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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One of the biggest - if not the biggest - games of 2023 launched this week. Nintendo's Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has recently a massively positive reaction. John discusses his review and shares more thoughts on the game, while digging more deeply into the eternal question - is it too big for Switch? Meanwhile, Rich drops in from time off to share his impressions with the Asus ROG Ally and A Plague Tale: Requiem gets a 60fps patch... but what does it actually do?
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:04 News 01: Tears of the Kingdom launches!
00:26:05 News 02: Sharp producing next-gen Switch LCD?
00:34:49 News 03: ASUS ROG Ally reviews drop + our impressions
00:50:20 News 04: A Plague Tale: Requiem gets 60fps patch
00:56:36 News 05: John gets a new CRT!
01:02:53 Supporter Q1: With low sales and poor software support, where does the PS VR2 go from here?
01:07:36 Supporter Q2: Could DF revisit some of the recent troubled PC ports and see how they run now after patches?
01:11:23 Supporter Q3: Why does DLSS 3 produce a smoother experience in games with high CPU load?
01:15:47 Supporter Q4: Developers like to blame specific PC configurations for user issues. Could DF emphasize that PC performance issues are often common to all configurations?
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DF Direct Weekly returns after a seismic week in gaming, with Oliver, John and Alex discussing the crisis state of PC gaming 'in the here and now', raking over the coals of the deeply disappointing Redfall release, while we had to take a look at Man of Medan on Switch, which targets a cinematic 24fps. Meanwhile, John clues us in on the latest Analogue Pocket firmware update.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:58 News 01: PC gaming in crisis
00:24:12 News 02: Redfall reaction and follow-up
00:54:38 News 03: Man of Medan hits Switch at 24fps!
01:01:11 News 04: Analogue Pocket gets big firmware update
01:04:46 Supporter Q1: If a game developer is under the influence when implementing RTGI, could that be “baked” lighting?
01:05:37 Supporter Q2: Need for Speed (2015) still looks great today. What are some other early last-gen games that still look fantastic?
01:10:29 Supporter Q3: Could you tell the difference between DLSS 3 and regular rendering at high frame-rates?
01:14:05 Supporter Q4: Can we have an award ceremony for the worst PC ports of the year?
01:16:08 Supporter Q5: What are the possible incentives for publishers to release games in a decent state?
01:18:53 Supporter Q6: I’m worried that FF16, Starfield, and Zelda will release in a poor state. How can we make companies more aware of game issues?
01:22:47 Supporter Q7: Are Jedi Survivor’s image quality issues related to using an older version of FSR 2?
01:28:33 Supporter Q8: Do you prefer a higher resolution with less detail, or a lower resolution with more detail?
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This week the team discuss the arrival of Star Wars Jedi Survivor, share first impressions after EA delayed sending review code, then move onto 'The Power of the Cloud' seemingly blocking Microsoft's Activision acquisition. Rich shares a conversation he had with the Xbox Sustainability Team on improving in-game efficiency, while benchmarks finally emerge on the impressive looking Asus ROG Ally handheld.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:45 News 01: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor impressions!
00:23:57 News 02: Microsoft Activision purchase hits roadblock
00:34:30 News 03: Microsoft pushes for Xbox energy sustainability
00:48:21 News 04: ASUS ROG Ally chips benchmarked
00:55:50 Supporter Q1: If RT becomes a big rendering focus, could future GPUs regress in rasterization performance?
01:00:36 Supporter Q2: Are 8GB GPUs DOOMED to muddy textures on PC?
01:07:33 Supporter Q3: How did Don feel about his first video?
01:11:15 Supporter Q4: Will you make a GTA V retro time capsule video when the title hits its 10th anniversary later this year?
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This week, Rich is joined by Alex and Oliver to discuss a range of topics, including the Unrecord footage that's gone 'viral', the launch of the first Unreal Engine 5.1 title outside of Fortnite to use Lumen and Nanite, and the arrival of the Horizon Burning Shores DLC - which looks amazing. Meanwhile, discover why Digital Foundry won't be doing another office tour and learn about Rich's 'cone of respectability'. It's all here in this 68 minute show!
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:45 News 01: Unrecord footage revealed
00:09:28 News 02: Immortals of Aveum showcases UE5 features
00:19:12 News 03: Horizon Burning Shores launches!
00:26:36 News 04: ASUS ROG Ally specs leak
00:34:48 News 05: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. shown with path tracing
00:41:35 Supporter Q1: Could Cyberpunk on PS5/Series X run the RT Overdrive mode?
00:49:01 Supporter Q2: If AMD sold APUs with much more graphics power, would they sell well?
00:55:21 Supporter Q3: Does “going gold” really matter anymore for modern games?
01:01:00 Supporter Q4: Would RTX Remix work with emulated games?
01:02:40 Supporter Q5: When will we get another Digital Foundry office tour?
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Rich, Alex and Oliver sit down for the latest DF Direct Weekly, discussing the controversial move for Microsoft to ship Redfall at 30fps with a performance mode to follow, along with confirmation that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justive League is getting a length delay. The team muse over the implications of Cyberpunk 2077's RT Overdrive changing the face of PC graphics in future games, while the third - and last - Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer is also discussed. Do we still think it's 'too big for Switch'...?
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:52 News 01: Redfall to launch at 30fps on consoles
00:16:15 News 02: Suicide Squad delayed to 2024
00:21:54 News 03: Cyberpunk 2077 RT Overdrive mode launches
00:38:13 News 04: Final Tears of the Kingdom trailer drops
00:42:29 Supporter Q1: Does the negative reaction to Redfall's 30fps cap trivialize the filmic and artistic benefits of targeting 30fps?
00:47:59 Supporter Q2: What’s up with HDMI 2.1 capture cards? Why don’t capture devices support 4K/120Hz recordings?
00:53:34 Supporter Q3: Does “code” in the games industry refer to source code or game store codes?
00:55:42 Supporter Q4: Since the Steam Deck is well established, can you cover it from time to time?
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Rumours of a new PlayStation portable streaming device dominated the news this week, supplanting the actual reveal of the ultra-powerful Asus ROG Ally, first revealed on - believe it or not - April Fools Day. Meanwhile, John is seriously unhappy about Microsoft blocking emulation on Xbox Series consoles, while the applications of AI tools and the concept of affordable GPUs prompts further debate. And finally... Tekken 8 is on UE5 but is it actually using Nanite and Lumen?
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:41 News 01: Sony to launch streaming-only handheld?
00:16:09 News 02: Asus announces ROG Ally gaming handheld!
00:28:13 News 03: Microsoft blocks emulators on Xbox consoles
00:46:48 Supporter Q1: Can generative AI be integrated into games, like having RPG characters that never run out of dialogue?
00:53:26 Supporter Q2: Will upgrading from 16GB to 32GB of system RAM help with 8GB VRAM GPU bottlenecks?
00:59:22 Supporter Q3: Have any Unreal Engine 5-specific visual features been spotted in the Tekken 8 trailers?
01:02:57 Supporter Q4: When will affordable graphics cards consistently deliver 60 fps with ray tracing?
01:06:08 Supporter Q5: How do you feel about some of the relatively lackluster RT upgrades we’ve seen recently? Should developers even bother?
01:09:51 Supporter Q6: This Direct has one of the best banners of all time!
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We're not angry, we're just disappointed. And a touch baffled. Stupefied even. And actually, yeah, maybe a bit angry too. Just how did The Last of Us Part 1 launch on PC in the state it did? John, Rich and Alex discuss their impressions on the game, what went wrong with the port - and whether Sony should have launched it in this state at all. Meanwhile, it's a sad, sad day as E3 2023 is cancelled and the entire future of the Electronic Entertainment Expo looks bleak.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:59 News 01: TLOU Part 1 suffers performance problems on PC
00:39:37 News 02: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay showcase drops!
00:48:32 News 03: E3 2023 cancelled
01:00:16 News 04: Irem M92 emulation core created for MiSTER
01:06:12 Supporter Q1: Why is software Lumen cheaper than hardware Lumen, and could hardware Lumen be cheaper at the same precision?
01:08:31 Supporter Q2: Should Sony and Microsoft implement a 30fps cap option like the Steam Deck? Would there be technical hurdles?
01:12:28 Supporter Q3: How does DF prepare for various projects? Do you make explicit plans, or is it more free-form?
01:18:40 Supporter Q4: Could fully path-traced games bring back multi-GPU for gaming?
01:22:04 Supporter Q5: Thanks for the informative work!
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It's GDC week, with Alex, Rich and John discussing the big news from the latest events, including some exciting new Unreal Engine 5 developments, plus Nvidia's latest innovations in real-time path-traced gaming. Meanwhile, the team isn't that impressed by Elden Ring's RT upgrade, while EA's decision to delete a bunch of excellent Battlefield games doesn't go down particularly well either.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:58 News 01: Epic makes UE5 announcements at GDC!
00:35:20 News 02: Elden Ring RT patch drops… and disappoints
00:40:27 News 03: EA to delist several Battlefield games
00:46:38 News 04: Arkane looking into removing Redfall always-online requirement
00:49:14 News 05: Nightdive Studios bought by Atari
00:52:48 News 06: Outer Worlds performance update!
01:04:23 Supporter Q1: Is it reasonable for developers to deliver less ambitious PC versions, given the smaller market share the PC occupies?
01:10:53 Supporter Q2: Could a Switch 2 use Samsung’s 5nm process? Is an Ampere forward port or Lovelace back port a possibility?
01:13:10 Supporter Q3: Will increased server GPU demand due to AI keep consumer GPU prices high?
01:14:56 Supporter Q4: Could the rumoured PS5 Pro include new dedicated machine learning hardware, or is it too soon?
01:19:30 Supporter Q5: Do you have any recommendations for good lesser-known PS VR2 games?
01:25:13 Supporter Q6: As you celebrate DF Direct’s 2-year anniversary, what have you learned about yourselves through the process?
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John, Alex and Will take to the mics this week to discuss the possibilities of some exciting iterations on gaming favourites. Do the recent reports of a PS5 Pro make sense? What about an OLED Steam Deck? And if Counter-Strike is so great, why isn't there a Counter-Strike 2?
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:24 News 01: Resident Evil 4 impressions!
00:13:53 News 02: PS5 Pro - is it coming?
00:25:01 News 03: Valve says Steam Deck OLED refresh unlikely
00:32:02 News 04: New Counter-Strike imminent?
00:44:30 News 05: Hands-on with Viture XR AR glasses!
00:47:53 Supporter Q1: Could Xbox Series consoles get small internal improvements, even without an enhanced model?
00:51:20 Supporter Q2: Is the Xbox Series DirectML support just PR? Or is it actually going to be transformative for games?
00:55:21 Supporter Q3: How do you purchase and research older equipment, like CRTs?
00:59:23 Supporter Q4: Could current-gen enhanced consoles run UE5 games at 60fps with hardware RT?
01:03:31 Supporter Q5: Weird Al is “All About the Pentiums”, so what arguments would you say to get him to switch to Zen 4?
01:05:17 Supporter Q6: Alex, what do you think the Next Big Thing is for PC graphics?
01:06:49 Supporter Q7: What do you think about forced DLSS 3 in games, like the PC version of Sackboy: A Big Adventure?
01:09:48 Supporter Q8: Do you still use simple pixel edge counting for determining the resolution of games?
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A big week of news to discuss, with Oliver, Rich and Alex talking about Starfield's latest announcement and 'delay', plus the story that Suicide Squad will be pushed back in order to address the negative reaction to its State of Play gameplay reveal. Meanwhile, the COD war between Microsoft and Sony continues - and Halo Infinite on PC receives RT support.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:52 News 01: Starfield gets a release date, Suicide Squad delayed
00:11:18 News 02: The Last of Us Part 1 PC features detailed!
00:22:46 News 03: Sony-Microsoft feud escalates with dueling Call of Duty claims
00:36:50 News 04: Halo Infinite PC gets ray tracing!
00:44:14 Supporter Q1: Are in-house game engines becoming no longer feasible?
00:52:10 Supporter Q2: Would DF be interested in producing PC build videos?
00:57:41 Supporter Q3: With Moore’s Law slowing down, will PCs or consoles need to switch to ARM for performance gains?
01:03:33 Supporter Q4: Would Alex consider making a new “do you really need ultra settings” video, given the advent of new PC technologies like DLSS?
01:05:49 Supporter Q5: Where has Alex’s Crysis Shrine gone? Has it been destroyed by Alex’s rage over #StutterStruggle?
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