Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices