Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

The podcast discusses the analysis of the recently released trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, including its real-time rendering, ray tracing effects, and character rendering. They also speculate on the possibility of 60fps on consoles and discuss the impressive hair simulation in the game.

Batman: Arkham Trilogy arrived on Nintendo Switch just before we started filming - but let's just say that it hardly requires a deep dive analysis to see that Arkham Knight is a complete disaster. There's better news from Alex as we look at the optimisation efforts in Baldur's Gate 3, while Rich gets to grips with Half-Life 2 - and the entirety of The Orange Box - running at 4K 60fps on Xbox Series X. There's Dragon's Dogma 2 tech talk, John's VR odyssey continues apace, while the team discuss the fascinating story behind Gran Turismo PSP cheat codes finally being discovered 14 years since the game launched!0:00:00 Introduction0:01:03 News 01: Arkham Knight on Switch is a disaster0:15:46 News 02: Larian boosts Baldur’s Gate 3 performance0:26:06 News 03: Half-Life 2, Portal unlocked to run at 60fps on Xbox Series consoles0:37:56 News 04: Dragon’s Dogma 2 trailer released0:49:05 News 05: Cheat codes discovered for Gran Turismo PSP0:58:39 News 06: John’s VR odyssey continues!1:09:25 News 07: Duke Nukem games released for Evercade1:17:17 Supporter Q1: To play an older 360 game, is the best option original hardware plus a RetroTINK, or a Series X?1:22:38 Supporter Q2: Have PC GPUs fallen behind in performance scaling relative to consoles over this generation?1:28:28 Supporter Q3: Why do some UE5 titles skip over hardware Lumen, even on PC?1:32:30 Supporter Q4: Could Sony improve the PS Portal with software updates?1:41:29 Supporter Q5: Could frame generation be used to improve motion blur? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast discusses The Last of Us 2 Remastered controversy, Cyberpunk 2077 DLC confusion, visual improvements in Alan Wake, Xbox's struggle in Europe, the impact of Half-Life on the gaming industry, Star Citizen's growth, unboxing the PlayStation 5 Slim, potential handheld gaming devices, and celebrating Thanksgiving in a multicultural environment.

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the PlayStation Portal and its remote play feature, compare it to the Steam Deck, and share their disappointment with recent game trailers. They also explore the performance issues of the PC version of EASWRC, highlight the immersive gameplay and impressive graphics of Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, and debate the potential release of a new powerful traditional console by Nintendo. Additionally, they delve into the importance of user experience and accessibility in game development and discuss old and rare computer peripherals from the 90s.

The podcast discusses the surprise reveal of the Steam Deck OLED, Rockstar's GTA 6 announcement, and the teardown of the new PS5 'Slim'. Other topics include Nintendo denying Switch 2 rumors, a CPU upgrade, leaks about RTX 40 Series 'Super' cards, experiments with in-home VR streaming, and listener questions on various gaming topics.

DF Direct Weekly #136: Rich tests Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on worst PS5 SSD, John talks Gran Turismo 7 updates and Super Mario RPG, Oliver shares thoughts on Apple M3 launch.

This podcast discusses topics like the anticipated game Alan Wake 2, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection's disappointing release, and Star Citizen's tech upgrades. They delve into the gameplay, visuals, and challenges of running GPU-heavy games on power-constrained devices. The hosts also share their thoughts on remastering games like Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us 2 for the PS5.

Jörg Tittel, director and writer of C-Smash VRS, joins Alex Battaglia and John Linneman to discuss Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the prospects of TLOU2 and Horizon Zero Dawn Remakes, and the Alan Wake: Flashback concept. The podcast also covers AMD's AntiLag+ disabling, the state of virtual reality gaming, best GPU control panel settings, the rumor of a digital-only Nintendo Switch, game optimization for graphics drivers, and the release of Cities: Skylines 2 despite performance issues.

Sony confirms the release of PlayStation 5 Slim. Super Mario Wonder previewed with positive impressions. Redfall game receives 60fps upgrade on Xbox. Robocop: Rogue City demo surprises and captures essence of source material. Importance of mid-range processors for optimal gaming performance. DLSS technology and native 4K benchmarks examined. Desires for popular franchises to be revived under Microsoft ownership.

In another mammoth edition of DF Direct Weekly, Rich Leadbetter, Alex Battaglia and a returning John Linneman tackle the big topics head-on. Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation 5 gets a 60fps upgrade and Oliver provides us with a bunch of assets to look at. Meanwhile, the team discuss the initial marketing for Forza Motorsport vs the final game - and they've got some issues. Beyond that, could FSR 3 frame-gen work on current-gen consoles? Rich puts some tests together. Also: John spills the beans on his recent trip to Japan.0:00:00 Introduction0:01:25 News 01: 60fps Red Dead Redemption patch released on PS50:12:03 News 02: Forza Motorsport reaction - and what’s up with the game’s visual downgrade?0:28:56 News 03: FSR 3: could it work on consoles?0:43:42 News 04: Ubisoft adds Denuvo DRM to Assassin’s Creed Mirage post-release0:51:20 News 05: Horizon Forbidden West to be first 2-disc PS5 title1:03:03 News 06: Intel Arc A580 budget GPU leaks1:11:34 News 07: Nightdive mulling unofficial game enhancements1:17:30 Supporter Q1: John, how was your trip to Japan?1:32:08 Supporter Q2: Should Sony increase the internal storage on PS5?1:34:26 Supporter Q3: If the Switch 2 uses DLSS at low handheld-class resolutions, will this hurt image quality?1:37:30 Supporter Q4: What do you suggest to prevent OLED burn-in while gaming?1:43:07 Supporter Q5: Can you end the show with “This Is Digital Foundry, bidding you farewell und auf wiedersehen”? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices