Digital Foundry is a leading authority on gaming technology and performance, and in this regular podcast, the team sits down to discuss the latest news and take...
DF Direct Weekly #198: Doom The Dark Ages Reaction, Xbox Developer_Direct, RTX 5090 Reaction!
As we close in on the 200th edition of DF Direct Weekly - where we currently have no special plans whatsoever - Alex, Oliver and Rich discuss Microsoft's brilliant Xbox Developer_underscore_Direct, and get highly excited about Doom: The Dark Ages, before moving on to discuss the reaction to the RTX 5090 reviews, the problems of GPU reviewing, Sony's baffling live services strategy - and the mysterious delay of AMD's RDNA 4 cards.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:56 News 1: Developer Direct 2025 - Doom: The Dark Ages
0:17:36 Ninja Gaiden 4
0:22:54 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
0:27:55 South of Midnight
0:32:38 News 2: RTX 5090 review reaction
1:14:39 News 3: Radeon 9070 cards arriving in March
1:27:53 News 4: Sony cancels Bluepoint and Bend Studios live service games
1:36:27 Supporter Q1: Could the Switch 2 pack unanticipated custom hardware?
1:42:18 Supporter Q2: Will GTA 6 cost $100 US?
1:48:11 Supporter Q3: Should the PS5 Pro be supported with new games for longer than the PS5?
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2:04:49
DF Direct Weekly #197 - Nintendo Switch 2 Reaction - New Hardware, Mario Kart 9, Back Compat + More!
Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been revealed in a somewhat detail-light two minute presentation, showcasing renders of the new hardware, some details on backwards compatibility and a teaser for what may well be Mario Kart 9. John, Rich and Oliver sit down after the reveal and discuss the reveal - along with some intriguing leaks about the clock speeds of the main processor.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:12 Switch 2 hardware
0:16:42 New Mario Kart analysis
0:28:32 Only partial backwards compatibility?
0:36:44 Rumoured Switch 2 clockspeeds
0:47:52 Supporter Q1: Can Switch 2 use transformer model DLSS?
0:50:32 Supporter Q2: Can DLSS salvage Switch 2’s output on 4K screens?
0:52:19 Supporter Q3: Will Nintendo release performance patches for Switch 1 games on Switch 2?
0:58:21 Final Switch 2 thoughts and impressions
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1:05:53
DF Direct Special: Inside Nvidia RTX 50-Series: Tech Deep Dive, AI, Features, Specs + More
The embargo has lifted on the Editor's Day material Nvidia shared with the press during CES 2025. In this DF Direct Special, Oliver and Alex share their thoughts on the architectural improvements to the RTX 50-series cards, the laptops, the new AI features, DLSS 4, price and projected performance.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:08 Blackwell architecture: Blackwell SM design
0:03:39 Updated Tensor Core and RT Core
0:09:37 AI Management Processor and Max Q power management
0:15:13 Display Engine and video encode/decode
0:18:32 Hardware specs: RTX 5080 and 5090
0:29:16 RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti
0:34:23 RTX 50 Series laptops
0:40:14 RTX Software: Neural Shaders
0:44:24 SER 2.0
0:47:06 RTX Mega Geometry
0:50:15 RTX Hair
0:53:13 Neural Radiance Cache
0:55:58 RTX Skin
0:58:01 DLSS 4: Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, Frame Generation
1:06:18 Generative AI demos
1:10:03 Wrap up discussion: RTX 50 series price and performance
1:17:36 Nvidia’s software package and features
1:22:38 How should we review graphics hardware?
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1:30:05
DF Direct Weekly #196 - CES 2025 Special! - Nvidia, AMD, Intel Highlights - DLSS 4 + More!
Yes, it's true - not only do Oliver and Alex have full torsos and legs but they have now actually met in person at CES 2025! The duo discuss their reactions to the Nvidia keynote and the RTX demos that excited them the most before moving on sharing further impressions on their AMD, Intel, Asus and Razer visits. Also, the pair's critical eyes land upon the latest generation of displays showcased at the show.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:47 Nvidia CES demos - RTX Mega Geometry
0:14:25 RTX Neural Materials
0:21:24 RTX Neural Faces and RTX Hair
0:31:37 ReStir Path Tracing + Mega Geometry
0:36:49 Black State with DLSS 4
0:42:47 Alan Wake 2 with DLSS 4
0:46:01 Reflex 2 in The Finals
0:53:22 AMD at CES: AI denoiser demo, Lenovo Legion Go handhelds
1:03:51 Razer at CES: Laptop Cooling Pad, new Razer Blade
1:11:30 Asus and Intel at CES
1:17:29 CES displays: Mini-LED, Micro-LED, OLED + monitor sins!
1:30:07 Supporter Q1: Will Switch 2 support DLSS 4?
1:32:22 Supporter Q2: Did you see the Switch 2 mockups at CES?
1:33:56 Supporter Q3: Could you test DLSS against an ultra high-res “ground truth” image?
1:37:52 Supporter Q4: Why would a developer use Nvidia-developed rendering techniques over their UE5 equivalents?
1:40:38 Supporter Q5: Will multi frame gen solve game stutters?
1:42:05 Supporter Q6: Will multi frame gen make VRR obsolete?
1:44:27 Supporter Q7: Is Sony regretting sticking with AMD for their console business?
1:49:49 Supporter Q8: What do you think of the FF7 Rebirth PC specs?
1:52:37 Supporter Q9: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen on the show floor at CES?
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2:00:15
DF Direct Weekly #195: Switch 2 Motherboard Leak, Nintendo Upscaling Patent, HQ GTA6 Trailer!
DF Direct returns in the year of our lord, 2025! Rich and Oliver mull over the leaked imagery of the Nintendo Switch 2 motherboard. Is the SoC on a sub-standard Samsung process? Does it really matter? Can we expect PS4 Pro levels of performance? (Spoilers: no). Meanwhile, a higher quality version of GTA 6 Trailer 1 reveals new details, and Game Science has issues with console optimisations on Xbox Series S - so is this why Black Myth: Wukong isn't on Microsoft's consoles? Finally, Rich wonders why the staff keep referring to the year of our lord - and Oliver's getting rather excited about the latest breakthroughs in AI technology.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:50 News 1: Switch 2 motherboard leaks - with possible 8nm SoC!
0:27:47 News 2: Nintendo patent hints at Switch 2 upscaling
0:43:45 News 3: High quality GTA 6 trailer reveals new details
0:55:35 News 4: Wukong developer says Series S holding back Xbox port
1:07:41 News 5: AI update: new GPTs, game tech
1:19:38 Supporter Q1: Does it make sense to pair an AMD CPU with an Intel GPU for a budget build?
1:26:02 Supporter Q2: Will Sony ship games like Marvel’s Spider-Man on Switch 2?
1:31:23 Supporter Q3: Are you saving some performance-challenged Switch games for Switch 2?
1:35:26 Supporter Q4: Is this the most exciting Q1 in gaming history?
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Digital Foundry is a leading authority on gaming technology and performance, and in this regular podcast, the team sits down to discuss the latest news and take questions from the audience.
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