Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

Microsoft's astonishing price hikes for Xbox Series consoles dominate the discussion this week, before Rich, John and Alex move on to discussing topics as diverse as Doom: The Dark Age's path tracing, Far Cry 4's 60FPS update, along with RTX 5070 Super and 5080 Super rumours. Meanwhile, Alex gets to grips with Oblivion Remastered PC anti-stutter "mods", trying to figure out if any of them work. Meanwhile, John is not particularly happy with Nintendo's virtual game cards stripping out a key game sharing feature.

0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:54 News 1: Microsoft hiking Xbox prices0:21:55 News 2: Doom: The Dark Ages screenshot shows off path tracing0:35:40 News 3: Oblivion anti-stutter mods tested!0:54:24 News 4: Switch update strips some online game sharing1:03:49 News 5: 60 FPS update released for Far Cry 4 on PS51:16:27 News 6: RTX 5070 Super, 5080 Super reportedly pack VRAM boost1:30:48 Supporter Q1: Why are prominent games journalism sites being hollowed out? 1:44:02 Supporter Q2: Will we see a lot of fully-featured UE5 games on Switch 2? 1:49:32 Supporter Q3: Why does Switch 2 have RT cores? 1:55:16 Supporter Q4: Is 8K TV tech pointless? 2:00:32 Supporter Q5: Are high end CPUs necessary for 4K60 PC gaming?

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Review code delivered on launch day is never a good look, but this week's Direct kicks off with Rich's positive words for Days Gone Remastered with very, very early impressions of the PS5 Pro version of the game. Meanwhile, the team compares notes on Sucker Punch's latest Ghost of Yōtei trailer, while a returning John makes his feelings abundantly clear about Nintendo's Game Key card initiative. Sticking with Switch 2, the varying pricing level for Switch 2 Editions causes some concerns, while the release of Sony's PS5 Pro teardown arrives in lock-step with the arrival of Rich's Pro motherboard. And finally, just who gets to decide who guests on each episode of DF Direct Weekly?

0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:01 News 1: Days Gone Remastered tested!0:15:33 News 2: Ghost of Yōtei release date trailer drops0:28:59 News 3: Switch 2 Edition upgrades vary in price0:41:21 News 4: Game Key Cards dominate early Switch 2 software0:52:43 News 5: Clarifying Switch 2 game resolutions1:07:55 News 6: Sony publishes PS5 Pro teardown1:17:04 Supporter Q1: How do you manage personnel on DF Direct? 1:21:56 Supporter Q2: Will Elder Scrolls 6 use Unreal Engine for rendering? 1:27:04 Supporter Q3: What’s with the poor FMV quality in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? 1:37:19 Supporter Q4: Is PS5 VRR stutter proof that most gamers don’t care about stutter?1:44:47 Supporter Q5: Can you raise awareness of the current Game Pass driver issues on PC?

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Fresh from visiting the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase event in London on April 11th, Tom and Rich sat down with Oliver to discuss their hands-on experience with the hardware, sharing details on the ergonomics, the screen, the controllers and much more - and then it's on to the games, including the big Nintendo heavy hitters, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, the GameCube emulator and much, much more.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:25 Hardware Impressions

0:14:19 Mario Kart World

0:24:26 Metroid Prime 4

0:35:10 Donkey Kong Bananza

0:45:08 Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

0:49:58 Street Fighter 6

0:57:26 Hogwarts Legacy

1:05:48 GameCube emulation

1:10:09 Final Thoughts

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Join Rich, Oliver and Alex for discussion on the latest leaks surrounding the all-but-confirmed PlayStation handheld and the mystery of docked VRR support suddenly going missing from Switch 2 PR. There's exciting news from CD Projekt RED, confirming DLSS support for Cyberpunk 2077 on the new Nintendo hybrid, while Alex shares his thoughts on some of the GDC 2025 presentations that have started to emerge. Oh yes, and that ad/trailer video post explained - put simply, we tried something new and we got it very wrong.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:02:39 News 1: Next-gen portable PlayStation allegedly detailed

0:20:16 News 2: Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 uses DLSS!

0:31:30 News 3: Switch 2 docked VRR support in question

0:39:18 News 4: Alex explains Nvidia’s GDC 2025 presentations

0:56:50 News 5: Star Wars Outlaws looks questionable on Switch 2

1:04:49 News 6: Mario Kart World Direct impressions!

1:11:11 Supporter Q1: What would a potential Switch Pro have looked like?

1:15:57 Supporter Q2: What is the Switch 2’s true GPU performance, absent “flopflation”?

1:23:23 Supporter Q3: Should Indiana Jones use more ray tracing features on PS5 Pro?

1:27:51 Supporter Q4: What could the NPU in the Z2 Extreme do for gaming?

1:31:54 Supporter Q5: Could the PlayStation Portal connect to the upcoming PlayStation handheld?

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Rich returns from the Nintendo Switch 2 live event in London with hands-on impressions - and footage - of Cyberpunk 2077, while Alex shares his impressions of the Metal Eden demo on PC. Oliver weighs in with his thoughts on the Asus teaser for its upcoming Xbox handheld collaboration, while there's general bemusement at Microsoft's AI 'version' of the classic Quake 2.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:11 News 1: Cyberpunk 2077 tested on Switch 2!

0:16:54 News 2: Metal Eden PC demo has issues

0:31:04 News 3: Asus teases Xbox PC handheld

0:37:59 News 4: RTX 5060 Ti prices allegedly leak

0:51:46 News 5: Microsoft launches Muse AI Quake 2 experience

1:04:53 News 6: Switch 2 portable mode simulated!

1:20:42 Supporter Q1: What will future Nvidia and AMD handhelds look like?

1:27:37 Supporter Q2: What will PhysX development look like after being made open source?

1:32:00 Supporter Q3: Why doesn’t Switch 2 support 4K120?

1:36:16 Supporter Q4: Should Nintendo unlock higher Switch 1 clocks?

1:40:43 Supporter Q5: Will Switch 2 run Switch 1 games in their docked configurations in portable mode?

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Following on from our DF Direct Special on Switch 2, it's Rich, Oliver and Alex at the mics this week for the latest Direct, talking more about the new Nintendo hybrid, breaking down specs, how much more capable the new machine is vs Switch 1 and Steam Deck, and lots, lots more on how the games are running based on the available media.

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After an interesting but games-lite reveal, we wanted to see much more from Switch 2 - and Nintendo has delivered, with an hour-long Direct that goes into depth on first and third-party games, hardware, new system level features and much more. Rich, Oliver and John share their notes on the show, the games and the console. And of course, there's a range of pixel counts and performance tests on some of the games we saw. Just don't go looking for any ray tracing...

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:22 Displays: 120Hz VRR HDR 1080p internal display, 4K60/1440p120 docked display output

0:10:09 Battery and battery life

0:11:55 Controller changes: GameChat, magnetic attachment, mouse control, Pro controller upgrades

0:18:14 Storage: 256 GB internal, MicroSD Express support, Game Cards and Game-Key Cards

0:26:27 Game compatibility: games with support issues, Switch 2 upgrades and Switch 2 Editions, GameCube backwards compatibility

0:38:15 Pricing: Console prices, game prices, and value

0:46:45 First party games: Mario Kart World

0:52:31 Kirby Air Riders

0:53:57 Donkey Kong Bananza

0:57:02 Third party games: The Duskbloods

1:00:39 Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, FF7 Remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4

1:08:56 Closing thoughts on the presentation and system

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In a rare Rich-less Direct, John, Alex and Oliver compare notes on the latest, news-packed Nintendo Direct - which raises plenty of discussion points and controversy despite no showing of Switch 2. Meanwhile, there are hints that The Witcher 4 and Intergalactic may well be cross-gen/next-gen titles, Alex vents on the quality of recent Nvidia drivers, while John shares impressions of his first ever GDC.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:17 News 1: Nintendo Direct - Metroid Prime 4

0:11:02 Pokémon Legends: Z-A

0:22:08 Patapon, Everybody’s Golf, Tomodachi, Dragon Quest, Witchbrook, Shadow Labyrinth, Gradius, Marvel Cosmic Invasion

0:33:02 Switch 2 C button leak and Nintendo Today app

0:40:01 News 2: Nintendo introduces Virtual Game Cards

0:54:01 News 3: Switch 2 game rollout revealed?

1:00:33 News 4: Witcher 4, Intergalactic to arrive after 2026

1:09:51 News 5: Alex’s Nvidia driver woes

1:19:36 News 6: John’s GDC thoughts

1:32:44 Supporter Q1: What’s your favourite GPU of all time?

1:39:07 Supporter Q2: Will Valve release a Steam Deck 2 soon?

1:44:31 Supporter Q3: Should PC settings be changed to improve branding?

1:52:02 Supporter Q4: Could Xbox One have succeeded if it had been better introduced?

2:00:12 Supporter Q5: Is disc degradation a concern with Blu-ray media?

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Another week, another DF Direct Weekly, with Rich, Alex and Oliver tackling a range of topics including the unfortunate (for Microsoft) Xbox/Steam leak and the reveal of Microsoft's DXR 1.2 - which essentially standardises key features from Nvidia's RTX 40-series to all GPU vendors. Meanwhile, Alex isn't particulary impressed by the recommended specs for The Last of Us Part 2, while Rich is probably even less taken by the PC port of Rise of the Ronin. However, the levels of disappointment here can't compare with Oliver's reaction to the Mac port of Assassin's Creed Shadows...

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:58 News 1: Xbox App Steam mock-up leaks

0:14:03 News 2: Assassin’s Creed Shadows disappoints on Mac + Supporter Shadows questions!

0:37:56 News 3: DXR 1.2 announced

0:49:02 News 4: The Last of Us Part 2 PC specs drop

0:58:56 News 5: Rise of the Ronin PC tested!

1:08:56 Supporter Q1: Should developers include a console settings preset in their PC versions?

1:19:38 Supporter Q2: Will Switch 2 have a 120Hz, VRR, HDR capable screen?

1:23:30 Supporter Q3: How long will it take for handhelds to have PS5-level power?

1:28:56 Supporter Q4: Should reviewers test PC gaming in multitasking-heavy scenarios?

1:35:24 Supporter Q5: If consoles were to disappear, would developers be able to more closely optimize their games for PC?

1:40:27 Supporter Q6: What’s Alex’s recovery regimen after reviewing a bad PC port?

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Another packed DF Direct sees Rich, Alex and Oliver at the mics, discussing topics as diverse as the Project 'Kennan' Xbox handheld, the brilliant Death Stranding 2 trailer, the mooted Oblivion UE3 remake and Sony's AI character demo. Meanwhile, Rich gets scalphed on the Ryzen 9 9950X - buit look at those benchmarks! Plus: can PS5 Pro actually run FSR 4? Is cross-gen gaming here forever? And will Xbox Series X become the definitive Xbox back-compat console?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:38 News 1: Xbox-branded Windows handheld reportedly in development

0:19:36 News 2: Death Stranding 2 gets release date, new trailer

0:30:23 News 3: 9950X3D launches with impressive performance

0:46:43 News 4: Elder Scrolls Oblivion remake rumoured

0:55:51 News 5: AI Aloy prototype debuts in leaked footage

1:09:19 Supporter Q1: Have we underestimated PS5 Pro’s ML performance?

1:19:31 Supporter Q2: Is Nvidia betting on a big gaming performance increase for the 60 series?

1:26:47 Supporter Q3: Could the PS4 survive indefinitely as a platform?

1:31:30 Supporter Q4: How should we understand generational leaps for PC gaming?

1:36:10 Supporter Q5: Will the Series X become a sought-after retro console?

1:40:55 Supporter Q6: Could you produce videos showing carefully tailored experiences for certain graphics cards?

1:46:56 Supporter Q7: Is Nvidia’s focus on proprietary tech helping or hurting PC gaming?

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