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Call For Questions For DF Direct Weekly #227 (Patreon)

Published:
2025-08-14 11:08:00
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hi there and welcome to the latest Call For Questions for DF Direct Weekly. Lots of stuff going on in the background here - we're finalising who we're working with on the commercial side to reboot the business/sponsorships/ads side of Digital Foundry, while our friends at Gamer Network have been great in figuring out the final reckoning on finances up to and including the day of departure from IGN. The spreadsheet is pretty complex but the "to do" list is getting much shorter. Everything is positive, constructive and helpful so a potentially tricky period is transitioning nicely.

But let's talk DF Direct Weekly #227 eh? It'll be myself, Tom Morgan (yes!) and one of Oliver and John on the panel and we're going to be talking about Drag x Drive on Switch 2, a potential Tekken 8 port for the Nintendo hybrid, another absolutely nuts Strix Halo portabnle project and the sheer hilarity of a laptop RTX 4090 "hand"held. We'll be pouring out a glass for the Ryzen 7 5700X3D going "end of life" and discussing the OEM-only Radeon RX 9060.

But here's where you can involved in the show: suggest topics for inclusion in the show and shower us with your questions for Supporter Q+A. News is a bit light this week, so hopefully we'll have more time for your questions!

Files

Comments

Spodlude

Richard, I recently saw an old magazine snip of yours saying you're an Essex boy like me. Does our county have any other notable games industry alumni or noteworthy companies that you're aware of?

Jhonathan Campos

Hey, team! Would you consider analyzing more deeply the sound aspect in games? I’m surprised that, more than a decade after bluray debut, it is still rare to have high definition audio in games. I understand the media limitations of the past, but now there are no excuses, could be even an optional download. I live in Germany and I rent 4k discs just to have the extra bitrate and it does make a strong difference. We should push the market forward this extra sound quality in games, not only in terms of bitrates, but also better use of surround channels and bass. It’s a 60/80 euros tech investment!

Dissecta

Following Independence have any of you cosplayed as Mel Gibson in Braveheart and run around screaming freedom at innocent passers by?

Spodlude

Hello Gents, wishing you a safe and pleasant trip to gamescom in the week ahead. I'm intrigued by what you're each hoping to see more of in terms of either the technologies used in games, genres of titles or big business strategies that may be announced or eluded to at this event. Thanks, and enjoy the hamburgers.

[PLACEHOLDER]

[Placeholder: Outrageously British Greeting], love the long form deep dives and interviews, hope your newfound independence means a lot more of that is coming. Any chance we could get an in-depth compare/contrast on the modern graphics engines used today?

Joey

Gents, new subscriber here and fellow content man - kudos on the independence! Wondering if - given the (sudden?) proliferation of well spec’d “cheap” panels like TCL etc for the semi-serious home gamer - you’ve given any thought to an episode discussing some of the must-have tech specs for panels in different price ranges, trade offs etc. This is my first Patreon sub, and I couldn’t be happier to support what you guys are doing. Take care!

wildwildwesty

With the 5700x3d and my beloved 5800x3d reaching end-of-life in the past year, how much further will these CPU behemoths endure and what will be their legacy?

Aron Mayo

Hey friends! I’m keen to hear about how the DF team accounts for late-game content when analyzing performance and visuals. Since many games get visually and functionally much “busier” towards later stages (the wild Elephant Bananza unlocking much later in DK comes to mind) it’d obviously be great to test that content, but progressing to the later stages of games must increase production time dramatically. So how do you manage that time strain?

Question Generated By JensenGPT

Both the PS5 Pro and PC versions of Spider-Man 2 can enable ray tracing that's more advanced than the base PS5 version. However, it seems like both sets of "advanced" ray tracing features were developed independently - PC can offer higher-quality RT geometry, which isn't offered on PS5 Pro. Both offer higher RT reflection resolution. Both offer RTAO however the scaling is different between both versions, and the PC version requires RTAO to be on for ray-traced building interior quality to be increased while PS5 Pro doesn't require this. PC has ray traced shadows, which PS5 Pro doesn't have, but PS5 Pro has ray traced key light shadows which PC doesn't have. When PS5 Pro was first announced, I expected PC RT features to occasionally be back-ported and used in PS5 Pro patches / versions, but completely separately-developed "advanced" ray tracing for PS5 Pro was not on my bingo card. Are there any other examples of games with PS5 Pro patches that do this? Why do you suppose the PS5 Pro and PC versions of Spider-Man 2 had their advanced ray tracing features separately developed like this? I understand stuff like higher RT geometry not being offered on PS5 Pro, but why aren't RT key light shadows on PC, and why is the scaling totally different?

