Stay ConnectedWhen it comes to video games and the hardware and tech we play them on, the team at Digital Foundry are unparalleled experts. Each week, DF Direct breaks down the latest breakthroughs in video game visuals, sound, and performance happening on PlayStation, Xbox, the most powerful PC setups, and more. If you’re a geek for graphics, GPUs, or just video games in general, DF Direct will help you get the most out of your gaming setup.
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The catastrophic launch of MindsEye dominates the Direct this week - but how does the game actually look and run on PS5 Pro and PC? We'll have a more detailed review soon, but there's good and bad with this one. Meanwhile, legit-looking specs emerge for the next-gen PlayStation handheld, Switch 2 sells through 3.5m units in four days and Rich spends some time looking at Stellar Blade's PC ports. Meanwhile, John has a brace of retro-based stories to share with you.
0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:48 News 1: MindsEye suffers troubled launch 0:20:27 News 2: Switch 2 sells 3.5 million units in first four days 0:28:45 News 3: Next-gen PlayStation handheld specs rumoured 0:41:29 News 4: Stellar Blade PC delivers good performance 0:51:39 News 5: Retro Afterplay enables web browser emulation 0:58:27 News 6: Mortal Kombat 2 ported to 3DO 1:05:20 Supporter Q1: Will next-gen Xbox be third party like the Xbox Ally? 1:12:13 Supporter Q2: What Switch games would you like to see patched for Switch 2? 1:17:43 Supporter Q3: How widespread is DLSS actually on Switch 2? 1:29:25 Supporter Q4: What happens to game rendering when you change the output resolution on your console? 1:33:07 Supporter Q5: Could Microsoft have bluffed their way to success with Xbox One?
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The summer gaming events continue with the arrival of the Xbox Showcase. Microsoft has had a stellar 2025 and has delivered some exceptional events over the last few years - but this one doesn't quite make the grade. Rich, John and Oliver talk Ally handhelds, the pick of the games shown, the 2026 teases and we have capture and analysis of the "shadow dropped" port of Final Fantasy 16. The summer gaming events continue with the arrival of the Xbox Showcase. Microsoft has had a stellar 2025 and has delivered some exceptional events over the last few years - but this one doesn't quite make the grade. Rich, John and Oliver talk Ally handhelds, the pick of the games shown, the 2026 teases and we have capture and analysis of the "shadow dropped" port of Final Fantasy 16. Join the DF Supporter Program for pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content, early access to new videos, early access to DF Direct Weekly and much, much more: https://bit.ly/3jEGjvxGo here to check out DF merch! https://store.digitalfoundry.netSubscribe for more Digital Foundry: http://bit.ly/DFSubscribe0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:43 Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X0:15:51 Xbox full-screen experience on Windows 110:30:19 Final Fantasy 16 shadowdropped on Xbox - and we’ve tested it! 0:39:35 Ninja Gaiden 40:44:40 Persona 4 Revival 0:52:12 Beast of Reincarnation 0:56:46 Call of Duty: Black Ops 71:04:13 2026 teases: Fable, Forza, Gears of War - and Halo? 1:09:02 Thoughts on the showcase
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Join Rich, Alex and John for their thoughts on two of the major summer events: Sony's State of Play and Geoff's Summer Game Fest. The team share their thoughts on the biggest games of the shows, before moving onto other matters: Rich is happy to see that Sony has fixed the VRR stuttering problem with PlayStation consoles, Alex discusses the team's cameo in an Unreal Fest anti-stutter presentation and the trio try to get to grips with Black Myth Wukong's sudden Xbox announcement.
0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:17 News 1: Summer Game Fest 2025 - Resident Evil Requiem 0:10:00 Mortal Shell 2, Onimusha: Way of the Sword,0:17:12 Felt That Boxing, Mina The Hollower 0:26:26 Death Stranding 2 and Geoffcon evaluations0:31:31 News 2: State of Play June 2025 - Lumines Arise 0:36:12 Pragmata, Romeo is a Dead Man 0:43:36 Silent Hill F, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement 0:49:49 Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Nioh 3 0:57:40 007: First Light 1:07:25 Ninja Gaiden, Mortal Kombat, Hirogami, Final Fantasy Tactics, Thief VR, Sword of the Sea, Marvel Tōkon1:16:59 News 3: PS5 VRR stutter fixed! 1:23:26 News 4: Black Myth: Wukong gets Xbox release date 1:32:47 News 5: DF features in “Kill the Hitch” 1:41:10 Supporter Q1: How do The Witcher 4 (in tech demo form) and GTA 6 compare? 1:47:20 Supporter Q2: How close will the final version of The Witcher 4 be to its tech demo? 1:51:02 Supporter Q3: Will the Witcher 4 run on Switch 2? 1:53:01 Supporter Q4: Why is the Switch 2 such a conservative hardware concept? 1:59:23 Supporter Q5: Is there a compelling reason for Switch 2 owners to keep their Switch 1s?
