Digital Foundry Direct Weekly DF Direct Weekly #244: The Game Awards Reaction, First PS3 Emu on PS5, FSR Redstone First Look!
22 snips
Dec 15, 2025 The team dives into their standout moments from The Game Awards, highlighting the trend of cinematic trailers. They discuss a groundbreaking PS3 emulator available on the PS5 and unpack unexpected performance issues with Skyrim on the Switch 2. AMD's FSR Redstone draws scrutiny for its mixed results in frame generation. Plus, there's a lively debate on whether Star Wars Outlaws feels more tailored for the Switch 2 compared to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Insights, controversies, and fun revelations abound!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Remedy's Asset Reuse Creates Distinct Visuals
- Remedy's new Control title reuses high-quality Northlight assets across games, giving a distinct visual identity that stands out from UE5-heavy showcases.
- Alex notes trailers mix offline-rendered sequences with in-engine gameplay, so cinematic footage often misrepresents final tech.
CG Trailers Dominate But Reveal Little
- The Game Awards are saturated with short CG trailers that rarely reveal real gameplay or tech details, making many reveals feel hollow.
- Rich and Oliver argue cinematic-only reveals make it hard for announcements to stand out or be trusted.
First PS3 Emulation On PS5 Uses HLE Outcome Mapping
- Redo Apps shipped a PS3 HLE-style emulator on PS5 by emulating outcomes rather than all PS3 components, enabling simple titles to run under emulation.
- Rich highlights this approach is scoped and won't immediately solve SPU-heavy PS3 AAA compatibility.