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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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 footage of the GameCube launch in Japan at Spaceworld 2000 emerges.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:04 News 01: Starfield to skip out on DLSS, XeSS?
00:22:28 News 02: FTC vs Microsoft court fight continues
00:46:02 News 03: Red Dead Redemption remaster incoming?
00:52:08 News 04: Assassin’s Creed Unity gets huge performance boost on Intel Arc GPUs
00:57:42 News 05: New Space World 2000 footage unearthed!
01:08:55 Supporter Q1: If I run a 60fps game on an 85Hz CRT, will there be judder?
01:10:19 Supporter Q2: With the next-gen Switch rumoured to have PS4-level power, what specs would it have?
01:15:19 Supporter Q3: Is there something special about the Steam Deck’s refresh rate changing capabilities, or could a new Switch offer it as well?
01:18:31 Supporter Q4: Could a temporal upsampling system integrate high resolution keyframes to improve image quality?
01:21:09 Supporter Q5: Would there be space in the gaming market for a high-end $1000 PS5 Pro?
01:26:22 Supporter Q6: Which gaming executives would you like to see duke it out in a cage match?
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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!
00:23:19 News 02: June Nintendo Direct impressions
00:47:37 News 03: Microsoft raises Series X, Game Pass pricing
00:56:26 News 04: AMD blocking DLSS in sponsored PC titles?
01:04:32 News 05: Quake 2 Remastered leaks!
01:08:14 Supporter Q1: Could GPU makers offer cards with user-expandable VRAM?
01:10:27 Supporter Q2: Could a ‘PS5 Pro’ come in at a boundary-pushing price, like $1000 USD?
01:15:14 Supporter Q3: Would automatic frame-rate capping for games on VRR displays work?
01:18:10 Supporter Q4: Of the Halo games, which is your favourite? And which impresses most from a technical perspective?
01:25:29 Supporter Q5: How exciting is it that Todd Howard praised DF in a recent podcast appearance?
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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 (in a figurative sense) with his more youthful, optimistic self, posing yet more 'Battaglia time travel' discussion.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:05 News 01: No Xbox mid-gen enhanced machine planned?
00:21:17 News 02: Microsoft no longer developing for Xbox One
00:32:08 News 03: TLOU PC patch 1.1 analysed!
00:44:47 News 04: Sony announces PS5 cloud streaming
00:55:41 Supporter Q1: Should Starfield have an uncapped VRR mode on consoles?
01:05:19 Supporter Q2: I didn’t like the 30fps option in FF16, but Tears of the Kingdom seems fine - why could this be?
01:07:26 Supporter Q3: Alex was once excited about the possibilities of DX12 several years ago. Does he miss that version of himself?
01:12:05 Supporter Q4: Could systems with unified memory setups be a solution to VRAM woes on PCs?
01:15:32 Supporter Q5: Are FSR 2’s image quality concerns an issue for console software going forward?
01:22:20 Supporter Q6: If you could alter one thing about game development, what would it be?
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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 impressions and real-time global illumination
17:15 Reflections and motion blur
23:31 Screen-space shadows and terrain rendering
28:06 Volumetric lighting, fog, and bokeh depth of field
32:40 Character rendering
36:01 Gameplay impressions
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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 Pandora
15:23 Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
20:22 Skull and Bones
23:00 The Crew Motorfest
28:08 Assassin’s Creed Mirage
33:50 Star Wars Outlaws
48:02 Pragmata
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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, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
00:42:12 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
00:47:27 Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls Online, Overwatch 2
00:56:35 Jusant, Still Wakes the Deep
01:01:09 Dungeons of Hinterberg, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
01:08:13 Cities: Skylines 2, Metaphor ReFantazio
01:12:24 Towerborne, Clockwork Revolution
01:18:04 Series S 1TB
01:20:58 Starfield first impressions
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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?
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:08 News 01: Summer Games Fest 2023 reaction! Prince of Persia, Mortal Kombat 1
00:10:48 Path of Exile 2, Exoprimal, Dead by Daylight, Witchfire, Crossfire: Sierra Squad, Remnant 2
00:18:22 Sonic Superstars, Lies of P, Sand Land
00:27:27 Throne and Liberty, Party Animals, Crash Team Rumble,
00:31:51 Alan Wake 2, Space Marine 2, Yes Your Grace, Toxic Commando
00:42:42 Baldur’s Gate 3, Palworld, Black Desert Online, LOTR: Return to Moria
00:51:44 Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
00:55:51 Like a Dragon Gaiden, Under the Water, Fae Farm
01:04:18 King Arthur, Stellaris Nexus, Star Trek Infinite, Lysfanga
01:09:47 Immortals of Aveum, Fortnite, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
01:24:19 Supporter Q1: Will DLSS 3 evolve in the same way DLSS 2 did?
01:28:14 Supporter Q2: What’s up with DF getting Diablo 4 code late?
01:29:22 Supporter Q3: Is there an ideal frame-rate target for games?
01:32:41 Supporter Q4: Do recent PC gaming woes stem from the relative strength of console hardware this generation?
01:41:09 Supporter Q5: What old console or graphics technology would you like to see get a few years of active development?
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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-generated NPC conversations
00:37:54 News 03: Dolphin emulator blocked from Steam release
00:44:41 News 04: Redfall’s development issues detailed
00:54:56 News 05: HDMI 2.1 capture cards announced - but there’s a catch!
01:02:27 Supporter Q1: What are your predictions for next week’s Xbox showcase?
01:07:52 Supporter Q2: Does XMP make a big difference on DDR5 RAM?
01:10:36 Supporter Q3: Are plasma TVs viable for high-quality retro gaming?
01:14:54 Supporter Q4: Why doesn’t the Switch support HDR? Could it be included in a “Switch 2”?
01:16:32 Supporter Q5: Are we in a downwards spiral of declining developer output and GPU stagnation?
01:22:34 Supporter Q6: If a game runs at a locked 30fps or 60fps, is there any benefit to setting your console to 120Hz output?
01:25:55 Supporter Q7: Has Jensen’s prophecy been fulfilled already? Is Gran Turismo 7 ever going to hit PCs?
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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 digital-only?
00:52:06 News 03: “Project Q” streaming handheld revealed
01:05:45 Supporter Q1: Nvidia’s server GPUs seem in heavy demand, so might the company shift resources away from gaming?
01:14:09 Supporter Q2: What’s the best way to measure and communicate the concept of frame-time stability?
01:23:44 Supporter Q3: Isn’t the 4060 Ti a lot more impressive when you bring DLSS 3 into the picture?
01:27:10 Supporter Q4: Could John make a video on running modern games on consumer grade CRT displays?
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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 News 02: RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti GPUs announced
00:48:20 News 03: Contemporary gaming in difficult territory?
01:00:48 Supporter Q1: Is there really a need for enhanced consoles when we have so few proper current-gen games?
01:07:17 Supporter Q2: Do you think games like The Callisto Protocol or Jedi Survivor would benefit from a 40fps mode?
01:12:32 Supporter Q3: Any thoughts on the UE5-powered Layers of Fear demo on PC?
01:16:51 Supporter Q4: Has Rich got any new thoughts on how to approach CPU video reviews?
01:25:32 Supporter Q5: Has the workflow for capturing and producing HDR gaming videos improved over the past few years?
01:32:25 Supporter Q6: John’s room tour. When?
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