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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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?
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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?
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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?
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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!
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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"?
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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?
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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?
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