Another week of exciting news as reputable sources reveal that PlayStation 5 Pro is incoming - and we've even got a sketch of the (possible!) design. Meanwhile, the Black Myth: Wukong Xbox no-show continues to command attention - as does the decision to release Avowed on Xbox consoles at 30fps. John, Rich and Oliver are on the mics this week - but Tom ducks out of his short vacation for a quick chat about the recent Metal Gear Solid: Delta and Silent Hill 2 press event he attended. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:07 News 1: PS5 Pro name, design possibly leaked 0:27:16 News 2: Why isn’t Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox? 0:41:24 News 3: Astro Bot VR ruled out - but PC could be coming 0:49:53 News 4: MGS Delta: Snake Eater preview! 1:06:53 News 5: Silent Hill 2 hands-on! 1:26:24 News 6: Avowed vows to target 30fps on Xbox Series consoles 1:34:48 Supporter Q1: What games do you most want to see updated for PS5 Pro? 1:41:36 Supporter Q2: How will Microsoft deal with the PS5 Pro? 1:52:24 Supporter Q3: Could Intel GPUs be in the next-gen consoles? 1:56:35 Supporter Q4: Given that the 4090 can no longer sustain native 4K at max settings in a lot of games, are we about to hit a performance wall? 2:04:28 Supporter Q5: Did Sony and Microsoft underestimate the needed console specs this generation? 2:12:19 Supporter Q6: Would DF consider adding a quantitative rating system to their reviews? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich returns from Gamescom 2024, bringing with him hands-on impressions of STALKER 2 on Xbox and the incredible Black State on PC. Alex and Oliver share notes on the Final Fantasy 16 PC demo, while the team discuss the highlights - such as they are - of Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live. But the big story is the news that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PlayStation 5 - and the extent of Microsoft's multi-platform strategy is finally revealed. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:58 News 01: Indiana Jones headed to PS5 0:19:53 News 02: Hands-on with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 0:31:31 News 03: FF16 demo tested on PC! 0:47:13 News 04: Black State impresses 0:57:50 News 05: Gamescom Opening Night Live recap 1:06:45 News 06: Nvidia’s Gamescom announcements 1:19:14 Supporter Q1: Is disabling RT depending on the scene a good idea? 1:27:47 Supporter Q2: Is Series S preventing a Black Myth: Wukong release on Xbox? 1:34:33 Supporter Q3: Why did Wukong on PS5 use FSR and not TSR? 1:38:35 Supporter Q4: Could improved Wukong performance be a good selling point for PS5 Pro? 1:45:06 Supporter Q5: How will Microsoft differentiate the next Xbox? 1:52:21 Supporter Q6: Did Microsoft and Sony focus on the wrong features with PS5 and Xbox Series? 2:01:18 Supporter Q7: Is 12GB enough VRAM for graphics cards this generation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest DF Direct Weekly, we take a very early first look at FSR 3.1's improved spatial upscaling, which 'dropped' just prior to recording. The team discuss Capcom's reveal of a NEW Dead Rising remaster/remake, while we have first impressions on a potentially game-changing patch for Dragon's Dogma 2. And just why is PlayStation 5 so technically competitive with Xbox Series X, despite having less horsepower? It's been a mystery for years, but we may finally have some answers. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:00 News 01: FSR 3.1 tested! 0:10:56 News 02: Dead Rising remake in development 0:22:55 News 03: Dragon’s Dogma 2 patched 0:30:12 News 04: Project Keystone details revealed 0:38:16 News 05: Forza Horizon 4 to be delisted 0:49:38 News 06: SGSSAA appears in new game 0:58:46 News 07: Unity 50Hz physics issue returns 1:07:55 Supporter Q1: Why haven’t more reviewers noted the issues with Elden Ring? And is it really fair to pile so much technical criticism on From Software? 1:27:03 Supporter Q2: What should our expectations be for a potential PS3 emulator on PS5? 1:36:05 Supporter Q3: Why is the Series X still sometimes outperformed by the PS5 in cross-platform games? 1:45:54 Supporter Q4: Could something like Auto SR be implemented on consoles for backwards compatible games? 1:50:00 Supporter Q5: Why do low settings in games look a lot better than they used to? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is slated for release in 'Fall' 2023, Kojima's helping to make a movie, Steam Deck is set to get a successor - and Returnal's recommendations include a mammoth 32GB of memory. All this, plus discussion of the RDNA 3 review aftermath in this week's show. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:00 News 01: Spider-Man 2 to launch in fall 2023 00:08:51 News 02: Death Stranding film in the works 00:14:45 News 03: Valve discusses Steam Deck successor 00:26:45 News 04: RX 7900 XT/XTX review follow-up! 00:51:34 News 05: Returnal PC requirements announced 00:57:39 News 06: High on Life launches with major issues, quickly patched 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q1: Which games would you like to get RTX Remix enhancements? 01:10:51 DF Supporter Q2: Why doesn’t DLSS significantly lower VRAM use? 01:12:22 DF Supporter Q3: Would you ever release the DF performance analysis tools to the public? 01:17:05 DF Supporter Q4: Alex, would you prefer to play a game with great ray tracing with PSO stutters, or a game without ray tracing with no stutters? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Game Awards - aka 'The Geoffs' - are back once again, bringing a deluge of new trailers and announcements for Rich, John and Alex to pore over in the latest DF Direct Weekly. Meanwhile, Stadia devkits are starting to emerge and Microsoft is raising game prices - but before all of that, the team takes a look at a dramatically improved build of The Callisto Protocol on PC. The Game Awards - aka 'The Geoffs' - are back once again, bringing a deluge of new trailers and announcements for Rich, John and Alex to pore over in the latest DF Direct Weekly. Meanwhile, Stadia devkits are starting to emerge and Microsoft is raising game prices - but before all of that, the team takes a look at a dramatically improved build of The Callisto Protocol on PC. Join the DF Patreon for EARLY ACCESS to every DF Direct Weekly, pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content and much, much more: https://bit.ly/3jEGjvx Podcast RSS Feed: https://digitalfoundry.podbean.com/ Subscribe for more Digital Foundry: http://bit.ly/DFSubscribe 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:59 News 01: Callisto Protocol PC updates 00:09:12 News 02: The Game Awards game reveal rundown! 00:50:33 News 03: Stadia devkits dissected, analyzed 00:54:03 News 04: Microsoft increases game prices to $70 01:01:21 DF Supporter Q1: Is Alex doing better this week? Has DF considered doing numbered ratings to send a message about certain issues? 01:04:37 DF Supporter Q2: Would you consider giving a “seal of quality” to games that meet technical standards? 01:05:44 DF Supporter Q3: Would you prefer to play on a huge projector screen, or a top-of-the-line OLED TV? 01:08:46 DF Supporter Q4: Portal RTX demands DLSS, so is Quality, Balanced, or Performance the best DLSS preset? 01:13:04 DF Supporter Q5: Rich, do you still think that Xbox OS and PlayStation OS will become interchangeable on consoles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a challenging week reviewing The Callisto Protocol and awaiting various performance patches, Alex, John and Rich unload about the triumphs and tragedies of the launch period, while reflecting on how good the game actually is. Meanwhile, Nintendo's promising improvements to Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, modders tackle Sonic Frontier's shortcomings - and Jesus Christ himself appears, rendered at 4K60 on RTX 4090. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: Callisto Protocol review aftermath 00:33:04 News 02: Poké-patch arrives for Scarlet/Violet, Nintendo apologizes 00:36:06 News 03: Fixes arrive for Sonic Frontiers 00:41:23 News 04: I am Jesus Christ Prologue: biblically-accurate graphics! 00:46:53 DF Supporter Q1: Which Switch games look better than you would expect? 00:50:54 DF Supporter Q2: Given the success of the Steam Deck, should Valve do Steam Machines again? 00:54:03 DF Supporter Q3: Who will implement a Nanite-style virtualized geometry system next? 00:58:28 DF Supporter Q4: Why do some games have broken physics when you increase the frame-rate? 01:03:14 DF Supporter Q5: Could Nvidia offer new tech as a paid subscription in the future? 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q6: If you could bring back a dormant Activision/Blizzard IP, which would it be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will we have to wait until 2028 for new consoles from Microsoft and Sony? And how are the two companies at war over Call of Duty? Audi, John and Rich discuss, also covering news on The Witcher 3's upgrade plus the latest news about The Callisto Protocol. Meawhile, what on Earth is the Boner in Berlin?   00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:31 News 01: Next-gen consoles to launch in 2027/2028? 00:13:41 News 02: Microsoft and Sony engaged in Call of Duty value dispute 00:27:01 News 03: Witcher 3 current-gen + PC upgrades revealed! 00:37:34 News 04: Callisto Protocol leaks and reveals 00:46:45 News 05: The Game Awards nominees announced 00:55:39 News 06: Warzone 2.0 tested! 01:07:17 DF Content Discussion: What has Audi been up to? 01:10:43 DF Supporter Q1: Given the performance woes of the new Pokémon games, does the industry need to re-evaluate yearly franchises? 01:18:10 DF Supporter Q2: How does being multilingual help the DF team? 01:24:05 DF Supporter Q3: With GPU/CPU stock still on store shelves, have AMD and Nvidia misjudged the market? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode, John, Rich and Alex share observations, thoughts and hopes for The Witcher 3's forthcoming re-release and there's discussion on Epic's improvements to Unreal Engine 5, plus thoughts on RTX 4080/4070 Ti pricing. Meanwhile, what on earth is happening with Pokémon Violet and Scarlet polish and performance? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:48 News 01: Witcher 3 next-gen patch incoming 00:12:48 News 02: Unreal Engine 5.1 delivers big improvements 00:27:29 News 03: RTX 4080 released! 00:44:35 News 04: Gamers Nexus solves 4090 power connector mystery 00:50:35 News 05: DLSS 3 gets frame-limiter to overcome vsync issue 01:00:42 News 06: Pokémon Violet and Scarlet suffer serious tech issues 01:07:33 DF Supporter Q1: Why don’t we ever get anisotropic filtering above 16x? 01:10:03 DF Supporter Q2: Why does the PS5 reserve 1.5 cores for the OS, leaving only 6.5 for games? 01:16:51 DF Supporter Q3: Is Elden Ring a good candidate for game of the year, given its performance problems? 01:18:34 DF Supporter Q4: Are game developers relying too much on DLSS? 01:24:21 DF Supporter Q5: When will Audi be released from Rich’s basement and appear in videos again? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's been a lot of debate recently about whether Xbox Series S's limited performance is 'holding back' the other consoles from being everything that they can be - so Rich, John and Alex weigh in with their opinions based on developer discussions and two years' worth of gaming data accrued by the channel. Meanwhile, it's all about the patches as Forza Horizon, Sackboy PC and Halo Infinite receive important updates. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:18 News 01: Is Series S limiting next-gen gaming? 00:23:32 News 02: Forza Horizon 5 patch brings DLSS, FSR 2, improved RT 00:34:13 News 03: Sackboy PC updated to eliminate #StutterStruggle! 00:43:26 News 04: Halo Infinite gets animation fix… but many issues remain 00:52:44 News 05: “Unlaunched” 4080 12GB to become 4070 Ti? 01:01:40 News 06: Mega Drive Mini 2 released! 01:08:42 DF Supporter Q1: With AMD focused on raster performance, is this an indication most gamers don’t care about ray tracing? 01:17:08 DF Supporter Q2: What’s the most impressive game to play on a new high-end PC system? 01:22:09 DF Supporter Q3: Should developers include advanced modes in console games to enhance future backwards compatibility? 01:25:07 DF Supporter Q4: How do you think the current economic environment will impact next-gen consoles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A big, big week for PC and console gamers as AMD emerges to showcase its new RDNA 3-powered RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT graphics cards with Rich, Will and Alex delivering their verdict on the reveal. Also, what to make of the PSVR2 launch line-up and pricing? Meanwhile, the realisation that new gaming tech is going up in price hits home as it's discovered that Microsoft is losing $100-$200 per console sold. 00:00:35 News 01: RDNA 3 unveiled! 00:24:15 News 02: FSR 3 frame-rate boost tech teased 00:31:26 News 03: How does RDNA 3 measure up against RTX 4000? 00:45:18 News 04: RT upgrades in Halo Infinite, Forspoken, and Snowdrop 00:51:31 News 05: PS VR2 release details announced 00:59:33 News 06: Microsoft takes $100-200 loss on Xbox Series consoles 01:03:51 News 07: Sackboy PC Stutter Struggles + shader compilation questions 01:11:47 DF Supporter Q1: What’s the best value CPU + motherboard + RAM combination for a PC? 01:15:41 DF Supporter Q2: Was FSR 2 really worth it for the Series X version of Scorn? 01:18:09 DF Supporter Q3: IS ALEX GERMAN OR AMERICAN? I MUST KNOW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Rich and Alex re-convene to share first impressions on the new God of War and the extent to which it leverages PlayStation 5. Meanwhile, rumours start to gather pace on AMD's RDNA 3 offerings, Microsoft hints at price increases - and what should we make of the Modern Warfare 2 PS4 Blu-ray with just 70MB of actual data on it? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: God of War Ragnarök impressions! 00:16:54 News 02: AMD RDNA 3 GPU reveal incoming 00:26:05 News 03: Xbox price increases hinted by Phil Spencer 00:35:33 News 04: Original The Witcher game gets UE5 remake 00:40:18 News 05: Age of Empires makes console return on Xbox 00:44:23 News 06: MW2 uses just 70MB of data on PS5 disc 00:49:33 DF Supporter Q1: Is it feasible to launch a current-gen game at 30fps and later patch in 60fps support? 00:52:42 DF Supporter Q2: With most games supporting high frame-rate options, was cross-gen a good thing? 00:58:16 DF Supporter Q3: Why do 30fps games look so much better now than they used to? 01:02:37 DF Supporter Q4: What retro genres should be brought back? 01:06:10 DF Supporter Q5: Will DLSS 3 be on the next Switch? Could it be enough for 4K60? 01:10:35 DF Supporter Q6: I loved Rich’s shirt last week - any other shirt ideas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the end of the cross-gen console era also see the end of 60fps as the standard for gaming on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5? It's the big topic for this week in the wake of the arrival of Gotham Knights and A Plague Tale: Requiem. Also, the team shares its enthusiasm for the return of Silent Hill, Resident Evil 4 and the latest Final Fantasy 16 trailer. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:05 News 01: Gotham Knights and Plague Tale run at just 30fps on consoles 00:26:39 News 02: Silent Hill returns! 00:40:33 News 03: Resident Evil 4 remake gameplay trailer released 00:48:16 News 04: Final Fantasy 16 gets impressive new story trailer 00:55:33 DF Content Discussion: Uncharted PC: Review Code vs Day One Patch 01:05:39 DF Supporter Q1: What performance should we expect from consoles once FSR and SSDs are maximized? 01:10:00 DF Supporter Q2: How much performance loss will I see by using a 4090 in an older system? 01:12:47 DF Supporter Q3: If an emulated game has an improved frame-rate, should gameplay be adjusted to compensate? 01:14:04 DF Supporter Q4: Why don’t developers offer higher bitrate versions of game video files as an optional download? 01:18:53 DF Supporter Q5: With many PC gamers on 144Hz displays, why not do benchmarking at 72Hz instead of 60Hz? 01:20:58 DF Supporter Q6: Was Gotham Knights sabotaged just to spite Rich? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia delivers a massive u-turn, 'unlauching' the RTX 4080 12GB. Rich, John and Alex discuss the reasons why and mull over the bizarre benchmarks revealed by the firm last week. In the meantime, with the RTX 4090 launched with coverage aplenty out there, the team discuss the reaction to the new GPU flagship and answer a bunch of supporter questions. Meanwhile, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is set to receive even more RT upgrades over the PS5 version - just how far could it be pushed? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:24 News 01: Nvidia “unlaunches” RTX 4080 12GB 00:21:21 News 02: RTX 4090 launched: our coverage + supporter questions 01:10:30 News 03: Spider-Man: Miles Morales gets big PC boosts 01:06:58 News 04: Two unique unreleased NES games listed for sale 01:10:32 DF Supporter Q1: Was it a good idea for CD Projekt Red to announce so many new games at once? 01:13:59 DF Supporter Q2: Why can’t I disable TAA and upscaling on console games? 01:17:16 DF Supporter Q3: Is an Nvidia/AMD/Intel GPU market sustainable? 01:23:57 DF Supporter Q4: Modern GPUs are 200x as powerful as the best GPU in 2007, so do modern games look 200x better than Crysis? 01:26:04 DF Supporter Q5: Could future LG OLED TVs offer 4K/240Hz to suit high-end GPUs? 01:29:05 DF Supporter Q6: John: give us a eulogy for Google Stadia! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some practical tests in this week's episode of DF Direct as Rich examines the modded performance modes cropping up for the Xbox Series S version of Starfield - while his £2,000 investment in a Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X Elite translates into some truly awful gaming. Meanwhile, John's been checking out the new PlayStation 2 and PSP emulators for PS5, while Alex isn't particularly happy about Game Pass versions of PC games missing DLSS and other upscaler support. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:22 Starfield Series S high frame-rate mods tested! 0:09:26 PS2 and PSP emulation on PS5 analyzed 0:24:58 Snapdragon X Elite gaming performance disappoints 0:44:34 Still Wakes The Deep ships without FSR, DLSS, XeSS on Game Pass 0:54:17 LRG3 showcase features re-releases, remasters 1:05:04 How can I age as gracefully as the Switch? 1:13:55 Would you still recommend the Steam Deck over the new ROG Ally X? 1:16:46 Could the PS5 last 8 or 9 years as Sony’s flagship console platform? 1:23:25 Do you think a 1080p screen could be too much for a next-gen Switch? 1:28:46 Do you think any unannounced first party games will be released around launch for Switch 2? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The leak of a Sony document suggesting the existence of a remake for Horizon Zero Dawn kicks off our discussion, which encompasses PSVR2 mass production, rumours of Half-Life Alyx for the new headset, path-traced Quake, the new Need for Speed - and much, much more.   00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:58 News 01: Horizon Zero Dawn PS5 remake leaked! 00:12:00 News 02: PSVR 2 enters mass production 00:18:53 News 03: Ray-traced Quake 1 released 00:25:10 News 04: New gameplay trailer for Dead Space remake 00:31:31 News 05: Need for Speed: Unbound revealed, dated 00:38:59 News 06: Nintendo shows first trailer for Mario film 00:45:45 DF Content Discussion: Intel ARC review follow-up and questions 01:01:30 DF Supporter Q1: Is there a project that was just too big for DF Retro? 01:03:39 DF Supporter Q2: Will Unreal Engine 5.1 fix the #StutterStruggle? 01:04:55 DF Supporter Q3: What’s a game you love that is largely unknown? 01:10:35 DF Supporter Q4: What potential RDNA 3 feature could get people to switch to AMD? 01:16:27 DF Supporter Q5: Is there any reason to use last-gen hardware instead of current gen backwards compatibility for PS4/Xbox One games? 01:18:43 DF Supporter Q6: Why don’t developers use DLSS 2/XESS/FSR 2.0 to upscale RT effects? 01:21:43 DF Supporter Q7: What game would you like to see remade that will never happen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The upcoming demise of Google Stadia dominates discussion, but we find plenty of time to discuss a range of topics: PS5's new 6nm processor, the arrival of XeSS and the imminent deployment of Intel Arc, the quality of Ryzen 7000 CPUs and the challenges of CPU reviewing in general, DLSS 3 reaction and EVEN MORE. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:48 News 01: Google Stadia is shutting down 00:20:00 News 02: PS5 gets a die-shrink! 00:23:31 News 03: XeSS debuts, Arc A750/A770 priced 00:37:13 News 04: New Ryzen 7000 CPUs reviewed 00:57:49 News 05: Sony PC game announcements, leaks 01:02:18 DF Content Discussion: DLSS 3 reactions and follow-up 01:07:48 DF Supporter Q1: Is latency a big issue with DLSS 3? Could a future version have unnoticeable lag? 01:10:22 DF Supporter Q2: Could tech similar to DLSS 3 come to consoles? 01:11:40 DF Supporter Q3: Would a slower version of DLSS 3 be able to run on Ampere cards? 01:13:48 DF Supporter Q4: Is vendor-agnostic frame generation tech similar to DLSS 3 possible? 01:16:40 DF Supporter Q5: How does DLSS 3 cope with RT effects? 01:19:14 DF Supporter Q6: Would DLSS 2 Quality mode work better as a base for DLSS 3 than Performance mode? 01:22:15 DF Supporter Q7: What do you expect from AMD’s new graphics cards? 01:28:47 DF Supporter Q8: Thoughts on EVGA leaving the GPU market? 01:32:45 DF Supporter Q9: Is 8K excessive? Shouldn’t we focus on visual features and not pixel count? 01:35:13 DF Supporter Q10: Could PCs move to unified memory instead of two discrete memory pools? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's show, the team discuss the Nvidia RTX 4000 reveal, the new tech on offer and the backlash over RTX 4080 pricing. The new RT Overdrive rendition of Cyberpunk is discussed along with the rich potential of RTX Remix. Elsewhere, PS1 Classics' first European 60Hz release proves to be fundamentally flawed, John has issues with the new Star Ocean demo - but it looks like there's good news about improvements to Xbox's restrictive DRM. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:43 News 01: Nvidia announces 4090, 4080 graphics cards 00:21:59 News 02: DLSS 3.0 revealed! 00:42:19 News 03: RTX Remix modding tools impress 00:47:33 News 04: RT “Overdrive” patch teased for Cyberpunk 2077 00:52:38 News 05: Xbox DRM scaled back for disc games 00:58:48 News 06: NTSC/PAL switching for PS+ classic games introduced 01:02:05 News 07: New Star Ocean demo suffers performance woes 01:06:21 DF Supporter Q1: Given the leak of the Tegra T239, a likely Switch SOC, when is the new Switch going to be released? 01:12:32 DF Supporter Q2: How much difference does memory speed make in games? 01:14:07 DF Supporter Q3: Do you think Konami will go back to developing new big games? 01:16:51 DF Supporter Q4: What are your thoughts on the GTA 6 leak? 01:22:49 DF Supporter Q5: Rich, did you imagine yourself doing this sort of work 20 years ago? And what’s one game you need to have a physical version of? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital Foundry is joined by Eurogamer's Ian Higton to discuss PlayStation VR 2 in extreme detail, followed up by John, Alex and Rich discussing the week's gaming and technology news - with a strong focus on the Tokyo Games Show and its surrounding Sony State of Play and Nintendo Direct mini-events.   00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:41 News 01: PSVR 2 hands-on impressions! 00:48:22 News 02: Sony’s latest State of Play 01:10:05 News 03: New Nintendo Direct showcases 2023 games 01:25:46 News 04: Suikoden I and II remasters announced 01:28:41 News 05: Uncharted PC collection finally dated! 01:32:51 DF Content Discussion: John’s upcoming DF Retro project 01:34:51 DF Supporter Q1: Could AI techniques be used for more exotic real-time image enhancements? 01:39:44 DF Supporter Q2: Why does John still like split-screen when he could just play on two consoles in the same room? 01:42:53 DF Supporter Q3: What is one of the biggest changes you’ve made to a video before release? 01:48:28 DF Supporter Q4: What’s the best cheap alternative to OLEDs with similar picture characteristics? 01:51:17 DF Supporter Q5: Is it really worth it to target 4K at 30 FPS? 01:55:40 DF Supporter Q6: When playing a PC game at 30 FPS, why not play at 30Hz instead of 60Hz with a frame-rate cap? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The team discuss the arrival of a brand new PlayStation 5 revision, the arrival of 1440p support for the console - and the ongoing war over COD between Sony and Microsoft. Meanwhile, Halo Infinite's campaign co-op split-screen cancellation provokes frustration... and who is 'Jim Mattrick'...? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a rocky road to market for Intel with its Arc range of graphics cards... and just over a year since Intel talked to us about it. In this extended interview, Alex and Rich talk to Intel Fellow Tom Petersen about the state of play with Intel Arc, what's going on with DX11, DX12, Vulcan and Resizeable BAR, plus there's new information on XeSS upscaling (which we're currently testing) and what Intel says is best-in-class ray tracing performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've looked at how the Last of Us Part 1 compares with prior TLOU versions, we've detailed all of the various performance modes, what they do and how they work. Now, we get down to brass tacks. Is this a game that actually required a remake? Is it worth the money? John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie share notes and come to the conclusion that yes, it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What should have been a celebration of gaming with the arrival of Gamescom 2022 is marred by a bunch of bad news - including price rises for PlayStation 5 in multiple territories that are not the United States of America and the mooted arrival of Denuvo DRM for... Nintendo Switch? As John and Rich seem to continually remind us the episode... it's not great. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: Sony bumps PS5 prices! 00:16:17 News 02: Denuvo DRM launches on Switch 00:27:26 News 03: “Super Mario RTX” UE5 demo footage released 00:32:32 News 04: Impressions from Gamescom! 00:52:14 News 05: Intel showcases XeSS in new video 00:59:33 News 06: Pac-Man World Re-Pac packs 50Hz physics 01:01:56 DF Supporter Q1: Should I get an RTX 3070 now, or wait for RTX 4060/4070? 01:09:01 DF Supporter Q2: Which older proprietary engines do you wish were still being developed on? 01:12:59 DF Supporter Q3: Could 360/PS3 have gotten mid-gen enhanced consoles? 01:15:59 DF Supporter Q4: If Japan had gone with the PAL television standard, would 25fps/50fps have been the gold standard for games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Weekly reaches its three-quarter-century this week, with John, Rich and Will discussing evidence of Sony creating its own PSN launcher for its PC titles, a fascinating inteview with Astro's Playroom developer Team Asobi, more GPU price madness and Intel video card discussion - plus, a remarkable new voxelised version of Doom! 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:41 News 01: PlayStation PC game launcher to come? 00:11:10 News 02: Team Asobi interview hints at new game 00:19:03 News 03: Sonic Mania decompiled… and ported to Vita! 00:25:19 News 04: Intel ARC GPUs finally for sale outside of Asia + A380 performance discussion 00:37:53 News 05: GPU prices collapse! 00:46:14 News 06: New DOOM mod replaces sprites with 3D voxels 00:49:44 DF Content Discussion: New DF website launch 00:54:26 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro on the Klonoa series 00:59:21 DF Supporter Q1: Do 240Hz OLEDs have good enough motion clarity to match CRTs? 01:04:41 DF Supporter Q2: Could the Steam Deck be sold in mass-market retail stores? 01:09:08 DF Supporter Q3: Why do Insomniac’s VRR modes get high praise, given their inconsistent performance? 01:13:26 DF Supporter Q4: What are some examples of high-end PC game options that never run well, even with new hardware? 01:16:46 DF Supporter Q5: Will Rich ever go back to doing unboxing videos? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a challenging week for Digital Foundry as the review process for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered was set back twice owing to patch updates. So what actually went on, why was some of the embargoed review content out of date on embargo day, how was the game improved and where do we stand right now on day one - the day this Direct was filmed?   00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:57 News 01: Spider-Man Remastered released on PC! 00:27:05 News 02: Boneworks gets Metal Gear Solid mod 00:35:30 News 03: RTX 4070/4080 power consumption less than expected? 00:42:48 DF Update: DF site upgrade + Half-Life charity stream 00:46:01 DF Supporter Q1: Is Rich surprised DF Direct has run this long? 00:47:52 DF Supporter Q2: Was the Xbox BC program cancelled for licensing reasons or technical issues? 00:52:54 DF Supporter Q3: Could Microsoft introduce lower-feature OS modes to free up more performance on Series S? 00:55:37 DF Supporter Q4: How much will RT improve with efficiency improvements alone this generation? 00:59:23 DF Supporter Q5: What are your favourite methods of implementing complex graphical effects in retro games? 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q6: Would Sony ever release a new portable PlayStation system? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when we thought the summer festival of gaming events was over, Nintendo comes out of nowhere with a brand-new Direct featuring a wide rage of excellent titles - not bad for a system reaching the end of its life cycle. John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie team up to share notes on the Direct, including a tech-orientated argument about how it's definitely NOT Switch 2 delivering the Metroid Prime 4 footage! 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:42 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond 0:14:08 The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom 0:22:43 Lego Horizon Adventures 0:29:44 Mario & Luigi: Brothership 0:35:47 Funko Fusion, Nintendo Switch Online updates, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics 0:45:42 Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, Fantasian: Neo Dimension 0:55:37 MIO: Memories In Orbit, The Hundred Line: Last Defence Academy, Super Mario Party Jamboree, ぶっとバード, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection 1:05:24 Evaluating the Direct and looking forward to Switch 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PlayStation icon Kratos arrives on ALL Xbox consoles in one of the most unlikeliest stories we've ever seen, while Xbox Series S gets more memory delivered to game-makers via a development kit update. Meanwhile, John, Rich and Alex discuss the seemingly incredible perf boosts we should expect from the next-gen Nvidia GPUs, while Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins gets a PC AA/DLSS upgrade. All this - AND MORE - in this episode of DF Direct Weekly! 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:57 News 01: War Gods Zeus of Child hits Xbox consoles! 00:13:59 News 02: Xbox Series S to receive memory boost in new GDK 00:25:28 News 03: Lovelace GPUs reportedly very, very fast 00:35:59 News 04: Stranger of Paradise gets DLSS upgrade 00:38:58 News 05: Return to Castle Wolfenstein gets new PC release 00:51:59 News 06: Analogue Pocket gets beta 1.1 firmware 00:55:39 DF Content Discussion: Upcoming DF Retro projects! 00:57:44 DF Supporter Q1: What does John think of the new RetroTINK 5X updates? 01:02:59 DF Supporter Q2: Does HDR impact game performance? 01:04:22 DF Supporter Q3: How do low-power systems like the Steam Deck slot into DF coverage? 01:11:25 DF Supporter Q4: How did you enjoy your vacations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the DF Direct Weekly "Hot Beast" Edition as John and Rich return from holiday to join Alex Battaglia for an extended discussion on the week's news, covering the surprise reveal of 1440p display support for PlayStation 5, an official look at more of The Last of Us Part 1, the highs and lows of VR - and Alex's Core i9-12900K PC upgrade! 00:00:43 News 01: 1440p output support in new PS5 beta firmware 00:13:49 News 02: TLOU Part 1 gameplay showcase video released 00:20:31 News 03: PSVR 2 features detailed, Quest 2 price increased 00:34:10 News 04: Xbox boot times shortened with faster boot video 00:39:07 News 05: Returnal port updated with Steam Deck support 00:43:38 DF Content Discussion: Alex’s i9-12900K upgrade 00:59:28 DF Supporter Q1: Given the stutter issues on Unreal Engine, is it better to just play UE games on consoles? 01:07:45 DF Supporter Q2: Is there a way to get pre-cached shaders for EGS games on Steam Deck? 01:09:39 DF Supporter Q3: Why do so many Switch games lack anti-aliasing? 01:13:55 DF Supporter Q4: DLSS has a fixed cost, so have you ever seen a scenario where DLSS was slower than regular rendering? 01:15:43 DF Supporter Q5: If the next Switch can achieve performance similar to Series S, will major third party games come back to Nintendo? 01:19:46 DF Supporter Q6: When playing on PC, what is your personal target frame rate? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's something of a DF Direct special this week, as regular co-host Alex Battaglia is joined by two insightful guests: Sam 'samred' Machkovech of Ars Technica and Addie 'EposVox' of... YouTube. The trio tackle the week's news - including the first details on the Spider-Man Remastered PC port, leaked footage from the upcoming The Last Of Us Part 1 remake and early reviews of Intel's Arc GPUs - and answer an unparalleled 12 DF Supporter questions.  00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:09 News 01: Spider-Man Remastered PC port details revealed  00:09:57 News 02: The Last of Us Part 1 leaked footage and impressions  00:16:30 News 03: Intel Arc GPUs get benchmarked and reviewed  00:34:50 News 04: Activision gets official Steam publisher page  00:40:28 News 05: Classic PC titles available for free via Xbox Insider  00:48:22 News 06: John Romero to make new UE5-based FPS game  00:52:07 News 07: Bloodlines 2 development resumed at new studio  00:55:01 DF Content Discussion: Sam’s new release roundup  01:02:33 DF Supporter Q1: Could Series S run some One X-enhanced games?  01:07:57 DF Supporter Q2: Why don’t PC games compile shaders in advance?  01:15:59 DF Supporter Q3: Using a One X as “extra storage” for a Series X library - is it a good idea?  01:19:21 DF Supporter Q4: Will other manufacturers produce Xbox Series SSD expansion cards?  01:22:57 DF Supporter Q5: How good is Windows HDR for games?  01:26:53 DF Supporter Q6: What games or tech releases is Sam looking forward to?  01:30:50 DF Supporter Q7: If streaming had been around in the 90s, what games would have been popular to stream?  01:35:37 DF Supporter Q8: What is the best way to get high quality game capture for editing using OBS?  01:36:48 DF Supporter Q9: Would a stream deck or other specialty input peripheral be helpful for general office use? 01:39:19 DF Supporter Q10: Is desktop Linux bound to be a UX headache for new users forever, or is there a way to fix it?  01:44:31 DF Supporter Q11: Sam, do you still use your Playdate?  01:46:11 DF Supporter Q12: What’s a game you liked when you were younger but don’t look back on as fondly? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the DF Skeleton Crew! With Rich, John and Alex away, it's time for Will, Tom and Oliver to escape Rich's basement and step into the limelight for a Direct. In this episode we cover the new Skate and Bayonetta 3 announcements, react to the delisting of the Matrix Awakens and explain why Nvidia is discounting its higher tier graphics cards. Also: what secret projects would we like to work on, and what Prime Day pickups did we each make?   00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:49 News 01: Is FF7: Rebirth too much for Xbox? 00:08:21 News 02: RDR 2 current-gen ports reportedly cancelled 00:13:08 News 03: New Skate game announced, old build leaked 00:16:53 News 04: Bayonetta 3 trailer and release date announcement 00:24:37 News 05: First footage of redone Ark: Survival Evolved Switch port 00:30:13 News 06: The Matrix Awakens demo delisted! 00:34:27 News 07: High-end RTX 30 series GPUs get price drops 00:39:42 DF Supporter Q1: Console showdown: PS1, N64, or Saturn? 00:47:28 DF Supporter Q2: Any projects to look out for, or special interests you’d like to explore on the channel? 00:50:23 DF Supporter Q3: How do you split your work between DF and Eurogamer? 00:53:13 DF Supporter Q4: With Prime Day concluded, what pickups did you make from the sales? 00:56:24 DF Supporter Q5: What gaming-related things are banned in your household? 00:59:44 DF Supporter Q6: If Alex came from 2026 and told you a future Steam Deck had more powerful RT hardware than a PS5 or XSX, would you believe him? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hitting the 69th episode milestone, Rich gets to grips with Horizon Forbidden West's excellent VRR/40Hz date, while Alex and Tom join him to discuss topics as diverse as the apparent cancellation of GTA4 and Red Dead Redemption patches, more heavy-handed Take Two legal threats, and yet more issues with Capcom PC ports - this time with a furless DLSS patch. Meanwhile, is it really wise for Rich's gaming hardware to be situated next to a big radiator? And do Alex and Tom assess the rendering features of reality itself?   00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:55 News 01: Horizon: Forbidden West patch brings VRR, 40Hz support 00:11:25 News 02: GTA IV and RDR remasters cancelled? 00:20:15 News 03: Take-Two issues VR mod takedowns 00:32:36 News 04: DLSS patch removes fur in MH: Rise 00:44:48 News 05: Biomutant PS5, Series S/X update incoming! 00:47:49 DF Content Discussion: FSR 2.0 deep dive 00:54:23 DF Supporter Q1: Why are we still seeing reduced-rate animations on distant characters? 01:01:07 DF Supporter Q2: Do you ever ponder the rendering features of reality itself? 01:04:59 DF Supporter Q3: Can developers use unrealistic RT implementations to create surreal environments in games? 01:08:45 DF Supporter Q4: Can bad frame-pacing occur with 60fps games set to 120Hz output? 01:12:26 DF Supporter Q5: Console showdown: Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo? 01:16:45 DF Supporter Q6: What does Rich aim to achieve by overclocking a PS3? 01:17:45 DF Supporter Q7: Does Rich have a custom radiator cooling setup for his Switch? 01:19:11 DF Supporter Q8: If Rich is taking a vacation, that must mean Microsoft will be announcing new studio acquisitions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not exactly a week for 'gigaton' news but plenty to discuss nonetheless. Portal and Portal 2 arrive on Switch, with Half-Life 2 mods appearing less than 24 hours later. There's joy at the news of a Switch Nier Automata port but confusion about how to actually pronounce it. Meanwhile, Sony unveils a new range of hardware - but is it aimed at PC or PS5 players? Also: FSR 2.0's open source nature brings about a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod - and we've spoken to the person who did it. Join John, Rich and Will for this one - but Alex Battaglia's Force Ghost is never too far away... 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:47 News 01: Half-Life 2 modded onto Portal for Switch 00:09:10 News 02: Nier: Automata Switch port revealed 00:13:55 News 03: Cyberpunk 2077 modded with FSR 2.0 00:21:20 News 04: Sony launches PC headsets, monitors 00:36:39 News 05: Valve doubling Steam Deck production 00:43:42 News 06: New Star Ocean: The Divine Force trailer 00:46:55 DF Supporter Q1: If Alex came from a time warp and said the Switch 2 had better RT hardware than PS5/XSX, would you believe him? 00:52:30 DF Supporter Q2: Nintendo has been stockpiling materials - possibly a sign of a new Switch? 00:56:05 DF Supporter Q3: Which gaming industry figure would you most like to interview? 01:01:30 DF Supporter Q4: Which retro CRTs are a good pick - that aren’t crazily expensive? 01:05:12 DF Supporter Q5: Could spatial upsampling like FSR 1.0 be integrated into displays? 01:08:47 DF Supporter Q6: Now that Alex is away, can we agree that Crysis isn’t a particularly good game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A packed week for news! YouTuber DIY Perks reveals a fascinating PS5 'Slim' model while Sony finally unleashes PlayStation Plus in the EU and UK - and yup, the classic games are 50Hz - but the platform holder promises to address the situation. Nintendo delivers a beautiful reveal for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on Switch, Forza Horizon 5 gets TAA - but only on PC, while John has much to say about a scrappy demo of the Klonoa remaster on Switch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the final push for the E3 that wasn't quite an E3, with John, Rich and Alex talking through Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and their favourite big game reveals from the last couple of weeks' festivities. Meanwhile, some happy-ish news for PS+ classic game subscribers in the US, plus the awesome reveal of Jak and Daxter as the latest decompilation project. Meanwhile... could it be? Could Alex's #StutterStruggle soon be over?   00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:58 News 01: Square reveals FF7 Rebirth and Crisis Core remake 00:13:56 News 02: "E3" Aftermath and thoughts 00:32:16 News 03: PS1 Classics are proper NTSC in the US 00:34:55 News 04: Jak and Daxter reverse engineered 00:41:28 News 05: Unreal Engine Forum Q&A 00:55:45 DF Supporter Q1: How long do you think Forza Motorsport has been in development? 01:04:43 DF Supporter Q2: What could be the unique selling point of Switch 2? 01:08:13 DF Supporter Q3: Do you think 4k gaming is relevant? Is it worth the effort? 01:12:37 DF Supporter Q4: Are you guys aware of the RGB-Pi? 01:13:36 DF Supporter Q5: Would you rather play a single-player game at 60 fps with DLSS quality or 90-120 with DLSS performance. 01:15:19 DF Supporter Q6: What type of milk do you all like in your tea? 01:16:48 DF Supporter Q7: What country would you guys like to visit soon, that you may not have had the chance to visit in the last 4 years? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not one - but TWO - Microsoft/Xbox/Bethesda shows aired this week, so we decided to watch both of them before passing comment. John, Rich, Oliver and Alex share their thoughts on the games on offer from the technical brilliance of Forza Motorsport to the next-gen BGS title, Starfield. Plus: what to make of the Kojima announcement? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Keighley rolls into town, meaning only one thing - Summer Game Fest, aka Geoffcon aka Keigh3 is finally upon us. The Last of Us Part 1, Modern Warfare 2 and The Callisto Protocol headline the proceedings alongside a whole host of other great-looking games. Meanwhile, 343 Studios announces Halo co-op preview flighting in July and Apple reveals the M2 chip, smart upscaling and a new focus on gaming. Finally, what is T-LOO and will it forever dominate our destinies?   00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:04 News 01: Summer Game Fest 00:42:33 News 02: Plucky Squire looks fabulous 00:47:08 News 03: Halo Infinite Co-Op in public beta 00:50:05 DF Supporter Q1: What are your thoughts on Apple's MetalFX Upscaling? 00:50:25 DF Supporter Q2: What are your thoughts on Apple's MetalFX and the new M2 SoC? 00:54:31 DF Supporter Q3: Can you see Sony making their own PC client for Playstation games? 00:56:04 DF Supporter Q4: How much in contact are the MS and Sony console divisions? 00:57:33 DF Supporter Q5: How do you maintain your launch day PS3? 01:00:36 DF Supporter Q6: Is there any chance we can get more DF Retro E3 presentation watch-alongs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Alex and a freshly returned Rich deliver a 'come down' Direct that's a little more relaxed after the mania of the summer showcase events. The team bemoan the state of the Ubisoft Forward stream quality, ruining the visual quality of some great games, then move onto the discourse surrounding the Gears of War: E-Day cinematic. John's excited about the UE5 Riven remake, while Alex is even more excited about Sweeney's Prophecy - a brand new store leak promising a range of intriguing PC releases. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:58 News 01: Star Wars Outlaws demo analyzed! 0:28:11 News 02: Assassin’s Creed Shadows unveiled 0:46:24 News 03: Clarifying the Gears of War cinematic trailer 0:54:34 News 04: Epic Games Store leaks upcoming games 1:00:34 News 05: Riven demo released 1:08:28 Supporter Q1: Has any console generation been more boring than this one? 1:13:12 Supporter Q2: Was Microsoft showing Series X or PC footage at their games showcase? 1:19:49 Supporter Q3: Is delaying a physical release the best option for modern games? 1:26:35 Supporter Q4: Will you make an updated PC Gaming on a Budget video? 1:34:01 Supporter Q5: Do you have ambitions for growing your audience? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly reaches its 'landmark' 64th episode, automatically making it as good as the Nintendo 64, Commodore 64 and Mega 64 (?). John, Rich and Alex team up to discuss the Sony PS5 State of Play, including Resident Evil 4 Remake, Spider-Man's PC port and PlayStation VR2. Meanwhile, there's confusion and disappointment surrounding Sonic Frontiers' gameplay reveal, and anticipation for God of War PC's FSR 2.0 update and Horizon Forbidden West's new patch.   00:00:00 Introductions 00:59:00 News 01: State of Play June 2022 00:41:38 News 02: Sonic Frontiers gameplay underwhelms 00:48:25 News 03: PS+ Japan gets NTSC classics 00:52:08 News 04: God of War and Horizon PC gets updates 00:55:31 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro PS3 1080p video update 01:01:53 DF Supporter Q01: Any thoughts on breathless tech site stories saying RTX cards are "back to MSRP"? 01:07:41 DF Supporter Q02: What do you guys think AMD needs to pull out of the hat to surpass or at least be on the same level playing field as Nvidia on the PC market? 01:20:31 DF Supporter Q03: How about a comprehensive tech terms and techniques explanation video? 01:22:46 DF Supporter Q04: Why do most US, Canadian and Euro Genesis / Mega Drive games just sound so much worse musically than their Japanese counterparts? 01:26:32 DF Supporter Q05: With all the games that you guys have reviewed all these years, which post-processing effect is the one that makes a great impact in a game, or which is your favorite? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much to discuss this week as the silly season brings us unconfirmed rumours of new consoles, plus a wealth of new information from Sony on its PC strategy and its future plans for PS4. Meanwhile, Windows Central reveals news on Microsoft's xCloud streaming stick, but can the technology actually become viable for all? Also - the PlayStation Plus classics emulators. They're not great and John's not happy about it. Finally, Alex has been spending 'quality time' with Steam Deck but what does that actually mean?   00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:46 News 01: TCL anticipates new consoles by 2024 00:13:07 News 02: Sony doubling down on PC 00:21:55 News 03: PS4 Cross-Gen here to stay for a while. 00:25:42 News 04: Next Xbox is a cloud streaming stick? 00:29:34 Supporter Q: What's your take on whether the big obstacle for making game streaming more attractive being the problem with Internet infrastructures, or something the streaming software can solve by itself? 00:35:42 News 05: PS Classics on PS+ isn't great 00:36:39 Supporter Q: PS Classics questions 00:50:42 Supporter Q01: If FSR 2.0 is providing comparable quality to DLSS, don't you think Nvidia is wasting precious silicon area that could be used on more shaders on tensor cores? 00:53:16 Supporter Q02: Any thoughts on DLSS, FSR, or XeSS being used to upscale streaming services like Netflix? 00:59:52 Supporter Q03: Do publishers update the versions of their games on physical discs for later print runs? 01:02:48 Supporter Q04: Can you see yourselves potentially using Steam OS on your non-work PCs once it's seen a proper release of version 3? 01:07:34 Supporter Q05: Do you think we could see cross-gen games that ditch the base last-gen consoles but work on the enhanced consoles? 01:09:11 Supporter Q06: Will Knack 3’s inevitable announcement (or release) coincide with a PS5 firmware update to enable its promised 8K output? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is The Last of Us really being remade for PlayStation 5 and if it is, is it really coming out in 2022? Or has the news void drove journos to desperation? Rich, John and Alex discuss this, the controversial PlayStation Plus games line-up - and of course, the big Starfield/Redfall delay. Also: Hitman 3's ray tracing seems to require an RTX 3070 and DLSS for 1440p - just how heavy is this game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nintendo's worried about the next-gen transition, Xbox Online DRM causes a major outage, Gotham Knights gets an unconvincing gameplay reveal and the legendary Duke Nukem Forever build from 2001 has leaked! Let's just say that there's plenty to discuss for John, Rich and Tom! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Oliver makes his DF Direct debut alongside familiar faces John and Alex. They discuss the news that Square Enix has sold its Western IPs and studios, including Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, Halo Infinite's Season 2 fixes and the early development of the TINK4K. Plus: does the Steam Deck suffer from high input lag? And most importantly, what's Oliver's superhero-style origin story? 00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:20 News 01: Square Enix sells off Western studios + IPs 00:10:10 News 02: Halo Infinite Season 2 launched 00:18:53 News 03: Is Forza Motorsport 8 cross-gen? 00:24:08 News 04: Prince of Persia Remake woes 00:29:17 News 05: Xbox VRR HDMI woes on AV receivers 00:36:23 News 06: 100TF Nvidia Lovelace GPUs? 00:45:35 DF Supporter Q1: Does the frame limiter in Steam Deck increase input lag? 00:55:27 DF Supporter Q2: My friends say Elden Ring "runs great" - does this vindicate From's decision to not focus on technical performance when only the enthusiast crowd notices? 01:00:20 DF Supporter Q3: Do you think we'll see GameCube emulation on Switch? 01:04:05 DF Supporter Q4: Mike Chi teased a TINK4K on Twitter - what do you think? 01:10:20 DF Supporter Q5: The games that best use Switch hardware tend to be from Nintendo or developers that work (almost) exclusively for Nintendo platforms. Will the Series S get into a similar situation where Microsoft / Bethesda make the best Series S titles? 01:15:35 DF Supporter Q6: Is HDR more trouble than it's worth? 01:24:12 DF Supporter Q7: What kinds of games are best suited for Black Frame Insertion (BFI)? 01:28:05 DF Supporter Q8: Oliver, what's your professional background? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a barren few weeks for gaming and technology news, but it looks like things are finally picking up! John, Rich and Alex share initial findings on PlayStation 5 VRR, discuss Valve's new 40-60Hz display support for Steam Deck... and what to make of the PlayStation "Preservation Group"? 00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:02 News 01: PlayStation 5 VRR support released 00:23:03 News 02: Steam Deck VRS, 40-60Hz updates 00:32:26 News 03: PlayStation "preservation group" revealed 00:35:33 News 04: Time-limited game trials on PS5 00:38:46 News 05: Shader compilation stutters resurface in Chernobylite 00:52:58 DF Supporter Q1: 900W Nvidia Lovelace GPU rumours 00:58:12 DF Supporter Q2: Forcing V-Sync on consoles? 01:01:08 DF Supporter Q3: Plans to cover Switch emulation? 01:04:43 DF Supporter Q4: Is digital the best way to preserve games? 01:08:56 DF Supporter Q5: Would a streaming service for emulated games be a good idea? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the dearth of news continues, the silly season breaks out with DF caught in a 'too big for Switch' crossfire. Even so, there's still some cool stuff to discuss - Playdate is in our hands, Steam Deck's getting 40Hz display support and Sonic Origins looks cool. But we've got bigger fish to fry: fundamentally, has next-gen actually happened yet - or are we still mired in a seemingly never-ending cross-gen transition period? 00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:04 News 01: Has "Next-Gen" happened yet? 00:27:52 News 02: DF says BOTW 2 is too big for Switch 00:32:54 News 03: Playdate has arrived 00:40:52 News 04: Steam Deck at 40hz 00:49:31 News 05: Sonic Origins details emerge 00:56:16 News 06: Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi to return in big budget form? 01:01:24 DF Supporter Q1: What are your thoughts on Sonic Jam on Saturn? 01:03:07 DF Supporter Q2: What are your favorite RTS? 01:08:16 DF Supporter Q3: What's John take on CRT shaders such as CRT-Royale 01:10:22 DF Supporter Q4: Any chance we can get a video on Cyberpunk's next gen comparisons to PC? 01:12:41 DF Supporter Q5: Am I the only one who looks at Ghostwire and thinks LICHDOM BATTLEMAGE? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the glut of triple-A releases over, the games industry continues to lull into a state of near-hibernation - not great when you're looking to produce a weekly chat show on the latest gaming and technology news. But we have a bunch of reports/rumours to respond to! The Witcher 3's next-gen upgrade has been delayed and news is starting to emerge of Criterion's new Need for Speed. And we did get an actual announcement: Kingdom Hearts 4 on UE5... so what does the team make of all this? 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:55 News 01: Kingdom Hearts 4 revealed 00:07:50 DF Supporter Q: What games do you hope are real from the Nvidia leak? 00:09:33 News 02: Next-gen Witcher 3 delayed and reorganized 00:16:24 News 03: Rumors of Criterion NFS in November 00:25:24 News 04: LG C2 TVs have issues 00:34:59 DF Content Discussion: Unreal Engine 5 00:53:00 DF Content Discussion: Motorstorm and PS3 emulation 01:04:08 DF Supporter Q1: What is your opinion on Deck's night pitched fan whine? 01:05:40 DF Supporter Q2: Would the Steam Deck (or other platforms) benefit from games having a native resolution UI with the 3D graphics at a lower resolution scaled up? 01:05:56 DF Supporter Q3: What are your thoughts on the upcoming technologies regarding upsampling via FSR 2.0 or Unreal engines TAA solution regarding the Steam Deck's resolution? 01:08:36 DF Supporter Q4: Why didn't UE5 release with direct storage to begin with? 01:11:08 DF Supporter Q5: How do you guys think the increased focus on CPU power in current-gen consoles will affect game design trends going forward? 01:19:36 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think we’ll ever see a FPS AI driven optimization built into game engines, perhaps to push a 30fps title to an AI-interpolated 60fps without a noticeable sacrifice to quality and latency? 01:24:05 DF Supporter Q7: What exactly does the PS5 have in hardware to support ray tracing? 01:25:33 DF Supporter Q8: Which games would you consider technological highlights on the "OG-Xbox"? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's say you're a bunch of tech journalists producing a weekly show based on gaming and technology news... and there's not really any worthwhile gaming or technology news to speak of? In an ideal world, we'd give ourselves the week off but #content must never sleep. And to be fair, we think we've managed to deliver a decent show nonetheless. Enjoy! 00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:23 News 01: Minecraft RT leaks onto Xbox Series, promptly removed. 00:05:27 DF Supporter Q: Why do you think MICROSOFT seemingly doesn't care about Minecraft on its own console? 00:09:46 News 02: Remedy to remake Max Payne 1 & 2 00:18:14 News 03: Unreal Engine 5 out of early access 00:36:36 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro Motorstorm 00:45:49 DF Content Discussion: Doom RT 00:54:14 DF Supporter Q1: How do you feel about the Steam Deck LCD display after some regular use now? 00:58:17 DF Supporter Q2: What's your thoughts on the potential of the Analogue Pocket 4 months on since release? 01:02:18 DF Supporter Q3&4: How long do you give it before owning a VRR display for current gen consoles becomes a necessity? / Do you have any thoughts as to why it took so long for Sony to implement VRR? 01:10:23 DF Supporter Q5: Jurassic Park Trespasser DF Retro WEN? 01:12:32 DF Supporter Q6: Can variable rate shading replace dynamic resolution scaling? 01:16:21 DF Supporter Q7: If my geforce 1070 ti dies, what do I get to replace it? Assume a $500ish budget. 01:18:24 DF Supporter Q8: Is there ever a conflict about who gets to review a certain game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A week of hot news - Sony scrambles to take on Game Pass (or Games Pass, as Alex would more correctly call it as it has more than one game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is delayed but showcased with footage that looks significantly beyond Switch's capabilities - and Intel launches its first Arc GPU products. RTX 3090 Ti also debuts. And... could it be? Is Knack finally returning? And if not, why not? 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:40 News 01: PlayStation reveals new subscription service 00:10:32 DF Supporter Q roundup 00:22:37 News 02: Breath of the Wild 2 delayed till Spring 2023 00:28:30 News 03: Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti details 00:35:38 News 04: Intel Arc launches on laptops 00:43:08 News 05: KNACK ALERT 00:45:45 DF Supporter Q1: What's your opinion about Steam Deck possibly utilising FSR 2.0 or XeSS using DP4A? 00:56:36 DF Supporter Q2: Do you think Steam Deck will stop being a niche product? 00:59:42 DF Supporter Q3: What's your take on DirectML? 01:04:04 DF Supporter Q4: John has mentioned he believes PS2-era or earlier games look best on a CRT because many effects were meant to render at a lower resolution. Isn’t that more of a game-by-game assessment, though? 01:10:36 DF Supporter Q5: Do you feel manual transmission adds anything to the gameplay experience in racing games versus just sticking with automatic? 01:13:55 DF Supporter Q6: Do you think BFI (Black Frame Insertion) is a dying technique now that LG has removed BFI 120hz from its newest generation OLEDs? 01:19:56 DF Supporter Q7: When did you start building PCs, and what started it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft's Xbox 2024 Showcase turned out to be an excellent presentation, with banger after banger. In this new DF Direct Special, John Linneman, Alex Battaglia and Oliver Mackenzie break down the show with their reactions to each of the key games before moving on to discuss the somewhat underwhelming hardware line-up - plus comments on Phil Spencer's latest remarks on the Xbox multi-platform strategy. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:17 Doom: The Dark Ages 0:11:05 Perfect Dark 0:20:42 Gears of War: E-Day 0:28:53 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater 0:40:39 Fable 0:49:43 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl 0:59:18 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 1:07:17 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle 1:15:54 Other games - Mixtape, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, Atomfall, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, State of Decay 3, Age of Mythology: Retold 1:24:36 Updated Xbox Series consoles 1:31:35 Phil Spencer: more Xbox games are coming to other platforms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the news! John, Rich and Alex take to the mics to discuss the end of CDPR's REDengine, image reconstruction via FSR 2.0 and XeSS, plus the long awaited confirmation of VRR (variable refresh rate) support coming to PlayStation 5. In short, there's a lot of 'hullaballoo' to sift through this week. 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:36 News 01: CD Project RED announces UE5 powered Witcher game 00:18:26 News 02: VRR is coming to PS5 00:28:19 News 03: AMD's FSR 2.0 presentation at GDC 00:33:34 DF Supporter Q: Do you think FSR 2.0 could be used on console as they are AMD powered? 00:45:36 News 04: Unity releases new "Enemies" real time cinematic showcase 00:52:54 News 05: Zelda Ocarina of Time has been decompiled and released publicly 00:56:56 News 06: Nintendo Switch gets "Groups" folder support 00:59:03 DF Supporter Q: Would you still play new PC releases if you didn't review them for a living? 01:03:21 DF Supporter Q: What type of video or content do you dream of making? 01:12:27 DF Supporter Q: Does it make sense for Nintendo to target 4k on the next Switch even with reconstruction? 01:18:03 DF Supporter Q: Can AMD and Nvidia do something to fix the shader compilation issues on PC? 01:22:46 DF Supporter Q: Will you review GTA 5 when it releases on Playstation 6 and Xbox Series XL? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A packed show this week! Alex shares his impressions on Grand Theft Auto 5's arrival on the new wave of consoles, the Elden Ring performance saga continues with the arrival of patch 1.03, AMD reveals the impressive-looking FSR 2.0, while AMD also aims to take on Intel at the more budget-orientated end of the market. 00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:09 GTA Fünf releases on PS5 00:09:48 Elden Ring 1.03 console performance boost? 00:21:36 FSR 2.0 00:31:39 AMD New CPUs taking on Alder Lake 00:37:48 GT7 servers down for 24 hours 00:44:05 Microsoft "releases" DirectStorage 00:46:28 UK sales physical vs digital 00:50:01 DF Content Discussion: Steam Deck 00:52:46 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro Gran Turismo 00:56:47 DF Supporter Q1: With the reality of console supply shortages isn't crossgen the more responsible course? 01:02:39 DF Supporter Q2: If you didn't have to use them for coverage purposes, would any of you ever touch a PS4/Xbox One system ever again? 01:06:07 DF Supporter Q3: How close are the two horizons (Forbidden West/Forza) to Nanite/UE5 in terms of geometric density/complexity? 01:07:52 DF Supporter Q4: Steam Deck has this very useful 30 FPS option built in. Do you think, the console manufacturers could implement such "half refresh rate" feature into their own SDK? 01:10:28 DF Supporter Q5: How do you keep CRT TV's maintained and going? 01:13:52 DF Supporter Q6: What went wrong with Microsoft's Windows Experience Index score as a replacement for system requirements? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a packed show, it's Rich, John and Alex at their respective microphones, sharing their thoughts on the Japan-focused State of Play, what tweaks to image quality Guerrilla Games has delivered for Horizon Forbidden West, plus a quick look at Dying Light 1's 60fps patch. Meanwhile, Alex is raging about stutter in PC games... but we're not going to let him talk about it. Not just yet. 00:00:00 Introductions 00:01:05 State of Play reactions 00:14:04 Horizon Forbidden West 1.07 patch 00:20:26 Dying Light next-gen patch 00:25:44 F-Zero X comes to NSO 00:29:55 Media.Vision announces 5 games in development 00:31:38 Switch OLED 3600 hour burn-in test 00:38:31 DF Supporter Q: Do you think the "burn-in crisis" is overblown? 00:42:37 DF Content Discussion: Guardians of the Galaxy on GamePass / DF Retro update 00:51:02 DF Supporter Q1/2/3: Elden Ring performance questions 01:02:57 DF Supporter Q4: What would you prefer? Locked 60fps or 60-80fps VRR? 01:06:22 DF Supporter Q5: Why is it so hard to produce OLED-Screens for the PC market? 01:14:32 DF Supporter Q6: Do you hold out much hope for improper frame-pacing being addressed in the next Switch? 01:16:42 DF Supporter Q7: Do you think Super Switch will be capable of matching or even surpassing the visual presentation of the new Sony and Microsoft machines? 01:19:07 DF Supporter Q8: The Bubsy Curse rumor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices