Digital Foundry Direct Weekly DF Direct Special: Digital Foundry's Best Gaming Hardware 2025
Jan 7, 2026
The podcast dives into the best gaming hardware of 2025, with handhelds taking the spotlight. The GPD Win 5 and Lenovo Legion Go S are fan favorites for their standout performance and ergonomic design. Discussions also cover the powerhouse Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the exciting potential of Nvidia's Blackwell and RDNA 4. Alongside hardware highlights, the hosts maintain an optimistic outlook for 2026 amid market challenges, anticipating breakthroughs in handheld tech and graphics innovations.
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Avoid Raw Windows Frontend For Now
- Oliver warns that Windows on handhelds still has stability and sleep/wake issues that hurt the experience.
- He suggests using SteamOS or installing alternatives like Bazite until Microsoft improves the handheld Windows frontend.
Lenovo Legion Go S: SteamOS Done Right
- Oliver calls the Lenovo Legion Go S his favorite non-Steam Deck handheld thanks to native SteamOS and easy setup.
- He praises comfort, 8" display, Z1 Extreme performance, and straightforward out-of-box experience.
Switch 2 Is A Platform Play, Not Just A Handheld
- Oliver argues Switch 2 must be evaluated as a platform, not just hardware, because of exclusive games and docking behavior.
- He credits tiny DLSS for enabling complex AAA ports at very low power on Switch 2.