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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Copyright: © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
It's all very Xbox-heavy this week, as Austin Evans reveals that the latest Xbox consoles have finally transitioned to 6nm silicon. There's plenty of reaction to Microsoft's Xbox Partner Showcase, including the reveal of FBC: Firebreak, while John gets very excited about the new Analogue 3D - an FPGA-powered N64 clone with cutting-edge video and overclock features. The team 'pour one out' for the cancelled Halo battle royale - and Nightdive has done it again with Killing Time: Resurrected.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:59 News 1: New Series X has 6nm SoC, revised internals
0:18:08 News 2: Xbox Partner Showcase reveals new games
0:38:36 News 3: Analogue 3D announced!
0:49:38 News 4: Halo battle royale game was cancelled
0:59:18 News 5: Tomb Raider 4-6 remasters announced
1:10:58 News 6: 3GB GDDR7 memory modules announced
1:17:16 News 7: Killing Time: Resurrected released
1:27:34 Supporter Q1: Will PS5 Pro have an expanded VRR range? When will we see the Ultra Boost Mode? And can it unlock frame-rates without developer intervention?
1:34:54 Supporter Q2: What type of CRT tube does John prefer?
1:38:40 Supporter Q3: What would need to change for an Nvidia powered Xbox or PlayStation to happen?
1:44:45 Supporter Q4: Could PS6 skip PS4 backwards compatibility?
1:48:53 Supporter Q5: What do you think of the ModRetro Chromatic?
1:52:16 Supporter Q6: How should we view AI-powered visual modifications to games?
2:01:20 Supporter Q7: Does AMD regret the 5800X3D?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In a rather jovial DF Direct, John returns from Japan having played PS5 Pro and visited a big bunch of developers, there's curiosity around Nintendo Alarmo and mysterious online tests it has in the offing, there's much anticipation for Alien Isolation 2 and some degree of confusion surrounding Intel's Arrow Lake-S CPU line-up.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:56 News 1: Red Dead Redemption announced for PC
0:13:56 News 2: Nintendo announces alarm clock, mysterious online playtest
0:26:17 News 3: Alien Isolation 2 announced
0:35:32 News 4: John’s PS5 Pro impressions
0:47:34 News 5: Diablo 4 is getting PS5 Pro enhancements
0:53:37 News 6: Intel Arrow Lake processors revealed
1:12:43 News 7: John Japan trip recap!
1:26:44 Supporter Q1: How powerful will the rumoured PS6 be?
1:34:03 Supporter Q2: What should we make of the rumoured God of War collection?
1:39:39 Supporter Q3: Will the RTX 5080 be priced at $1200 USD or above?
1:44:58 Supporter Q4: Thoughts on the new version of Lollipop Chainsaw?
1:52:53 Supporter Q5: What wishes would you have for a remaster of Assassin’s Creed Unity?
1:57:46 Supporter Q6: Is John building a CRT museum?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
October 11th 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the GeForce 256, the original Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). With cutting edge technologies like hardware-accelerated transformation and lighting (T&L), combined with what was - for the time - brutal performance, GeForce 256 was a game-changer.
In this DF Direct special hosted by Alex Battaglia, we bring together Nvidia staff to discuss why this product was so important. On the panel, we have:
John Montrym, Chief Architect
John Spitzer, VP of Developer and Performance Technologies
Nick Stam, Director of Technical Marketing - and Editor-in-Chief of PC Mag in 1999
Jacob Freeman, GeForce Evangelist
00:00 Overview and introductions
06:44 What does GeForce 256 mean to you? What has its impact been?
12:23 GeForce 256 feature uptake
15:00 Hardware transform and lighting and its importance
17:56 GeForce 256 development milestones
20:40 GeForce 256’s initial impact on games
24:43 Reactions to GeForce 256
30:33 Environment mapping
35:01 Reviewing the GeForce 256
39:33 What the GeForce 256 meant beyond gaming
41:16 The GeForce 256’s lasting legacy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Another packed Direct sees Oliver, Rich and Alex tackling Nintendo's various takedowns - on the Ryujinx emulator and YouTube emulation content. Oliver spends some time with Until Dawn on PlayStation 5 offering up impressions that range from the good, the bad and indeed the ugly. Alex talks us through the UE5 MegaLights technology and the new God of War Ragnarök PC patch, while the new STALKER 2 documentary basically demands to be watched.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:53 News 1: Nintendo takes down Ryujinx
0:17:28 News 2: Until Dawn remake tested!
0:33:20 News 3: Unreal MegaLights tech demoed
0:48:26 News 4: Square Enix wants FF16 on Xbox
0:57:39 News 5: Next Guerrilla game reportedly Horizon online
1:06:04 News 6: God of War Ragnarök gets PC patch boosts
1:14:02 News 7: STALKER 2 documentary shows war torn game development
1:22:20 Supporter Q1: Was Strix Halo designed for a new Steam Machine? Could Steam Machines match the performance of a PS5 Pro at the same price?
1:28:56 Supporter Q2: What is Naughty Dog working on?
1:35:04 Supporter Q3: Will Switch 2 support the newest UE5 features?
1:38:43 Supporter Q4: Can the Switch 2 compete performance wise with the Steam Deck? Does it need to?
1:42:34 Supporter Q5: The PS5 Pro hasn’t sold out, so is this a sign of underperforming sales?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A new State of Play quote-unquote drops, giving Rich, Alex and Oliver much to discuss in this latest edition of DF Direct Weekly. Ghost of Yotei, Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster and the new Dragon Age dominate discussion, before the team move on to talk about the latest PS5 Pro title reveals. RTX 50-series specs come into focus - with leaks revealing a huge gap between 5080 and 5090. And there's much concern and bafflement around Monster Hunter Wilds' recommended PC specs.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:16 News 1: Sony reveals new games in State of Play
0:14:04 News 2: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered analyzed
0:33:17 News 3: New PS5 Pro Enhanced titles announced
0:44:48 News 4: Assassin’s Creed Shadows delayed
0:55:07 News 5: Dragon’s Dogma 2: how is patch 9 on PS5?
1:00:44 News 6: Monster Hunter PC specs spark concern
1:14:01 News 7: RTX 5080, 5090 specs reportedly leaked
1:35:52 Supporter Q1: Should console generations be extended further?
1:42:44 Supporter Q2: Will the upcoming Microsoft handheld rely on FSR 4?
1:45:57 Supporter Q3: Would the Series S/X divide be fine if the S came with more memory?
1:53:47 Supporter Q4: Is there a difference between analyzing provided footage and footage you captured yourself?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the wake of the PlayStation 5 Pro reveal, press had the opportunity to go hands-on with the hardware - and a wide range of games - at an event in Sony's San Mateo HQ. Oliver Mackenzie was our man on-site, and he's come back with a wealth of gameplay impressions, b-roll of the event and the titles tested and on-camera developer interviews. Is the upgrade worthwhile? Oliver is joined by Rich to discuss the event and to talk specifics on the range of modes and games tested.
0:00:00 Overview
0:02:07 F1 24
0:08:42 Gran Turismo 7
0:13:46 Horizon: Forbidden West
0:20:34 Hogwarts Legacy
0:24:45 Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
0:34:50 The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
0:38:46 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
0:43:21 The Crew Motorfest
0:45:38 Demon’s Souls
0:49:13 Dragon’s Dogma
0:53:53 Is the PS5 Pro worth it?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Another massive Direct sees Rich, John and Alex convene to discuss the huge Switch 2 prototype leak, the revelation that Intel and AMD battled it out for the PS6 contract, while the team shares notes on the quality of Capcom's Dead Rising remaster. Meanwhile, the actual nature of AMD's FSR 4 AI upscaling is discussed - along with continuing bafflement around the Horizon Zero Dawn remaster... and what's this about a Days Gone remaster too?
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:08 News 1: Switch 2 hardware revealed in apparent leak
0:23:07 News 2: Dragon’s Dogma 2 patch boosts PC performance
0:33:04 News 3: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster tested
0:44:34 News 4: RDNA 4 skips high-end GPUs, FSR 4 to be AI-based
1:00:40 News 5: Intel, AMD battled over PS6 contract
1:07:32 News 6: Horizon, Days Gone remasters rumoured
1:17:50 News 7: John gets a Virtual Boy!
1:27:12 Supporter Q1: How does Sony deliver consistently good PC ports?
1:32:51 Supporter Q2: What do you make of Nintendo suing for Palworld’s alleged patent violations?
1:38:25 Supporter Q3: Would you expect to see a big difference between FSR 2 and PSSR on Pro titles? Is ML-based upscaling powerful enough to keep console prices low?
1:43:59 Supporter Q4: What benefits will PS5 Pro bring to the PlayStation Portal?
1:46:24 Supporter Q5: Will PS5 Pro titles bring back-compat boosts for PS6?
1:49:28 Supporter Q6: How likely is a 40fps PS5 Pro mode for GTA 6?
1:53:57 Supporter Q7: Why have Respawn failed to fix fundamental issues in Jedi: Survivor on PC?
1:59:44 Supporter Q8: Why isn’t there an Ernest-based game?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In our DF Direct Special in the wake of the PlayStation 5 Pro reveal, we had much to say about the hardware, the pitch and the price - but not much to say about the games, owing to the poor media quality. Now, armed with a 65GB ProRes file of the Mark Cerny presentation, we can go deeper - much deeper - into the software that was shown and how good PSSR AI upscaling actually is. Strap in for another two hour show - and there's much to share in this one.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:02:47 The Last of Us Part 2
0:11:49 Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
0:23:44 Alan Wake 2
0:33:27 Horizon Forbidden West
0:39:09 Hogwarts Legacy
0:45:48 Gran Turismo 7
0:54:35 Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Assassin’s Creed Shadows
0:57:43 Supporter Q1: Could PS5 Pro run Elden Ring at 60fps?
1:03:36 Supporter Q2: Is PS5 Pro a good deal relative to PC?
1:16:48 Supporter Q3: With the Pro reaching $700, what will the PS6 look like?
1:26:42 Supporter Q4: Could PSSR run on the base PS5?
1:33:04 Supporter Q5: Why hasn’t Sony developed machine learning based frame gen tech for PS5 Pro?
1:37:11 Supporter Q6: Will the high price of PS5 Pro drive people to PC?
1:44:13 Supporter Q7: Will low PS5 Pro sales cause development problems?
1:51:46 Supporter Q8: What game reveals would have excited you about PS5 Pro?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's finally happened. PS5 Pro is real, announced and detailed by none other than lead system architect, Mark Cerny. John, Rich and Alex sit down to discuss the reveal, how Sony chose to market it, the Big Three tech innovations - larger GPU, ML upscaling and RT enhancements - and of course, the shocking price-point.
0:00:00 Overview
0:01:20 How is Sony marketing the PS5 Pro?
0:09:43 Big three features: larger GPU, machine learning and ray tracing enhancements
0:25:10 The missing disc drive
0:33:12 $700 USD sticker shock: does it make sense?
0:44:23 What do we want to see out of PS5 Pro?
0:49:43 Supporter Q1: Was Microsoft right to skip an enhanced console this generation?
0:54:06 Supporter Q2: Is GT7’s 8K mode as stupid as it sounds?
0:57:26 Supporter Q3: What PC GPU is the best match for PS5 Pro?
1:00:27 Supporter Q4: Will Sony encourage developers to stick to a single PS5 Pro mode, or have multiple?
1:02:58 Supporter Q5: Why doesn’t the PS5 Pro have a larger CPU upgrade?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The inevitability of Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro increases still further as the firm 'leaks' the new design in a 30th anniversary artwork. Meanwhile, there are highs and lows for PlayStation: Concord crashes and burns, resulting in its withdrawal from sale - and yet spirits are raised by the frankly incredible Astro Bot. Elsewhere, RTX 5080 performance leaks suggest a 10 percent improvement over RTX 4090 - but where does that leave the RTX 5090 then? And then there's Anandtech: the team commiserate over the site's decline and closure.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:41 News 1: Sony leaks PS5 Pro design
0:13:42 News 2: Concord pulled from sale, servers close
0:37:11 News 3: Astro Bot review reaction!
0:53:23 News 4: RTX 5000 series performance and power rumoured
1:05:51 News 5: Bloodborne PC progresses
1:14:53 News 6: John’s Windows handheld impressions!
1:27:04 Supporter Q1: What should we make of the closure of AnandTech?
1:39:09 Supporter Q2: Where will Microsoft be in 15 years?
1:46:14 Supporter Q3: Could an RTX 6090 equipped Xbox explain Microsoft’s largest generational leap claims?
1:52:44 Supporter Q4: Could Ridge Racer make a return in the near future?
1:57:58 Supporter Q5: If Alan Wake 2 isn’t profitable, what hope do other original single player games have?
2:03:28 Supporter Q6: Will we really see ray tracing on Switch 2?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
