Digital Foundry Direct Weekly DF Direct Weekly #248: Forza Horizon 6, Fable, FF7R Xbox, Switch 2 Game Boosts, Saturn Ray Tracing!
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Jan 26, 2026 A lively rundown of the big Developer Direct reveals, including deep tech talk on Forza Horizon 6 and how its visuals are achieved. Conversation about Fable’s demo and its 30 FPS approach. Coverage of Switch 2 boosts, Donkey Kong fixes and curious Animal Crossing changes. Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Xbox and Switch 2 ports get tested. Plus a surprised reaction to Saturn ray tracing and a wild modder-built three-console hybrid.
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Forza’s Practical Visual Strategy
- Forza Horizon 6 appears to reuse scalable, well-optimized Forza tech with SSR and cubemap reflections instead of wholesale ray tracing.
- That approach lets Playground target many platforms including handhelds while keeping density and detail high.
Fable Embraces Systems Over Fantasy Promises
- Fable demos suggest a systems-driven NPC reputation model rather than pie-in-the-sky promises.
- Playground aims for thousands of routine-driven NPCs, trading impossible claims for achievable systemic depth.
Anticipate Fable’s 30 FPS Design Tradeoffs
- Expect Fable to target 30 FPS on consoles to afford richer simulation and lighting.
- Prepare for PC to scale up, and for consoles to prioritise fidelity over frame-rate where NPC simulation is heavy.