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The pre-launch anticipation for Nintendo Switch 2 ratchets up a level as retail units leak ahead of time, revealing the system's boot procedure, a preview of the front end and... not much more. The DF team react to those leaks, reflect on the Switch 2 journey that brought us to this launch and share some initial plans for coverage. Meanwhile, according to reporting from Windows Central, Microsoft has prioritised its bespoke handheld in favour of concentrating on Windows 11 gaming upgrade, Alex takes a look at F1 25's path tracing upgrade and Rich is super-impressed with GeForce Now's native aaaapppp for Steam Deck.
0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:16 News 1: Switch 2 retail units leak! 0:33:30 News 2: Microsoft reportedly delaying Xbox handheld 0:50:49 News 3: F1 25 packs path tracing punch 1:12:20 News 4: Nvidia releases native GeForce Now Steam Deck app 1:21:02 Supporter Q1: What games has John picked up in Japan? 1:28:58 Supporter Q2: How do the DLSS versions and presets interact? 1:34:34 Supporter Q3: Could Nvidia make DLSS mandatory on PC?1:40:09 Supporter Q4: With Switch 2 fast approaching, have we underestimated the appeal of DLSS? 1:45:16 Supporter Q5: Is the RetroTINK 4K still useful on Switch 2? 1:47:41 Supporter Q6: Are there technical obstacles to standardizing ML upscaling through DirectX?
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Another packed Direct sees Tom, Rich and Oliver pore over 37 minutes of Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 footage, stacking it up against Series S and PS4 with intriguing results. AMD's announcement for the RX 9060 XT promises to be everything RTX 5060 isn't, while the team mull over Mario Kart World developer disclosures! Oliver gets Doom: The Dark Ages' PC performance meters working on both Xbox consoles while there's some bafflement surrounding Ninja Theory's Hellblade 2 PS5 announcement...0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:39 News 1: 37 minutes of Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 footage released!0:18:51 News 2: AMD introduces 9060 XT0:31:43 News 3: AMD teases “FSR Redstone” 0:44:15 News 4: Doom has hidden performance metrics on Xbox 0:53:38 News 5: Mario Kart World originally planned for Switch 11:02:49 News 6: Hellblade 2 coming to PS5 1:11:29 Supporter Q1: What do you make of the Nvidia/Gamers Nexus controversy? 1:19:41 Supporter Q2: If Microsoft is working on an Xbox emulator for Windows, does that signal the end for traditional Xbox consoles? 1:28:56 Supporter Q3: Should Nintendo release a non-portable, home-only Switch 2? 1:35:32 Supporter Q4: Could Switch 2 become a dumping ground for last-gen games? 1:40:29 Supporter Q5: What are your hopes and concerns for Switch 2?
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In this week's Direct, Rich, John and Alex discuss the strongly rumoured plans for NO Switch 2 launch reviews, along with apparent news that the next-gen Xbox will use ARM-based Snapdragon processors. Rich tests out our in-development VRR capture/analysis tools with Days Gone Remastered, measures the ongoing PS5 VRR stutter effect while Alex shares his excitement for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows disclosures. Finally, John's excited about the new Backbone Pro controller - which is much more than just a mobile controller peripheral.
0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:57 News 1: Nintendo reportedly not sending early Switch 2 review units0:11:52 News 2: Should we criticize “forced ray tracing”? 0:32:03 News 3: Next-gen Xbox to use Snapdragon ARM chips? 0:43:03 News 4: Assassin’s Creed Shadows devs spill ray tracing revelations0:59:11 News 5: Days Gone patch brings balanced modes, VRR support 1:13:27 News 6: John tests the Backbone Pro 1:23:23 Supporter Q1: Are we reaching the end of the home console era? 1:29:46 Supporter Q2: Should Halo run on id Tech? 1:38:38 Supporter Q3: Could Doom: The Dark Ages get a PS4 version? A Switch 2 version? 1:41:55 Supporter Q4: What happened to the review of Spider-Man 2 on PC? 1:48:33 Supporter Q5: What are your favourite memories of the Sega Saturn?
