Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

Digital Foundry

Digital Foundry is a leading authority on gaming technology and performance, and in this regular podcast, the team sits down to discuss the latest news and take questions from the audience. read less

Our Editor's Take

Digital Foundry Direct Weekly is a podcast about the gaming tech industry. Each episode discusses news in the gaming industry and shares technology reviews. The podcast covers all major consoles, including Xbox, Playstation, and PC gaming. A variety of hosts from Digital Foundry appear on the podcast. These include Alex Battaglia, Richard Leadbetter, and Tom Morgan. All the hosts are established gaming writers and content creators. On the podcast, they share major industry updates and respond to audience questions. This show is an insightful source for anyone interested in gaming culture.

The podcast showcases a large variety of games. In one episode, the hosts share their reactions to the latest Starfield updates. The hosts discuss the Cyberpunk 2077 Next-Gen Patch. They also react to the latest Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer and provide their first thoughts. Another episode features a discussion of a new God of War Ragnarök DLC.

There is also plenty of discussion about retro games. "DF Retro" episodes explore retro gaming classics from past decades. The podcast hosts revisit some of the best games from the Game Boy console. They also chat about the Final Fantasy series and its history. These episodes are a great way to rediscover a classic game listeners may have forgotten about.

Digital Foundry Direct Weekly discusses both gameplay and game specs. In one episode, the hosts talk about their favorite game visuals of the year. They also offer a tech breakdown of new game releases and note any issues with tech or consoles. Another episode discusses the benefits of different GPUs in gaming. The hosts speak about 30 vs. 60 frames per second in gameplay as well. This podcast offers a detailed discussion of almost all aspects of the gaming experience.

New episodes of Digital Foundry Direct Weekly arrive every week. Episodes range from 30 minutes to two hours long.

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DF Direct Weekly #189: Xbox Ports: "No Red Lines", Lego Horizon reaction, Stellar Blade 2 PC

DF Direct Weekly #189: Xbox Ports: "No Red Lines", Lego Horizon reaction, Stellar Blade 2 PC

DF Direct Weekly returns, with Rich, John and Oliver discussing the latest chapter of the Xbox multi-plat transition saga, the release of LEGO Horizon Adventures and Intel's pledge to improve Arrow Lake CPU performance. Meanwhile, Sony is bullish on PS5 Pro sales as discounts begin in the UK and the team has concerns about the mooted Stellar Blade PC port. And finally, John has a forum for telling you all about how great the recently released Halo 2 E3 demo is - and why he loves the ModRetro Chromatic. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:17 News 1: Phil Spencer: no “red lines” on Xbox ports 0:26:42 News 2: Lego Horizon Adventures impresses on consoles 0:36:01 News 3: Halo 2 E3 demo resurfaces in Master Chief Collection 0:50:51 News 4: PS5 Pro sales reportedly not impacted by price 1:00:56 News 5: Stellar Blade developer considering PC release 1:07:56 News 6: Intel plans Arrow Lake performance fix 1:17:08 News 7: ModRetro Chromatic impresses 1:27:58 Supporter Q1: How will the next Xbox achieve the “largest technical leap” in a console generation? 1:35:07 Supporter Q2: If the next Xbox doesn’t have a disc drive, how will disc backwards compatibility function? 1:41:36 Supporter Q3: Are you excited to see the rumoured Nvidia ARM-based laptop chip? 1:47:43 Supporter Q4: Will we see support for ultrawide aspect ratios on consoles? 1:56:17 Supporter Q5: Can we give Epic credit for allowing Internet Archive to host older Unreal games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episodes

DF Direct Weekly #189: Xbox Ports: "No Red Lines", Lego Horizon reaction, Stellar Blade 2 PC

DF Direct Weekly #189: Xbox Ports: "No Red Lines", Lego Horizon reaction, Stellar Blade 2 PC

DF Direct Weekly returns, with Rich, John and Oliver discussing the latest chapter of the Xbox multi-plat transition saga, the release of LEGO Horizon Adventures and Intel's pledge to improve Arrow Lake CPU performance. Meanwhile, Sony is bullish on PS5 Pro sales as discounts begin in the UK and the team has concerns about the mooted Stellar Blade PC port. And finally, John has a forum for telling you all about how great the recently released Halo 2 E3 demo is - and why he loves the ModRetro Chromatic. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:17 News 1: Phil Spencer: no “red lines” on Xbox ports 0:26:42 News 2: Lego Horizon Adventures impresses on consoles 0:36:01 News 3: Halo 2 E3 demo resurfaces in Master Chief Collection 0:50:51 News 4: PS5 Pro sales reportedly not impacted by price 1:00:56 News 5: Stellar Blade developer considering PC release 1:07:56 News 6: Intel plans Arrow Lake performance fix 1:17:08 News 7: ModRetro Chromatic impresses 1:27:58 Supporter Q1: How will the next Xbox achieve the “largest technical leap” in a console generation? 1:35:07 Supporter Q2: If the next Xbox doesn’t have a disc drive, how will disc backwards compatibility function? 1:41:36 Supporter Q3: Are you excited to see the rumoured Nvidia ARM-based laptop chip? 1:47:43 Supporter Q4: Will we see support for ultrawide aspect ratios on consoles? 1:56:17 Supporter Q5: Can we give Epic credit for allowing Internet Archive to host older Unreal games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #188: God of War Ragnarök PS5 Pro, Death Stranding Xbox, Switch 2 Back Compat!

DF Direct Weekly #188: God of War Ragnarök PS5 Pro, Death Stranding Xbox, Switch 2 Back Compat!

There's post PS5 Pro clarity in this week's Direct, with Rich, John and Alex discussing No Man's Sky at 8K resolution (tested!), God of War Ragnarök's patch on PS5 Pro - and the surprise arrival of Death Stranding on Xbox Series X/S. Rich does some performance testing there, leading to fascinating results. Meanwhile, John has a special moment with a new PC monitor, while Alex and Rich prostrate themselves before AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D. And yes, why DIDN'T the team do a full specs breakdown of the PS5 Pro's actual packaging? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:08 News 1: God of War Ragnarök PS5 Pro patch tested! 0:13:36 News 2: Nintendo confirms Switch 2 backwards compatibility 0:25:27 News 3: Death Stranding lands on Xbox 0:38:11 News 4: No Man’s Sky patched for PS5 Pro 0:47:49 News 5: Sony INZONE M10S impressions 1:05:53 News 6: Sonic Generations can run at 60fps on Switch 1:11:42 Supporter Q1: Will you use the 9800X3D for high-end gaming benchmarks? 1:16:21 Supporter Q2: Will PS6 use 3D V-Cache? 1:17:32 Supporter Q3: Will Alex and John switch to 9800X3D? 1:22:15 Supporter Q4: Why is Game Boost falling short of the promised 45% increase to PS5 Pro raster performance? 1:29:21 Supporter Q5: Would AI frame extrapolation make native frame-rate unimportant? 1:32:30 Supporter Q6: What do you want out of a Steam Deck 2? 1:38:32 Supporter Q7: Why didn’t you spend more time analyzing the PS5 Pro box? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Special - Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Review - The Digital Foundry Verdict

DF Direct Special - Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Review - The Digital Foundry Verdict

Rich Leadbetter, John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie combine their impressions and tests to deliver the Digital Foundry verdict on the PlayStation 5 Pro. How does the console improve PS5 and PS4 games? How good is PSSR based on testing across a range of games? And what of the enhanced RT features? Everything you need to know is right here. 0:00:00 Overview 0:01:00 Hardware impressions 0:05:44 8K support and display options 0:12:34 PS4 image quality enhancement 0:17:36 Game boost - Elden Ring and GPU bound games 0:32:01 Game boost - CPU bound games 0:35:57 Ray tracing upgrades 0:42:29 PSSR testing 0:58:02 Power consumption 1:05:16 Overall impressions - is PS5 Pro worth the money? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #187: Concord DEAD, Indiana Jones Hands-On, Horizon PC Tested, 'Disaster Remasters'

DF Direct Weekly #187: Concord DEAD, Indiana Jones Hands-On, Horizon PC Tested, 'Disaster Remasters'

Even though most of the team are concentrating on PS5 Pro content, we still managed to find the time for another episode of DF Direct Weekly. Tom joins Rich and John to discuss the death of Concord and the shuttering of Firewalk Studios, Indiana Jones and Mario & Luigi: Brothership, while Alex joins the fray later to talk Star Citizen, Squadron 42 and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered on PC. Meanwhile, in his spare time, John's been testing out a couple of alleged 'disaster remasters'... 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:13 News 1: Concord developer shuttered, game not coming back 0:18:16 News 2: Indiana Jones previewed! 0:31:56 News 3: Mario & Luigi: Brothership evaluated 0:42:47 News 4: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered analyzed on PC 0:55:00 News 5: Shadows of the Damned is a ‘disaster remaster’ 1:05:32 News 6: Alex’s Star Citizen update 1:21:01 Supporter Q1: Do you still think mid-gen enhanced consoles are unnecessary? 1:28:29 Supporter Q2: Will PS5 Pro owners typically own 120Hz VRR panels? 1:34:43 Supporter Q3: Could the Series X support a form of ML-based upscaling? 1:37:23 Supporter Q4: Why did Call of Duty abandon ray tracing? 1:40:57 Supporter Q5: Why has checkerboard rendering disappeared from most modern games? 1:43:33 Supporter Q6: What has John contributed to the upcoming EGM Compendium? 1:47:02 Supporter Q7: Will Capcom adopt a more PC-centric approach in the future? 1:51:45 Supporter Q8: Will Nintendo pioneer revolutionary uses of RT on Switch 2? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #186: Teraflop War OVER, Killzone Dead, Alan Wake 2 PS5 Pro, Silent Hill 2 Patched!

DF Direct Weekly #186: Teraflop War OVER, Killzone Dead, Alan Wake 2 PS5 Pro, Silent Hill 2 Patched!

Another bumper Direct sees John, Rich and Oliver discuss Shawn Layden's call for a reset on game development practises and his comments on the console/teraflop war being over. Remedy's impressive roster of upgrades for Alan Wake 2 on PS5 Pro come into focus, while the team can't help but wonder if Guerrilla Games' most recent comments really do spell the end for the Killzone franchise. John shares first impressions on Sonic x Shadow Generations, while Oliver REALLY wants to tell you all about Wayfinder on the PlayStation 5. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:04 News 1: Former Sony exec says console race has plateaued 0:22:43 News 2: Alan Wake 2 PS5 Pro previewed! 0:32:47 News 3: Guerrilla Games is done with Killzone 0:43:53 News 4: Wayfinder tested on PS5! 0:55:01 News 5: Sonic X Shadow Generations tested 1:06:28 News 6: Ragnarök PC performance improved 1:13:18 News 7: Silent Hill 2 PC patch decreases stutter 1:20:42 Supporter Q1: Could the next Xbox be a hybrid with a GPU in the dock? 1:26:37 Supporter Q2: Is the games industry becoming more risk-averse? 1:33:34 Supporter Q3 Is John still using his Meta Quest 3? 1:40:16 Supporter Q4: Does Guerrilla’s new image treatment solution stem from Death Stranding 2? 1:46:23 Supporter Q5: Has John played any modern game consoles on CRTs with the RetroTINK 4K? 1:50:32 Supporter Q6: How will you cope with covering so many PS5 Pro enhanced games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #185: Xbox Series 6nm Upgrade, Halo Battle Royale Cancellation, Analogue 3D Reveal!

DF Direct Weekly #185: Xbox Series 6nm Upgrade, Halo Battle Royale Cancellation, Analogue 3D Reveal!

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #184: Red Dead PC! Nintendo Mystery Tests, Alien Isolation 2, John vs PS5 Pro!

DF Direct Weekly #184: Red Dead PC! Nintendo Mystery Tests, Alien Isolation 2, John vs PS5 Pro!

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct - Inside GeForce 256 - The First GPU - 25th Anniversary Retrospective

DF Direct - Inside GeForce 256 - The First GPU - 25th Anniversary Retrospective

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #183: Nintendo Ryujinx Takedown, Until Dawn PS5 Tested, UE5 MegaLights, FF16 Xbox?

DF Direct Weekly #183: Nintendo Ryujinx Takedown, Until Dawn PS5 Tested, UE5 MegaLights, FF16 Xbox?

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #182: Ghost of Yotei, Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster, New PS5 Pro Titles Revealed

DF Direct Weekly #182: Ghost of Yotei, Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster, New PS5 Pro Titles Revealed

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Special: PlayStation 5 Pro Hands-On: 11 Games Tested, PSSR and RT Upgrades Revealed, Developers Interviewed!

DF Direct Special: PlayStation 5 Pro Hands-On: 11 Games Tested, PSSR and RT Upgrades Revealed, Developers Interviewed!

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #181: Major Switch 2 Leak, Intel vs AMD for PS6, FSR 4 Using AI, Days Gone Remaster

DF Direct Weekly #181: Major Switch 2 Leak, Intel vs AMD for PS6, FSR 4 Using AI, Days Gone Remaster

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #180: The PS5 Pro Breakdown: GT7, TLOUp2, Ratchet, Horizon, Alan Wake 2 + More!

DF Direct Weekly #180: The PS5 Pro Breakdown: GT7, TLOUp2, Ratchet, Horizon, Alan Wake 2 + More!

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Special: PS5 Pro Reveal Reaction - Tech, Specs, Games, Price

DF Direct Special: PS5 Pro Reveal Reaction - Tech, Specs, Games, Price

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #179: Sony's PS5 Pro Tease, Concord Servers Close, RTX 5080 Perf Leak, Astro Bot!

DF Direct Weekly #179: Sony's PS5 Pro Tease, Concord Servers Close, RTX 5080 Perf Leak, Astro Bot!

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #178: PS5 Pro Incoming? Black Myth: Wukong Xbox Drama, MGS Delta/Silent Hill 2!

DF Direct Weekly #178: PS5 Pro Incoming? Black Myth: Wukong Xbox Drama, MGS Delta/Silent Hill 2!

Another week of exciting news as reputable sources reveal that PlayStation 5 Pro is incoming - and we've even got a sketch of the (possible!) design. Meanwhile, the Black Myth: Wukong Xbox no-show continues to command attention - as does the decision to release Avowed on Xbox consoles at 30fps. John, Rich and Oliver are on the mics this week - but Tom ducks out of his short vacation for a quick chat about the recent Metal Gear Solid: Delta and Silent Hill 2 press event he attended. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:07 News 1: PS5 Pro name, design possibly leaked 0:27:16 News 2: Why isn’t Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox? 0:41:24 News 3: Astro Bot VR ruled out - but PC could be coming 0:49:53 News 4: MGS Delta: Snake Eater preview! 1:06:53 News 5: Silent Hill 2 hands-on! 1:26:24 News 6: Avowed vows to target 30fps on Xbox Series consoles 1:34:48 Supporter Q1: What games do you most want to see updated for PS5 Pro? 1:41:36 Supporter Q2: How will Microsoft deal with the PS5 Pro? 1:52:24 Supporter Q3: Could Intel GPUs be in the next-gen consoles? 1:56:35 Supporter Q4: Given that the 4090 can no longer sustain native 4K at max settings in a lot of games, are we about to hit a performance wall? 2:04:28 Supporter Q5: Did Sony and Microsoft underestimate the needed console specs this generation? 2:12:19 Supporter Q6: Would DF consider adding a quantitative rating system to their reviews? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #177: Indiana Jones on PS5, STALKER 2 Xbox Hands-On, FF16 PC Demo, Black State!

DF Direct Weekly #177: Indiana Jones on PS5, STALKER 2 Xbox Hands-On, FF16 PC Demo, Black State!

Rich returns from Gamescom 2024, bringing with him hands-on impressions of STALKER 2 on Xbox and the incredible Black State on PC. Alex and Oliver share notes on the Final Fantasy 16 PC demo, while the team discuss the highlights - such as they are - of Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live. But the big story is the news that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PlayStation 5 - and the extent of Microsoft's multi-platform strategy is finally revealed. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:58 News 01: Indiana Jones headed to PS5 0:19:53 News 02: Hands-on with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 0:31:31 News 03: FF16 demo tested on PC! 0:47:13 News 04: Black State impresses 0:57:50 News 05: Gamescom Opening Night Live recap 1:06:45 News 06: Nvidia’s Gamescom announcements 1:19:14 Supporter Q1: Is disabling RT depending on the scene a good idea? 1:27:47 Supporter Q2: Is Series S preventing a Black Myth: Wukong release on Xbox? 1:34:33 Supporter Q3: Why did Wukong on PS5 use FSR and not TSR? 1:38:35 Supporter Q4: Could improved Wukong performance be a good selling point for PS5 Pro? 1:45:06 Supporter Q5: How will Microsoft differentiate the next Xbox? 1:52:21 Supporter Q6: Did Microsoft and Sony focus on the wrong features with PS5 and Xbox Series? 2:01:18 Supporter Q7: Is 12GB enough VRAM for graphics cards this generation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #176: Black Myth Wukong PS5 No-Show, Switch 2 Delay? More Zen 5 Issues

DF Direct Weekly #176: Black Myth Wukong PS5 No-Show, Switch 2 Delay? More Zen 5 Issues

On the eve of release, the team ponder the dearth of Black Myth: Wukong PS5 reviews - and then some last-minute footage emerges. Will Judd joins the team to discuss the latest AMD Zen 5 problems, more rumours of Xbox exclusives coming to PlayStation 5, while The Verge bravely talk about the game nobody's supposed to be talking about but everyone's playing. Meanwhile, we don't actually have a Switch 2 release date, but apparently it's been delayed - what's going on? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:48 News 01: Black Myth: Wukong benchmark drops 0:22:35 News 02: Zen 5 launch unravels 0:44:24 News 03: Switch 2 possibly “delayed” further into 2025 0:54:49 News 04: Unannounced game Deadlock hits 18,000 concurrent players 1:06:33 News 05: FF7 Remake trilogy third title to switch to UE5? 1:12:32 News 06: Man connects 444 consoles to one TV 1:20:39 News 07: Tango Gameworks acquired by Krafton 1:24:26 News 08: Forza Horizon 5 potentially headed to PS5 1:34:40 News 09: Valve plans to offer SteamOS to other handhelds 1:44:58 Supporter Q1: As Microsoft increasingly goes multiplatform, what’s the point of Xbox? 1:49:45 Supporter Q2: Should Microsoft be putting older exclusives on Switch? 1:52:10 Supporter Q3: What does the DF audience have to look forward to in 2025? 1:56:12 Supporter Q4: Which graphically intense ports should come to Switch 2? 2:00:10 Supporter Q5: What are some technical annoyances you have with modern gaming? 2:04:34 Supporter Q6: What is the best way to achieve good frame-rates for PS3 titles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #175: PSVR 2 PC Issues, Zen 5 Controversy, Half-Life 3?! Jedi Survivor Last-Gen!

DF Direct Weekly #175: PSVR 2 PC Issues, Zen 5 Controversy, Half-Life 3?! Jedi Survivor Last-Gen!

Another packed edition of DF Direct Weekly sees Rich, Alex and Oliver discussing a range of topics. Why is it so difficult to get PSVR 2 working on PC? Why are the AMD Ryzen 9000/Zen 5 reviews to contentious? As Star Wars Jedi: Survivor breaks cover on last-gen consoles, what exactly is the point - and will the PC version get fixed? Meanwhile, the team rave about Space Marine 2's visuals, Doom/Doom 2 get a brand-new Nightdive release, Final Fantasy 16 may be imminent on PC and Oliver brings together all of the latest Half-Life 3 conspiracy theories... Could it actually be happening? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:54 News 01: PS VR2 tested on PC - without an adapter! 0:12:49 News 02: Zen 5 launches to mixed reviews 0:29:57 News 03: Space Marine 2 previewed 0:40:50 News 04: Half-Life 3 confirmed???!!!! 0:50:24 News 05: Jedi: Survivor last-gen screenshots revealed 1:06:32 News 06: Classic Doom games get revised port 1:11:07 News 07: Final Fantasy 16 PC release may be imminent 1:18:51 News 08: Ready at Dawn shut down 1:25:56 Supporter Q1: Why isn’t every new game using DirectStorage? 1:30:56 Supporter Q2: How could a “Stop Killing Games” directive work for online-only titles? 1:39:13 Supporter Q3: Should we be less judgmental about generative AI use? 1:48:18 Supporter Q4: Is the Ryzen 5800X3D one of the greatest ever CPUs? 1:55:35 Supporter Q5: Why does the PS4 refuse to die? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Direct Weekly #174: Star Wars Outlaws, EA Sports RT, AMD AFMF 2 Tested, PSVR 2 Discounted!

DF Direct Weekly #174: Star Wars Outlaws, EA Sports RT, AMD AFMF 2 Tested, PSVR 2 Discounted!

With John and Alex either on holiday or otherwise unavailable, Rich is joined by Tom and Oliver for our weekly show discussing the latest gaming and technology news. The team take a look at the recent Star Wars Outlaws previews, Tom gets to grips with Nobody Wants To Die and Visions of Mana, while also taking a look at the RT upgrades to EA Sports titles using the Frostbite engine. Meanwhile, Rich shares the ROG Ally X benchmarks we couldn't share in the preview, and shares his thoughts on AMD's Fluid Motion Frames 2 upgrade. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:01 News 01: Star Wars Outlaws gameplay preview! 0:14:31 News 02: Nobody Wants To Die impresses 0:23:05 News 03: EA Sports titles getting RTGI 0:38:55 News 04: PS VR2 dramatically discounted 0:47:47 News 05: Visions of Mana demo released 0:55:47 News 06: ROG Ally X benchmarked! 1:03:40 News 07: AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 previewed 1:17:45 News 08: Destiny 3 not in development 1:25:51 Supporter Q1: Could you compare in-home streaming services like Steam Link? 1:33:01 Supporter Q2: Where is the console Minecraft ray tracing update? 1:38:56 Supporter Q3: Could upcoming consoles feature more bespoke kinds of hardware? 1:46:42 Supporter Q4: Do developers deserve flack for not optimizing their games, or are more demanding titles just a consequence of graphics advancement? 1:54:37 Supporter Q5: Why wasn’t x86 adopted for earlier consoles? 1:58:27 Supporter Q6: Could Microsoft release their backwards compatible Xbox titles on PC? 2:03:29 Supporter Q7: Is the M4 iPad Pro’s display bright enough for Oliver? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices