Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

The news has been pretty grim for the last few months, so why not concentrate on the positives? PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have delivered the best performing videogame generation since the 16-bit 2D era with more support for 60fps gaming than any other 3D-focused console. How did this happen and what are the drawbacks? Meanwhile, if those same consoles are effectively pint-sized PCs using PC components, why is there the sense that PC gaming is far less performant than it should be? John, Rich and Oliver discuss this, with a cameo from Tom talking Splatoon Raiders and OG Xbox "back compat" improvements.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:41 News 1: This is the most performant console generation in 30 years... but what about PC?

0:32:23 News 2: Have we gone too easy on Halo: Campaign Evolved?

0:47:00 News 3: Will Xbox Helix cut out Steam?

0:59:05 News 4: Splatoon Raiders tested!

1:14:40 News 5: Improvements for Xbox BC on PC!

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The hardware situation grows more bleak by the week, so where does this leave next generation consoles? If they're too expensive, will developers target them over current-gen hardware? Is enhanced RT and path tracing enough to make people upgrade? Will there be actual next-gen exclusives? Would it make more sense to buy a higher-end PC now? All this and more is discussed in the latest show.

00:00 Introduction

00:57 Supporter Q1: Why should people want next-gen consoles?

19:09 Supporter Q2: Will people hold on to PS5 and Series X to play their disc games?

28:59 Supporter Q3: Should we just buy expensive PCs now, in lieu of next-gen consoles?

40:29 Supporter Q4: Does Xbox BC on PC threaten Steam?

46:57 Supporter Q5: Will we see future Xbox ports for Switch 2?

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In the latest DF Direct Weekly, we go deeper into the OG Xbox emulator for PC... which is actually running within an Xbox 360 emulator, Inception-style. So what's the masterplan from Microsoft? The team mull over the reaction to Halo: Campaign Evolved, more details emerge on the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 and it's panic stations - again - as Valve predicts that the memory crisis is only going to get worse. Much worse.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:03:25 News 1: Xbox BC tested on PC!

0:23:48 News 2: Halo Campaign Evolved: a beautiful remake

0:44:56 News 3: Konami reveals resolution, frame-rate targets for new MGS collection

0:55:40 News 4: Valve warns memory crisis “getting worse”

1:10:24 Retrospective: Xbox One S review

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The Q+A show returns, with Rich, Oliver and Will getting to grips with the potential of the Creation Engine 3 in The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, while assessing the merits of Doom as THE great American videogame. Sony's new vapour chamber patent is considered for PS6 viability, while questions linger over what Sega's support for Nvidia's RTX Spark actually amounts to. And there's more: what would the generation have looked like if it stuck to 30fps? Is Sony killing discs really about its post-handheld ecosystem? And what's the deal with Oliver's cat?

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Supporter Q1: What can we expect from Bethesda’s Creation Engine 3?

13:58 Supporter Q2: Is Doom (1993) the great American video game?

20:37 Supporter Q3: Does Sony’s new vapour chamber patent mean they are ditching liquid metal?

26:58 Supporter Q4: Will developers deliver native ARM versions of their games for RTX Spark?

33:16 Supporter Q5: Would console graphics look better if developers skipped 60 FPS modes entirely?

41:40 Supporter Q6: Has the next-gen portable PlayStation driven Sony’s decision to kill discs?

46:58 Supporter Q7: When will we see the non-tail parts of Oliver’s cat?

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Bethesda tweets out its current Fallout/Elders Scrolls plans... but why? Meanwhile, digital accounts and draconian anti-consumer limitations come into focus, the Ryzen 7 7700X3D is released and Capcom reveals good news about its upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2 Switch 2 port. Dying Light The Beast is cancelled on last-gen, rumours emerge of a Switch 2 OLED and the team reflect on the tenth anniversary of our reveal of the original Nintendo Switch specs.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:40 News 1: Bethesda announces new Fallout games in massive post

0:25:44 News 2: Streamer’s Microsoft account pulled, reinstated after outcry

0:47:51 News 3: Capcom claims Dragon’s Dogma 2 on Switch 2 “exceeding expectations”

0:58:04 News 4: Dying Light: The Beast cancelled on last-gen consoles

1:06:34 News 5: Ryzen 7700X3D tested!

1:18:13 News 6: Nintendo reportedly considering Switch 2 OLED

1:28:22 Retrospective: Nintendo Switch 1 specs reveal

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The fallout from the Xbox Reset continues as more questions are raised: does Xbox's recent pivots change the plan for Project Helix? Will it still allow other PC stores to run on it? Will it have a disc drive? Meanwhile, other questions are asked: will cancelling PlayStation Plus make Sony rethink its physical media cancellation? What about the "code in the box" GTA 6? And is Nintendo the last platform holder that not to lay-off its developers and antagonise its audience?

00:00 Introduction

01:06 Supporter Q1: If Microsoft makes so much money as a platform holder, why will Project Helix let you play Steam games?

14:41 Supporter Q2: Could Project Helix have an optional disc drive?

19:46 Supporter Q3: Could players sway Sony’s mind on PS5 discs by cancelling PlayStation Plus?

26:09 Supporter Q4: What’s the worst thing Nintendo has ever done?

34:20 Supporter Q5: Should we buy GTA 6 in physical form to prove a point to Sony and Take-Two?

37:17 Supporter Q6: What PS3 game should get the Black Flag Resynced treatment?

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In the wake of the outcry against the decimation of id Software, Microsoft and seemingly id itself try to downplay the damage and reassure the audience - but what do we think of this - and indeed John Carmack's statements on the issue? Meanwhile Oliver has some bad news about Call of Duty Black Ops on PS5 or rather, the "Just There" edition as Rich dubs it. Beyond that, the petition against the end of PS5 physical media crosses the 250,000 threshold and there's further evidence that RTX 50 Series Super is happening. Finally, after wading through a bunch of bad news, the team find something to celebrate as we hit the five year anniversary of the Steam Deck reveal.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:32 News 1: Doom: The Dark Ages DLC arrives, while id layoffs linger

0:35:23 News 2: “Don’t kill the disc” petition crosses 250,000 signatures

0:55:07 News 3: Black Ops 1 & 2 launch on PS4, PS5

1:02:53 News 4: PSU maker drops RTX 50 Super series info

1:13:18 Retrospective: 5 years of Steam Deck

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One part necessary re-organisation, one part liberation for key developers, one part vandalism of Xbox studios, it's a mixture of disbelief and anger from the DF panel as the full extent of Xbox's so-called "reset" becomes clear. If Asha Sharma's report on the business is on the level, clearly something had to be done - but as the scale of the lay-offs and the astonishing cuts to id Software become clear, are spreadsheets now more important to Microsoft than its audience?

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:51 Supporter Q1: Why is Microsoft laying off 3200 people?

0:28:39 Supporter Q2: Will Sony be forced to be more flexible with their digital storefront, now that physical discs are on the way out?

0:45:04 Supporter Q3: Should Microsoft and Sony just call their next-gen consoles off?

0:54:48 Supporter Q4: Could the PS6 SoC be revised?

1:00:19 Supporter Q5: Could you use PCIe expansion to attach graphics expansion tech to current consoles?

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Sony announces the end of PlayStation game discs via a three paragraph blog post - bringing to an end the era of physical media and actually owning the games you buy, along with the right to resell them, share them and preserve them. A sombre panel assesses the full implications of Sony's decision, why it's doing it, the damage it'll cause and how the PlayStation Store needs a major revamp to take the place of physical media. Also: Sony shuts down the PS3 and Vita stores, Xbox may have alternative plans for potentially phasing out discs and a new Switch 2 LCD panel will hopefully address the problems of the current one.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:00:52 News 1: Sony planning to cease manufacturing new PlayStation games

0:43:32 News 2: Sony pulling PS3, Vita digital stores

0:54:47 News 3: Xbox disc to digital program reportedly planned

1:01:55 News 4: New Switch 2 display reportedly enters the fray

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In the wake of Steam Machine pricing and sharp Xbox MSRP increases, are we looking at the prospect of a $1000 next-gen console? John, Rich and Oliver discuss. Meanwhile, in the current climate, how can you save money on gaming hardware? Is GTA 6 in danger of being the most over-hyped game ever? And if time travel were available, how could the current Xbox crisis have been averted?

00:00 Introduction

00:51 News 1: How does the gaming industry survive recent hardware price bumps?

24:54 News 2: What’s your advice for saving money on gaming hardware?

33:44 News 3: How is John feeling after the GTA 6 code-in-a-box fiasco?

42:11 News 4: Is GTA 6 the most overhyped game ever?

46:57 News 5: If you could time travel, how would you fix Xbox?

55:28 News 6: What’s the future of the Steam Machine?

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