Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

We've looked at how the Last of Us Part 1 compares with prior TLOU versions, we've detailed all of the various performance modes, what they do and how they work. Now, we get down to brass tacks. Is this a game that actually required a remake? Is it worth the money? John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie share notes and come to the conclusion that yes, it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What should have been a celebration of gaming with the arrival of Gamescom 2022 is marred by a bunch of bad news - including price rises for PlayStation 5 in multiple territories that are not the United States of America and the mooted arrival of Denuvo DRM for... Nintendo Switch? As John and Rich seem to continually remind us the episode... it's not great.00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:37 News 01: Sony bumps PS5 prices! 00:16:17 News 02: Denuvo DRM launches on Switch 00:27:26 News 03: “Super Mario RTX” UE5 demo footage released 00:32:32 News 04: Impressions from Gamescom! 00:52:14 News 05: Intel showcases XeSS in new video 00:59:33 News 06: Pac-Man World Re-Pac packs 50Hz physics 01:01:56 DF Supporter Q1: Should I get an RTX 3070 now, or wait for RTX 4060/4070? 01:09:01 DF Supporter Q2: Which older proprietary engines do you wish were still being developed on? 01:12:59 DF Supporter Q3: Could 360/PS3 have gotten mid-gen enhanced consoles? 01:15:59 DF Supporter Q4: If Japan had gone with the PAL television standard, would 25fps/50fps have been the gold standard for games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DF Weekly reaches its three-quarter-century this week, with John, Rich and Will discussing evidence of Sony creating its own PSN launcher for its PC titles, a fascinating inteview with Astro's Playroom developer Team Asobi, more GPU price madness and Intel video card discussion - plus, a remarkable new voxelised version of Doom!00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:41 News 01: PlayStation PC game launcher to come? 00:11:10 News 02: Team Asobi interview hints at new game 00:19:03 News 03: Sonic Mania decompiled… and ported to Vita! 00:25:19 News 04: Intel ARC GPUs finally for sale outside of Asia + A380 performance discussion 00:37:53 News 05: GPU prices collapse! 00:46:14 News 06: New DOOM mod replaces sprites with 3D voxels 00:49:44 DF Content Discussion: New DF website launch 00:54:26 DF Content Discussion: DF Retro on the Klonoa series 00:59:21 DF Supporter Q1: Do 240Hz OLEDs have good enough motion clarity to match CRTs? 01:04:41 DF Supporter Q2: Could the Steam Deck be sold in mass-market retail stores? 01:09:08 DF Supporter Q3: Why do Insomniac’s VRR modes get high praise, given their inconsistent performance? 01:13:26 DF Supporter Q4: What are some examples of high-end PC game options that never run well, even with new hardware? 01:16:46 DF Supporter Q5: Will Rich ever go back to doing unboxing videos? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a challenging week for Digital Foundry as the review process for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered was set back twice owing to patch updates. So what actually went on, why was some of the embargoed review content out of date on embargo day, how was the game improved and where do we stand right now on day one - the day this Direct was filmed? 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:57 News 01: Spider-Man Remastered released on PC! 00:27:05 News 02: Boneworks gets Metal Gear Solid mod 00:35:30 News 03: RTX 4070/4080 power consumption less than expected? 00:42:48 DF Update: DF site upgrade + Half-Life charity stream 00:46:01 DF Supporter Q1: Is Rich surprised DF Direct has run this long? 00:47:52 DF Supporter Q2: Was the Xbox BC program cancelled for licensing reasons or technical issues? 00:52:54 DF Supporter Q3: Could Microsoft introduce lower-feature OS modes to free up more performance on Series S? 00:55:37 DF Supporter Q4: How much will RT improve with efficiency improvements alone this generation? 00:59:23 DF Supporter Q5: What are your favourite methods of implementing complex graphical effects in retro games? 01:06:54 DF Supporter Q6: Would Sony ever release a new portable PlayStation system? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PlayStation icon Kratos arrives on ALL Xbox consoles in one of the most unlikeliest stories we've ever seen, while Xbox Series S gets more memory delivered to game-makers via a development kit update. Meanwhile, John, Rich and Alex discuss the seemingly incredible perf boosts we should expect from the next-gen Nvidia GPUs, while Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins gets a PC AA/DLSS upgrade. All this - AND MORE - in this episode of DF Direct Weekly!00:00:00 Introduction00:00:57 News 01: War Gods Zeus of Child hits Xbox consoles!00:13:59 News 02: Xbox Series S to receive memory boost in new GDK00:25:28 News 03: Lovelace GPUs reportedly very, very fast00:35:59 News 04: Stranger of Paradise gets DLSS upgrade00:38:58 News 05: Return to Castle Wolfenstein gets new PC release00:51:59 News 06: Analogue Pocket gets beta 1.1 firmware00:55:39 DF Content Discussion: Upcoming DF Retro projects!00:57:44 DF Supporter Q1: What does John think of the new RetroTINK 5X updates?01:02:59 DF Supporter Q2: Does HDR impact game performance?01:04:22 DF Supporter Q3: How do low-power systems like the Steam Deck slot into DF coverage?01:11:25 DF Supporter Q4: How did you enjoy your vacations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the DF Direct Weekly "Hot Beast" Edition as John and Rich return from holiday to join Alex Battaglia for an extended discussion on the week's news, covering the surprise reveal of 1440p display support for PlayStation 5, an official look at more of The Last of Us Part 1, the highs and lows of VR - and Alex's Core i9-12900K PC upgrade!00:00:43 News 01: 1440p output support in new PS5 beta firmware00:13:49 News 02: TLOU Part 1 gameplay showcase video released00:20:31 News 03: PSVR 2 features detailed, Quest 2 price increased00:34:10 News 04: Xbox boot times shortened with faster boot video00:39:07 News 05: Returnal port updated with Steam Deck support00:43:38 DF Content Discussion: Alex’s i9-12900K upgrade00:59:28 DF Supporter Q1: Given the stutter issues on Unreal Engine, is it better to just play UE games on consoles?01:07:45 DF Supporter Q2: Is there a way to get pre-cached shaders for EGS games on Steam Deck?01:09:39 DF Supporter Q3: Why do so many Switch games lack anti-aliasing?01:13:55 DF Supporter Q4: DLSS has a fixed cost, so have you ever seen a scenario where DLSS was slower than regular rendering?01:15:43 DF Supporter Q5: If the next Switch can achieve performance similar to Series S, will major third party games come back to Nintendo?01:19:46 DF Supporter Q6: When playing on PC, what is your personal target frame rate? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's something of a DF Direct special this week, as regular co-host Alex Battaglia is joined by two insightful guests: Sam 'samred' Machkovech of Ars Technica and Addie 'EposVox' of... YouTube. The trio tackle the week's news - including the first details on the Spider-Man Remastered PC port, leaked footage from the upcoming The Last Of Us Part 1 remake and early reviews of Intel's Arc GPUs - and answer an unparalleled 12 DF Supporter questions. 00:00:00 Introduction00:01:09 News 01: Spider-Man Remastered PC port details revealed 00:09:57 News 02: The Last of Us Part 1 leaked footage and impressions 00:16:30 News 03: Intel Arc GPUs get benchmarked and reviewed 00:34:50 News 04: Activision gets official Steam publisher page 00:40:28 News 05: Classic PC titles available for free via Xbox Insider 00:48:22 News 06: John Romero to make new UE5-based FPS game 00:52:07 News 07: Bloodlines 2 development resumed at new studio 00:55:01 DF Content Discussion: Sam’s new release roundup 01:02:33 DF Supporter Q1: Could Series S run some One X-enhanced games? 01:07:57 DF Supporter Q2: Why don’t PC games compile shaders in advance? 01:15:59 DF Supporter Q3: Using a One X as “extra storage” for a Series X library - is it a good idea? 01:19:21 DF Supporter Q4: Will other manufacturers produce Xbox Series SSD expansion cards? 01:22:57 DF Supporter Q5: How good is Windows HDR for games? 01:26:53 DF Supporter Q6: What games or tech releases is Sam looking forward to? 01:30:50 DF Supporter Q7: If streaming had been around in the 90s, what games would have been popular to stream? 01:35:37 DF Supporter Q8: What is the best way to get high quality game capture for editing using OBS? 01:36:48 DF Supporter Q9: Would a stream deck or other specialty input peripheral be helpful for general office use?01:39:19 DF Supporter Q10: Is desktop Linux bound to be a UX headache for new users forever, or is there a way to fix it? 01:44:31 DF Supporter Q11: Sam, do you still use your Playdate? 01:46:11 DF Supporter Q12: What’s a game you liked when you were younger but don’t look back on as fondly? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the DF Skeleton Crew! With Rich, John and Alex away, it's time for Will, Tom and Oliver to escape Rich's basement and step into the limelight for a Direct. In this episode we cover the new Skate and Bayonetta 3 announcements, react to the delisting of the Matrix Awakens and explain why Nvidia is discounting its higher tier graphics cards. Also: what secret projects would we like to work on, and what Prime Day pickups did we each make? 00:00:00 Introduction00:00:49 News 01: Is FF7: Rebirth too much for Xbox?00:08:21 News 02: RDR 2 current-gen ports reportedly cancelled00:13:08 News 03: New Skate game announced, old build leaked00:16:53 News 04: Bayonetta 3 trailer and release date announcement00:24:37 News 05: First footage of redone Ark: Survival Evolved Switch port00:30:13 News 06: The Matrix Awakens demo delisted!00:34:27 News 07: High-end RTX 30 series GPUs get price drops00:39:42 DF Supporter Q1: Console showdown: PS1, N64, or Saturn?00:47:28 DF Supporter Q2: Any projects to look out for, or special interests you’d like to explore on the channel?00:50:23 DF Supporter Q3: How do you split your work between DF and Eurogamer?00:53:13 DF Supporter Q4: With Prime Day concluded, what pickups did you make from the sales?00:56:24 DF Supporter Q5: What gaming-related things are banned in your household?00:59:44 DF Supporter Q6: If Alex came from 2026 and told you a future Steam Deck had more powerful RT hardware than a PS5 or XSX, would you believe him? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hitting the 69th episode milestone, Rich gets to grips with Horizon Forbidden West's excellent VRR/40Hz date, while Alex and Tom join him to discuss topics as diverse as the apparent cancellation of GTA4 and Red Dead Redemption patches, more heavy-handed Take Two legal threats, and yet more issues with Capcom PC ports - this time with a furless DLSS patch. Meanwhile, is it really wise for Rich's gaming hardware to be situated next to a big radiator? And do Alex and Tom assess the rendering features of reality itself? 00:00:00 Introduction00:00:55 News 01: Horizon: Forbidden West patch brings VRR, 40Hz support00:11:25 News 02: GTA IV and RDR remasters cancelled?00:20:15 News 03: Take-Two issues VR mod takedowns00:32:36 News 04: DLSS patch removes fur in MH: Rise00:44:48 News 05: Biomutant PS5, Series S/X update incoming!00:47:49 DF Content Discussion: FSR 2.0 deep dive00:54:23 DF Supporter Q1: Why are we still seeing reduced-rate animations on distant characters?01:01:07 DF Supporter Q2: Do you ever ponder the rendering features of reality itself?01:04:59 DF Supporter Q3: Can developers use unrealistic RT implementations to create surreal environments in games?01:08:45 DF Supporter Q4: Can bad frame-pacing occur with 60fps games set to 120Hz output?01:12:26 DF Supporter Q5: Console showdown: Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo?01:16:45 DF Supporter Q6: What does Rich aim to achieve by overclocking a PS3?01:17:45 DF Supporter Q7: Does Rich have a custom radiator cooling setup for his Switch?01:19:11 DF Supporter Q8: If Rich is taking a vacation, that must mean Microsoft will be announcing new studio acquisitions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not exactly a week for 'gigaton' news but plenty to discuss nonetheless. Portal and Portal 2 arrive on Switch, with Half-Life 2 mods appearing less than 24 hours later. There's joy at the news of a Switch Nier Automata port but confusion about how to actually pronounce it. Meanwhile, Sony unveils a new range of hardware - but is it aimed at PC or PS5 players? Also: FSR 2.0's open source nature brings about a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod - and we've spoken to the person who did it. Join John, Rich and Will for this one - but Alex Battaglia's Force Ghost is never too far away...00:00:00 Introduction00:00:47 News 01: Half-Life 2 modded onto Portal for Switch00:09:10 News 02: Nier: Automata Switch port revealed00:13:55 News 03: Cyberpunk 2077 modded with FSR 2.000:21:20 News 04: Sony launches PC headsets, monitors00:36:39 News 05: Valve doubling Steam Deck production00:43:42 News 06: New Star Ocean: The Divine Force trailer00:46:55 DF Supporter Q1: If Alex came from a time warp and said the Switch 2 had better RT hardware than PS5/XSX, would you believe him?00:52:30 DF Supporter Q2: Nintendo has been stockpiling materials - possibly a sign of a new Switch?00:56:05 DF Supporter Q3: Which gaming industry figure would you most like to interview?01:01:30 DF Supporter Q4: Which retro CRTs are a good pick - that aren’t crazily expensive?01:05:12 DF Supporter Q5: Could spatial upsampling like FSR 1.0 be integrated into displays?01:08:47 DF Supporter Q6: Now that Alex is away, can we agree that Crysis isn’t a particularly good game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices