Is there something special about the Steam Deck’s refresh rate changing capabilities, or could a new Switch offer it as well?

01:18:31 Supporter Q4: Could a temporal upsampling system integrate high resolution keyframes to improve image quality?

01:21:09 Supporter Q5: Would there be space in the gaming market for a high-end $1000 PS5 Pro?

01:26:22 Supporter Q6: Which gaming executives would you like to see duke it out in a cage match?

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This week, John discusses the reaction to the Final Fantasy 16 reviews, the focus on the 720p-1080p performance mode and whether the game was actually targeting 30fps all along. Meanwhile, the team are impressed by the latest Nintendo Direct, Xbox raises prices, while the lack of DLSS in AMD sponsored PC titles once again comes to the fore. Also: to celebrate our 117th edition, the team share their favourite Halo memories.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:49 News 01: Final Fantasy 16 review reaction!

00:23:19 News 02: June Nintendo Direct impressions

00:47:37 News 03: Microsoft raises Series X, Game Pass pricing

00:56:26 News 04: AMD blocking DLSS in sponsored PC titles?

01:04:32 News 05: Quake 2 Remastered leaks!

01:08:14 Supporter Q1: Could GPU makers offer cards with user-expandable VRAM?

01:10:27 Supporter Q2: Could a ‘PS5 Pro’ come in at a boundary-pushing price, like $1000 USD?

01:15:14 Supporter Q3: Would automatic frame-rate capping for games on VRR displays work?

01:18:10 Supporter Q4: Of the Halo games, which is your favourite? And which impresses most from a technical perspective?

01:25:29 Supporter Q5: How exciting is it that Todd Howard praised DF in a recent podcast appearance?

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The latest DF Direct Weekly 'drops' with John, Rich and Alex reuniting at the mics after a massive week of not-E3 showcase news and fallout. Phil Spencer appears to be ruling out a mid-gen 'Pro' console update for the Xbox Series machines, Matt Booty says that Xbox One first-party game development is finally over, while Sony reveals that PS5 game streaming is coming to its subscription service. Meanwhile, the Starfield 'storm in a teacup' 30fps discourse continues, while Alex comes face-to-face (in a figurative sense) with his more youthful, optimistic self, posing yet more 'Battaglia time travel' discussion.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:05 News 01: No Xbox mid-gen enhanced machine planned?

00:21:17 News 02: Microsoft no longer developing for Xbox One

00:32:08 News 03: TLOU PC patch 1.1 analysed!

00:44:47 News 04: Sony announces PS5 cloud streaming

00:55:41 Supporter Q1: Should Starfield have an uncapped VRR mode on consoles?

01:05:19 Supporter Q2: I didn’t like the 30fps option in FF16, but Tears of the Kingdom seems fine - why could this be?

01:07:26 Supporter Q3: Alex was once excited about the possibilities of DX12 several years ago. Does he miss that version of himself?

01:12:05 Supporter Q4: Could systems with unified memory setups be a solution to VRAM woes on PCs?

01:15:32 Supporter Q5: Are FSR 2’s image quality concerns an issue for console software going forward?

01:22:20 Supporter Q6: If you could alter one thing about game development, what would it be?

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It's the impressions/reactions video you've been waiting for - and it took time because we wanted to investigate what was shown more deeply. John Linneman and Alex Battaglia share their notes on the Starfield Direct, discuss why the game is 30fps on consoles, what 4K on Series X actually means (and the implications for Series S) before moving onto the rendering tech on display and what they think about the actual game.

00:00 Overview

00:53 Why is Starfield 30fps on consoles?

12:31 Visual impressions and real-time global illumination

17:15 Reflections and motion blur

23:31 Screen-space shadows and terrain rendering

28:06 Volumetric lighting, fog, and bokeh depth of field

32:40 Character rendering

36:01 Gameplay impressions

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A company revitalised based on the latest Ubisoft Forward, we saw a big bunch of excellent games and a couple in particular that look set to deliver proper 'next-gen' rendering - Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Beyond those 'bangers', the likes of AC Mirage and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown also caught the eye of John Linneman and Alex Battaglia. Plus: a quick look at the Capcom showcase, including new footage of Pragmata...

00:00 Overview

01:05 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

15:23 Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

20:22 Skull and Bones

23:00 The Crew Motorfest

28:08 Assassin’s Creed Mirage

33:50 Star Wars Outlaws

48:02 Pragmata

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In a special episode of DF Direct, John Linneman, Oliver Mackenzie and Alex Battaglia share their reactions and impressions to the excellent Xbox Showcase 2023, going through the event game by game with analysis and insights. Has Microsoft delivered the best event of the summer season so far?

00:00:00 Overview

00:02:32 Fable, South of Midnight

00:11:32 Star Wars Outlaws, 33 Immortals

00:17:30 Payday 3, Persona 3 Reload

00:25:35 Avowed, Sea of Thieves

00:31:31 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

00:42:12 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

00:47:27 Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls Online, Overwatch 2

00:56:35 Jusant, Still Wakes the Deep

01:01:09 Dungeons of Hinterberg, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

01:08:13 Cities: Skylines 2, Metaphor ReFantazio

01:12:24 Towerborne, Clockwork Revolution

01:18:04 Series S 1TB

01:20:58 Starfield first impressions

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Geoffcon aka Keigh3 aka Summer Games Fest is back, kicking off with a mammoth show crammed with new games of varying quality, Nicolas Cage and a big bunch of obvious ads. In this DF Direct special, John, Rich and Alex mull over the various reveals and wurld prm'ears, debate the inclusion of the letter 'i' in 'mobile', dive deeply into Spider-Man's symbiote lore, get excited about the new Sonic game and ponder the big question - how many of the games in the show were running on Unreal Engine?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:08 News 01: Summer Games Fest 2023 reaction! Prince of Persia, Mortal Kombat 1

00:10:48 Path of Exile 2, Exoprimal, Dead by Daylight, Witchfire, Crossfire: Sierra Squad, Remnant 2

00:18:22 Sonic Superstars, Lies of P, Sand Land

00:27:27 Throne and Liberty, Party Animals, Crash Team Rumble,

00:31:51 Alan Wake 2, Space Marine 2, Yes Your Grace, Toxic Commando

00:42:42 Baldur’s Gate 3, Palworld, Black Desert Online, LOTR: Return to Moria

00:51:44 Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

00:55:51 Like a Dragon Gaiden, Under the Water, Fae Farm

01:04:18 King Arthur, Stellaris Nexus, Star Trek Infinite, Lysfanga

01:09:47 Immortals of Aveum, Fortnite, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

01:24:19 Supporter Q1: Will DLSS 3 evolve in the same way DLSS 2 did?

01:28:14 Supporter Q2: What’s up with DF getting Diablo 4 code late?

01:29:22 Supporter Q3: Is there an ideal frame-rate target for games?

01:32:41 Supporter Q4: Do recent PC gaming woes stem from the relative strength of console hardware this generation?

01:41:09 Supporter Q5: What old console or graphics technology would you like to see get a few years of active development?

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The news of a PC port from Nixxes for Rachet and Clank raises the question: can PC handle the extreme storage demands of the Insomniac PS5 showcase? Alex weighs in with his thoughts on how the port will work. Meanwhile, Nvidia demos AI-driven conversations with NPCs, Redfall's development woes make the news again, while John's concerned about Nintendo's views towards emulation.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:08 News 01: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart coming to PC!

00:19:38 News 02: Nvidia demos AI-generated NPC conversations

00:37:54 News 03: Dolphin emulator blocked from Steam release

00:44:41 News 04: Redfall’s development issues detailed

00:54:56 News 05: HDMI 2.1 capture cards announced - but there’s a catch!

01:02:27 Supporter Q1: What are your predictions for next week’s Xbox showcase?

01:07:52 Supporter Q2: Does XMP make a big difference on DDR5 RAM?

01:10:36 Supporter Q3: Are plasma TVs viable for high-quality retro gaming?

01:14:54 Supporter Q4: Why doesn’t the Switch support HDR? Could it be included in a “Switch 2”?

01:16:32 Supporter Q5: Are we in a downwards spiral of declining developer output and GPU stagnation?

01:22:34 Supporter Q6: If a game runs at a locked 30fps or 60fps, is there any benefit to setting your console to 120Hz output?

01:25:55 Supporter Q7: Has Jensen’s prophecy been fulfilled already? Is Gran Turismo 7 ever going to hit PCs?

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With the first of the summer games events done and dusted, it's down to Rich, Oliver and John to shift through the games of the Sony showcase, bemoan trailergeddon, regale Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with praise then to discuss the merits of the Project Q streaming handheld. Meanwhile, the lack of a physical release for Alan Wake 2 upsets John - and Rich makes him talk about Marathon.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:15 News 01: Sony showcase recap!

00:40:02 News 02: Alan Wake 2 impresses, but why is it digital-only?

00:52:06 News 03: “Project Q” streaming handheld revealed

01:05:45 Supporter Q1: Nvidia’s server GPUs seem in heavy demand, so might the company shift resources away from gaming?

01:14:09 Supporter Q2: What’s the best way to measure and communicate the concept of frame-time stability?

01:23:44 Supporter Q3: Isn’t the 4060 Ti a lot more impressive when you bring DLSS 3 into the picture?

01:27:10 Supporter Q4: Could John make a video on running modern games on consumer grade CRT displays?

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This week on the show, Alex gets to grips with the latest patch for Jedi Survivor, testing to see whether the game's profound tech issues have been resolved. Meanwhile, the team discusses Nvidia's RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti announcements, while John has much to say about the poor state of day one console launches. Meanwhile, the buzz surrounding mid-gen console refreshes continues - but do we actually need them?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:52 News 01: Jedi Survivor PC performance update!

00:17:04 News 02: RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti GPUs announced

00:48:20 News 03: Contemporary gaming in difficult territory?

01:00:48 Supporter Q1: Is there really a need for enhanced consoles when we have so few proper current-gen games?

01:07:17 Supporter Q2: Do you think games like The Callisto Protocol or Jedi Survivor would benefit from a 40fps mode?

01:12:32 Supporter Q3: Any thoughts on the UE5-powered Layers of Fear demo on PC?

01:16:51 Supporter Q4: Has Rich got any new thoughts on how to approach CPU video reviews?

01:25:32 Supporter Q5: Has the workflow for capturing and producing HDR gaming videos improved over the past few years?

01:32:25 Supporter Q6: John’s room tour. When?

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One of the biggest - if not the biggest - games of 2023 launched this week. Nintendo's Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has recently a massively positive reaction. John discusses his review and shares more thoughts on the game, while digging more deeply into the eternal question - is it too big for Switch? Meanwhile, Rich drops in from time off to share his impressions with the Asus ROG Ally and A Plague Tale: Requiem gets a 60fps patch... but what does it actually do?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:04 News 01: Tears of the Kingdom launches!

00:26:05 News 02: Sharp producing next-gen Switch LCD?

00:34:49 News 03: ASUS ROG Ally reviews drop + our impressions

00:50:20 News 04: A Plague Tale: Requiem gets 60fps patch

00:56:36 News 05: John gets a new CRT!

01:02:53 Supporter Q1: With low sales and poor software support, where does the PS VR2 go from here?

01:07:36 Supporter Q2: Could DF revisit some of the recent troubled PC ports and see how they run now after patches?

01:11:23 Supporter Q3: Why does DLSS 3 produce a smoother experience in games with high CPU load?

01:15:47 Supporter Q4: Developers like to blame specific PC configurations for user issues. Could DF emphasize that PC performance issues are often common to all configurations?

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DF Direct Weekly returns after a seismic week in gaming, with Oliver, John and Alex discussing the crisis state of PC gaming 'in the here and now', raking over the coals of the deeply disappointing Redfall release, while we had to take a look at Man of Medan on Switch, which targets a cinematic 24fps. Meanwhile, John clues us in on the latest Analogue Pocket firmware update.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:58 News 01: PC gaming in crisis

00:24:12 News 02: Redfall reaction and follow-up

00:54:38 News 03: Man of Medan hits Switch at 24fps!

01:01:11 News 04: Analogue Pocket gets big firmware update

01:04:46 Supporter Q1: If a game developer is under the influence when implementing RTGI, could that be “baked” lighting?

01:05:37 Supporter Q2: Need for Speed (2015) still looks great today. What are some other early last-gen games that still look fantastic?

01:10:29 Supporter Q3: Could you tell the difference between DLSS 3 and regular rendering at high frame-rates?

01:14:05 Supporter Q4: Can we have an award ceremony for the worst PC ports of the year?

01:16:08 Supporter Q5: What are the possible incentives for publishers to release games in a decent state?

01:18:53 Supporter Q6: I’m worried that FF16, Starfield, and Zelda will release in a poor state. How can we make companies more aware of game issues?

01:22:47 Supporter Q7: Are Jedi Survivor’s image quality issues related to using an older version of FSR 2?

01:28:33 Supporter Q8: Do you prefer a higher resolution with less detail, or a lower resolution with more detail?

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This week the team discuss the arrival of Star Wars Jedi Survivor, share first impressions after EA delayed sending review code, then move onto 'The Power of the Cloud' seemingly blocking Microsoft's Activision acquisition. Rich shares a conversation he had with the Xbox Sustainability Team on improving in-game efficiency, while benchmarks finally emerge on the impressive looking Asus ROG Ally handheld.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:45 News 01: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor impressions!

00:23:57 News 02: Microsoft Activision purchase hits roadblock

00:34:30 News 03: Microsoft pushes for Xbox energy sustainability

00:48:21 News 04: ASUS ROG Ally chips benchmarked

00:55:50 Supporter Q1: If RT becomes a big rendering focus, could future GPUs regress in rasterization performance?

01:00:36 Supporter Q2: Are 8GB GPUs DOOMED to muddy textures on PC?

01:07:33 Supporter Q3: How did Don feel about his first video?

01:11:15 Supporter Q4: Will you make a GTA V retro time capsule video when the title hits its 10th anniversary later this year?

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This week, Rich is joined by Alex and Oliver to discuss a range of topics, including the Unrecord footage that's gone 'viral', the launch of the first Unreal Engine 5.1 title outside of Fortnite to use Lumen and Nanite, and the arrival of the Horizon Burning Shores DLC - which looks amazing. Meanwhile, discover why Digital Foundry won't be doing another office tour and learn about Rich's 'cone of respectability'. It's all here in this 68 minute show!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:45 News 01: Unrecord footage revealed

00:09:28 News 02: Immortals of Aveum showcases UE5 features

00:19:12 News 03: Horizon Burning Shores launches!

00:26:36 News 04: ASUS ROG Ally specs leak

00:34:48 News 05: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. shown with path tracing

00:41:35 Supporter Q1: Could Cyberpunk on PS5/Series X run the RT Overdrive mode?

00:49:01 Supporter Q2: If AMD sold APUs with much more graphics power, would they sell well?

00:55:21 Supporter Q3: Does “going gold” really matter anymore for modern games?

01:01:00 Supporter Q4: Would RTX Remix work with emulated games?

01:02:40 Supporter Q5: When will we get another Digital Foundry office tour?

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Rich, Alex and Oliver sit down for the latest DF Direct Weekly, discussing the controversial move for Microsoft to ship Redfall at 30fps with a performance mode to follow, along with confirmation that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justive League is getting a length delay. The team muse over the implications of Cyberpunk 2077's RT Overdrive changing the face of PC graphics in future games, while the third - and last - Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer is also discussed. Do we still think it's 'too big for Switch'...?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:52 News 01: Redfall to launch at 30fps on consoles

00:16:15 News 02: Suicide Squad delayed to 2024

00:21:54 News 03: Cyberpunk 2077 RT Overdrive mode launches

00:38:13 News 04: Final Tears of the Kingdom trailer drops

00:42:29 Supporter Q1: Does the negative reaction to Redfall's 30fps cap trivialize the filmic and artistic benefits of targeting 30fps?

00:47:59 Supporter Q2: What’s up with HDMI 2.1 capture cards? Why don’t capture devices support 4K/120Hz recordings?

00:53:34 Supporter Q3: Does “code” in the games industry refer to source code or game store codes?

00:55:42 Supporter Q4: Since the Steam Deck is well established, can you cover it from time to time?

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Rumours of a new PlayStation portable streaming device dominated the news this week, supplanting the actual reveal of the ultra-powerful Asus ROG Ally, first revealed on - believe it or not - April Fools Day. Meanwhile, John is seriously unhappy about Microsoft blocking emulation on Xbox Series consoles, while the applications of AI tools and the concept of affordable GPUs prompts further debate. And finally... Tekken 8 is on UE5 but is it actually using Nanite and Lumen?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:41 News 01: Sony to launch streaming-only handheld?

00:16:09 News 02: Asus announces ROG Ally gaming handheld!

00:28:13 News 03: Microsoft blocks emulators on Xbox consoles

00:46:48 Supporter Q1: Can generative AI be integrated into games, like having RPG characters that never run out of dialogue?

00:53:26 Supporter Q2: Will upgrading from 16GB to 32GB of system RAM help with 8GB VRAM GPU bottlenecks?

00:59:22 Supporter Q3: Have any Unreal Engine 5-specific visual features been spotted in the Tekken 8 trailers?

01:02:57 Supporter Q4: When will affordable graphics cards consistently deliver 60 fps with ray tracing?

01:06:08 Supporter Q5: How do you feel about some of the relatively lackluster RT upgrades we’ve seen recently? Should developers even bother?

01:09:51 Supporter Q6: This Direct has one of the best banners of all time!

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We're not angry, we're just disappointed. And a touch baffled. Stupefied even. And actually, yeah, maybe a bit angry too. Just how did The Last of Us Part 1 launch on PC in the state it did? John, Rich and Alex discuss their impressions on the game, what went wrong with the port - and whether Sony should have launched it in this state at all. Meanwhile, it's a sad, sad day as E3 2023 is cancelled and the entire future of the Electronic Entertainment Expo looks bleak.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:59 News 01: TLOU Part 1 suffers performance problems on PC

00:39:37 News 02: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay showcase drops!

00:48:32 News 03: E3 2023 cancelled

01:00:16 News 04: Irem M92 emulation core created for MiSTER

01:06:12 Supporter Q1: Why is software Lumen cheaper than hardware Lumen, and could hardware Lumen be cheaper at the same precision?

01:08:31 Supporter Q2: Should Sony and Microsoft implement a 30fps cap option like the Steam Deck? Would there be technical hurdles?

01:12:28 Supporter Q3: How does DF prepare for various projects? Do you make explicit plans, or is it more free-form?

01:18:40 Supporter Q4: Could fully path-traced games bring back multi-GPU for gaming?

01:22:04 Supporter Q5: Thanks for the informative work!

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It's GDC week, with Alex, Rich and John discussing the big news from the latest events, including some exciting new Unreal Engine 5 developments, plus Nvidia's latest innovations in real-time path-traced gaming. Meanwhile, the team isn't that impressed by Elden Ring's RT upgrade, while EA's decision to delete a bunch of excellent Battlefield games doesn't go down particularly well either.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:58 News 01: Epic makes UE5 announcements at GDC!

00:35:20 News 02: Elden Ring RT patch drops… and disappoints

00:40:27 News 03: EA to delist several Battlefield games

00:46:38 News 04: Arkane looking into removing Redfall always-online requirement

00:49:14 News 05: Nightdive Studios bought by Atari

00:52:48 News 06: Outer Worlds performance update!

01:04:23 Supporter Q1: Is it reasonable for developers to deliver less ambitious PC versions, given the smaller market share the PC occupies?

01:10:53 Supporter Q2: Could a Switch 2 use Samsung’s 5nm process? Is an Ampere forward port or Lovelace back port a possibility?

01:13:10 Supporter Q3: Will increased server GPU demand due to AI keep consumer GPU prices high?

01:14:56 Supporter Q4: Could the rumoured PS5 Pro include new dedicated machine learning hardware, or is it too soon?

01:19:30 Supporter Q5: Do you have any recommendations for good lesser-known PS VR2 games?

01:25:13 Supporter Q6: As you celebrate DF Direct’s 2-year anniversary, what have you learned about yourselves through the process?

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John, Alex and Will take to the mics this week to discuss the possibilities of some exciting iterations on gaming favourites. Do the recent reports of a PS5 Pro make sense? What about an OLED Steam Deck? And if Counter-Strike is so great, why isn't there a Counter-Strike 2?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:24 News 01: Resident Evil 4 impressions!

00:13:53 News 02: PS5 Pro - is it coming?

00:25:01 News 03: Valve says Steam Deck OLED refresh unlikely

00:32:02 News 04: New Counter-Strike imminent?

00:44:30 News 05: Hands-on with Viture XR AR glasses!

00:47:53 Supporter Q1: Could Xbox Series consoles get small internal improvements, even without an enhanced model?

00:51:20 Supporter Q2: Is the Xbox Series DirectML support just PR? Or is it actually going to be transformative for games?

00:55:21 Supporter Q3: How do you purchase and research older equipment, like CRTs?

00:59:23 Supporter Q4: Could current-gen enhanced consoles run UE5 games at 60fps with hardware RT?

01:03:31 Supporter Q5: Weird Al is “All About the Pentiums”, so what arguments would you say to get him to switch to Zen 4?

01:05:17 Supporter Q6: Alex, what do you think the Next Big Thing is for PC graphics?

01:06:49 Supporter Q7: What do you think about forced DLSS 3 in games, like the PC version of Sackboy: A Big Adventure?

01:09:48 Supporter Q8: Do you still use simple pixel edge counting for determining the resolution of games?

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A big week of news to discuss, with Oliver, Rich and Alex talking about Starfield's latest announcement and 'delay', plus the story that Suicide Squad will be pushed back in order to address the negative reaction to its State of Play gameplay reveal. Meanwhile, the COD war between Microsoft and Sony continues - and Halo Infinite on PC receives RT support.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:52 News 01: Starfield gets a release date, Suicide Squad delayed

00:11:18 News 02: The Last of Us Part 1 PC features detailed!

00:22:46 News 03: Sony-Microsoft feud escalates with dueling Call of Duty claims

00:36:50 News 04: Halo Infinite PC gets ray tracing!

00:44:14 Supporter Q1: Are in-house game engines becoming no longer feasible?

00:52:10 Supporter Q2: Would DF be interested in producing PC build videos?

00:57:41 Supporter Q3: With Moore’s Law slowing down, will PCs or consoles need to switch to ARM for performance gains?

01:03:33 Supporter Q4: Would Alex consider making a new “do you really need ultra settings” video, given the advent of new PC technologies like DLSS?

01:05:49 Supporter Q5: Where has Alex’s Crysis Shrine gone? Has it been destroyed by Alex’s rage over #StutterStruggle?

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Baldur's Gate 3 isn't exclusive to any particular console, but right now, the Xbox versions are facing a unique problem that could impact the future of Series S. Meanwhile, John, Rich and Tom discuss the latest FF16 footage, the fate of Luminous Productions, Nvidia's new video AI upscaler and the impressive Humanity demo on PS5.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:45 News 01: Baldur’s Gate 3 hits Series S snag

00:16:27 News 02: Nvidia AI video upscaling tested!

00:24:06 News 03: Humanity demo impresses

00:30:12 News 04: Final Fantasy 16 gameplay footage showcased!

00:41:10 News 05: Luminous Productions merged into Square Enix

00:46:56 Supporter Q1: Do the new Pokémon and Chrono Cross patches fix those games?

00:50:39 Supporter Q2: Is there a database of Alex’s optimised settings for PC?

00:51:46 Supporter Q3: With more games launching in troubled form, do you think consumers will start holding off day one purchases?

00:58:00 Supporter Q4: Is this the best time to remake demanding 7th gen titles, now that console hardware has caught up to their ambitions?

01:03:25 Supporter Q5: Will this console generation last longer than 7 years?

01:08:43 Supporter Q6: If you could banish one gaming-related object or concept, what would it be?

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In a massive 100th Special Edition, DF Direct Weekly delivers the biggest show to date, with all current serving members of Digital Foundry at the mics. John, Alex, Rich and Audi take point on the main news stories of the week, joined by Tom, Will and Oliver for a gigantic supporter Q+A 'AMA' special. Thanks for watching and listening to the show over the last couple of years!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:00 News 01: State of Play impressions!

00:32:15 News 02: Microsoft makes Nintendo, Nvidia game deals

00:41:07 News 03: Half-Life gets ray tracing upgrade

00:45:15 Supporter Q1: If Audi is being held in Rich’s basement, wouldn’t he still be living overseas?

00:47:02 Supporter Q2: Could we see a performance difference between different Switch models in Tears of the Kingdom?

00:48:48 Supporter Q3: Series X has been performing worse than PS5 in some major recent titles - what’s the explanation?

00:54:51 Supporter Q4: Would you rather wait to do coverage on a game until major technical faults have been addressed, or run the risk of needing to redo big parts of the coverage as updates come in?

01:04:33 Supporter Q5: Alex, if you could pick a studio to develop a new Turok, who would you choose?

01:07:32 Supporter Q6: Tom, what do you think of the Suspira remake? And what dream film director plus game combination would you put together if you could?

01:10:23 Supporter Q7: John, what cars would you own if money was no object? And what’s your favourite factory car colour?

01:12:39 Supporter Q8: Will, what type of coffee roast do you prefer? Which country has the best coffee?

01:14:25 Supporter Q9: Oliver, what is your favourite part of the content creation process?

01:15:37 Supporter Q10: Rich, would you like to expand DF significantly or keep it as a smaller group?

01:17:37 Supporter Q11: What do you enjoy the most about each other’s videos?

01:25:11 Supporter Q12: John, how’s the racing wheel going? And does anyone else on the team enjoy some large sim gear?

01:30:05 Supporter Q13: Is Alex the only person who still uses the correct vertical orientation on controllers?

01:31:26 Supporter Q14: What are your favourite DF game benchmarks?

01:39:01 Supporter Q15: Tom, has anyone pointed out that you look like the lead singer from the band Nothing More?

01:39:52 Supporter Q16: Tom, can you give us a thorough walkthrough of your haircare routine?

01:42:27 Supporter Q17: Which hardware release have you been most excited for?

01:49:30 Supporter Q18: Have recent struggles with PC games made any of you play more on consoles?

01:56:13 Supporter Q19: I’ve watched nearly 6 days of DF Direct! Are there any fun DF stats you can share?

02:00:44 Supporter Q20: John, how did you meet the guys from My Life in Gaming?

02:02:48 Supporter Q21: Oliver, what did you think of the time the BBC quoted you on Mario Kart 8?

02:03:56 Supporter Q22: Alex, are you a German native? If not, how did your German language skills get so good?

02:06:22 Supporter Q23: What have you learned about DF supporters that has surprised you?

02:09:13 Supporter Q24: Rich, what do you look for when hiring for DF?

02:11:05 Supporter Q25: No question, but thanks for making amazing videos!

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We join John, Rich and Alex in the immediate wake of the PSVR2 review period, further discussing the hardware, talking games and answering supporter questions. Rich and Alex investigate a tip-off that DLSS is accessible on select Nvidia non-RTX GPUs in Cyberpunk 2077, while John and Rich discuss issues with games they looked at outside of work hours - Wild Hearts on PC and the new Tales of Symphonia remaster. Spoilers: there's disappointment.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:11 News 01: PSVR2 Post Mortem 00:28:38 News 02: Cyberpunk exposes DLSS support on Nvidia Turing GTX cards - but is it the real deal? 00:36:01 News 03: Wild Hearts suffers PC performance woes 00:46:32 News 04: Tales of Symphonia remastered disappoints 00:51:10 News 05: Nuon DVD player console gets new lease on life with controller adapters 00:55:52 DF Supporter Q1: Can DF still capture direct-feed footage off an undocked Switch? 00:59:51 DF Supporter Q2: Why do PC games do a poor job of optimizing settings for your specific hardware? 01:06:53 DF Supporter Q3: Could frame generation technology be used to offload game animation onto the GPU? 01:08:36 DF Supporter Q4: Could DLSS 3 double the frame-rates of emulated retro games? 01:10:54 DF Supporter Q5: Would FSR 1 style upscaling work for backwards compatible titles on consoles? 01:12:51 DF Supporter Q6: The RTX 2000 series had a bit of a slow start with few RT titles, so should the RTX 3000 series have been the first to support RT instead?

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A big week for news as the first phase of Sony's PlayStation VR2 embargo decloaks, meaning we can take the hardware out of its box and offer first impressions on the headset and controllers! Meanwhile. the latest Nintendo Direct turns out to be a bit of a banger - Pikmin 4 takes centrestage, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gets a new trailer and the brilliant Metroid Prime Remastered gets a surprise 'shadow drop'. Also: why are PC VRAM requirements becoming so bloated?

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:07 News 01: PS VR2 hands-on impressions! 00:14:25 News 02: Nintendo Direct reactions: Pikmin, Zelda, Metroid Prime 00:41:46 News 03: Hogwarts Legacy coverage plans 00:45:57 DF Supporter Q1: Avatar 2 mixes 24fps and 48fps footage - is this a good idea? 00:50:37 DF Supporter Q2: What can we expect in terms of timing for a Switch successor? 00:55:08 DF Supporter Q3/4: CPU performance is bottlenecking modern games - can developers work around this? Plus, ninth-gen games haven’t shown the expected bump in simulation complexity, so are the additional CPU resources just going towards draw calls and RT? 01:02:58 DF Supporter Q5: Will PC VRAM requirements continue to steeply increase throughout this generation, or is this a short-term phenomenon? 01:09:25 DF Supporter Q6: Why don’t console games support 50Hz output, given that nearly all TVs support it?

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It's time for another round of Digital Foundry Direct Weekly, on this occasion featuring the technical stylings of Sam Machkovech, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia. On the docket this week: layoffs at Halo developer 343 Industries amid a rumoured switch to Unreal Engine 5, a new PS5 beta firmware and is it 'safe' to move to Windows 11 on a gaming rig?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:53 News 01: Halo developer suffers layoffs, switching to UE5

00:17:37 News 02: Major live service games canceled

00:27:11 News 03: DLSS 3 added to Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2

00:36:21 News 04: The Witcher 3 gets RT performance boosts

00:43:11 News 05: Goldeneye launches on Xbox, Switch

00:53:56 News 06: PS5 beta firmware adds 1440p VRR support

01:05:04 DF Supporter Q1: Sam, you called the RTX 4090 a bargain. What other bargains do you recommend?

01:09:04 DF Supporter Q2: Have you tested copying the shader cache from one PC to another to eliminate shader stutter?

01:10:08 DF Supporter Q3: Could Square Enix be in financial trouble after Forspoken’s poor reception?

01:13:51 DF Supporter Q4: With PS VR2 pre-orders reportedly lower than expected, could the VR2 go the way of the Vita?

01:18:58 DF Supporter Q5: Do you think that it is safe to move to Windows 11 on a gaming rig?

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At Digital Foundry, we've been complaining about gaming events - and the way games are shown - for years... but you know what? Microsoft's Developer_Direct cracks it, with only one more aspect required to make the format almost perfect. But what's not perfect? The release of Forspoken, especially on PC. John, Rich and Alex are at the mics to discuss all of this - and more.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:44 News 01: Microsoft "Developer_Direct" reactions! 00:41:50 News 02: Forspoken released- and there are issues 00:58:12 News 03: Dead Space: our early impressions 01:06:03 DF Supporter Q1: Will you be covering the RTX 4050 at launch? What are your pricing expectations? 01:08:55 DF Supporter Q2: Could generative AI power an “auto-remaster” feature to upgrade game graphics in real time? 01:14:08 DF Supporter Q3: What kind of performance leap should we expect from a Switch sequel? 01:20:10 DF Supporter Q4: When will DirectStorage support become the norm for PC developers?

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A packed week of news as John, Rich and Alex discuss the elevated min specs for the PC versions of Forspoken and Returnal, which beg the question: ARE MIN SPECS OUT OF CONTROL?!11 Meanwhile, Stadia finally dies, while GeForce Now 4080 arrives to demonstrate that high-end cloud gaming can actually work.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:58 News 01: Forspoken and Returnal PC requirements detailed

00:21:55 News 02: Layoffs at Microsoft: 343 and Bethesda affected

00:29:20 News 03: PSVR2 launch titles announced

00:38:16 News 04: Stadia dead, RTX 4080 Geforce Now launches

00:49:11 News 05: Suicide Squad leak reveals games as a service components

00:56:24 News 06: The Callisto Protocol falls short of sales expectations

01:01:08 DF Supporter Q1: Why did Unreal Engine 3 games have that ‘wet’ look?

01:05:57 DF Supporter Q2: What are your CPU recommendations for demanding games?

01:09:05 DF Supporter Q3: How do your computers and consoles affect your home heating and cooling?

01:12:23 DF Supporter Q4: If you have a 120Hz screen running 60fps content, what is the best way to get a good experience?

01:15:29 DF Supporter Q5: What is the most memorable show you’ve attended?

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The big topic of the moment - has Nintendo Switch hit its limits? Is performance not good enough anymore and do we need a next-gen successor? John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts on the current Switch and a prospective replacement model. The team also discuss Microsoft's new Developer_Direct initiative, Xbox's 'carbon aware' credentials and finally... what on earth is happening at Ubisoft?

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: Does the Switch need to be replaced? 00:30:33 News 02: Xbox “Developer_Direct” to showcase first-party games 00:39:30 News 03: Xbox becomes “first carbon aware console” 00:49:43 News 04: Ubisoft has financial difficulties, cancels several upcoming games 00:57:01 DF Supporter Q1: Should Microsoft switch to rechargeable batteries for their controllers? 01:03:31 DF Supporter Q2/3/4: Any thoughts on the PS5 liquid metal console damage story? 01:09:42 DF Supporter Q5: Could shader compilation be handled with a separate app while the PC idles? 01:14:52 DF Supporter Q6: In 10 years, will high-end PCs be able to brute force their way past compilation stutters? 01:18:19 DF Supporter Q7: What do you think about gaming laptops? Is their negative perception just because of price for performance, or is there more to it? 01:23:03 DF Supporter Q8: What does DF think of producing the weekly DF Direct show at 4K?

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DF Direct Weekly is back for 2023, kicking off with the reactions of John, Rich and Alex to the big CES keynotes, discussing Nvidia's latest innovations and the RTX 4070 Ti backlash - plus the latest enhancements to OLED TV technology. And as always, DF supporters provide a wealth of excellent questions for the team.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:25 News 01: Sony at CES 2023: PS VR2 and Gran Turismo

00:15:37 News 02: Nvidia debuts RTX 4000 laptop GPUs, RTX video upscaling at CES

00:50:27 News 03: AMD announces new CPUs, discrete RDNA 3 laptop GPUs during CES showcase

01:01:02 News 04: Upcoming OLED TVs get brightness boost

01:06:42 DF Supporter Q1: Could modders add shader precompilation to a game?

01:09:09 DF Supporter Q2: Are path traced remakes of classic games feasible on consoles?

01:11:22 DF Supporter Q3: Would DF produce a video covering ray tracing games on Series S?

01:12:39 DF Supporter Q4: What do you think DF has done right over the years to survive - and to keep growing?

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The end of the year draws closer and as the Digital Foundry crew prepare to take a well-earned vacation, John, Rich and Oliver have just enough time to cram in one more DF Direct Weekly, looking back over a challenging 2022, looking forward to the New Year - and cramming in more supporter Q+A than we've ever done before!

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:35 DF Supporter Q1: What does Epic’s delisting of classic Unreal games say about the preservation of older titles? 00:08:24 DF Supporter Q2: What was the most successful cross-gen release of the year? 00:12:40 DF Supporter Q3: Could an Xbox One X set to 120Hz output 24fps game content without judder? 00:14:28 DF Supporter Q4: Why do PCs have to compile shaders while consoles don’t? 00:19:23 DF Supporter Q5: Can you name some positive developments in gaming this year? 00:26:37 DF Supporter Q6: What was your surprise game of 2022 - and your most disappointing game of 2022? 00:32:33 DF Supporter Q7: What was the most technically complete game of the year? 00:37:22 DF Supporter Q8: With TAAU a common sight on consoles, why exactly were we waiting for FSR 2? 00:41:04 DF Supporter Q9: Does Oliver have any thoughts on his time with DF so far? And does the team have any ideas to improve or shake up future content? 00:47:25 DF Supporter Q10: With so many big 2023 games and hardware releases, what are you looking forward to most in 2023? 00:50:26 DF Supporter Q11: If the Switch 2 launches in 2023, what kind of hardware is it likely to have? 00:58:06 DF Supporter Q12: Do you think Nintendo would add an option to Switch to allow it to run at docked settings in portable mode? 01:00:05 DF Supporter Q13: Could FSR 3 run on current-gen consoles? If it could, would it be worthwhile? 01:03:45 DF Supporter Q14: Would DF members ever make videos about their all-time favourite games? 01:06:05 DF Supporter Q15: Will Tears of the Kingdom have a significant graphical upgrade over Breath of the Wild? 01:09:21 DF Supporter Q16: Will DF do more frequent live streams next year? 01:11:40 DF Supporter Q17: With the year of the PS Triple almost over, any chance of a “Best PS3 Game” in your game of the year lists?

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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is slated for release in 'Fall' 2023, Kojima's helping to make a movie, Steam Deck is set to get a successor - and Returnal's recommendations include a mammoth 32GB of memory. All this, plus discussion of the RDNA 3 review aftermath in this week's show.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:00 News 01: Spider-Man 2 to launch in fall 2023 00:08:51 News 02: Death Stranding film in the works 00:14:45 News 03: Valve discusses Steam Deck successor 00:26:45 News 04: RX 7900 XT/XTX review follow-up! 00:51:34 News 05: Returnal PC requirements announced 00:57:39 News 06: High on Life launches with major issues, quickly patched 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q1: Which games would you like to get RTX Remix enhancements? 01:10:51 DF Supporter Q2: Why doesn’t DLSS significantly lower VRAM use? 01:12:22 DF Supporter Q3: Would you ever release the DF performance analysis tools to the public? 01:17:05 DF Supporter Q4: Alex, would you prefer to play a game with great ray tracing with PSO stutters, or a game without ray tracing with no stutters?

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The Game Awards - aka 'The Geoffs' - are back once again, bringing a deluge of new trailers and announcements for Rich, John and Alex to pore over in the latest DF Direct Weekly. Meanwhile, Stadia devkits are starting to emerge and Microsoft is raising game prices - but before all of that, the team takes a look at a dramatically improved build of The Callisto Protocol on PC.

The Game Awards - aka 'The Geoffs' - are back once again, bringing a deluge of new trailers and announcements for Rich, John and Alex to pore over in the latest DF Direct Weekly. Meanwhile, Stadia devkits are starting to emerge and Microsoft is raising game prices - but before all of that, the team takes a look at a dramatically improved build of The Callisto Protocol on PC. Join the DF Patreon for EARLY ACCESS to every DF Direct Weekly, pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content and much, much more: https://bit.ly/3jEGjvx Podcast RSS Feed: https://digitalfoundry.podbean.com/ Subscribe for more Digital Foundry: http://bit.ly/DFSubscribe 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:59 News 01: Callisto Protocol PC updates 00:09:12 News 02: The Game Awards game reveal rundown! 00:50:33 News 03: Stadia devkits dissected, analyzed 00:54:03 News 04: Microsoft increases game prices to $70 01:01:21 DF Supporter Q1: Is Alex doing better this week? Has DF considered doing numbered ratings to send a message about certain issues? 01:04:37 DF Supporter Q2: Would you consider giving a “seal of quality” to games that meet technical standards? 01:05:44 DF Supporter Q3: Would you prefer to play on a huge projector screen, or a top-of-the-line OLED TV? 01:08:46 DF Supporter Q4: Portal RTX demands DLSS, so is Quality, Balanced, or Performance the best DLSS preset? 01:13:04 DF Supporter Q5: Rich, do you still think that Xbox OS and PlayStation OS will become interchangeable on consoles?

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After a challenging week reviewing The Callisto Protocol and awaiting various performance patches, Alex, John and Rich unload about the triumphs and tragedies of the launch period, while reflecting on how good the game actually is. Meanwhile, Nintendo's promising improvements to Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, modders tackle Sonic Frontier's shortcomings - and Jesus Christ himself appears, rendered at 4K60 on RTX 4090.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: Callisto Protocol review aftermath 00:33:04 News 02: Poké-patch arrives for Scarlet/Violet, Nintendo apologizes 00:36:06 News 03: Fixes arrive for Sonic Frontiers 00:41:23 News 04: I am Jesus Christ Prologue: biblically-accurate graphics! 00:46:53 DF Supporter Q1: Which Switch games look better than you would expect? 00:50:54 DF Supporter Q2: Given the success of the Steam Deck, should Valve do Steam Machines again? 00:54:03 DF Supporter Q3: Who will implement a Nanite-style virtualized geometry system next? 00:58:28 DF Supporter Q4: Why do some games have broken physics when you increase the frame-rate? 01:03:14 DF Supporter Q5: Could Nvidia offer new tech as a paid subscription in the future? 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q6: If you could bring back a dormant Activision/Blizzard IP, which would it be?

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Will we have to wait until 2028 for new consoles from Microsoft and Sony? And how are the two companies at war over Call of Duty? Audi, John and Rich discuss, also covering news on The Witcher 3's upgrade plus the latest news about The Callisto Protocol. Meawhile, what on Earth is the Boner in Berlin?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:31 News 01: Next-gen consoles to launch in 2027/2028?

00:13:41 News 02: Microsoft and Sony engaged in Call of Duty value dispute

00:27:01 News 03: Witcher 3 current-gen + PC upgrades revealed!

00:37:34 News 04: Callisto Protocol leaks and reveals

00:46:45 News 05: The Game Awards nominees announced

00:55:39 News 06: Warzone 2.0 tested!

01:07:17 DF Content Discussion: What has Audi been up to?

01:10:43 DF Supporter Q1: Given the performance woes of the new Pokémon games, does the industry need to re-evaluate yearly franchises?

01:18:10 DF Supporter Q2: How does being multilingual help the DF team?

01:24:05 DF Supporter Q3: With GPU/CPU stock still on store shelves, have AMD and Nvidia misjudged the market?

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In the latest episode, John, Rich and Alex share observations, thoughts and hopes for The Witcher 3's forthcoming re-release and there's discussion on Epic's improvements to Unreal Engine 5, plus thoughts on RTX 4080/4070 Ti pricing. Meanwhile, what on earth is happening with Pokémon Violet and Scarlet polish and performance?

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:48 News 01: Witcher 3 next-gen patch incoming 00:12:48 News 02: Unreal Engine 5.1 delivers big improvements 00:27:29 News 03: RTX 4080 released! 00:44:35 News 04: Gamers Nexus solves 4090 power connector mystery 00:50:35 News 05: DLSS 3 gets frame-limiter to overcome vsync issue 01:00:42 News 06: Pokémon Violet and Scarlet suffer serious tech issues 01:07:33 DF Supporter Q1: Why don’t we ever get anisotropic filtering above 16x? 01:10:03 DF Supporter Q2: Why does the PS5 reserve 1.5 cores for the OS, leaving only 6.5 for games? 01:16:51 DF Supporter Q3: Is Elden Ring a good candidate for game of the year, given its performance problems? 01:18:34 DF Supporter Q4: Are game developers relying too much on DLSS? 01:24:21 DF Supporter Q5: When will Audi be released from Rich’s basement and appear in videos again?

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There's been a lot of debate recently about whether Xbox Series S's limited performance is 'holding back' the other consoles from being everything that they can be - so Rich, John and Alex weigh in with their opinions based on developer discussions and two years' worth of gaming data accrued by the channel. Meanwhile, it's all about the patches as Forza Horizon, Sackboy PC and Halo Infinite receive important updates.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:18 News 01: Is Series S limiting next-gen gaming? 00:23:32 News 02: Forza Horizon 5 patch brings DLSS, FSR 2, improved RT 00:34:13 News 03: Sackboy PC updated to eliminate #StutterStruggle! 00:43:26 News 04: Halo Infinite gets animation fix… but many issues remain 00:52:44 News 05: “Unlaunched” 4080 12GB to become 4070 Ti? 01:01:40 News 06: Mega Drive Mini 2 released! 01:08:42 DF Supporter Q1: With AMD focused on raster performance, is this an indication most gamers don’t care about ray tracing? 01:17:08 DF Supporter Q2: What’s the most impressive game to play on a new high-end PC system? 01:22:09 DF Supporter Q3: Should developers include advanced modes in console games to enhance future backwards compatibility? 01:25:07 DF Supporter Q4: How do you think the current economic environment will impact next-gen consoles?

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A big, big week for PC and console gamers as AMD emerges to showcase its new RDNA 3-powered RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT graphics cards with Rich, Will and Alex delivering their verdict on the reveal. Also, what to make of the PSVR2 launch line-up and pricing? Meanwhile, the realisation that new gaming tech is going up in price hits home as it's discovered that Microsoft is losing $100-$200 per console sold.

00:00:35 News 01: RDNA 3 unveiled! 00:24:15 News 02: FSR 3 frame-rate boost tech teased 00:31:26 News 03: How does RDNA 3 measure up against RTX 4000? 00:45:18 News 04: RT upgrades in Halo Infinite, Forspoken, and Snowdrop 00:51:31 News 05: PS VR2 release details announced 00:59:33 News 06: Microsoft takes $100-200 loss on Xbox Series consoles 01:03:51 News 07: Sackboy PC Stutter Struggles + shader compilation questions 01:11:47 DF Supporter Q1: What’s the best value CPU + motherboard + RAM combination for a PC? 01:15:41 DF Supporter Q2: Was FSR 2 really worth it for the Series X version of Scorn? 01:18:09 DF Supporter Q3: IS ALEX GERMAN OR AMERICAN? I MUST KNOW.

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John, Rich and Alex re-convene to share first impressions on the new God of War and the extent to which it leverages PlayStation 5. Meanwhile, rumours start to gather pace on AMD's RDNA 3 offerings, Microsoft hints at price increases - and what should we make of the Modern Warfare 2 PS4 Blu-ray with just 70MB of actual data on it?

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: God of War Ragnarök impressions! 00:16:54 News 02: AMD RDNA 3 GPU reveal incoming 00:26:05 News 03: Xbox price increases hinted by Phil Spencer 00:35:33 News 04: Original The Witcher game gets UE5 remake 00:40:18 News 05: Age of Empires makes console return on Xbox 00:44:23 News 06: MW2 uses just 70MB of data on PS5 disc 00:49:33 DF Supporter Q1: Is it feasible to launch a current-gen game at 30fps and later patch in 60fps support? 00:52:42 DF Supporter Q2: With most games supporting high frame-rate options, was cross-gen a good thing? 00:58:16 DF Supporter Q3: Why do 30fps games look so much better now than they used to? 01:02:37 DF Supporter Q4: What retro genres should be brought back? 01:06:10 DF Supporter Q5: Will DLSS 3 be on the next Switch? Could it be enough for 4K60? 01:10:35 DF Supporter Q6: I loved Rich’s shirt last week - any other shirt ideas?

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Will the end of the cross-gen console era also see the end of 60fps as the standard for gaming on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5? It's the big topic for this week in the wake of the arrival of Gotham Knights and A Plague Tale: Requiem. Also, the team shares its enthusiasm for the return of Silent Hill, Resident Evil 4 and the latest Final Fantasy 16 trailer.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:05 News 01: Gotham Knights and Plague Tale run at just 30fps on consoles 00:26:39 News 02: Silent Hill returns! 00:40:33 News 03: Resident Evil 4 remake gameplay trailer released 00:48:16 News 04: Final Fantasy 16 gets impressive new story trailer 00:55:33 DF Content Discussion: Uncharted PC: Review Code vs Day One Patch 01:05:39 DF Supporter Q1: What performance should we expect from consoles once FSR and SSDs are maximized? 01:10:00 DF Supporter Q2: How much performance loss will I see by using a 4090 in an older system? 01:12:47 DF Supporter Q3: If an emulated game has an improved frame-rate, should gameplay be adjusted to compensate? 01:14:04 DF Supporter Q4: Why don’t developers offer higher bitrate versions of game video files as an optional download? 01:18:53 DF Supporter Q5: With many PC gamers on 144Hz displays, why not do benchmarking at 72Hz instead of 60Hz? 01:20:58 DF Supporter Q6: Was Gotham Knights sabotaged just to spite Rich?

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Nvidia delivers a massive u-turn, 'unlauching' the RTX 4080 12GB. Rich, John and Alex discuss the reasons why and mull over the bizarre benchmarks revealed by the firm last week. In the meantime, with the RTX 4090 launched with coverage aplenty out there, the team discuss the reaction to the new GPU flagship and answer a bunch of supporter questions. Meanwhile, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is set to receive even more RT upgrades over the PS5 version - just how far could it be pushed?

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:24 News 01: Nvidia “unlaunches” RTX 4080 12GB 00:21:21 News 02: RTX 4090 launched: our coverage + supporter questions 01:10:30 News 03: Spider-Man: Miles Morales gets big PC boosts 01:06:58 News 04: Two unique unreleased NES games listed for sale 01:10:32 DF Supporter Q1: Was it a good idea for CD Projekt Red to announce so many new games at once? 01:13:59 DF Supporter Q2: Why can’t I disable TAA and upscaling on console games? 01:17:16 DF Supporter Q3: Is an Nvidia/AMD/Intel GPU market sustainable? 01:23:57 DF Supporter Q4: Modern GPUs are 200x as powerful as the best GPU in 2007, so do modern games look 200x better than Crysis? 01:26:04 DF Supporter Q5: Could future LG OLED TVs offer 4K/240Hz to suit high-end GPUs? 01:29:05 DF Supporter Q6: John: give us a eulogy for Google Stadia!

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The leak of a Sony document suggesting the existence of a remake for Horizon Zero Dawn kicks off our discussion, which encompasses PSVR2 mass production, rumours of Half-Life Alyx for the new headset, path-traced Quake, the new Need for Speed - and much, much more.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:58 News 01: Horizon Zero Dawn PS5 remake leaked!

00:12:00 News 02: PSVR 2 enters mass production

00:18:53 News 03: Ray-traced Quake 1 released

00:25:10 News 04: New gameplay trailer for Dead Space remake

00:31:31 News 05: Need for Speed: Unbound revealed, dated

00:38:59 News 06: Nintendo shows first trailer for Mario film

00:45:45 DF Content Discussion: Intel ARC review follow-up and questions

01:01:30 DF Supporter Q1: Is there a project that was just too big for DF Retro?

01:03:39 DF Supporter Q2: Will Unreal Engine 5.1 fix the #StutterStruggle?

01:04:55 DF Supporter Q3: What’s a game you love that is largely unknown?

01:10:35 DF Supporter Q4: What potential RDNA 3 feature could get people to switch to AMD?

01:16:27 DF Supporter Q5: Is there any reason to use last-gen hardware instead of current gen backwards compatibility for PS4/Xbox One games?

01:18:43 DF Supporter Q6: Why don’t developers use DLSS 2/XESS/FSR 2.0 to upscale RT effects?

01:21:43 DF Supporter Q7: What game would you like to see remade that will never happen?

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The upcoming demise of Google Stadia dominates discussion, but we find plenty of time to discuss a range of topics: PS5's new 6nm processor, the arrival of XeSS and the imminent deployment of Intel Arc, the quality of Ryzen 7000 CPUs and the challenges of CPU reviewing in general, DLSS 3 reaction and EVEN MORE.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:48 News 01: Google Stadia is shutting down 00:20:00 News 02: PS5 gets a die-shrink! 00:23:31 News 03: XeSS debuts, Arc A750/A770 priced 00:37:13 News 04: New Ryzen 7000 CPUs reviewed 00:57:49 News 05: Sony PC game announcements, leaks 01:02:18 DF Content Discussion: DLSS 3 reactions and follow-up 01:07:48 DF Supporter Q1: Is latency a big issue with DLSS 3? Could a future version have unnoticeable lag? 01:10:22 DF Supporter Q2: Could tech similar to DLSS 3 come to consoles? 01:11:40 DF Supporter Q3: Would a slower version of DLSS 3 be able to run on Ampere cards? 01:13:48 DF Supporter Q4: Is vendor-agnostic frame generation tech similar to DLSS 3 possible? 01:16:40 DF Supporter Q5: How does DLSS 3 cope with RT effects? 01:19:14 DF Supporter Q6: Would DLSS 2 Quality mode work better as a base for DLSS 3 than Performance mode? 01:22:15 DF Supporter Q7: What do you expect from AMD’s new graphics cards? 01:28:47 DF Supporter Q8: Thoughts on EVGA leaving the GPU market? 01:32:45 DF Supporter Q9: Is 8K excessive? Shouldn’t we focus on visual features and not pixel count? 01:35:13 DF Supporter Q10: Could PCs move to unified memory instead of two discrete memory pools?

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In this week's show, the team discuss the Nvidia RTX 4000 reveal, the new tech on offer and the backlash over RTX 4080 pricing. The new RT Overdrive rendition of Cyberpunk is discussed along with the rich potential of RTX Remix. Elsewhere, PS1 Classics' first European 60Hz release proves to be fundamentally flawed, John has issues with the new Star Ocean demo - but it looks like there's good news about improvements to Xbox's restrictive DRM.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:43 News 01: Nvidia announces 4090, 4080 graphics cards 00:21:59 News 02: DLSS 3.0 revealed! 00:42:19 News 03: RTX Remix modding tools impress 00:47:33 News 04: RT “Overdrive” patch teased for Cyberpunk 2077 00:52:38 News 05: Xbox DRM scaled back for disc games 00:58:48 News 06: NTSC/PAL switching for PS+ classic games introduced 01:02:05 News 07: New Star Ocean demo suffers performance woes 01:06:21 DF Supporter Q1: Given the leak of the Tegra T239, a likely Switch SOC, when is the new Switch going to be released? 01:12:32 DF Supporter Q2: How much difference does memory speed make in games? 01:14:07 DF Supporter Q3: Do you think Konami will go back to developing new big games? 01:16:51 DF Supporter Q4: What are your thoughts on the GTA 6 leak? 01:22:49 DF Supporter Q5: Rich, did you imagine yourself doing this sort of work 20 years ago? And what’s one game you need to have a physical version of?

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Digital Foundry is joined by Eurogamer's Ian Higton to discuss PlayStation VR 2 in extreme detail, followed up by John, Alex and Rich discussing the week's gaming and technology news - with a strong focus on the Tokyo Games Show and its surrounding Sony State of Play and Nintendo Direct mini-events.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:41 News 01: PSVR 2 hands-on impressions!

00:48:22 News 02: Sony’s latest State of Play

01:10:05 News 03: New Nintendo Direct showcases 2023 games

01:25:46 News 04: Suikoden I and II remasters announced

01:28:41 News 05: Uncharted PC collection finally dated!

01:32:51 DF Content Discussion: John’s upcoming DF Retro project

01:34:51 DF Supporter Q1: Could AI techniques be used for more exotic real-time image enhancements?

01:39:44 DF Supporter Q2: Why does John still like split-screen when he could just play on two consoles in the same room?

01:42:53 DF Supporter Q3: What is one of the biggest changes you’ve made to a video before release?

01:48:28 DF Supporter Q4: What’s the best cheap alternative to OLEDs with similar picture characteristics?

01:51:17 DF Supporter Q5: Is it really worth it to target 4K at 30 FPS?

01:55:40 DF Supporter Q6: When playing a PC game at 30 FPS, why not play at 30Hz instead of 60Hz with a frame-rate cap?

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The team discuss the arrival of a brand new PlayStation 5 revision, the arrival of 1440p support for the console - and the ongoing war over COD between Sony and Microsoft. Meanwhile, Halo Infinite's campaign co-op split-screen cancellation provokes frustration... and who is 'Jim Mattrick'...?

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It's been a rocky road to market for Intel with its Arc range of graphics cards... and just over a year since Intel talked to us about it. In this extended interview, Alex and Rich talk to Intel Fellow Tom Petersen about the state of play with Intel Arc, what's going on with DX11, DX12, Vulcan and Resizeable BAR, plus there's new information on XeSS upscaling (which we're currently testing) and what Intel says is best-in-class ray tracing performance.

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We've looked at how the Last of Us Part 1 compares with prior TLOU versions, we've detailed all of the various performance modes, what they do and how they work. Now, we get down to brass tacks. Is this a game that actually required a remake? Is it worth the money? John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie share notes and come to the conclusion that yes, it is.

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What should have been a celebration of gaming with the arrival of Gamescom 2022 is marred by a bunch of bad news - including price rises for PlayStation 5 in multiple territories that are not the United States of America and the mooted arrival of Denuvo DRM for... Nintendo Switch? As John and Rich seem to continually remind us the episode... it's not great.

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: Sony bumps PS5 prices! 00:16:17 News 02: Denuvo DRM launches on Switch 00:27:26 News 03: “Super Mario RTX” UE5 demo footage released 00:32:32 News 04: Impressions from Gamescom! 00:52:14 News 05: Intel showcases XeSS in new video 00:59:33 News 06: Pac-Man World Re-Pac packs 50Hz physics 01:01:56 DF Supporter Q1: Should I get an RTX 3070 now, or wait for RTX 4060/4070? 01:09:01 DF Supporter Q2: Which older proprietary engines do you wish were still being developed on? 01:12:59 DF Supporter Q3: Could 360/PS3 have gotten mid-gen enhanced consoles? 01:15:59 DF Supporter Q4: If Japan had gone with the PAL television standard, would 25fps/50fps have been the gold standard for games?

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DF Weekly reaches its three-quarter-century this week, with John, Rich and Will discussing evidence of Sony creating its own PSN launcher for its PC titles, a fascinating inteview with Astro's Playroom developer Team Asobi, more GPU price madness and Intel video card discussion - plus, a remarkable new voxelised version of Doom!

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:41 News 01: PlayStation PC game launcher to come? 00:11:10 News 02: Team Asobi interview hints at new game 00:19:03 News 03: Sonic Mania decompiled… and ported to Vita! 00:25:19 News 04: Intel ARC GPUs finally for sale outside of Asia + A380 performance discussion 00:37:53 News 05: GPU prices collapse! 00:46:14 News 06: New DOOM mod replaces sprites with 3D voxels 00:49:44 DF Content Discussion: New DF website launch 00:54:26 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro on the Klonoa series 00:59:21 DF Supporter Q1: Do 240Hz OLEDs have good enough motion clarity to match CRTs? 01:04:41 DF Supporter Q2: Could the Steam Deck be sold in mass-market retail stores? 01:09:08 DF Supporter Q3: Why do Insomniac’s VRR modes get high praise, given their inconsistent performance? 01:13:26 DF Supporter Q4: What are some examples of high-end PC game options that never run well, even with new hardware? 01:16:46 DF Supporter Q5: Will Rich ever go back to doing unboxing videos?

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It's been a challenging week for Digital Foundry as the review process for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered was set back twice owing to patch updates. So what actually went on, why was some of the embargoed review content out of date on embargo day, how was the game improved and where do we stand right now on day one - the day this Direct was filmed?

00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:57 News 01: Spider-Man Remastered released on PC! 00:27:05 News 02: Boneworks gets Metal Gear Solid mod 00:35:30 News 03: RTX 4070/4080 power consumption less than expected? 00:42:48 DF Update: DF site upgrade + Half-Life charity stream 00:46:01 DF Supporter Q1: Is Rich surprised DF Direct has run this long? 00:47:52 DF Supporter Q2: Was the Xbox BC program cancelled for licensing reasons or technical issues? 00:52:54 DF Supporter Q3: Could Microsoft introduce lower-feature OS modes to free up more performance on Series S? 00:55:37 DF Supporter Q4: How much will RT improve with efficiency improvements alone this generation? 00:59:23 DF Supporter Q5: What are your favourite methods of implementing complex graphical effects in retro games? 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q6: Would Sony ever release a new portable PlayStation system?

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PlayStation icon Kratos arrives on ALL Xbox consoles in one of the most unlikeliest stories we've ever seen, while Xbox Series S gets more memory delivered to game-makers via a development kit update. Meanwhile, John, Rich and Alex discuss the seemingly incredible perf boosts we should expect from the next-gen Nvidia GPUs, while Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins gets a PC AA/DLSS upgrade. All this - AND MORE - in this episode of DF Direct Weekly!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:57 News 01: War Gods Zeus of Child hits Xbox consoles!

00:13:59 News 02: Xbox Series S to receive memory boost in new GDK

00:25:28 News 03: Lovelace GPUs reportedly very, very fast

00:35:59 News 04: Stranger of Paradise gets DLSS upgrade

00:38:58 News 05: Return to Castle Wolfenstein gets new PC release

00:51:59 News 06: Analogue Pocket gets beta 1.1 firmware

00:55:39 DF Content Discussion: Upcoming DF Retro projects!

00:57:44 DF Supporter Q1: What does John think of the new RetroTINK 5X updates?

01:02:59 DF Supporter Q2: Does HDR impact game performance?

01:04:22 DF Supporter Q3: How do low-power systems like the Steam Deck slot into DF coverage?

01:11:25 DF Supporter Q4: How did you enjoy your vacations?

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It's the DF Direct Weekly "Hot Beast" Edition as John and Rich return from holiday to join Alex Battaglia for an extended discussion on the week's news, covering the surprise reveal of 1440p display support for PlayStation 5, an official look at more of The Last of Us Part 1, the highs and lows of VR - and Alex's Core i9-12900K PC upgrade!

00:00:43 News 01: 1440p output support in new PS5 beta firmware

00:13:49 News 02: TLOU Part 1 gameplay showcase video released

00:20:31 News 03: PSVR 2 features detailed, Quest 2 price increased

00:34:10 News 04: Xbox boot times shortened with faster boot video

00:39:07 News 05: Returnal port updated with Steam Deck support

00:43:38 DF Content Discussion: Alex’s i9-12900K upgrade

00:59:28 DF Supporter Q1: Given the stutter issues on Unreal Engine, is it better to just play UE games on consoles?

01:07:45 DF Supporter Q2: Is there a way to get pre-cached shaders for EGS games on Steam Deck?

01:09:39 DF Supporter Q3: Why do so many Switch games lack anti-aliasing?

01:13:55 DF Supporter Q4: DLSS has a fixed cost, so have you ever seen a scenario where DLSS was slower than regular rendering?

01:15:43 DF Supporter Q5: If the next Switch can achieve performance similar to Series S, will major third party games come back to Nintendo?

01:19:46 DF Supporter Q6: When playing on PC, what is your personal target frame rate?

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It's something of a DF Direct special this week, as regular co-host Alex Battaglia is joined by two insightful guests: Sam 'samred' Machkovech of Ars Technica and Addie 'EposVox' of... YouTube. The trio tackle the week's news - including the first details on the Spider-Man Remastered PC port, leaked footage from the upcoming The Last Of Us Part 1 remake and early reviews of Intel's Arc GPUs - and answer an unparalleled 12 DF Supporter questions. 

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:09 News 01: Spider-Man Remastered PC port details revealed 

00:09:57 News 02: The Last of Us Part 1 leaked footage and impressions 

00:16:30 News 03: Intel Arc GPUs get benchmarked and reviewed 

00:34:50 News 04: Activision gets official Steam publisher page 

00:40:28 News 05: Classic PC titles available for free via Xbox Insider 

00:48:22 News 06: John Romero to make new UE5-based FPS game 

00:52:07 News 07: Bloodlines 2 development resumed at new studio 

00:55:01 DF Content Discussion: Sam’s new release roundup 

01:02:33 DF Supporter Q1: Could Series S run some One X-enhanced games? 

01:07:57 DF Supporter Q2: Why don’t PC games compile shaders in advance? 

01:15:59 DF Supporter Q3: Using a One X as “extra storage” for a Series X library - is it a good idea? 

01:19:21 DF Supporter Q4: Will other manufacturers produce Xbox Series SSD expansion cards? 

01:22:57 DF Supporter Q5: How good is Windows HDR for games? 

01:26:53 DF Supporter Q6: What games or tech releases is Sam looking forward to? 

01:30:50 DF Supporter Q7: If streaming had been around in the 90s, what games would have been popular to stream? 

01:35:37 DF Supporter Q8: What is the best way to get high quality game capture for editing using OBS? 

01:36:48 DF Supporter Q9: Would a stream deck or other specialty input peripheral be helpful for general office use?

01:39:19 DF Supporter Q10: Is desktop Linux bound to be a UX headache for new users forever, or is there a way to fix it? 

01:44:31 DF Supporter Q11: Sam, do you still use your Playdate? 

01:46:11 DF Supporter Q12: What’s a game you liked when you were younger but don’t look back on as fondly?

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It's the DF Skeleton Crew! With Rich, John and Alex away, it's time for Will, Tom and Oliver to escape Rich's basement and step into the limelight for a Direct. In this episode we cover the new Skate and Bayonetta 3 announcements, react to the delisting of the Matrix Awakens and explain why Nvidia is discounting its higher tier graphics cards. Also: what secret projects would we like to work on, and what Prime Day pickups did we each make?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:49 News 01: Is FF7: Rebirth too much for Xbox?

00:08:21 News 02: RDR 2 current-gen ports reportedly cancelled

00:13:08 News 03: New Skate game announced, old build leaked

00:16:53 News 04: Bayonetta 3 trailer and release date announcement

00:24:37 News 05: First footage of redone Ark: Survival Evolved Switch port

00:30:13 News 06: The Matrix Awakens demo delisted!

00:34:27 News 07: High-end RTX 30 series GPUs get price drops

00:39:42 DF Supporter Q1: Console showdown: PS1, N64, or Saturn?

00:47:28 DF Supporter Q2: Any projects to look out for, or special interests you’d like to explore on the channel?

00:50:23 DF Supporter Q3: How do you split your work between DF and Eurogamer?

00:53:13 DF Supporter Q4: With Prime Day concluded, what pickups did you make from the sales?

00:56:24 DF Supporter Q5: What gaming-related things are banned in your household?

00:59:44 DF Supporter Q6: If Alex came from 2026 and told you a future Steam Deck had more powerful RT hardware than a PS5 or XSX, would you believe him?

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Hitting the 69th episode milestone, Rich gets to grips with Horizon Forbidden West's excellent VRR/40Hz date, while Alex and Tom join him to discuss topics as diverse as the apparent cancellation of GTA4 and Red Dead Redemption patches, more heavy-handed Take Two legal threats, and yet more issues with Capcom PC ports - this time with a furless DLSS patch. Meanwhile, is it really wise for Rich's gaming hardware to be situated next to a big radiator? And do Alex and Tom assess the rendering features of reality itself?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:55 News 01: Horizon: Forbidden West patch brings VRR, 40Hz support

00:11:25 News 02: GTA IV and RDR remasters cancelled?

00:20:15 News 03: Take-Two issues VR mod takedowns

00:32:36 News 04: DLSS patch removes fur in MH: Rise

00:44:48 News 05: Biomutant PS5, Series S/X update incoming!

00:47:49 DF Content Discussion: FSR 2.0 deep dive

00:54:23 DF Supporter Q1: Why are we still seeing reduced-rate animations on distant characters?

01:01:07 DF Supporter Q2: Do you ever ponder the rendering features of reality itself?

01:04:59 DF Supporter Q3: Can developers use unrealistic RT implementations to create surreal environments in games?

01:08:45 DF Supporter Q4: Can bad frame-pacing occur with 60fps games set to 120Hz output?

01:12:26 DF Supporter Q5: Console showdown: Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo?

01:16:45 DF Supporter Q6: What does Rich aim to achieve by overclocking a PS3?

01:17:45 DF Supporter Q7: Does Rich have a custom radiator cooling setup for his Switch?

01:19:11 DF Supporter Q8: If Rich is taking a vacation, that must mean Microsoft will be announcing new studio acquisitions

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Not exactly a week for 'gigaton' news but plenty to discuss nonetheless. Portal and Portal 2 arrive on Switch, with Half-Life 2 mods appearing less than 24 hours later. There's joy at the news of a Switch Nier Automata port but confusion about how to actually pronounce it. Meanwhile, Sony unveils a new range of hardware - but is it aimed at PC or PS5 players? Also: FSR 2.0's open source nature brings about a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod - and we've spoken to the person who did it. Join John, Rich and Will for this one - but Alex Battaglia's Force Ghost is never too far away...

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:47 News 01: Half-Life 2 modded onto Portal for Switch

00:09:10 News 02: Nier: Automata Switch port revealed

00:13:55 News 03: Cyberpunk 2077 modded with FSR 2.0

00:21:20 News 04: Sony launches PC headsets, monitors

00:36:39 News 05: Valve doubling Steam Deck production

00:43:42 News 06: New Star Ocean: The Divine Force trailer

00:46:55 DF Supporter Q1: If Alex came from a time warp and said the Switch 2 had better RT hardware than PS5/XSX, would you believe him?

00:52:30 DF Supporter Q2: Nintendo has been stockpiling materials - possibly a sign of a new Switch?

00:56:05 DF Supporter Q3: Which gaming industry figure would you most like to interview?

01:01:30 DF Supporter Q4: Which retro CRTs are a good pick - that aren’t crazily expensive?

01:05:12 DF Supporter Q5: Could spatial upsampling like FSR 1.0 be integrated into displays?

01:08:47 DF Supporter Q6: Now that Alex is away, can we agree that Crysis isn’t a particularly good game?

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A packed week for news! YouTuber DIY Perks reveals a fascinating PS5 'Slim' model while Sony finally unleashes PlayStation Plus in the EU and UK - and yup, the classic games are 50Hz - but the platform holder promises to address the situation. Nintendo delivers a beautiful reveal for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on Switch, Forza Horizon 5 gets TAA - but only on PC, while John has much to say about a scrappy demo of the Klonoa remaster on Switch.

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It's the final push for the E3 that wasn't quite an E3, with John, Rich and Alex talking through Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and their favourite big game reveals from the last couple of weeks' festivities. Meanwhile, some happy-ish news for PS+ classic game subscribers in the US, plus the awesome reveal of Jak and Daxter as the latest decompilation project. Meanwhile... could it be? Could Alex's #StutterStruggle soon be over?

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:58 News 01: Square reveals FF7 Rebirth and Crisis Core remake

00:13:56 News 02: "E3" Aftermath and thoughts

00:32:16 News 03: PS1 Classics are proper NTSC in the US

00:34:55 News 04: Jak and Daxter reverse engineered

00:41:28 News 05: Unreal Engine Forum Q&A

00:55:45 DF Supporter Q1: How long do you think Forza Motorsport has been in development?

01:04:43 DF Supporter Q2: What could be the unique selling point of Switch 2?

01:08:13 DF Supporter Q3: Do you think 4k gaming is relevant? Is it worth the effort?

01:12:37 DF Supporter Q4: Are you guys aware of the RGB-Pi?

01:13:36 DF Supporter Q5: Would you rather play a single-player game at 60 fps with DLSS quality or 90-120 with DLSS performance.

01:15:19 DF Supporter Q6: What type of milk do you all like in your tea?

01:16:48 DF Supporter Q7: What country would you guys like to visit soon, that you may not have had the chance to visit in the last 4 years?

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Not one - but TWO - Microsoft/Xbox/Bethesda shows aired this week, so we decided to watch both of them before passing comment. John, Rich, Oliver and Alex share their thoughts on the games on offer from the technical brilliance of Forza Motorsport to the next-gen BGS title, Starfield. Plus: what to make of the Kojima announcement?

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Geoff Keighley rolls into town, meaning only one thing - Summer Game Fest, aka Geoffcon aka Keigh3 is finally upon us. The Last of Us Part 1, Modern Warfare 2 and The Callisto Protocol headline the proceedings alongside a whole host of other great-looking games. Meanwhile, 343 Studios announces Halo co-op preview flighting in July and Apple reveals the M2 chip, smart upscaling and a new focus on gaming. Finally, what is T-LOO and will it forever dominate our destinies?

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:04 News 01: Summer Game Fest

00:42:33 News 02: Plucky Squire looks fabulous

00:47:08 News 03: Halo Infinite Co-Op in public beta

00:50:05 DF Supporter Q1: What are your thoughts on Apple's MetalFX Upscaling?

00:50:25 DF Supporter Q2: What are your thoughts on Apple's MetalFX and the new M2 SoC?

00:54:31 DF Supporter Q3: Can you see Sony making their own PC client for Playstation games?

00:56:04 DF Supporter Q4: How much in contact are the MS and Sony console divisions?

00:57:33 DF Supporter Q5: How do you maintain your launch day PS3?

01:00:36 DF Supporter Q6: Is there any chance we can get more DF Retro E3 presentation watch-alongs?

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DF Direct Weekly reaches its 'landmark' 64th episode, automatically making it as good as the Nintendo 64, Commodore 64 and Mega 64 (?). John, Rich and Alex team up to discuss the Sony PS5 State of Play, including Resident Evil 4 Remake, Spider-Man's PC port and PlayStation VR2. Meanwhile, there's confusion and disappointment surrounding Sonic Frontiers' gameplay reveal, and anticipation for God of War PC's FSR 2.0 update and Horizon Forbidden West's new patch.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:59:00 News 01: State of Play June 2022

00:41:38 News 02: Sonic Frontiers gameplay underwhelms

00:48:25 News 03: PS+ Japan gets NTSC classics

00:52:08 News 04: God of War and Horizon PC gets updates

00:55:31 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro PS3 1080p video update

01:01:53 DF Supporter Q01: Any thoughts on breathless tech site stories saying RTX cards are "back to MSRP"?

01:07:41 DF Supporter Q02: What do you guys think AMD needs to pull out of the hat to surpass or at least be on the same level playing field as Nvidia on the PC market?

01:20:31 DF Supporter Q03: How about a comprehensive tech terms and techniques explanation video?

01:22:46 DF Supporter Q04: Why do most US, Canadian and Euro Genesis / Mega Drive games just sound so much worse musically than their Japanese counterparts?

01:26:32 DF Supporter Q05: With all the games that you guys have reviewed all these years, which post-processing effect is the one that makes a great impact in a game, or which is your favorite?

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Much to discuss this week as the silly season brings us unconfirmed rumours of new consoles, plus a wealth of new information from Sony on its PC strategy and its future plans for PS4. Meanwhile, Windows Central reveals news on Microsoft's xCloud streaming stick, but can the technology actually become viable for all? Also - the PlayStation Plus classics emulators. They're not great and John's not happy about it. Finally, Alex has been spending 'quality time' with Steam Deck but what does that actually mean?

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:46 News 01: TCL anticipates new consoles by 2024

00:13:07 News 02: Sony doubling down on PC

00:21:55 News 03: PS4 Cross-Gen here to stay for a while.

00:25:42 News 04: Next Xbox is a cloud streaming stick?

00:29:34 Supporter Q: What's your take on whether the big obstacle for making game streaming more attractive being the problem with Internet infrastructures, or something the streaming software can solve by itself?

00:35:42 News 05: PS Classics on PS+ isn't great

00:36:39 Supporter Q: PS Classics questions

00:50:42 Supporter Q01: If FSR 2.0 is providing comparable quality to DLSS, don't you think Nvidia is wasting precious silicon area that could be used on more shaders on tensor cores?

00:53:16 Supporter Q02: Any thoughts on DLSS, FSR, or XeSS being used to upscale streaming services like Netflix?

00:59:52 Supporter Q03: Do publishers update the versions of their games on physical discs for later print runs?

01:02:48 Supporter Q04: Can you see yourselves potentially using Steam OS on your non-work PCs once it's seen a proper release of version 3?

01:07:34 Supporter Q05: Do you think we could see cross-gen games that ditch the base last-gen consoles but work on the enhanced consoles?

01:09:11 Supporter Q06: Will Knack 3’s inevitable announcement (or release) coincide with a PS5 firmware update to enable its promised 8K output?

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Is The Last of Us really being remade for PlayStation 5 and if it is, is it really coming out in 2022? Or has the news void drove journos to desperation? Rich, John and Alex discuss this, the controversial PlayStation Plus games line-up - and of course, the big Starfield/Redfall delay. Also: Hitman 3's ray tracing seems to require an RTX 3070 and DLSS for 1440p - just how heavy is this game?

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Nintendo's worried about the next-gen transition, Xbox Online DRM causes a major outage, Gotham Knights gets an unconvincing gameplay reveal and the legendary Duke Nukem Forever build from 2001 has leaked! Let's just say that there's plenty to discuss for John, Rich and Tom!

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This week, Oliver makes his DF Direct debut alongside familiar faces John and Alex. They discuss the news that Square Enix has sold its Western IPs and studios, including Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, Halo Infinite's Season 2 fixes and the early development of the TINK4K. Plus: does the Steam Deck suffer from high input lag? And most importantly, what's Oliver's superhero-style origin story?

00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:20 News 01: Square Enix sells off Western studios + IPs 00:10:10 News 02: Halo Infinite Season 2 launched 00:18:53 News 03: Is Forza Motorsport 8 cross-gen? 00:24:08 News 04: Prince of Persia Remake woes 00:29:17 News 05: Xbox VRR HDMI woes on AV receivers 00:36:23 News 06: 100TF Nvidia Lovelace GPUs? 00:45:35 DF Supporter Q1: Does the frame limiter in Steam Deck increase input lag? 00:55:27 DF Supporter Q2: My friends say Elden Ring "runs great" - does this vindicate From's decision to not focus on technical performance when only the enthusiast crowd notices? 01:00:20 DF Supporter Q3: Do you think we'll see GameCube emulation on Switch? 01:04:05 DF Supporter Q4: Mike Chi teased a TINK4K on Twitter - what do you think? 01:10:20 DF Supporter Q5: The games that best use Switch hardware tend to be from Nintendo or developers that work (almost) exclusively for Nintendo platforms. Will the Series S get into a similar situation where Microsoft / Bethesda make the best Series S titles? 01:15:35 DF Supporter Q6: Is HDR more trouble than it's worth? 01:24:12 DF Supporter Q7: What kinds of games are best suited for Black Frame Insertion (BFI)? 01:28:05 DF Supporter Q8: Oliver, what's your professional background?

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It's been a barren few weeks for gaming and technology news, but it looks like things are finally picking up! John, Rich and Alex share initial findings on PlayStation 5 VRR, discuss Valve's new 40-60Hz display support for Steam Deck... and what to make of the PlayStation "Preservation Group"?

00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:02 News 01: PlayStation 5 VRR support released 00:23:03 News 02: Steam Deck VRS, 40-60Hz updates 00:32:26 News 03: PlayStation "preservation group" revealed 00:35:33 News 04: Time-limited game trials on PS5 00:38:46 News 05: Shader compilation stutters resurface in Chernobylite 00:52:58 DF Supporter Q1: 900W Nvidia Lovelace GPU rumours 00:58:12 DF Supporter Q2: Forcing V-Sync on consoles? 01:01:08 DF Supporter Q3: Plans to cover Switch emulation? 01:04:43 DF Supporter Q4: Is digital the best way to preserve games? 01:08:56 DF Supporter Q5: Would a streaming service for emulated games be a good idea?

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As the dearth of news continues, the silly season breaks out with DF caught in a 'too big for Switch' crossfire. Even so, there's still some cool stuff to discuss - Playdate is in our hands, Steam Deck's getting 40Hz display support and Sonic Origins looks cool. But we've got bigger fish to fry: fundamentally, has next-gen actually happened yet - or are we still mired in a seemingly never-ending cross-gen transition period?

00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:04 News 01: Has "Next-Gen" happened yet? 00:27:52 News 02: DF says BOTW 2 is too big for Switch 00:32:54 News 03: Playdate has arrived 00:40:52 News 04: Steam Deck at 40hz 00:49:31 News 05: Sonic Origins details emerge 00:56:16 News 06: Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi to return in big budget form? 01:01:24 DF Supporter Q1: What are your thoughts on Sonic Jam on Saturn? 01:03:07 DF Supporter Q2: What are your favorite RTS? 01:08:16 DF Supporter Q3: What's John take on CRT shaders such as CRT-Royale 01:10:22 DF Supporter Q4: Any chance we can get a video on Cyberpunk's next gen comparisons to PC? 01:12:41 DF Supporter Q5: Am I the only one who looks at Ghostwire and thinks LICHDOM BATTLEMAGE?

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With the glut of triple-A releases over, the games industry continues to lull into a state of near-hibernation - not great when you're looking to produce a weekly chat show on the latest gaming and technology news. But we have a bunch of reports/rumours to respond to! The Witcher 3's next-gen upgrade has been delayed and news is starting to emerge of Criterion's new Need for Speed. And we did get an actual announcement: Kingdom Hearts 4 on UE5... so what does the team make of all this?

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:55 News 01: Kingdom Hearts 4 revealed

00:07:50 DF Supporter Q: What games do you hope are real from the Nvidia leak?

00:09:33 News 02: Next-gen Witcher 3 delayed and reorganized

00:16:24 News 03: Rumors of Criterion NFS in November

00:25:24 News 04: LG C2 TVs have issues

00:34:59 DF Content Discussion: Unreal Engine 5

00:53:00 DF Content Discussion: Motorstorm and PS3 emulation

01:04:08 DF Supporter Q1: What is your opinion on Deck's night pitched fan whine?

01:05:40 DF Supporter Q2: Would the Steam Deck (or other platforms) benefit from games having a native resolution UI with the 3D graphics at a lower resolution scaled up?

01:05:56 DF Supporter Q3: What are your thoughts on the upcoming technologies regarding upsampling via FSR 2.0 or Unreal engines TAA solution regarding the Steam Deck's resolution?

01:08:36 DF Supporter Q4: Why didn't UE5 release with direct storage to begin with?

01:11:08 DF Supporter Q5: How do you guys think the increased focus on CPU power in current-gen consoles will affect game design trends going forward?

01:19:36 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think we’ll ever see a FPS AI driven optimization built into game engines, perhaps to push a 30fps title to an AI-interpolated 60fps without a noticeable sacrifice to quality and latency?

01:24:05 DF Supporter Q7: What exactly does the PS5 have in hardware to support ray tracing?

01:25:33 DF Supporter Q8: Which games would you consider technological highlights on the "OG-Xbox"?

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Let's say you're a bunch of tech journalists producing a weekly show based on gaming and technology news... and there's not really any worthwhile gaming or technology news to speak of? In an ideal world, we'd give ourselves the week off but #content must never sleep. And to be fair, we think we've managed to deliver a decent show nonetheless. Enjoy!

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:23 News 01: Minecraft RT leaks onto Xbox Series, promptly removed.

00:05:27 DF Supporter Q: Why do you think MICROSOFT seemingly doesn't care about Minecraft on its own console?

00:09:46 News 02: Remedy to remake Max Payne 1 & 2

00:18:14 News 03: Unreal Engine 5 out of early access

00:36:36 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro Motorstorm

00:45:49 DF Content Discussion: Doom RT

00:54:14 DF Supporter Q1: How do you feel about the Steam Deck LCD display after some regular use now?

00:58:17 DF Supporter Q2: What's your thoughts on the potential of the Analogue Pocket 4 months on since release?

01:02:18 DF Supporter Q3&4: How long do you give it before owning a VRR display for current gen consoles becomes a necessity? / Do you have any thoughts as to why it took so long for Sony to implement VRR?

01:10:23 DF Supporter Q5: Jurassic Park Trespasser DF Retro WEN?

01:12:32 DF Supporter Q6: Can variable rate shading replace dynamic resolution scaling?

01:16:21 DF Supporter Q7: If my geforce 1070 ti dies, what do I get to replace it? Assume a $500ish budget.

01:18:24 DF Supporter Q8: Is there ever a conflict about who gets to review a certain game?

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A week of hot news - Sony scrambles to take on Game Pass (or Games Pass, as Alex would more correctly call it as it has more than one game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is delayed but showcased with footage that looks significantly beyond Switch's capabilities - and Intel launches its first Arc GPU products. RTX 3090 Ti also debuts. And... could it be? Is Knack finally returning? And if not, why not?

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:40 News 01: PlayStation reveals new subscription service

00:10:32 DF Supporter Q roundup

00:22:37 News 02: Breath of the Wild 2 delayed till Spring 2023

00:28:30 News 03: Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti details

00:35:38 News 04: Intel Arc launches on laptops

00:43:08 News 05: KNACK ALERT

00:45:45 DF Supporter Q1: What's your opinion about Steam Deck possibly utilising FSR 2.0 or XeSS using DP4A?

00:56:36 DF Supporter Q2: Do you think Steam Deck will stop being a niche product?

00:59:42 DF Supporter Q3: What's your take on DirectML?

01:04:04 DF Supporter Q4: John has mentioned he believes PS2-era or earlier games look best on a CRT because many effects were meant to render at a lower resolution. Isn’t that more of a game-by-game assessment, though?

01:10:36 DF Supporter Q5: Do you feel manual transmission adds anything to the gameplay experience in racing games versus just sticking with automatic?

01:13:55 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think BFI (Black Frame Insertion) is a dying technique now that LG has removed BFI 120hz from its newest generation OLEDs?

01:19:56 DF Supporter Q7: When did you start building PCs, and what started it?

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This is the news! John, Rich and Alex take to the mics to discuss the end of CDPR's REDengine, image reconstruction via FSR 2.0 and XeSS, plus the long awaited confirmation of VRR (variable refresh rate) support coming to PlayStation 5. In short, there's a lot of 'hullaballoo' to sift through this week.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:36 News 01: CD Project RED announces UE5 powered Witcher game

00:18:26 News 02: VRR is coming to PS5

00:28:19 News 03: AMD's FSR 2.0 presentation at GDC

00:33:34 DF Supporter Q: Do you think FSR 2.0 could be used on console as they are AMD powered?

00:45:36 News 04: Unity releases new "Enemies" real time cinematic showcase

00:52:54 News 05: Zelda Ocarina of Time has been decompiled and released publicly

00:56:56 News 06: Nintendo Switch gets "Groups" folder support

00:59:03 DF Supporter Q: Would you still play new PC releases if you didn't review them for a living?

01:03:21 DF Supporter Q: What type of video or content do you dream of making?

01:12:27 DF Supporter Q: Does it make sense for Nintendo to target 4k on the next Switch even with reconstruction?

01:18:03 DF Supporter Q: Can AMD and Nvidia do something to fix the shader compilation issues on PC?

01:22:46 DF Supporter Q: Will you review GTA 5 when it releases on Playstation 6 and Xbox Series XL?

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A packed show this week! Alex shares his impressions on Grand Theft Auto 5's arrival on the new wave of consoles, the Elden Ring performance saga continues with the arrival of patch 1.03, AMD reveals the impressive-looking FSR 2.0, while AMD also aims to take on Intel at the more budget-orientated end of the market.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:09 GTA Fünf releases on PS5

00:09:48 Elden Ring 1.03 console performance boost?

00:21:36 FSR 2.0

00:31:39 AMD New CPUs taking on Alder Lake

00:37:48 GT7 servers down for 24 hours

00:44:05 Microsoft "releases" DirectStorage

00:46:28 UK sales physical vs digital

00:50:01 DF Content Discussion: Steam Deck

00:52:46 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro Gran Turismo

00:56:47 DF Supporter Q1: With the reality of console supply shortages isn't crossgen the more responsible course?

01:02:39 DF Supporter Q2: If you didn't have to use them for coverage purposes, would any of you ever touch a PS4/Xbox One system ever again?

01:06:07 DF Supporter Q3: How close are the two horizons (Forbidden West/Forza) to Nanite/UE5 in terms of geometric density/complexity?

01:07:52 DF Supporter Q4: Steam Deck has this very useful 30 FPS option built in. Do you think, the console manufacturers could implement such "half refresh rate" feature into their own SDK?

01:10:28 DF Supporter Q5: How do you keep CRT TV's maintained and going?

01:13:52 DF Supporter Q6: What went wrong with Microsoft's Windows Experience Index score as a replacement for system requirements?

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In a packed show, it's Rich, John and Alex at their respective microphones, sharing their thoughts on the Japan-focused State of Play, what tweaks to image quality Guerrilla Games has delivered for Horizon Forbidden West, plus a quick look at Dying Light 1's 60fps patch. Meanwhile, Alex is raging about stutter in PC games... but we're not going to let him talk about it. Not just yet.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:05 State of Play reactions

00:14:04 Horizon Forbidden West 1.07 patch

00:20:26 Dying Light next-gen patch

00:25:44 F-Zero X comes to NSO

00:29:55 Media.Vision announces 5 games in development

00:31:38 Switch OLED 3600 hour burn-in test

00:38:31 DF Supporter Q: Do you think the "burn-in crisis" is overblown?

00:42:37 DF Content Discussion: Guardians of the Galaxy on GamePass / DF Retro update

00:51:02 DF Supporter Q1/2/3: Elden Ring performance questions

01:02:57 DF Supporter Q4: What would you prefer? Locked 60fps or 60-80fps VRR?

01:06:22 DF Supporter Q5: Why is it so hard to produce OLED-Screens for the PC market?

01:14:32 DF Supporter Q6: Do you hold out much hope for improper frame-pacing being addressed in the next Switch?

01:16:42 DF Supporter Q7: Do you think Super Switch will be capable of matching or even surpassing the visual presentation of the new Sony and Microsoft machines?

01:19:07 DF Supporter Q8: The Bubsy Curse rumor

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A gigantic week of news, covering Elden Ring, the Switch Pro leak and reaction to Steam Deck... and yes, we take more user questions than ever before in covering these massive stories.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:27 Steam Deck coverage and thoughts

00:10:38 Steam Deck Q1: Do you think the Deck passes the “significant other couch test”?

00:12:28 Steam Deck Q2: What happens if you put in a aftermarket NVMe or install Windows without proper drivers

00:15:42 Steam Deck Q3: Is there a danger of developers being held back by Steam Deck?

00:19:38 Steam Deck Q4: Will issues with AMD GPU drivers hold back emulation on the Steam Deck?

00:22:06 Steam Deck Q5: Do you think it would be feasible for Valve to integrate the functionality of a 50Hz mode in the Steam Deck via a software update?

00:27:06 Elden Ring coverage and thoughts

00:33:19 Elden Ring Q1&2: Is the 10/10 warranted for Elden Ring / What is causing the poor framerate in Elden Ring?

00:42:25 Elden Ring Q3: Should From Software have reached out to Bluepoint to inherit some of their expertise?

00:47:25 Elden Ring Q4: What can be done with hardware and software to mitigate the issues in lieu of a proper fix?

00:51:38 Elden Ring Q5: Elden Ring would be a DX12 game on the Xbox Platform of Consoles, which all use DX12 anyway, so why doesnt it seem that any of them suffer from shader comp issues in any game really?

00:52:43 Elden Ring Q6: Are there more things companies like AMD, NVidia and Valve can do to help improve the experience for users?

00:56:05 Nvidia leak suggests new Switch hardware specs

01:02:55 Resident Evil 2, 3 and 7 gets next-gen patches

01:05:15 DF Supporter Q1: Do you think that GT7 was held back by its cross-gen nature? And to what degree?

01:12:09 DF Supporter Q2: Would you consider an enhanced PS5 that’s more XT than pro to be worthwhile?

01:13:48 DF Supporter Q3: Is it fair to say that raw compute is becoming an increasingly less relevant factor in the performance equation?

01:17:12 DF Supporter Q4: Do you think that rasterisation performance will be less important in the PC GPU space in the future?

01:20:42 DF Supporter Q5: What are your thoughts about the no doubt inevitable push for 8k next gen?

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It's been one of the busiest weeks thus far in 2022 for the team, but nothing stops this train! Audi Sorlie, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia are here to serve up early impressions on Elden Ring, give some Steam Deck predictions, discuss various visual issues with Sol Cresta and of course, dish out the pain with the announcement of Street Fighter 6. All this and more for this week's DF Direct Weekly!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:13 Elden Ring impressions

00:18:44 Steam Deck review imminent

00:20:52 Bethesda launcher is no more, moving to Steam

00:25:41 Sol Cresta has issues

00:34:54 Street Fighter 6 has been announced

00:44:46 Unreal Engine 5 leaves early access

00:47:26 DF Supporter Q1: Does your mechanistic understanding of how video games and graphics work get in the way of experiencing the games you play?

00:50:53 DF Supporter Q2: Were you suprised by the strong negative backlash from console gamers regarding the image quality in Horizon Forbidden West?

00:58:15 DF Supporter Q3: When do you think PCIE 4.0 will show large GPU performance gains over 3.0?

01:00:26 DF Supporter Q4: Do any of you have any idea why AMD are dragging their feet on a DLSS equivalent?

01:02:52 DF Supporter Q5: What do you guys think about the graphics between Elden Ring and Bluepoint's Demon's Souls remake from 2020?

01:05:15 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think the fighting game genre can still impress in the age of ray traced gaming?

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The somewhat unlikely scenario of DF Direct Weekly making its way to a 49th instalment has somehow come to pass! Tom, Alex, Will and Audi are all consigned to Rich's basement this week, meaning that it's just John and Rich to tackle the big news of the week - Cyberpunk 2077's 1.5 update with next-gen features landing, Dying Light 2 receiving VRR unlocked frame-rate support on Xbox Series X and - yes - there's reaction to the reaction of Horizon Forbidden West's release.

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:55 Cyberpunk Patch 1.5 is out 00:17:07 Dying Light Xbox VRR Mode 00:20:07 DF Bonus Supporter Q: Hey guys, did you have any chance to look at the Dying light 2 VRR mode for Xbox? Seems like it now runs at 80-100 fps on average in performance mode, as far as I can tell through LGs built in VRR info screen. Do you think DRS with a locked 60 would have been better instead? 00:22:28 Nintendo announces the death of 3DS and WiiU storefronts 00:27:52 Chrono Cross Remaster filters can be disabled 00:30:14 Final Vendetta - Bitmap Bureau's new game 00:31:52 Elden Ring Recommended Specs are bizarre 00:37:11 DF Content Discussion: Horizon Forbidden West 00:41:31 DF Bonus Supporter Q: SkillUp's review for Horizon Forbidden West showed significantly more noticeable pop-in than Digital Foundry's. Any idea why that might be? 00:45:16 DF Bonus Supporter Q: Do you think there is enough headroom for a 40 fps mode? 00:46:20 DF Bonus Supporter Q: Do you think AMD FSR would be the better choice for the performance mode of horizon forbidden west? 00:49:12 DF Bonus Supporter Q: What do you think about the fact that all Decima games we've seen so far only lightly utilize TAA? 00:50:30 DF Bonus Supporter Q: What graphical elements of Horizon Forbidden West could benefit from an eventual PC port? 00:56:49 DF Supporter Q1/2: Would it be possible to make a kind of generation comparison video? 01:01:00 DF Supporter Q3: Is there a setting on LG C1 that is suitable for 30 fps games? 01:03:21 DF Supporter Q4: What are some great hdr implementations in games to really convince somebody that hdr is as amazing as some people say it is? 01:06:13 DF Supporter Q5: Who would you recommend to buy AMD GPUs assuming the cards are available at MSRP? Do you think AMD can catch up with Nvidia in RT/ML and does the coming XeSS help AMD? 01:12:42 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think we're going to start seeing larger and larger gaps between 30fps quality modes and 60fps performance modes? And do you expect some games to drop their performance modes all together? 01:15:08 DF Supporter Q7: What do you think is responsible for the lack of four- and even two-Player split-screen multiplayer on modern consoles? 01:19:27 DF Supporter Q8: How do you decide which platform to buy a game on?

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In the week where a favoured few posted their Steam Deck hardware reviews, and where Nintendo posted a new Direct, it's down to John, Rich and Alex to sift through the revelations and present their views and opinions... of which there are many.

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:41 Steam Deck review reaction 00:01:09 DF Bonus Q1: Did you receive a Steam Deck and what are your initial anecdotal impressions? 00:11:09 DF Bonus Q2: Do you think display cost is the (only) reason for the Steam Deck not having VRR and do you believe there's a chance we will get a revision with VRR anytime soon? 00:15:02 DF Bonus Q3: What do you think about Steam Deck having a system level FSR, so that the games don't actually have to support it? 00:23:04 DF Bonus Q4: Do you think the Steam deck as a platform would benefit more from frequent (yearly) iterations? 00:25:44 Nintendo Direct 2.9.2022 00:36:46 Call of Duty will stay on PS "beyond the existing agreement" 00:39:51 Google Stadia shifts focus to Google Stream 00:46:18 Crysis Remastered gets last patch 00:53:53 DF Supporter Q1: Alex, are you excited for Total War Warhammer 3? 00:55:46 DF Supporter Q2: Will a fast quad core like an Alder Lake i3 last for the rest of the generation since it out performs a similar 8 core to what is in the new consoles? 01:00:58 DF Supporter Q3: Are there any types of GPU cards that made a particularly strong impression on you? 01:09:23 DF Supporter Q4: Why don't the new consoles use 16x anisotropic filtering? 01:11:02 DF Supporter Q5: Do you think next-gen came too soon? 01:18:03 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think we will see Pro consoles again this generation? 01:23:25 DF Supporter Q7: Do any of you typically go in for collectors editions of games?

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The Digital Foundry team amass to discuss Sony's acquisition of Bungie, Destiny remaining multi-platform, DLSS arriving for Flight Simulator along with the phenomenal success of the Nintendo Switch. And what's the score with Dying Light 2's resolution reaction?

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:33 Sony buys Bungie 00:15:22 DLSS coming to Flight Simulator 00:19:56 Switch is the fastest selling console of all-time 00:27:25 Bloodborne "PSX Demake" releases 00:31:50 Team17 pledges support for NFT, cancels support for NFT 1 hour later 00:40:51 DF Content Discussion: Dying Light 2 00:50:26 DF Supporter Q1: Do you believe that games on the next generations of consoles from Sony and Microsoft will rely mostly on ray tracing for rendering graphics? 00:52:56 DF Supporter Q2: Do you think the Steam Deck would be capable of becoming a portable 60fps PS3 thanks to the emulator RCPS3? 00:55:55 DF Supporter Q3: How does id Tech 7 avoid the shader compilation stutter issues we see in Unreal Engine games? 00:58:36 DF Supporter Q4: Does DLSS work with Dynamic Resolution? 01:02:05 DF Supporter Q5: When developers get a idea of what hardware will be in next-gen consoles? 01:07:58 DF Supporter Q6: Local hardware combined with cloud based hardware = Super hardware?

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What's going on with Call of Duty on PS5 following the Microsoft acquisition of Activision? What actually happened when Alex Battaglia discovered that Crysis 4 is in development? Just how good does the Resident Evil 4 HD mod look? The answers to these questions and many more are to be found in DF Direct Weekly #46 with Rich Leadbetter, Alex Battaglia and John Linneman on mic duties.

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:31 Activision/Microsoft continued 00:08:12 Crysis 4 announcement 00:12:57 DF Bonus Supporter Q: Crysis 4 get its own "parallax sand" moment? If so, what are your predictions on what Crytek will bring to the table? 00:16:13 New Black Myth Wukong dev diary 00:20:27 Resident Evil 4 HD Project will see release Feb 2 00:24:18 Epic Games Incubates New Studio in Poland 00:28:00 DF Content Discussion: Uncharted PS5 00:39:41 DF Supporter Q1: Would Sony be able to shrink the PlayStation 4 into a handheld form and have it play the entire PS4 library? 00:43:23 DF Supporter Q2: If Nvidia released an RTX 40xx series graphics card tomorrow, which games or tech demos in your current library would you want to test first? 00:52:54 DF Supporter Q3: Rich, when can we expect more 4K on a budget? 01:02:23 DF Supporter Q4: I've seen rumors that Sony is looking to add backwards compatibility of some sort for PS1, PS2, and PS3 to the PS5. How would you like to see Sony handle this? 01:09:28 DF Supporter Q5: With our move to a post-resolution future, what are some games that you think *do* benefit from a native resolution? 01:12:06 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think another player could (or even should) enter the console market as it is today?

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Audi, Alex and John take on this dramatic week of news as we further reflect on the ongoing Microsoft/Activision rumblings, the dreadful AMD RX6500 XT launch, Cloud only gaming on the switch, Diablo II DRM and even a bit of Netflix and chill. All this and more in DF Direct Weekly!

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:56 Microsoft/Activision 00:16:11 Horizon Forbidden West Story trailer (no spoilers) 00:20:27 Diablo II Remastered DRM troubles 00:26:22 AMD RX6500 XT 00:35:30 Kingdom Hearts on Switch, could only, $90 00:43:16 Cuphead coming to Netflix, Shenmue The Animation debuts Feb 00:48:13 Final Fantasy 7 classic version gets native 60fps support 00:54:30 DF Content Discussion: John's Big Rig 01:08:37 DF Content Discussion: Patreon content plans 01:11:27 DF Content Discussion: PC Time Capsules 01:14:53 DF Supporter Q1: With the upcoming Steam Deck I fear that it will flop because of availability issues. What are your thoughts on this? 01:17:23 DF Supporter Q2: Is there any hope for Xbox in the Japanese territory? 01:22:59 DF Supporter Q3: What are the chances that old Activision titles like Deadpool, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Out of the Shadows and the Transformers games by High Moon Studios will be relisted for PC again? 01:26:19 DF Supporter Q4: Take a favorite game of any genre, now have it remade in a completely different one. 01:29:50 DF Supporter Q5: Anything you guys looking forward to with HDMI 2.1a? 01:31:10 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think that Microsoft's acquisitions will eventually include major tv and film content? 01:33:28 DF Supporter Q7: Alex, what is the game box to the left of the white Quake box behind you?

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Huge news shaking the core of the games industry today as Microsoft seemingly out of nowhere announced their acquisition of Activision/Blizzard/King, hot on the heels of them already adding Bethesda to their Xbox family. Audi Sorlie, Alex Battaglia and John Linneman enter the war room to discuss what this could potentially mean for Microsoft and the video game industry itself.

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Rich, Alex and Will take to the mics for DF Direct Weekly #44, talking about extended lifespans for last-gen consoles, a lacklustre patch for Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC, more woes from the PC hardware market and an interesting solution for getting Fortnite back on iOS devices...

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:38 Is Sony Dealing With PlayStation 5 Shortages by Making More PS4s?

00:04:59 Square Patches Final Fantasy 7 Remake PC

00:13:21 GeForce 3080 12GB is causing problems

00:21:16 Fortnite back on iOS via GeForce Now

00:26:42 DF Content Discussion: Will's Weird Tech

00:34:18 DF Content Discussion: Quake Remastered

00:37:17 DF Content Discussion: God of War PC discussion

00:45:30 DF Supporter Q1: Recent reports suggests Series S sales may be outpacing Series X. What does this mean for the future development environment of the Series X?

00:52:06 DF Supporter Q2: Hypothetically, if VRR was to become the norm and every modern display had support for it, what sort of frame rates do you think developers should target?

00:58:13 DF Supporter Q3: Hi DF, do you expect the continuing chip shortages to result in cross gen releases persisting for the majority of major releases through to the end of 2022?

01:02:43 DF Supporter Q4: Have you ever had discussions about colour grading in games with devs?

01:06:10 DF Supporter Q5: How plausible is Half Life Alyx on PSVR2 according to your crystal balls (of steel)? Any inside knowledge, rumor confirmation?

01:07:04 DF Supporter Q6: Why do more PC games not just do the shader compilation in advance?

01:12:00 DF Supporter Q7: Would the DF team consider exploring the topic of integrated graphics for gaming in a future episode?

01:15:04 DF Supporter Q8: What title coming out in 2022 are you looking forward to the most from a tech perspective?

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DF Direct Weekly is back for 2022, with John Linneman, Alex Battaglia and Rich Leadbetter emerging from the holiday break to regale you with almost eighty-seven minutes of the latest tech and gaming news.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:34 CES 2022: OLED & QDLED News

00:11:25 CES 2022: AMD & Nvidia Conferences

00:23:48 CES 2022: BMW iX colour changing car & Sony Vision

00:28:08 CES 2022: Intel Conference

00:32:11 Square Enix announces intent to go into NFT and blockchain

00:40:59 Xbox Dev Mode gets "shut down", though not really.

00:45:25 Alan Wake Remastered Adds Auto HDR Support on Xbox Series S|X

00:49:31 DF Content Discussion: 2022 plans and resolutions

01:00:27 DF Content Discussion: GOTYS

01:02:56 DF Supporter Q1: Why do you feel gaming has never taken off on Mac?

01:08:47 DF Supporter Q2: I'm curious if we'll ever see a DF Retro H20 part 3?

01:16:18 DF Supporter Q3: What are your thoughts on the current state of AAA gaming, and what are your thoughts on the future of AAA gaming?

01:19:57 DF Supporter Q4: Is it possible that PSVR2 could be the leading platform for the most cutting edge VR experiences for the next few years?

01:22:26 DF Supporter Q5: From listening to the DF crew talk about ray tracing I gather that it is somewhat of an endgame in terms of real time lighting techniques. I wonder, is there anything that raytracing fundamentally can't do?

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Rich Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia sit down at the end of 2021 to discuss the first full year of the new console generation. Have PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S lived up to expectations? What to make of the platform comparisons one year in? Does Series S deliver?

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Join Alex Battaglia and John Linneman for an extended discussion on the best game graphics of 2021. There've been some amazing visuals this year - remarkable achievements from the first year of the 'next-gen' consoles, and all delivered in the Covid era, no less. Please note: Flight Simulator would definitely have made the list, but remember that it was first released in 2020 - and we talked about it in depth in the Best Game Graphics of 2020!

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Join Alex Battaglia, John Linneman and Tom Morgan for Digital Foundry's last DF Direct of the year! The team share their views on first media assets of Horizon Zero Dawn on the base PS4, there's reaction to the brilliant new Xbox documentary, Nightdive Studios shows off their System Shock remake, plus of course, there's more DF content discussion and Supporter questions!

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:14 Horizon Forbidden West PS4 version revealed

00:06:24 Colour plates for PS5

00:09:44 Xbox Documentary impressions

00:24:43 Nightdive shows off System Shock

00:28:50 Psygnosis co-founder Ian Hetherington passes away

00:34:33 PC Gamer lists 18 games not available digitally

00:48:16 Splinter Cell is back, BABY

00:52:32 DF Content Discussion: Game of the Year videos

00:54:02 DF Content Discussion: 12 Days of Phoenix Games

00:57:22 DF Supporter Q1: How much better do you think DLSS can get over time?

01:00:25 DF Supporter Q2: Any backlog games that you guys are planning to play/finish during the holidays?

01:04:33 DF Supporter Q3: John, you've been preaching about using the BFI-mode on the LG CX and setting it up properly using ColorControl PC software. Do you have some sort of walkthrough at hand on how to set this up?

01:08:20 DF Supporter Q4: Do you think the emergence of more super detailed and realistic game worlds we'll see the emergence of titles that centre around virtual tourism and simple exploration?

01:12:44 DF Supporter Q5: When will we get the next big leap for rendering foliage?

01:19:12 DF Supporter Q6: I’d like to ask if you thought of adding a film grain filter percentage as a new way to measure clarity?

01:23:40 DF Supporter Q7: Why is Genesis/Mega Drive audio so hard for emulators to get right?

01:29:31 DF Supporter Q8: Is Parasite Eve a Christmas game or is it a game that's set during the Christmas season?

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In the immediate aftermath of The Game Awards, it's John Linneman, Alex Battaglia and Rich Leadbetter at the mics to talk about the new trailers, the continual evolution of Horizon Zero Dawn on PC plus... what's going on with Sony's plans to compete against Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass? 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:33 The Game Awards reaction 00:21:18 Horizon Zero Dawn gets DLSS 00:32:22 PlayStation rumoured to make new subscription service 00:44:23 Bulk Slash English translation releases 00:46:08 DF Content Discussion: Halo Infinite and the physical disc situation 01:03:00 DF Content Discussion: Christmas content 01:05:56 DF Supporter Q1: Tom's videos say "XBOX ONE" while everyone else goes with "XBOX ONE S". Is it fair to assume Tom's the only one using OG Durango? 01:07:12 DF Supporter Q2: What is the general level of support for surround sound setups in modern games? 01:11:09 DF Supporter Q3: How useful is dynamic resolution scaling? 01:14:16 DF Supporter Q4: Why do devs tend to limit dynamic resolution bounds so much? 01:20:19 DF Supporter Q5: Do you foresee more developers making use of or at the very least allowing users to play their games at above 60fps in cases where perhaps 120fps is not feasible? 01:23:23 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think poor response times of commercial LCD televisions at the time helped standardise 30fps during the Xbox 360 and PS3 era? 01:28:37 DF Supporter Q7: What is everyone's favourite ever controller?

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This week, it's Rich Leadbetter, Alex Battaglia and Will Judd at the mics, talking Halo Infinite coverage plans, GTA Definitive Edition patches, RTX 3080 Ti and Ryzen 6000 mobile laptop tech - and what's up with the RTX 2060 12GB? It should be noted that subsequent to recording, Nvidia did indeed confirm that it is real. Plus: DF content talk and more supporter questions to answer!

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:56 Halo Infinite coverage incoming 00:03:47 GTA Definitive Edition gets patched 00:13:36 RTX 3080 Ti and Ryzen 6000 updates rumored for CES 00:20:25 RTX 2060 12GB Specs look odd/good? 00:27:50 Innovision Fantasy One GPU Line 00:33:27 Zelda Ocarina of Time reverse engineered and decompiled 00:38:20 Valve Confirms That There Won't Be Steam Deck-Exclusive Games 00:40:26 DF Content Discussion: Windows 11, vlogs and Black Friday 00:59:49 DF Supporter Q1: Pick any game, any time, any system, that you could be there for every step of development in. 01:04:10 DF Supporter Q2: Do you think that this semiconductor shortage, GPU prices skyrocketing that all this will go back to the 'good old days' in a year or two? 01:10:13 DF Supporter Q3: Why the heck did framerates for my PC (1700X / GTX1080) double when I added a second stick of 8GB RAM? 01:14:48 DF Supporter Q4: Should I limit my RTX 2080 to 40FPS based on my specs? 01:19:56 DF Supporter Q5: If using last-gen systems, do you think an external (or internal for PS4) SSD is now approaching a necessity? 01:24:05 DF Supporter Q6: Which gaming headsets are you using and what are your recommendations in that regard? 01:25:29 DF Supporter Q7: Would it be worthwhile to develop a DF performance rubric?

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This week, it's Rich Leadbetter, Audi Sorlie and John Linneman at the mics as they discuss Mark Cerny's latest PS5 video, Hitman 3 in 2022 with RT reflections... and an apparent end to Microsoft's excellent FPS Boost program?

00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:22 Cerny & Sony visits Wired 00:13:03 Hitman 3 gets DXR reflections in 2022 00:19:50 Xbox 20th Anniversary Museum 00:32:20 No More FPS Boost? 00:40:19 Square Enix's "big" remake is supposedly Chrono Cross 00:49:31 Crazy Frog returns 00:50:37 DF Content Discussion: Bright Memory Infinite 00:56:34 DF Content Discussion: Evercade vs. livestream 00:59:39 DF Content Discussion: Black Friday deals 01:04:50 DF Content Discussion: DF After Dark 01:06:33 DF Supporter Q1: With XBOX's backwards compatbility updates and the GTA "remaster" debacle, do you think remasters are even necessary? 01:13:16 DF Supporter Q2: In your opinions, will reduced power draw and battery limitations prevent the production of more powerful portable devices? 01:17:19 DF Supporter Q3: With Intel's XeSS being somewhat GPU agnostic, do you have any thoughts about the technology being implemented in PS5/X Series consoles? 01:21:17 DF Supporter Q4: "Hi DF, would like to know your thoughts on the on-demand Texture Streaming used Call of Duty." 01:24:40 DF Supporter Q5: "I am personally not fond of “open world” games. However, I have come to like “wide linear” games. What are your opinions on this?" 01:36:13 DF Supporter Q6: Did you ever cover the demo scene or are you planning on it? 01:39:41 DF Supporter Q7: You often say that the DF Patreon program changed a lot for the whole team. Can each of you go more into details?

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With John hunkering down to complete the latest DF Retro episode, it's Rich, Alex and Tom at the mics for this week's DF Direct Weekly - and this week, there's a strong Xbox focus in the news. #Xbox20 discussion, new FPS Boost, Nvidia gets into spatial upscaling and launches a new visual comparison tool, Age of Empires 4 is patched to great effect - and is the Hellblade RT patch for PC any good?

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:38 Xbox 20th Anniversary, Backwards compatibility update + more

00:15:50 Phil Spencer calls for wide support of emulation

00:20:21 Elder Scrolls VI will only appear on Xbox Series and PC

00:24:20 Nvidia launches new upscaling algorithm

00:30:05 Age of Empires 4 gets update based on feedback

00:33:16 Hellblade patch brings RTX and more

00:41:57 DF Content Discussion: Elden Ring network test

00:48:41 DF Content Discussion: Guardians of the Galaxy post launch update

00:53:57 DF Supporter Q1: Why do so many games release with incorrect frame pacing?

01:00:58 DF Supporter Q2: The saga of conflicting cloud gaming experiences

01:11:05 DF Supporter Q3: If a current gen game is displayed in a 1080p, will the game potentially perform better?

01:14:13 DF Supporter Q4: UE4 DX12 HDR doesn't always work on but DX11 HDR works. Is there any way a user can fix this?

01:16:40 DF Supporter Q5: With the limited availability of PlayStation and Xbox consoles do you think this will lead to both companies having nearly equal amount of console sold?

01:21:01 DF Supporter Q6: Do you expect Sony or Microsoft to come forward with handheld versions of their consoles anytime soon?

01:24:13 DF Supporter Q7: @Tom: recommend me somewhere to eat in Brighton.

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Not the sort of week we'd care to repeat really, but here we are. Full discussion of our takeover by Russian crypt-currency scammers, PS5 getting hacked not once but twice, the Steam Deck delay, the latest Halo Infinite reveal and... could it be? Will the Windows Store actually get properly fixed?

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:36 We were hacked! 00:08:40 PS5 was also hacked! 00:18:48 Halo Infinite IGN first look impressions 00:26:21 Steam Deck delayed until Feb 2022 00:31:38 Windows Store finally gets an update 00:37:03 Unity aquires Weta Digital 00:39:38 DF Content Discussion: GTA Definitive Editon early impressions 00:54:56 DF Content Discussion: Patreon content updates 01:01:02 DF Supporter Q1: Nearly a year in, what do you think of the Series S experiment? 01:07:08 DF Supporter Q2: Forza Horizon 5 seems like an excellent candidate for the inclusion of a 40fps/120hz mode. Would this be difficult for developers to implement? 01:11:23 DF Supporter Q3: Is there any advantage to using my Xbox in 120hz mode outside of games that support a 120 fps mode? 01:15:32 DF Supporter Q4: Would DLSS work well in Forza Horizon 5 and could their MSAA work with it as well? 01:18:33 DF Supporter Q5: I've noticed CPUs are often tested at or around 1080p High settings these days but are we missing the longevity aspect of CPUs in reviews? 01:24:03 DF Supporter Q6: Does the team perceive ARM architecture as a viable option for future console generations given Apple's commitment to the technology is starting to deliver some impressive performance?

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While Forza Horizon 5 fills most of the week here at Digital Foundry, there was still a bit of news and happenings to discuss. This week, Audi Sorlie, Alex Battaglia and John Linneman convene to talk about the Battlefield 2042 RTX trailer marking a second week in a row that Alex has some choice words on trailer showcases, Sony listened to the community and provides fixes for the CMOS issue, Netflix enters the gaming space in unexpected ways and a classic adventure game sees its source code made public after 25 years. All this plus the reveal of the next DF Retro and your supporter questions!

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Halo Infinite's campaign re-reveal, Far Cry 6's email shaming program and the Sony PC and State of Play reveals are discussed along with in-depth chat on the new 12th Gen Intel Core architecture. And what's up with N64 emulation on Switch?

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The weekly DF Direct returns once again! This time, John, Alex and Rich tackle the recent MacBook Pro reveals and what it means for Apple and gaming, there's discussion on CD Projekt RED's next-gen patches for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, while Half-Life 2 gets upgraded for Steam Deck.

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This week, Alex raves about Star Citizen, John has an emotional moment playing Forza Horizon 5 and... what on earth's going on with Metroid Dread performance on some Switch consoles?

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John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts on Halo Infinite's Big Team Battle mode and their overall opinions on the game's flighting process, the internals of the Switch OLED Model's dock are discussed and Valve's video showing the insides of the Steam Deck proves as frustrating as it is illuminating. All of this and more in the new DF Direct!

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The latest DF Direct Weekly tackles the online bunfight between Nintendo and Bloomberg about the existence of a '4K Switch', goes in-depth on HDR and dashboard changes on Xbox consoles and examines Nvidia DLAA... what is it? Rich Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia perpetrate this one.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:39 Nintendo Switch 4K denials

00:06:49 Xbox Dolby Vision support + 4K dashboard

00:18:17 TGS 2021 VR experience

00:27:40 Nvidia DLAA Reaction

00:33:51 DF Content Discussion: Unity 50fps issue fix?

00:40:36 DF Content Discussion: The Medium PS5

00:46:56 DF Content Discussion: The Touryst 8K 60fps

00:55:53 DF Supporter Question 01: Why not release physical games on USB?

01:00:36 DF Supporter Question 02: Why has there not been a CRT resurgence?

01:04:09 DF Supporter Question 03: What do you see as potential use cases in future games to utilize many random read IOPS?

01:10:09 DF Supporter Question 04: Can the AI tech used in DLSS and DLAA be transferred to other graphical improvements?

01:12:51 DF Supporter Question 05: Have you ever considered filming the DF Weekly on Fridays?

01:15:33 DF Supporter Question 06: What is the biggest technical issues you face creating content?

01:24:00 DF Supporter Question 07: Do we pray too much at the altar of ray tracing?

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It's all change in the weekly line-up for this episode! John Linneman and Audi Sorlie are joined by Coury Carlson from My Life In Gaming to discuss the latest gaming news, kicking off with a monstrous discussion on this week's Nintendo Direct.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:46 Nintendo Direct Reaction

00:35:56 PlayStation 4 CBOMB Fixed!

00:42:36 Is Klonoa coming back?

00:47:37 Is Marvel vs Capcom 2 coming back?

00:53:32 Beavis And Butthead Adventure on PS1 gets English translation!

00:59:44 Mick McGinty has passed away

01:05:34 DF Content Discussion

01:17:03 Patreon Supporter Q1: I only have two Patreon memberships, MLIG and DF. You guys have the best content. Do you ever feel a tension between what content you want to make and what you feel your subscribers want?

01:26:47 Patreon Supporter Q2: Could timed exclusivity be utilised as a way to mitigate heavy workloads and crunch for developers?

01:28:53 Patreon Supporter Q3: Where were you when Metal Gear Solid 2 was released? Or alternatively, can you recall your first ever session with it? 

01:36:13 Patreon Supporter Q4: If a theoretical PS5 Slim were to come out in a few years, do you think there's a chance it will be all-digital only with no disc option?

01:40:23 Patreon Supporter Q5: How do you set-up a Dolby Atmos surround system?

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Join Rich, John and Alex for discussion of the latest tech and gaming news! This week, the team discuss the PS5 CFI-1100 hook-up with Gamers Nexus, and the system software performance benchmarks hinting at a small boost to PS5 game frame-rates in very select circumstances, perhaps related to RT titles? GT7's online campaign and RT features are discussed and much more - along with tributes paid to an icon of the home computer industry.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:22 PlayStation CFI-1100/Gamers Nexus Collab/Firmware Perf Upgrade?

00:12:51 GT7 Online only situation

00:22:06 Intel slide leak

00:27:57 Steam Deck dev kits are now out

00:30:37 New Nintendo update with Bluetooth Audio!

00:34:45 iPhone 13 is out

00:42:00 Sir Clive Sinclair has passed

00:47:55 AV Receiver HDMI update

00:55:40 DF Supporter Q1: would a custom 8c/16t cpu and 4 teraflop GPU be fitable in a mobile power envelope?

00:57:19 DF Supporter Q2: What are the DF team's favourite or most disappointing remakes so far?

01:04:57 DF Supporter Q3: Is it always fair to expect ultrawide support as a standard feature on PC games?

01:09:58 DF Supporter Q4: Why do you think most games aren't currently utilizing the hardware blocks for IO on PS5?

01:11:32 DF Supporter Q5: What do you think is the most important next-gen feature developers should focus on?

01:14:25 DF Supporter Q6: Would you ever release any content that goes into depth on what's involved in producing content?

01:18:21 DF Supporter Q7: Do you think that full path-tracing is the "endgame", with traditional rasterization becoming obsolete, at some point of time down the road?

01:22:57 DF Supporter Q8: Why do poor PC ports continue to plague Japanese developed games?

01:26:59 DF Supporter Q9: In your opinion, when does the game become retro?

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John, Rich and Alex reconvene for this week's DF Direct Weekly, talking about the new PS5 CFI-1100 model, whether Sony's $10 PS4 to PS5 upgrade policy is justified, plus discussing Alan Wake and Quake remasters!

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:42 New PS5 model

00:11:14 Horizon Forbidden West pricing confusion

00:21:17 Alan Wake Remastered

00:32:18 Quake Remastered

00:42:42 Little Big Adventure returns

00:44:39 DF Content Discussion: Best of all the animals?

00:46:16 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro reveal

00:52:47 DF Content Discussion: Patreon update and retooling.

00:55:38 DF Supporter Q1: Would you rather a theoretical PS5 Pro doubled the computer units to 72 or added some kind of machine learning core for better AI upscaling?

01:03:58 DF Supporter Q2: What are the exact differences between mesh shaders and primitive shaders?

01:06:25 DF Supporter Q3: Is getting a reasonably optimised performance from newer PC games starting to require increased hobbiest/technical knowledge again creating a higher barrier to entry for new PC gamers?

01:18:07 DF Supporter Q4: With console reviews of late you often mention running a game not at the maximum resolution supported by a console. This confused me somewhat in that having my Series X connected to a 4K display and then setting output to 1080p just gives me a poor quality image

01:24:04 DF Supporter Q5: DLSS and performance drawback/gains

01:26:47 DF Supporter Q6: Are there any plans to include Crysis Warhead in the Crysis Trilogy collection? If not, why?

01:28:28 DF Supporter Q7: Richard does not seem as attracted to older games, despite the fact that he lived and worked through basically the entire era of 2D gaming. Why?

01:39:12 Credits

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Think of it as an E3 conference pushed out a couple of months down the road: we got to see God of Ragnarok and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for the first time, we saw an extended edit of Gran Turismo 7 and Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy are getting remastered - and yes, there's a big, big bunch of cross-gen wares coming our way.

00:00 Introduction + Grand Theft Auto 5

03:39 Gran Turismo 7

09:33 Uncharted 4 + Lost Legacy PS5 and PC Remasters

17:45 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 + Marvel's Wolverine

23:13 God of War Ragnarok

28:06 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Remaster

33:19 Project Eve

29:54 Forspoken

42:24 Tchia - A Game Inspired by New Caledonia

49:13 Trailer after Trailer after Trailer after Trailer + Conclusions

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Welcome to the 27th DF Direct Weekly! This time it's John Linneman, Audi Sorlie and - of course - Alex Battaglia talking about the biggest gaming and tech topics of the week including the early access footage to Dead Space Remake, taking a look at the WATA grading situation and discussing the number of departure of Japanese talent to join Chinese backed gaming enterprises. All that and so much more!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:31 Dead Space Remake early showcase

00:11:19 WATA Games Controversy

00:22:08 Sony announced PlayStation Showcase for Sept. 9

00:26:04 Psychonauts 2 impressions

00:34:26 Breeding Stud Appreciation Fest

00:35:13 Assassin's Creed Odyssey 60fps patch

00:37:47 SEGA and Bandai Namco talent leaving for Chinese game start-ups

00:44:16 Game Boy games coming to Nintendo Switch?

00:47:23 DF Content Discussion

00:52:48 DF Supporter Q1: Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the look of 360/PS3 games on non-native panels (eg 768p, 1080p, and 4K). Is this just nostalgia goggles?

00:54:44 DF Supporter Q2: How do you gentlemen think the Big Three (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony) feel about upscalers such as they OSSC, and RetroTink 5X?

00:56:48 DF Supporter Q3: Curious how Alex keeps up with the new and emergent technical aspects of game development?

00:59:05 DF Supporter Q4: Have there been any games that you've had to play for the channel that have pleasantly surprised you?

01:04:43 DF Supporter Q5: Why do you think AF levels are still kept so low on console?

01:07:31 DF Supporter Q6: As a person who hopes to someday get into video game journalism, what advice would you give?

01:13:21 DF Supporter Q7: Are there plans to do an episode of Digital Foundry to bring attention to the fan-made project Shenmue: The Dragon and Phoenix Collection?

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It's Gamescom week, there are tons of new game trailers to discuss, plus Horizon Zero Dawn has a 60fps patch! And what should we make of the RTX 3090 Super rumour doing the roads? Join Rich, Alex and Tom for the week's tech chat.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:48 Gamescom 2021: DokeV

00:07:28 Gamescom 2021: Forza Horizon 5

00:14:21 Gamescom 2021: Call of Duty: Vanguard

00:19:52 Gamescom 2021: Dying Light 2

00:25:03 Gamescom 2021: Halo Infinite

00:28:47 Gamescom 2021: Horizon Forbidden West/Horizon Zero Dawn 60fps patch

00:32:30 Gamescom 2021: RTX announcements

00:34:52 RTX 3090 Super rumour

00:39:14 DF Content Discussion: Intel Arc GPU Interview

00:51:04 DF Content Discussion: Little Nightmares 2

00:55:20 DF Content Discussion: Assassin's Creed Odyssey 60fps patch

00:59:47 DF Content Discussion: Tom Petersen deepfake?

01:05:14 DF Supporter Q1: What do you think is the reason why we haven’t seen more games being FPS boosted since the 70+ drop and do you think we will ever see FPS boost for Xbox 360 games?

01:09:28 DF Supporter Q2: Whatever happened to the Microsoft resolution boost feature?

01:10:39 DF Supporter Q3: If both consoles are using RDNA2 and HDMI 2.1 then why doesn't the PS5 have VRR? / Do you think we will eventually see AI upscaling on console?

01:20:33 DF Supporter Q4: Will there ever be a time where turning on Ray Tracing may end up increasing performance instead of decreasing it?

01:25:24 DF Supporter Q5: Now that the Steam Deck looks to be the first mass market PC that runs games exclusively on Linux by default, have you thought about covering Proton at least in a special or as a "standard" in all future reviews?

01:31:00 DF Supporter Q6: Is there a chance the team could start looking into input lag on multiplat releases?

01:32:27 DF Supporter Q7: 1440p60 Native vs 2160p60 checkerboard pros and cons and which one you prefer?

01:36:52 Endgame

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John Linneman, Alex Battaglia and Audi Sorlie take point on what may well be the longest and most packed DF Direct to date with all of the latest tech news, behind-the-scene project info and of course, questions from backers of the DF Supporter Program are answered!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:20 Intel XeSS

00:07:24 New Black Myth Wukong trailer

00:14:03 Pokemon Legends: Arceus reveal

00:21:57 Tales of Arise demo XSX vs PS5 impressions

00:30:53 DuckStation on Series S: 4K overclocked PlayStation 1 on Xbox

00:39:36 Ubisoft crossover season, Resident Evil x Rainbow Six x Watch Dogs x Assassin Creed

00:45:40 Shining Force: Heroes of Light and Darkness teaser trailer reveal

00:54:51 DF Content: Crysis coverage and feedback

01:15:04 DF Content: DF Retro updates

01:19:28 DF Supporter Q1: Who's the best gamer amongst the DF team?

01:23:28 DF Supporter Q2: The old testament

01:28:55 DF Supporter Q3: I was just wondering if Alex will be doing a video on exactly what sort of PC you need to play Microsoft Flight Simulator on console equivalent settings?

01:32:01 DF Supporter Q4: Any chance of a video building a spec for spec PC and pitting against the PS5/XSX in a performance video in various games?

01:36:17 DF Supporter Q5: Does setting the resolution on a PS3 to 480p and connecting to a CRT improve performance on PS3 games?

01:39:32 DF Supporter Q6: When do you think we could see a PS5 Slim or smaller Xbox Series X? 

01:42:35 DF Supporter Q7: PlayStation equivalent to FPS Boost?

01:46:29 Endgame

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Join Rich Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia for the latest DF tech chat - the team tried putting an Xbox SSD in a PS5 to disastrously disappointing results, before moving on to cover Abandoned, its disastrous trailer reveal and the conspiracy theories surrounding it, before moving onto the problematic Radeon RX 6600 XT. There's more GPU talk as Intel's move into the graphics market gets our attention and much, much more.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:15 Does the Xbox Series SSD work in PS5?

00:05:14 The Abandoned situation - marketing fail, conspiracy theories, trailer content

00:15:03 Radeon RX 6600 XT Misfire - And What Happened to Cheap 1080p Gaming GPUs?

00:34:08 Xenoblade Chronicles 3 accidentally revealed?

00:37:42 Anton Kaplanyan joins Intel

00:45:56 A500 Mini announced

00:51:18 Control on Series X fixed?

00:54:40 Black Frame Insertion update

01:04:41 Future guest hosts for DF Direct Weekly?

01:06:36 DF Supporter Q1: Would you guys do a deep dive on eGPUs over Thunderbolt?

01:10:50 DF Supporter Q2: what should be the benefit of adaptive sync enabled vs disabled for a situation where the game is rendering at ~100 FPS on a 144 hz monitor?

01:14:16 DF Supporter Q3: Are there any current or emerging technologies in the PC space that you see as providing a superior experience that simply isn't possible on today's consoles?

01:18:34 DF Supporter Q4: Whether a game using upscaling/reconstruction techniques should be considered or called 4K even though its not being rendered natively at 4K?

01:25:19 DF Supporter Q5: What are you guys’ thoughts on so called AI upscaling for things like full motion video content?

01:30:37 DF Supporter Q6: Would Digital Foundry be interested in doing a deep dive into render latency reduction?

01:35:27 DF Supporter Q7: Does Rich miss being in the office with other team members in any way?

01:43:20 Ending

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Somehow we managed to convince a guest to join us on DF Direct Weekly! Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica shows us around the Playdate handheld and joins in discussing the news of the week, bringing with him a 'special' bonus Q+A for Rich...

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:55 Playdate hands-on crankin'

00:20:53 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster impressions

00:34:59 The State of VR

00:51:26 3DFX... what?

00:57:01 Zool ReDimensioned announced

01:00:44 Sam's impressions on Flight Simulator

01:07:09 DF Retro: Super Star Wars feedback

01:10:31 SAM GETS RICH: Sam's Rootin Tootin Big America Cowboy Lightning Round of Questions

01:17:29 Supporter Q1: If a game uses normal rasterization and isn't using something like DLSS, are Nvidia's tensor cores basically sitting idle?

01:20:09 Supporter Q2: With all the other remakes of retro consoles on the market, do you see an option for DF to look into more alternative hardware going forward?

01:22:29 Supporter Q3: I've seen a tweet about how Zelda Wii U Tech Demo looks "better" than actual zelda games, can you explain the differences on a video between BoTW and this demo?

01:28:31 Supporter Q4: What one game in your opinion changed the gaming landscape the most?

01:31:01 Supporter Q5: Is it possible/probable that we could see tech like DLSS used to improve the experience of streamed video?

01:32:58 Supporter Q6: do you expect Nintendo to make any OS changes to prevent OLED burn-in or image retention?

01:39:38 End Game

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DF Direct returns, with John, Rich and Alex sharing their thoughts on Flight Simulator, The Ascent, NEW Mortal Shell DLC, the Radeon RX 6600XT and a fantastic new addition to the MiSTer ecosystem! NOTE: The RX 6600XT has an MSRP of $379, not the stated $349.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:55 Flight Simulator on Xbox Series, our impressions

00:18:24 The Ascent review and feedback

00:27:06 MORTAL SHELL DLC

00:29:13 AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT Revealed

00:36:21 MiSTer console casing

00:41:12 DLSS SDK release

00:44:58 Oculus Touch ring cracking

00:50:29 DF Retro Super Star Wars + Reveal of next month episode

00:55:46 DF Retro Play: N64 Futuristic Racers

00:59:13 Supporter Q1: Are there any “holy grails” from offline CG rendering that you’re still waiting to be implemented in games?

01:01:44 Supporter Q2: Do you think physichs and AI will ever start to be at the forefront again?

01:08:12 Supporter Q3: Will the RT performance of the consoles be left in the dust once AMD/Nvidia really hit their stride with hardware RT?

01:13:41 Supporter Q4: As soon as this cross-gen period is over, do you think we will be back to being stuck in 1080p/30fps hell?

01:17:15 Supporter Q5: What are some of the more recent games out today that you most look forward to playing on high end hard hardware 5 to 10 years from now?

01:19:45 Supporter Q6: Given the increasing number of streaming- based switch games, are you planning any performance and/or latency analyses?

01:21:32 Supporter Q6 Part Deux: Any plans for more FSR vs DLSS analyses now when we got games that support both?

01:26:37 Supporter Q7: I’ve had a chance to try DLSS and FSR in some of the games. Is there any way to properly compare the compute perf or quantify graphical quality delivered?

01:30:25 BREAKING NEWS: Sony Beta Firmware to allow Internal SSD Expansion

01:36:51 And now, the conclusion

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The clue is in the name - DF Direct arrives every week and this week is no exception. GDC 2021 is in full effect, so Rich, Alex and John discuss a couple of the more interesting and relevant presentations before powering on in sharing more about recent DF projects and tackling a big bunch of supporter Q+A. Join the DF Supporter Program to contribute to the show and get it early, every Saturday!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:45 GDC 2021: UE5 Demo From The Coalition - Intel CPU/GPU Presentations

00:19:23 MODdb Receives Takedown Notice From Take Two

00:25:23 Final Words on The Resident Evil Village PC DRM Debacle

00:28:02 DF Content Discussion: Ratchet 40fps - Addressing The Confusion

00:36:19 DF Content Discussion: Unreal Engine for Video Production

00:45:11 Supporter Q1: Will it be possible to gauge the performance of the Steam Deck now?

00:46:43 Supporter Q2: Do you think the Steam Deck will be able to handle the games from the Total War series?

00:47:33 Supporter Q3: Is it likely that a performant ML-based upscaling solution similar to DLSS could be implemented on Xbox Series?

00:50:31 Supporter Q4: Curious what your opinion is on the rampant devotion to leaked info?

00:59:40 Supporter Q5: Could you elaborate on how you are using BFI on your LG OLED?

01:06:14 Supporter Q6: What measures did you take to help prevent burn in on your OLED monitor?

01:10:59 Supporter Q7: Much has been said about cross-gen development holding back the potential of the new consoles. Now, can the same be said about the PC, in the sense that targeting a wider range of platforms could hinder console games design?

01:17:25 Supporter Q8: Do any of you play with inverted vertical controls?

01:20:01 Ending

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The specs have been updated, a few hundreds frames have been tested - and we've taken a look at the state of integrated graphics performance on AMD APUs in the PC space. Rich Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia sit down to share all of their thoughts on the Steam Deck in a 75 minute DF Direct Special.

00:00:00 Introductions + Steam Deck First Impressions

00:07:34 Form Factor + Control Discussion

00:12:14 Why Steam Deck Needs Game-Specific Performance Profiles

00:14:22 Specs Update - 88GB/s Memory Bandwidth Confirmed

00:18:32 Off-Screen Performance Testing

00:22:49 Ryzen 9 4900HS 35W Integrated GPU Testing - Doom Eternal, Control, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

00:31:00 "Talk About The Screen!!" + Other Steam Deck Iterations From Other Companies

00:37:09 Will Docked Performance Be Better than Mobile?

00:38:47 The Proton Compatibility Layer

00:43:43 M.2 2230 SSD Confirmed - Is It Upgradeable?

00:45:27 SteamOS Suspend/Resume Technology Confirmed

00:47:12 Can GamePass And Other Launchers And Streaming Services Run From Linux On Steam Deck? Will We Get Windows Drivers?

00:52:45 Is Valve Really Trying To Compete With Nintendo?

01:01:19 Supporter Question: Can 8 RDNA 2 CUs run ray tracing games at 720p/800p?

01:03:25 Will Steam Deck Get Bespoke Support From Developers?

01:05:08 Supporter Question: What Games Will Be Especially Heavy On Battery Life?

01:07:32 Supporter Question: Can Steam Deck Run Crysis 3 at 720p60 Without All Settings At Low? Will You Be Testing Crysis With Steam Deck?

01:09:34 Final Thoughts + Do We Really Need A Switch Pro Right Now?

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DF Direct Weekly is back with a 20th episode milestone - shot before the Steam Deck reveal. We will have a Deck-specific Direct a bit later in the week. In this video, we talk about the lamentable Resident Evil Village DRM situation, Skyward Sword HD on Switch and the 'stealth 120Hz support' in A Plague Tale: Innocence - which is actually a good old PC-style v-sync off, unlocked fps scenario. All this and much, much more.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:03 RE Village DRM situation

00:18:04 A Plague Tale Innocence 120Hz unlocked frame-rate

00:27:11 Zelda Skyward Sword HD impressions

00:36:40 Powerslave/Exhumed returns!

00:41:12 MiSTer gets CPS2 arcade support

00:46:54 DF Content Discussion/Supporter Program schedule

01:12:01 Supporter Q1: Does the PS5 Shortage indicate a long PS3-era console generation? 

01:19:33 Supporter Q2: What are the chances of other PS4 titles getting 120fps support?

01:24:11 Supporter Q3: Any plans for more switch overclocking videos?

01:29:22 Supporter Q4: Do you think the die shrink switch we got a couple years ago or the new oled switch will run cooler?

01:31:29 Supporter Q5: Would you be interested in digging into some of the older computer titles for DF Retro?

01:36:24 Supporter Q6: Will Sega ever tap the vast and excellent Saturn library? Also please talk about the Saturn more.

01:42:54 A NEW CHALLENGER HAS ARRIVED!

01:43:48 Ending

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A week packed full of news, topped by the Switch OLED reveal and the Switch Pro non-reveal, Dark Souls 3 FPS Boost, Assassin's Creed Infinity - the AC live service, TIE Fighter's total conversion - there's a ton to talk about! Joining Rich Leadbetter are Audi Sorlie and John Linneman.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:00 Switch OLED Q+A

00:22:21 Dark Souls 3 FPS Boost

00:36:28 Assassin's Creed Infinity

00:51:33 TIE Fighter Total Conversion

00:59:36 SGDQ 2021 recap

01:03:59 GTA6 rumors

01:15:17 DF Content + Supporter Program update

01:24:08 Supporter Q1: 120Hz 720p on FW900

01:28:29 Supporter Q2: What game/franchise would you like to see return?

01:35:39 Supporter Q3: Biggest pet peeves in graphics tech?

01:40:58 Supporter Q4: Your arcade fantasy scenario?

01:46:04 Ending

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Another week, another DF Direct Weekly and the triumvirate convene to discuss the most important tech and industry news items of the week, talk about their most recent projects and field a range of questions from users on the Digital Foundry Supporter Program. 73 minutes of tech chat - let's do it.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:48 Doom Eternal RT releases

00:05:33 Ryzen 4700S - PS5 Processor on a PC board

00:11:43 Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart 120Hz 40fps patch

00:16:26 Sony acquires Nixxes and Housemarque

00:27:04 Bloober Team + Konami enter STRATEGIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT

00:32:19 Final Fantasy PIXEL REMASTER UI troubles

00:38:58 DF Content discussion of the week

00:46:50 Supporter Q1: CRT RGB question and DF Retro request

00:50:29 Supporter Q2: Does the popularly held distinction between “gameplay” and “graphics” ever bother you?

00:57:59 Supporter Q3: Do you think ray tracing will get left behind as too specialized a technology once we get into the later half of this generation?

01:03:31 Supporter Q4: What title do you guys anticipate being the next milestone in bleeding edge video game graphics in the near future, and why?

01:06:41 Supporter Q5: How is it like to film these Direct Weekly segments?

01:10:39 Supporter Q6: Lichdom: Battlemage?

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It's DF Direct Weekly once again, where the team convenes to discuss the hot topics of the week - which this week amounts to AMD's FSR, Sonic's 30th anniversary, concerns with the Intellivision Amico plus our behind the scenes thoughts on the projects we're currently working on. Oh - and DF Supporter Q+A? Let's do it.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:15 AMD FSR Controversy and Reaction

00:32:00 Sonic 30th Anniversary & Sonic Memories

00:48:28 Jonathan Frakes joins PUBG

00:53:41 Myst VR coming Q3 to Mac and PC

00:56:47 Intellivision Amico Concerns

01:10:26 Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX has Issues

01:17:29 DF Content of the Week

01:34:15 Supporter Q1: Did John fix his Dolby Atmos lag?

01:36:55 Supporter Q2: Will Vulkan ever become the standard API?

01:39:28 Supporter Q3: Could ray tracing give in-game tactical advantage?

01:40:31 Supporter Q4: How is Digital Foundry viewed from inside developer studios?

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Rounding off our reactions to the major announcements, reveals and more at E3 2021, John Linneman and Audi Sorlie are joined by the legendary Modern Vintage Gamer to dissect the big reveals and to catch up with the latest retro news.

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:59 Metroid Dread

00:10:31 Breath of the Wild 2

00:20:01 WarioWare

00:22:16 Advance Wars 1+2

00:24:10 Cave shooters

00:26:51 Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Wassen

00:29:10 Cruis'n Blast

00:31:06 Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania

00:33:21 Shin Megami Tensei V

00:36:10 Intellivision Amico

00:44:17 Limited Run Games (River City Girls Zero/2, Castlevania, Contra, Kunio Kun, Dusk, Strife, Retromania Wrestling, Plumbers Don't Wear Ties)

00:57:46 Demon Throttle

01:00:38 Gearbox Conference

01:00:45 E3 discussion

01:02:50 Square Enix Conference

01:14:42 Ubisoft Conference

01:17:13 Ending roundup

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Filmed on Thursday, June 10th and shared with DF Premium and Retro supporters a day later - and now available for all. Rich, John and Alex sit down to talk about their expectations for this year's E3, react to the Battlefield 2042 'Reveal', and talk about the very small number of actual next-gen exclusives released so far. 

00:00:00 Introductions

00:01:02 Battlefield 2042 Reveal

00:12:33 Microsoft E3 Predictions

00:22:11 Nintendo E3 Predictions

00:26:27 General E3 Predictions (SQEX, EA)

00:30:29 Next-Gen Only Games Available Now

00:51:16 Ridge Racer Trademark Renewed. Potential Collection?

00:54:53 DF Content Discussion

01:10:17 Supporter Q1: Modular controller designs coming back?

01:18:35 Supporter Q2: Does next-gen gaming really matter at the moment?

01:25:30 Supporter Q3: RTX 3080 Ti RT scaling

01:26:50 Supporter Q4: How can I achieve a 480i output from a PS4?

01:29:14 Supporter Q5: How does PS5/XSX fare in heatwaves?

01:33:54 Supporter Q6: Will E3 return to normal in the future?

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Join Alex Battaglia, Rich Leadbetter and John Linneman for 1.5 hours of chat covering the latest tech news - and of course, we take questions from users on the Digital Foundry Supporter Program! Join today to pose questions of your own and for early access to each new show!

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:54 God of War: Ragnarok Delayed - PS5 Games Going Cross-Gen?

00:11:03 AMD FSR Revealed - What Should We Expect?

00:27:21 PS3 System Software Update 4.88

00:29:29 Doom Eternal Ray Tracing Upgrade!

00:35:12 Denon/Marantz - HDMI 2.1 update

00:42:07 Digital Foundry Content Discussion

01:03:14 Digital Foundry Supporter Q+A

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Join Alex Battaglia, Rich Leadbetter, Audi Sorlie and John Linneman for 1.5 hours of tech chat covering the latest tech news - and of course, we take questions from users on the Digital Foundry Supporter Program! Join today!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:07 Unreal Engine 5 impressions

00:13:03 Crysis 2 tease?

00:17:33 Uncharted 4 PC

00:25:05 SteamPal

00:33:48 Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown

00:44:28 DF Retro Production

00:56:11 DF Supporter Program Exclusive Content

01:07:19 DF Supporter Q+A

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DF Direct Weekly is back and this time it's Alex Battaglia, Tom Morgan and Rich Leadbetter at the mics to talk about all things tech, to discuss our work behind the scenes and to take a bunch of questions from our those enrolled on the Digital Foundry Supporter Program. 

Here's what we've got for you this week:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:45 TLOU2 PS5 Patch

00:10:58 Mass Effect Legendary

00:21:27 New DLSS + RT titles

00:29:06 GTA AI Mod

00:38:29 Hash rate limited GPUs? Plus leaks for 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti

00:45:25 Free Radical Rebirth

00:50:54 Patreon Content Update

00:55:52 Days Gone PC 

01:04:37 Supporter Q+A

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It's Digital Foundry Direct Weekly! John Linneman, Alex Battaglia and Rich Leadbetter are your hosts for this week's discussion on the hottest topics in gaming technology - plus of course, we answer a big bunch of questions from our friends at the Digital Foundry Supporter Program!

00:00 Introduction

01:18 PSVR 2 Spec Leak

12:57 The Coalition on Unreal Engine 5

18:28 Intel Tiger Lake H and Nvidia RTX 3050/ 3050 Ti Laptop Reveal

26:17 Xbox Series Console Quick Resume Update

32:22 RetroTINK 5x Pro Release

40:15 DF Supporter Program: What's Happening This Week?

43:40 Resident Evil Village PC

53:53 DF Supporter Q+A

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DF Direct Weekly sees Rich, John and Alex discussing the major topics of the week, talking about their current projects, recapping all the cool stuff happening on the DF Supporter Program Patreon and of course, tackling a big bunch of supporter questions! Join us at patreon.com/digitalfoundry for early access to the show every week!

00:00:00 Introductions

00:00:52 Resident Evil Village

00:15:59 FPS Boost update

00:28:20 Epic vs Apple

00:36:16 Returnal impressions

00:43:57 This Week's Patreon Content 

00:48:28 Super Mario 64 Raytraced

01:00:20 Genshin Impact

01:04:18 Supporter Q+A

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DF Direct Weekly is - perhaps unsurprisingly - back! Over 92 minutes, the team cover the biggest gaming tech news of the week, with much of it generated by ourselves thanks to the amazing Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition. Plus - Returnal... what a game!

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:16 We've relaunched our Patreon!

00:04:52 Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition world exclusive

00:16:22 Mortal Shell patch

00:23:05 Nier Replicant

00:28:32 Microsoft GameStack + DirectStorage

00:37:44 Genshin Impact PS5

00:41:21 Returnal

00:56:33 Patreon Q+A

01:20:30 Patreon discussion

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Join Rich Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia for the latest news/chat/discussion show. Join the Digital Foundry Patreon and get involved with the show! In this week's edition, the team talk about FPS Boost, the stay of execution for the PS3 and Vita PlayStation Stores, Microsoft's Agility SDK and much, much more.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:40 FPS Boost Updates

00:09:23 PSN Stores will remain open (for now)

00:13:50 Sony investigating CMOS battery issue

00:22:32 Microsoft Gamestack Live + Agility SDK

00:34:43 Nvidia GTC Showcases

00:39:08 MLB The Show - Sony Goes Cross-Platform

00:49:02 Apogee Returns

00:52:41 Digital Foundry Content Discussion

00:56:37 Patreon Revamp Details

01:07:28 Patreon Supporter Q+A

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Welcome the latest Digital Foundry Direct. Rich, John and Alex sit down to discuss the latest rumours from Sony first-party, the Mass Effect Legendary Edition trailer, Nvidia's new GTC presentations and announcements and of course, fielding a bunch of questions from our beautiful Patreon supporters.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:51 The Last of Us Remake / Days Gone 2 Cancelled?

00:11:42 PS5 Firmware Update

00:17:58 Mass Effect Legendary Edition Trailer

00:21:59 Nvidia GTC: Announcements, Presentations and Technology

00:35:39 DF Content Discussion: Shadowman DF Retro EX

00:39:33 The Next DF Developers

00:45:17 Patreon Supporter Q+A

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