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Switch 2 mysteries are finally resolved as two independent analyses confirm an 8nm processor... with a twist. Meanwhile, Rich, Alex and Oliver debate the meaning of 'gameplay' with regards to Grand Theft Auto 6, Trailer 2 while the team compares notes on the Asus ROG Ally 2, Xbox Project Kennan leaks. Oliver stacks up Switch 2 Final Fantasy 7 Remake footage against the PS5 performance mode, while Nvidia's plan to launch RTX 5060 without any accompanying reviews does not go down particularly well with the team. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:09 News 1: Switch 2 SoC examined under a microscope! 0:22:00 News 2: Rockstar claims GTA 6 trailer is half gameplay0:40:06 News 3: ROG Ally 2 and Project Kennan handhelds leak 0:53:15 News 4: New FF7 Remake Switch 2 footage analyzed! 1:05:24 News 5: Nvidia holding back RTX 5060 drivers until launch 1:22:56 Supporter Q1: Should AMD continue to work on FSR 3? Will we get FSR 4 quality upscaling in GTA 6 on PS5 Pro?1:28:04 Supporter Q2: Could we get a Switch 2 version of GTA 6? 1:35:01 Supporter Q3: How will GTA 6 scale to Series S? 1:42:18 Supporter Q4: What do you think of viewers using DF Direct as a sleeping aid?
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Microsoft's astonishing price hikes for Xbox Series consoles dominate the discussion this week, before Rich, John and Alex move on to discussing topics as diverse as Doom: The Dark Age's path tracing, Far Cry 4's 60FPS update, along with RTX 5070 Super and 5080 Super rumours. Meanwhile, Alex gets to grips with Oblivion Remastered PC anti-stutter "mods", trying to figure out if any of them work. Meanwhile, John is not particularly happy with Nintendo's virtual game cards stripping out a key game sharing feature.
0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:54 News 1: Microsoft hiking Xbox prices0:21:55 News 2: Doom: The Dark Ages screenshot shows off path tracing0:35:40 News 3: Oblivion anti-stutter mods tested!0:54:24 News 4: Switch update strips some online game sharing1:03:49 News 5: 60 FPS update released for Far Cry 4 on PS51:16:27 News 6: RTX 5070 Super, 5080 Super reportedly pack VRAM boost1:30:48 Supporter Q1: Why are prominent games journalism sites being hollowed out? 1:44:02 Supporter Q2: Will we see a lot of fully-featured UE5 games on Switch 2? 1:49:32 Supporter Q3: Why does Switch 2 have RT cores? 1:55:16 Supporter Q4: Is 8K TV tech pointless? 2:00:32 Supporter Q5: Are high end CPUs necessary for 4K60 PC gaming?
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Review code delivered on launch day is never a good look, but this week's Direct kicks off with Rich's positive words for Days Gone Remastered with very, very early impressions of the PS5 Pro version of the game. Meanwhile, the team compares notes on Sucker Punch's latest Ghost of Yōtei trailer, while a returning John makes his feelings abundantly clear about Nintendo's Game Key card initiative. Sticking with Switch 2, the varying pricing level for Switch 2 Editions causes some concerns, while the release of Sony's PS5 Pro teardown arrives in lock-step with the arrival of Rich's Pro motherboard. And finally, just who gets to decide who guests on each episode of DF Direct Weekly?
0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:01 News 1: Days Gone Remastered tested!0:15:33 News 2: Ghost of Yōtei release date trailer drops0:28:59 News 3: Switch 2 Edition upgrades vary in price0:41:21 News 4: Game Key Cards dominate early Switch 2 software0:52:43 News 5: Clarifying Switch 2 game resolutions1:07:55 News 6: Sony publishes PS5 Pro teardown1:17:04 Supporter Q1: How do you manage personnel on DF Direct? 1:21:56 Supporter Q2: Will Elder Scrolls 6 use Unreal Engine for rendering? 1:27:04 Supporter Q3: What’s with the poor FMV quality in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? 1:37:19 Supporter Q4: Is PS5 VRR stutter proof that most gamers don’t care about stutter?1:44:47 Supporter Q5: Can you raise awareness of the current Game Pass driver issues on PC?
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Fresh from visiting the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase event in London on April 11th, Tom and Rich sat down with Oliver to discuss their hands-on experience with the hardware, sharing details on the ergonomics, the screen, the controllers and much more - and then it's on to the games, including the big Nintendo heavy hitters, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, the GameCube emulator and much, much more.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:25 Hardware Impressions
0:14:19 Mario Kart World
0:24:26 Metroid Prime 4
0:35:10 Donkey Kong Bananza
0:45:08 Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
0:49:58 Street Fighter 6
0:57:26 Hogwarts Legacy
1:05:48 GameCube emulation
1:10:09 Final Thoughts
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