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, Pr...
Aug 21, 2023•2 hr 51 min•Ep 125•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Aug 14, 2023•2 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ru...
Aug 07, 2023•2 hr 40 min•Ep 123•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep 122•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Foundr...
Jul 24, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Ep 121•Transcript available on Metacast 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 over...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ap...
Jul 17, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Ep 120•Transcript available on Metacast 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:...
Jul 10, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Ep 119•Transcript available on Metacast 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 f...
Jul 03, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Ep 118•Transcript available on Metacast 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!...
Jun 28, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jun 19, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast 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 impress...
Jun 15, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Pandor...
Jun 14, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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, Sen...
Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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:...
Jun 11, 2023•2 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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-gen...
Jun 06, 2023•2 hr 32 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast With the first of the summer games events done and dusted, it's down to Rich, Oliver and John to shift through the games of the Sony showcase, bemoan trailergeddon, regale Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with praise then to discuss the merits of the Project Q streaming handheld. Meanwhile, the lack of a physical release for Alan Wake 2 upsets John - and Rich makes him talk about Marathon. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:15 News 01: Sony showcase recap! 00:40:02 News 02: Alan Wake 2 impresses, but why is it di...
May 29, 2023•2 hr 34 min•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast This week on the show, Alex gets to grips with the latest patch for Jedi Survivor, testing to see whether the game's profound tech issues have been resolved. Meanwhile, the team discusses Nvidia's RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti announcements, while John has much to say about the poor state of day one console launches. Meanwhile, the buzz surrounding mid-gen console refreshes continues - but do we actually need them? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:52 News 01: Jedi Survivor PC performance update! 00:17:04 ...
May 25, 2023•2 hr 36 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast One of the biggest - if not the biggest - games of 2023 launched this week. Nintendo's Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has recently a massively positive reaction. John discusses his review and shares more thoughts on the game, while digging more deeply into the eternal question - is it too big for Switch? Meanwhile, Rich drops in from time off to share his impressions with the Asus ROG Ally and A Plague Tale: Requiem gets a 60fps patch... but what does it actually do? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:04 ...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast DF Direct Weekly returns after a seismic week in gaming, with Oliver, John and Alex discussing the crisis state of PC gaming 'in the here and now', raking over the coals of the deeply disappointing Redfall release, while we had to take a look at Man of Medan on Switch, which targets a cinematic 24fps. Meanwhile, John clues us in on the latest Analogue Pocket firmware update. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:58 News 01: PC gaming in crisis 00:24:12 News 02: Redfall reaction and follow-up 00:54:38 News...
May 08, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast This week the team discuss the arrival of Star Wars Jedi Survivor, share first impressions after EA delayed sending review code, then move onto 'The Power of the Cloud' seemingly blocking Microsoft's Activision acquisition. Rich shares a conversation he had with the Xbox Sustainability Team on improving in-game efficiency, while benchmarks finally emerge on the impressive looking Asus ROG Ally handheld. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:45 News 01: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor impressions! 00:23:57 News 0...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Rich is joined by Alex and Oliver to discuss a range of topics, including the Unrecord footage that's gone 'viral', the launch of the first Unreal Engine 5.1 title outside of Fortnite to use Lumen and Nanite, and the arrival of the Horizon Burning Shores DLC - which looks amazing. Meanwhile, discover why Digital Foundry won't be doing another office tour and learn about Rich's 'cone of respectability'. It's all here in this 68 minute show! 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:45 News 01: Unrec...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast Rich, Alex and Oliver sit down for the latest DF Direct Weekly, discussing the controversial move for Microsoft to ship Redfall at 30fps with a performance mode to follow, along with confirmation that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justive League is getting a length delay. The team muse over the implications of Cyberpunk 2077's RT Overdrive changing the face of PC graphics in future games, while the third - and last - Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer is also discussed. Do we still think it's 'too bi...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast Rumours of a new PlayStation portable streaming device dominated the news this week, supplanting the actual reveal of the ultra-powerful Asus ROG Ally, first revealed on - believe it or not - April Fools Day. Meanwhile, John is seriously unhappy about Microsoft blocking emulation on Xbox Series consoles, while the applications of AI tools and the concept of affordable GPUs prompts further debate. And finally... Tekken 8 is on UE5 but is it actually using Nanite and Lumen? 00:00:00 Introduction 0...
Apr 09, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast We're not angry, we're just disappointed. And a touch baffled. Stupefied even. And actually, yeah, maybe a bit angry too. Just how did The Last of Us Part 1 launch on PC in the state it did? John, Rich and Alex discuss their impressions on the game, what went wrong with the port - and whether Sony should have launched it in this state at all. Meanwhile, it's a sad, sad day as E3 2023 is cancelled and the entire future of the Electronic Entertainment Expo looks bleak. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast It's GDC week, with Alex, Rich and John discussing the big news from the latest events, including some exciting new Unreal Engine 5 developments, plus Nvidia's latest innovations in real-time path-traced gaming. Meanwhile, the team isn't that impressed by Elden Ring's RT upgrade, while EA's decision to delete a bunch of excellent Battlefield games doesn't go down particularly well either. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:58 News 01: Epic makes UE5 announcements at GDC! 00:35:20 News 02: Elden Ring RT...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast John, Alex and Will take to the mics this week to discuss the possibilities of some exciting iterations on gaming favourites. Do the recent reports of a PS5 Pro make sense? What about an OLED Steam Deck? And if Counter-Strike is so great, why isn't there a Counter-Strike 2? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:24 News 01: Resident Evil 4 impressions! 00:13:53 News 02: PS5 Pro - is it coming? 00:25:01 News 03: Valve says Steam Deck OLED refresh unlikely 00:32:02 News 04: New Counter-Strike imminent? 00:44...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast A big week of news to discuss, with Oliver, Rich and Alex talking about Starfield's latest announcement and 'delay', plus the story that Suicide Squad will be pushed back in order to address the negative reaction to its State of Play gameplay reveal. Meanwhile, the COD war between Microsoft and Sony continues - and Halo Infinite on PC receives RT support. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:52 News 01: Starfield gets a release date, Suicide Squad delayed 00:11:18 News 02: The Last of Us Part 1 PC featur...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Baldur's Gate 3 isn't exclusive to any particular console, but right now, the Xbox versions are facing a unique problem that could impact the future of Series S. Meanwhile, John, Rich and Tom discuss the latest FF16 footage, the fate of Luminous Productions, Nvidia's new video AI upscaler and the impressive Humanity demo on PS5. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:45 News 01: Baldur’s Gate 3 hits Series S snag 00:16:27 News 02: Nvidia AI video upscaling tested! 00:24:06 News 03: Humanity demo impresses ...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast In a massive 100th Special Edition, DF Direct Weekly delivers the biggest show to date, with all current serving members of Digital Foundry at the mics. John, Alex, Rich and Audi take point on the main news stories of the week, joined by Tom, Will and Oliver for a gigantic supporter Q+A 'AMA' special. Thanks for watching and listening to the show over the last couple of years! 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:00 News 01: State of Play impressions! 00:32:15 News 02: Microsoft makes Nintendo, Nvidia ga...
Feb 28, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast 
