Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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