Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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