PS5 Pro... ultra boost mode? Rich, Oliver and Alex discuss the possibilities of how Sony's new console can improve existing games, before moving on to discussion of Ghost of Tsushima's PC specs and the 'PlayStation Overlay'. The team mull over the highly attractive Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailer, Oliver tests emulation on Apple while Rich gets to grips with GeForce Now's G-Sync support. And as for Alex? How about a 20-minute monologue on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's remarkable tech disclo...
Apr 22, 2024•2 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 159
What's going on with Microsoft's new game preservation team and commitment to forward compatibility? Alex, Rich and Oliver rake over the details - such as they are. Meanwhile, there's discussion over Fallout 4's upcoming current-gen upgrade, while the new Star Wars Outlaws story trailer gets the DF breakdown. And with FSR 3 frame-gen coming to consoles with Immortals of Aveum, what sort of expectation level should be set? 0:00:00 Introduction and DF Merch 0:01:39 News 01: Xbox establishes game p...
Apr 15, 2024•2 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 158
A wide range of Hellblade 2 previews emerged last week, but what have we learned about the game and is the dynamic resolution 30fps revelation in any way surprising? John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts while also sharing reactions to the latest chapter in the PS Portal hack story and Nightdive's POed remaster non-April fool. Alex shares news of his experiments with Intel's PresentMon 2.0 - and how it will change our PC games and hardware coverage - while there's intrigue and some level of e...
Apr 08, 2024•2 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 157
This week's show is dominated by Xbox news in the wake of a new interview with Phil Spencer strongly indicating a big change in direction for the Xbox platform and by extension, its hardware. There's also talk of what form an Xbox handheld may take, while leaked photography of a white Xbox Series X 'All Digital' console brings about bafflement from the team. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:50 News 01: Phil Spencer wants other game stores on Xbox 0:30:36 News 02: Phil Spencer’s gaming handheld wishlist...
Apr 01, 2024•2 hr 4 min
Rich, John and Alex discuss the stunning Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra debut trailer, potentially big upgrades to FSR via its upcoming 3.1 upgrade, while Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's tweaked performance mode (via a new patch) is analysed. Have image quality concerns finally been addressed? Meanwhile, we attempt to draw a line under the whole PS5 Pro/GTA6 60fps situation, while John shares his experiences with Nvidia's AI-powered Covert Protocol demo. Can AI move beyond upscaling to provide new gamepla...
Mar 25, 2024•2 hr 55 min•Season 1Ep. 155
In a brand new, DF Direct Special we find Alex, Rich and Oliver confirming the leaked technical specifications for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro console, we talk you through what the various spec points mean in terms of the gameplay experience, we go deep on ray tracing and machine learning-based upscaling and we reveal some new information about the new console based on recent developer disclosures. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:43 The CPU: What's Changed? 0:16:01 GPU Performance Boosts and Arc...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Rich is still trapped in a white room with two plants, but the Direct discussions continue regardless. Oliver's been checking out Rise of the Ronin on PlayStation 5, Alex has much to say about Nvidia's DLSS-based GDC reveals, while Rich is intrigued by Intel's latest PresentMon 2.0 features. Meanwhile, the surprise release - and withdrawal - of the PS5 Stellar Blade demo raises more questions about our digital library future. 0:00:00 Introduction and DF merchandise 0:02:26 News 01: Rise of the R...
Mar 18, 2024•2 hr 51 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Trapped in a plain white room with only two plants for company, an on-location Rich dials into the next DF Direct Weekly for salvation. Joining him this week as John and Alex, discussing the shutdown of the Yuzu and Citra emulators, the latest Sony PC ports from Nixxes, the Xbox partner showcase and hints of machine learning-based upscaling from AMD. Meanwhile, John's beard attracts an extraordinary level of attention. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:30 News 01: Nintendo forces Yuzu, Citra shutdown 0:...
Mar 11, 2024•2 hr 56 min•Season 1Ep. 153
Another big DF Direct Weekly sees John, Rich and Alex tackle the massive issue of lay-offs in the industry along with the welcome response from some developers in taking back control of their own destinies. Meanwhile, the team reacts to THAT Kingmakers trailer, while assessing Nintendo's legal action against the Yuzu Switch emulator. Finally, what is DirectSR? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:42 News 01: Massive gaming layoffs at Sony and EA 0:28:39 News 02: Studios take back control 0:39:37 John’s gam...
Mar 04, 2024•2 hr 56 min•Season 1Ep. 152
The news comes thick and fast this week as John, Alex and Rich discuss topics as diverse as the Switch 2's mooted 'delay' until Q1 2025, the fall-out of Microsoft's multi-platform strategy in the wake of the first releases, and Nvidia finally doing something about its ancient control panel with its new app. The implications of the PlayStation Portal hack are dissected and the logistics of PSVR2 support for PC are discussed in depth. Then finally, Rich reveals the results of BRAND NEW testing of ...
Feb 26, 2024•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 151
This week, Xbox finally responded to the rumours and speculations surrounding its multi-platform plans, while Sony boldly announced that we are entering the latter stages of the PlayStation 5's lifecycle - and that new initiatives are required to increase profit margins. John, Rich and Alex share their thoughts on the announcements and strategies before moving on to other topics. John's been working on a new modern retro game - Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - while a defective LCD screen sees R...
Feb 19, 2024•2 hr 58 min•Season 1Ep. 150
The week in gaming news was dominated by Xbox Multi-Platform Game debate, outrage and meltdowns - and we can't quite believe what we were seeing. John, Rich and Alex share their views before moving to other topics: we go hands-on with Helldivers 2, check out the FF7 Rebirth demo and John shares his excitement over Penny's Big Breakaway. Meanwhile, DF Supporters strike gold once again with a range of questions and discussion points. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:52 News 01: Is Microsoft embracing mul...
Feb 12, 2024•2 hr 58 min•Season 1Ep. 149
Another big, big episode of DF Direct Weekly as the team share their positive views on Sony's State of Play January 2024 presentation. Meanwhile, John and Rich have been playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and have much to say about it. The team also tackle the mounting evidence that Switch 2 will ship with an eight-inch LCD. The lack of OLED is a bit disappointing, but more to the point, the sheer size of the screen may have significant ramifications for the design of the overall pro...
Feb 05, 2024•2 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 148
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...
Jan 29, 2024•2 hr 50 min•Season 1Ep. 147
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:...
Jan 22, 2024•2 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 146
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 multiplatfo...
Jan 15, 2024•2 hr 53 min•Season 1Ep. 145
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 vanishing...
Jan 08, 2024•2 hr 58 min•Season 1Ep. 144
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 ...
Jan 02, 2024•2 hr 40 min•Season 1Ep. 143
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: Survi...
Dec 22, 2023•2 hr 34 min
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, wh...
Dec 18, 2023•2 hr•Season 1Ep. 142
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...
Dec 12, 2023•37 min
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 pu...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 141
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 Ser...
Dec 06, 2023•38 min
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 t...
Dec 04, 2023•2 hr 51 min•Season 1Ep. 140
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 Introduc...
Nov 27, 2023•2 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 139
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 Intr...
Nov 20, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 138
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...
Nov 13, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 137
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 l...
Nov 07, 2023•2 hr•Season 1Ep. 136
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 Int...
Oct 30, 2023•2 hr•Season 1Ep. 135
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: Spid...
Oct 23, 2023•2 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 134