Lux

Hello DF crew, There has been a lot of talk about Xbox being able to implement backwards compatibility and what not on the future windows Xbox like version. But what I haven't seen talked at all is if they will be able to implement what is for me one of the best features of this generation, Quick Resume. I mostly play on PC and miss this feature a lot. Is this even plausible? Cheers

Ian

Howdy DF crew! With the dramatic resurgence in handheld gaming in the last few years and decline in TV ownership especially amongst the younger generation do you think that ‘mobile and portable’ gaming will take over in the next two decades as the principle way for the masses to enjoy console gaming?

Series Xistential Crisis

Whats up fully independent DF crew!!?? Congratulations!! Been following you guys for many years; well before the DF Direct started. Long time gamer, cut my teeth on Intellivision then Rich’s favorite, the Sega Master System. I suspect I’m closer in age to Rich than the rest of you whipper snappers. Over the years we’ve seen some major advancements in visual fidelity but that has seemed to slow as of late. No more jumps like PS1 to PS2 etc. You’ve addressed the reasons for this a number of times. Recently you have started talking about the next generation of graphics and what to expect or what will be possible. However, something that I’d love to hear about is how games can advance as far as depth and complexity. What is possible as far as a players interraction with and effect on the world? There is a place for them, especially if they have great mechanics, but I’m not always a fan of games that are a mile wide but an inch deep. (Assassins Creed etc). Other games like Cyberpunk, The Witcher, Bethesda games do a pretty good job of this and I hope developers keep pushing the boundries on this aspect. How do you think the next generation(s) can expand on this? Will the old promises of Peter Molyneux ever come to be? Thanks and looking forward to many more years of DF.

Wotans Cry

Iam disappointed about the non support for gyro aim on PS5/Pro . It realy comes close to mouse aim and if the servers are anyway crossplattform (so you play with controller vs mouse all the time) they could have supported the gyro aim on Sony machines.. Probably because the fake "for gamers company" Microsoft that could not give a flying f*ck about their playerbase by releasing their controller with the bare minimum functionality, sonys machines had to be gimped as well here. So stupid .

TheAdam

Hello DF Crew! How can the new and rumored Xbox models make customers curious? Why should I switch to a PC-like model with AMD architecture when I can just use PC builds with NVIDIA technology? AMD isn't just going to magically pull some competitive tech out of a hat to compete, are they? Also, the backward compatibility argument doesn't hold up anymore in the age of Game(s) Pass, does it? Who is going to buy these machines? Congrats to your freedom.

CaptainNooble

Dear amazing men at the forefront of games journalism whom reside at the foundries where all kinds of digital goodness is forged. First of all congratulations on your independence and this caused me to join Patreon to support all of you as your content provides countless hours of fun. Which games would you personally like to see ported to the Nintendo Switch 2? I personally keep my hopes up for a port from Capcom's Resident Evil series, especially the latest remakes with hopefully 60fps and DLSS. Since Resident Evil 4 runs well on my Steamdeck I'm hopeful this can be achieved. I pressume once more Switch 2 Dev Kits get into the hands of developers we will see more ports in the future. Thank you and Best Regards, CaptainNooble

Full House's John SteamOS

John hinted at it last week, and it's been mentioned before: are you going to expand into more podcasts? They're relatively low effort for more #content. Might I suggest a monthly podcast with Tom, Ollie and John discussing Nintendo-related topics?

Tim Rodie

Hello Gentlemen of the flops. I’m an old man and as such I have fond memories of big-box games and equally big manuals packed with lore and second-world-war fighter tactics. What was your favourite big box game experience and why?

DrNro10

Hello DF friends, with Gamescon just a few days away, are there any games you are looking forward to trying? Is there any tech you would like to take a closer look at? Thanks and greetings from Japan, although I'm Venezuelan.

Derp Derpington

G’day from Australia! As we approach the 5 year anniversary of PS5, what is the DF verdict on the Tempest Engine, Sony’s attempt at audio innovation this generation. Are there particular use cases of 3D audio that have impressed the team, and what (if any) improvements in audio would you like to see in next-gen consoles?

Jonathan Hamilton

Rich and Tom: What are your opinions of the diversity of English accents portrayed in recent years in high-profile titles like Elden Ring and Final Fantasy XVI?

RagingWhisky

What are your thoughts on the new age of mini-pc's with gaming grunt? With the release of strix-halo, the onboard power of AMD SoC/APU grunt and ASUS promoting their new "ROG NUC (2025)", the ability is there for small footprint, power-socket-friendly 'PC's' to fit the majority uses cases AND have legitimate gaming potential. Be curious on how this also might be brought into any testing methods going forward if greater end-users use these types of platforms, might we see a Framework Desktop be up on the performance charts alongside the 5090's and console comparisons?

SuperGario

Good morning DF! I'm personally really looking forward to seeing the direction of retro content and recently subscribed to help support it's growth, I'm also keen to see your storefront increase. I love my DF Fighters Mouse Pad and can imagine a 'Rich' future of items and collabs. My first suggestion would be adding a DF engraved multi tool. The 'John - Leatherman' would have pride of place on my tool belt. What merch ideas are you all exited about? and any insight into the type of things we could see?

Tdot’s Finest82

Hello DF crew! I’ve always been curious, does the team have much time to play video games for “fun”? After a full day of playing games for work, do you look forward to playing games in your free time? Or are you over games at that point? Given the nature of the channel, we don’t often hear about the DF team members thoughts on the games themselves, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t play these games for your enjoyment after all the testing is completed.

The Phantomnaut

With now owning DF as a whole, what will happen to the legacy of articles that are on Eurogamer? While a lot of us are looking at DF’s present and future, the many faceoffs and analysis’s throughout the past generations shouldn’t be forgotten; or worse deleted.

AfreemTheDream

Greetings, Foundrymen! If ASUS wanted to do sponsored content with DF, but the caveat was that Rich could no longer pronounce it ROG, would you accept or tell ASUS to go kick rocks?

MGsubbie

How much "kandijsiroop" have you used up yet, Tom? When would you need more?

Recoincidence

Congrats on your independence! Many players of the Battlefied 6 beta on PC, myself included, have had problems with extremely juddery mouse movement, which is completely absent when switching to a controller. Will DF be able to test/investigate this and feedback to Dice/EA? It's a complete blocker from me being able to play the game as it causes unstable image/screen breakup when moving the mouse to look around. (FYI, there are numerous reports on the BF and BF6 subreddits, EA forums, and Steam discussions about the issue).

MGsubbie

I completely forgot that there would be more presets to be added, where were they? And I'm disappointed it's still not supported for 5.1 setups yet either.

NixonLives

My question is: will gaming ever move away from the 'building the camera while filming' model that it's been in since, well, time immemorial? With most studios moving to UE5, could game devs focus more on the creative aspects vs constant technical iterations that take years to sort? Cheers on your independence!

Anxiously Chrono Triggered

Hi DF crew! How familiar are you with the CRT Beam Simulator project that can already be used on 120hz+ displays and apparently reduces a lot of blur. I know John likes the black frame insertion and this seems like the next step. Especially when 120hz OLED handhelds become more common and cheaper. Cheers!

BespokeEP

Yes indeed!!! Proclaimed Tom... Yes indeed

Anxiously Chrono Triggered

Hello gentlemen, not a question but just a quick piece of feedback. I wanted to say I appreciate how good your Discord channel is. A vast majority of people treat each other with respect and you rarely find examples of hateful comments. So if anyone consider supporting DF - you get access to a great place on Internet :)

BespokeEP

Rich answered this in the special about going independent the other week. All the articles will be given to DF, they just need to build a website to store them

Lux

Hello independent digital founders! 2 weeks ago or so you brought up the discussion of the 3rd party docks on switch and discussed if it was unfair for Nintendo to make them unusable through updates. A month ago when I was playing Death Stranding 2 I was pretty annoyed for the non-existent battery life of the ps5 controller and started researching if there was any alternative to have more than 4 hours of battery life. With this is that I discovered that the only non 200+ $ alternatives to the ps5 controller were bricked by Sony through updates long time ago. To add to this of the few 200$ dolar alternatives (that have to be licensed by Sony) they are not allowed to have adaptative triggers/premium vibration and there is only one single option where the battery lasts more than 10 hours. What's your opinion on this? Cheers!

captain trips

One for Rich - as part of the DF independence you have ownership of all DF articles (I think this was nearly 20 years worth!). Before that you were involved in games journalism during the golden era of the 90s. Not many people have been involved in the industry for this long, and been able to maintain relevance and success. Looking backwards is perhaps not something you like to do, but is there not a book or something to be mined from all this wonderful experience? :)

Anxiously Chrono Triggered

Hey DF crew, what are your expectations for the upcoming GamesCom? Have you got any exciting meetings planned that you can talk about? Cheers!

Jeremy

Any interest in some crossover content? I think it would be neat for you guys to do a collaboration video with another big tech tuber. Maybe like a visit to LTT headquarters vlog. Something a little different that shows the team outside your normal office views.

Dude Man McBrosef

Hello! First time supporter and question asker! What do you guys think about the new ARM upscaler? I think it looks pretty neat, and more competition is a good thing.

BespokeEP

I wonder if using multiple channels for what is essentially a simulated 3D audio experience, just gives way too varying of a result. It's likely far easier to control where the sound comes from from one speaker. Cause the PlayStation has no way of knowing where you placed your satalite speakers. If they are still working on it, it's likely going to be a PS6 feature, but I agree, it would be nice if they at least commented on its status

Game World Art

Yes! Finally I've found someone who shares my annoyance with the lack of gyro aim on PS5! Its a game-changer when implemented correctly and yet most people pooh-pooh it. Usually turns out those people dont actually understand how it's implementation can mimic mouse-like fluid analog control.

Karvox

How's it going DF Crew? I wanted to ask for the panel's thoughts on colour accuracy in games, and if they have any suggestions on how to remain as close to developer intent as possible. After years of my displays being tuned to being overly 'cool' I've been trying to get closer to creative intent for my media sources. I feel HDR games still struggle though. I'm curious if this is just a personal preference thing on my end, or if HDR games are not hitting any particular standard for their colour temperature.

Snorlax cat

Meow founders! I find myself looking at the TV a lot while my owner plays video games -it makes myself annoyed but the games are mysterious and important-, for some reason my owner noticed that I am more attracted to play with the screen when I see old style graphics like banjo-kazooie. I wonder if your pets are attracted to any particular graphics on screen and why would you think that is the case? My owner who steals my name on the discord server, thinks it is because rare was so into the CGI 90's silicon graphics look that I think that banjo is an actual prey for me.

André Dias

Hey Bros ! So far whats the most impressive graphics on this generation for each one of you ? IMO is hellblade 2 and Cyberpunk path traced. Cheers from Brazil !

FrametimeSommelier

Hi DF Crew, it looks like the Apple A17 Pro chip (powering the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max) is rumored to be making its way into the next Apple TV box. As Oliver demonstrated in some past videos, this chip can handle several AAA titles like Resident Evil Village and Assassin's Creed Mirage, even so with some caveats. But pairing that A17 powered TV box with a wireless controller could make it a compelling entry-level console alternative for some people. Given the improved thermal over a smartphone form factor, we might even see better sustained performance. Do you think this might signal a serious push from Apple into the AAA gaming space?

Sean Deehan

Hello Digital Foundry! About Switch 2 game updates; compared with the launch of the PS4 Pro, PS5, and PS5 pro, I feel as though the rate at which updates for Original Switch games have been announced and released has been pretty slow. Do you think there is a lack of interest in updating Switch 1 games from developers or that Nintendo is somehow limiting the cadence of these releases?

Nathaniel Myers

Yo! Last year, I started a YouTube channel (John's DF Retro content was a particular inspiration!), and have had a great time with it. However, I have really struggled to maintain motivation and productivity as my psychological/emotional state fluctuates with life, and was wondering if you guys have any tips on maintaining productivity and good mental health, with what is an incredibly solitary endeavour? I try to maintain a professional attitude, and prioritise getting the work done - rather than spend a million hours crafting a masterpiece, etc. But when I'm not feeling particularly good, I struggle to even see the stories to tell, whereas when I'm feeling good, they seem to appear in a limitless quantity. I have always admired the productivity and output of the Digital Foundry YouTube channel, and since starting my channel, this admiration has only increased. I have so much passion for the story telling, I finding the stories to tell, writing the script, editing the video, creating the music - all of it. And if you have any tips for keeping myself on track and productive, even when I'm not in that mystical state of infinite creative energy, I would really appreciate you sharing them! Thank you x one million PS My channel is called 'The Nat Cave', if you're interested to check any of the videos out for context. https://www.youtube.com/@TheNatCav3

Roomkaasje

Greetings DF crew, in the most recent Expedition 33 update they mention 'We are still exploring support for FSR, but we need more time to work on it'. I am very curious, what could they possibly still be investigating at this point for FSR implementation? Is there a secret sacrifice ritual needed in order to unravel the forbidden magic that is FSR?

Hansen

Dearest gents! Looking at all the „handhelds“ being announced (e.g. strix halo projects), what do you think might be the impact for a steam deck 2? Having nothing to report on that front by valve or anybody else, I would be interested in your thoughts on a „current estimation/state of hardware Valve / steam deck 2“. Cheers!

Mab7373822

Hi fellas, As of August 2025 it is thirty years since the first Command and Conquer game released. Do you have any fond memories to share about this series, in a tech context or just in terms of gaming fun? (Side note - I became a life long fan of C&C after reading a glowing review in the Official Sega Saturn magazine, which led to me dipping my toe into a genre that I never thought I'd like but it turned out I loved. The enthusiasm of that legendary magazine permanently changed me as a gamer and opened up my tastes, thanks Rich.)

DudleyTheGentleman

Hi DF gang, what are your thoughts on GSC Game World doing a major engine transition nearly 1 year into the life of Stalker 2 (UE 5.1 to UE 5.5.4)? Can you think of other examples where this has happened for a game, outside of Fortnite? Lastly, Hardware Lumen when?

Jiden

Good day, DF Crew, The stakes for a video game being considered "successful" nowadays seems higher than ever. 5+ year development schedules, teams that employ hundreds of people across multiple countries, millions of dollars in development costs, and competition with other games for eyeballs, especially multiplayer centric games. Is there a way you can foresee, in the year of our lord 2025, how you could feasibly dial back some of those liabilities to where a game doesn't need to sell millions and millions of copies, else it's doomed to be a "failure". Part of the joy of growing up as a gamer in the 90s and 2000s was developers being able to take chances on some wild concepts and new IPs via smaller teams and short development times, something that is very rare today. Now, new concepts or IPs feels like a developer is unfortunately playing roulette with its future. Thank you for your thoughts and congrats again on not going quietly into the night.

Skyrimfest 26 FPS Edition

Why do you think Donkey Kong Bananza wasn't a Mario game and do you think it would have been more successful if it was? Reworking it as 'Miner Mario' or similar isn't a massive stretch and would have given Switch 2 an original Mario platformer right out of the gate. If Donkey Kong is more beloved in Japan it could even have stayed a DK game there and been the 2025 Doki Doki Panic!

Peter

Good day DF chaps, I hope the week has been treating you well. A question more for John here. I am in the final stages of completing a home office/gaming room and am looking to acquire some older, retro consoles. Is there a particular CRT TV you can recommend or any advice/watch outs when in the market for one? Thanks in advance and have a lovely week all

Mab7373822

Ra is brilliant! The games themselves remain so accessible in an age where things can feel overly complicated sometimes! My first memory was completing the first game on the Sega Saturn with the control pad. It shouldn't have worked but it really did, I was just a kid playing a genre I'd never approached before but somehow that Saturn port made it work. Plus it had a cheat for laser Orcas which was ridiculously fun! My favourite was Red Alert 2 with the Yuri's Revenge expansion. I think it's a perfect game, impeccably balanced, and probably the most fun I've ever had in the genre. Lan parties with that game were just brilliant. The French Grand Cannon was the most comically overpowered structure I've ever used in a RTS, and I used it a lot! I've loved almost all of them though, such a brilliant franchise, such a backbone of PC gaming in particular - wish it was still going and wish it was more opened up to console audiences.

Skyrimfest 26 FPS Edition

In terms of physical design do we already have the template for the PlayStation handheld in the form of DF's beloved PS Portal? The Portal's form factor is great: the 8 inch screen and proper Dual Sense controls are really good and it could stand being a bit thicker without making it particularly bulky. Or do you think Sony will get wacky again and go for something off the wall. Perhaps adding things like the Vita's rear touch pad?

Having an AI-neurysm

Hi gents, happy 1st weekiversary of independence During your recent visit to Ninja Theory, did they explain why they decided to stick to an older version of Unreal and back-port features rather than migrating to a newer version? Additionally, did they consider utilising hardware lumen at all, even if only just as an option for PC users?

FrametimeSommelier

With John on the panel I would like to follow up last weeks DF Direct Special and Retro DF discussion. I wanted to share a nostalgic request. I'd love to see you revisit the golden era of computer gaming from the late '80s to the early '90s. That is when I first got into gaming, and i have such fond memories of reading magazine reviews that compared titles across platforms like the C64, Amiga, Atari ST, and early PCs. I had an Amiga myself, as did many of my friends, though some kids were gaming on their dad's 386 or 486 machines. The differences in graphics and sound between platforms were striking, and a Retro DF deep dive into those cross-platform comparisons would be both entertaining and meaningful, especially for those of us who lived through it. Retro DF feels kinda console gaming heavy.

tonton

Hi chipset folks, congratulations on your independence ! Is Sony trying at all to sell its proprietary engines like the naughty dog engine or decima to third-party developers? Having had a very good experience with death stranding 2, it bothers me a bit that it's an exception when I have so many future appointments with UE5 and its recurring problems. Have a good one 🫶

Carl Thomas

Folks, anyone else reckon GTA 6 on PC having an indeterminate release date is because they need to build the DRM rather than anything to do with the actual game?

Crashpad

Hey DF Crew with the Xbox release of helldiver's 2 right around the corner we'll do you guys expect the game to run on Xbox consoles considering it's basically Sonys first foray into porting 1st party titles to Xbox

Darryl Stewart

Hi team, Is there a credible scenario in which the profitability of making GPUs for the AI market become so overwhelmingly favourable that there is no commercial incentive for Nvidia or AMD to produce any gaming GPUs at any level (not even APUs for consoles)?

Marcus

Hello foundrymen! You are now lead Nvidia and AMD. Your task is to allocate VRAM to each product. How would you allocate VRAM and are there some products you would outright cut? Where do you draw the line for where 8 GB is acceptable?

Adam Ford

Good day, I am thinking about purchasing a 600hz Zowie XL2586X+ to increase my scores in counterstrike 2. I currently play on a 240hz 4k Gigabyte oled, and I notice quite a bit of sample and hold blur. Does this phenomenon happen as well with these new high refresh rate TN panels?

Jordan + Cinewhirl

Hi folks. What happened to cheat codes! Did online and achievements really just kill them, or is there a reason developers don't want to include them anymore? Where are my big head modes!

Jagster

Now that you gents are fully independent, what are some collaborations with other channels, creators, etc. you are excited to hopefully get off the ground at some point that would have previously either been impossible or maybe disallowed by the powers that be?

SuperWizardRobot

Hello Gentlemen! Now that you're fully independent ( congrats! ), will you be spicing up the variety of topics? Perhaps less Unreal coverage and more indie games or tech showcases. Seeing DF cover events like SIGGRAPH or speak to programmers like Casey Muratori or Cem Yuksel could be very interesting. This is where all the "tech of tomorrow" comes from. Love you guys! Keep up the great work :]

BespokeEP

DF the concert!!! DF3 DF East DF West DF Joy DF Game Show DF Games Week The DFTA's The DF Awards ...

James

Battlefield 6 on PC seems to require TPM and secure boot enabled. As we see consoles move to be more 'PC-like', are we seeing changes like this that could make the PC space become more 'console-like' i.e. less customisable for the end user who owns the hardware if microsoft start barring some programmes via TPM?

Alan

Hi Chaps, With all this recent talk about PS6 and neXtBOX has Gen9 been a disappointment? It feels like it's ending too soon, there's been no standout games at all, everything just seems to feel like enhanced Gen8, when do you think they will release? Sony surely cannot be in any rush because who on earth will be buying a Gen9 Xbox?

Patrick Young

Ahoy! Do you guys reckon it might be possible for a future PlayStation console or PC to emulate PS3 games by utilising the Tensor/RT cores in a modern GPU to simulate the Cell’s SPUs? Thanks! Cheers.

Frederik Work

Hi DF crew, Long time listener, first time subscriber. With the Xbox Series X supply dwindling to nothing in Scandinavia I have been considering getting one before it disappears from shelves. It would however, primarily be used for back-compat 360 and Xbox One games, which made me wonder if a used Xbox One X would be a better option due to its smaller footprint and more console like appearance in 2025 as compared to the Series X behemoth? So what are your thoughts? Is the improvements to load times from the SSD, FPS boost and future proofing of the series X worth it? Or is the One X the hero I deserve rather than the hero I need? Cheers!

DaJaCo (Dan)

Happy Half-Fortnight LADS! I know it might seem like a dry news week this week, but everyone seems to have missed a monumental development. The lady that promised the "largest technical leap ever in a generation" has joined the board of directors at none other than Tyson Foods! I for one am fascinated to see what transferrable skills this could bring to Xbox. Will various food items become Xboxes? Is anyone on the DF team an Xbox? Now that you are all free and independent entities; what is stopping each of you from becoming Xboxes? "You are what you eat!"

DaJaCo (Dan)

Happy Half-Fortnight LADS! (2) With it looking like the PS6 will go all-in on RT performance, with the possibility of "10x PS5" (or more if AMD has convinced Sony to take a larger chiplet design) - How mainstream do you all think path-tracing will be next gen? With a competent hardware upscaler on ALL consoles, modest uplifts to raster and BIG uplifts to RT.. surely it will be "the generation of the path-traced remaster"; because path tracing on console will be much easier to optimise than on PC, and be a relatively easy way to bring new life to old titles.. Should we call it the "PT6" instead?

Pete Foley

Hi, DF Crew! Would you ever consider doing a video series focusing on explaining the various rendering techniques, technology and terminology etc? Kind of like "Graphics Technology for Dummies". From watching your videos for so many years I've picked up the basics, but the terminology used in your videos sometimes still goes right over my head. Thanks!

DaJaCo (Dan)

PSA - Will you lot be stalking down Stalker 2 at Gamescom to see what the update to UE 5.5.4 has delivered (not 5.4 as some reported), especially on PS5 Pro (if playable) .. should be interesting!

Dudeguy Shawsman

Long time listener, brand new subscriber! Congrats on going independent! I've had this question in my head for years - playing Horizon Forbidden West on the base PS5 back in the day required a choice - 40fps beauty and clarity or 60 fps fluidity with some loss of clarity. Because the game was soooo beautiful, I opted for the former, but I always wondered - would it be possible to have a toggle where the game would 'switch' to the 60fps mode upon entering a battle and then 'switch back' upon winning? In other words, could the game 'switch' output profiles quickly enough to be seamless? Love you guys! Thanks for all you do!!!

Someguyperson

Hey DF! I've noticed that some more independent media can have a bit of an adverserial relationship with the companies they cover, yet you guys seem to have carefully fostered good relationships with as many devs as you can. Do you see the future of DF leaning into this direction with more collaboration (including sponsored videos) and partnerships with developers? How do you balance that with potentially negative coverage of a product, like Nvidia low-end cards?

Someguyperson

It's great to see Tom on another Direct! I feel a story you guys should follow a bit more is the Monster Hunter Wilds one. It had pretty huge initial sales numbers, but PC sales have plumitred specifically because of poor performance (framerate & frame consistency). To me, it seems like the core issue is poor performance with 8 GB GPUs (as Rich has shown), but the devs said something about reducing CPU load because CPUs can have issues when running at full load? Do you get this issue or do you think the devs are barking up the wrong tree? Can you help get them on the right track? Thanks! CPU Usage Optimization (Steam Version) https://www.monsterhunter.com/wilds/en-us/topics/letter-2508/

Justin Valero

Hi Gents! Where do you think the ROG Ally Z1 extreme will land in terms of future support considering the Xbox Ally X reports modest Z2 performance upgrades and the vanilla Xbox Ally having a cut down (steam deck) SoC?

digitalfoundry

Neither IGN nor Reed Exbitions ever had any editorial control like that. Collaborations are welcome but often time consuming!

digitalfoundry

Yes we asked both questions. There are so many custom modifications that the project can't easily be moved from one iteration of UE5 to the next. In terms of hardware Lumen, the lighting is specifically built to support software Lumen and doesn't look right with HW Lumen, unless they went back in and invested a ton of time into correcting errors, optimising for the best results etc.

DaJaCo (Dan)

This is certainly possible, however I think most developers would regard it as too cumbersome and jarring a shift. It would also only work for 120hz refresh displays with HDMI 2.1, so if the whole game had its visuals optimised for a Battle / non-Battle frame rate shift, there would likely have to be an equivalent shift for 60hz panels.. so that would need to be 30fps switching to 60fps, which means it would be even more jarring for those (likely most) players. Its much better to have dynamic resolution and/or VRR as both of these are much less visually noticeable. Some games do have frame rate shifts when you go into the photo mode, the replay mode, the map, the "hub area", etc. but it tends to be in a totally self contained area. Another "horsepower shift" you sometimes see, is RT effects being turned on inside buildings, and then turned off as soon as the character goes outside into the open world.

DaJaCo (Dan)

Yeah, I'm surprised more don't do it purely for nostalgia reasons. I propose that you write an email to IO interactive making the suggestion for their upcoming 007 title (007 First Light).

DaJaCo (Dan)

I don't think they would ever allow such a total loss of market and mindshare.. however i could see production numbers being continually lower and lower..driving up prices and making them almost impossible to get hold of.. or gaming GPUs being pushed off of the most efficient nodes onto cheaper ones that are no longer competitive for A.I. gpus.

DaJaCo (Dan)

Or failing that, simply encourage more of their own studios to use Decima..

DaJaCo (Dan)

Have any of their customisations / optimisations made it into the UE5 engine proper? Should think its a fairly unique opportunity to do so..similar to the coalition's work, and now CDPR.. ?

DaJaCo (Dan)

Ergonomically it's great, but it doesnt really have the structural rigidity / drop resistance for a proper portable handheld. The screen section is too thin, they are quite vulnerable to being sat on if left on a sofa, and due to the large sides and thin centre, the screen can be bent too much / fail. So while I'd love to see similar dualsense ergonomics and features, I'd want a much stronger shell.. possibly cast magnesium or zinc alloy or similar, like the switch 2 uses for the main body.

DaJaCo (Dan)

Long term is was better to resurrect DK as a character, especially when pairing it with such a departure in the gameplay mechanics., it had been a very long time since there had been a proper DK platformer., 26 whole years since DK 64.. so it was Loooong overdue. There comes a point where not having a modern 3D DK game becomes negligence and poor use of the character's history, mindshare, social capital and nostalgia. Another mario game might have had better sales, but long term it would not have broadened their franchises, audience or appeal in the way that a fresher rebooted DK game has. I think they absolutely made the right decision, and its a shame that many companies are not brave enough to make similar moves.. with crazy new approaches to gameplay, resurrections of long dormant characters or franchises.. or brand new ones.

DaJaCo (Dan)

They should get hands on with it at gamescom in the next week or so. Very interesting - I'm hoping for a competent PS5 Pro version with the extra headroom and engine improvements.

DaJaCo (Dan)

Forbidden Sacrificial Ritual

DaJaCo (Dan)

Doesnt seem likely that the ARM one will "have legs" outside of smartphones.

DaJaCo (Dan)

They "have got an appointment" with Stalker 2, which should be interesting given the major engine upgrades its had..and even more interesting if its running on PS5 Pro.. (they replied to one of my questions near the top of the comments)

DaJaCo (Dan)

I think the front and back cover would need to be rusted iron covered in weld spatter (from the foundry) and each of them could read out chapters for the audible release.

captain trips

Haha sold! Take my money you cowards!

Will Dobbs

Hi chaps, something of a PC gaming newbie here! In relation to the recent EOL status for the R7 5700x3D, I actually purchased one about a month ago for my Bazzite HTPC paired with a RX 9070xt. Do you all think I can get a couple of years out of it before moving to an AM5 board/chipset, or did I make a very short-sighted investment? Keep up the amazing work and congrats on your independence! :)

FalconPunch

Hi DF, How would gaming on a Apple Silicon MacBook Air (or Pro with similar TDP) compare to Steam Deck performance when both are running the same game via translation layers? Senua's Saga would be a very interesting test!

Never Ready Eddie

OMG DF (John) NEEDS TO COMMENT ON THIS. Its a game changer! No need for 1000Hz displays to overcome sample and hold blur any more. No need to chase ultra high FPS if 120Hz gives you great input lag and now with the CRT Beam Simulator you can have the motion clarity of a CRT at lowish FPS. The latest development is the dev of Shader Glass is trying to implement it so it can be used for any game!

Yann Best

Hi DF! The past decade of portable consoles has been an arms-race of pixel counts and screen sizes, to the point that the term 'handheld' feels like it's been stretching the truth for the past few years. Do you think there could be a future in looking back design-wise, to a modern portable with a dinky screen and appropriate resolution (e.g. the Vita's 5 inch, 544p screen), or has the success of the hybrid console brought about the end of the truly handheld games machine?

FrametimeSommelier

Not too much difference between Z1E and Z2E. It’s not a crazy improvement. More like 15 to 25% depending on game. Good but nothing what will make the Z1E obsolete.

Michael Pearn

No question, just here to say farewell to Will. He will be missed!

DyeHardX86

If you go through the past videos they've explained most if not all the relevant terminology and graphics technology it would be cool to get one terminology video to rule them all though