Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

A new DF Direct arrives and with it, some remarkable news that failed to emerge from this year's GDC - namely that Codemasters has a demo of path tracing working on the PS5 Pro version of F1 25. How good is it? How fast is it? Alex clues us in. Meanwhile, the team discuss the AC Black Flag Resynced reveal, Tom looks at Mouse PI For Hire across several platforms and there's much excitement about the prospect of Panther Lake arriving in the handheld space.

0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:03 News 1: GDC talk: F1 25 path tracing implemented on PS5 Pro
0:20:22 News 2: LiberNovo Omni Chair [Sponsored]
0:33:15 News 3: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced revealed!
0:44:09 News 4: Game Pass Ultimate price slashed, Call of Duty access restricted
1:03:05 News 5: News 5: Mouse: P.I. For Hire tested!
1:18:11 News 6: Intel planning Panther Lake handheld reveal

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The latest Q+A show sees Rich, Oliver and Alex discussing a range of topics. If PSSR2 looks good at lower resolutions than the standard PS5 version, should developers focus on higher settings? There are plus and minus points. Should Nintendo add 120Hz and VRR support on Switch 2 when running Switch 1 software? Is an RTX 5080 good enough for path tracing? And should Sony's more affordable next-gen console actually live in the cloud?

00:00 Introduction01:18 News 1: Why do developers keep increasing internal resolutions in their PS5 Pro games with PSSR?08:57 News 2: Could Nintendo add 120Hz support or VRR for Switch 1 software on Switch 2?15:04 News 3: Should studios develop game engine specific upscalers like PICO?23:36 News 4: Can we solve uncapped frame-rates by capping the display to 30Hz? And why doesn’t Capcom cap their games?29:25 News 5: What will the rumoured Switch 2 Starfield port look like?35:23 News 6: Should I get an RTX 5080 for path traced games?40:36 News 7: Should Sony offer a PS6 Cloud Edition?

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The new Direct sees Alex, Rich and Oliver reacting to the reveal of Metro 2039 - and it looks like another technical showcase from the brilliant 4A Games. Nvidia denies wanting to acquire a big PC manufacturer, but it kinda of makes sense, so is it going to happen? The team share disbelief about the quality of tech QA on Starfield PS5's launch, before moving on to Asha Sharma's comments about Game(s) Pass being too expensive. There's a warm welcome for the return of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D - but how much will it cost? And finally, what happened when Pragmata on PS5 ran at 1440p on Rich's PS5 - but only 1080p on Oliver and Tom's consoles?

0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:13 News 1: Metro 2039 revealed!
0:15:50 News 2: Nvidia: we aren’t acquiring a PC maker
0:22:58 News 3: Bethesda: Starfield PS5 crash fixes incoming
0:33:16 News 4: Asha Sharma: Game Pass is too expensive
0:44:16 News 5: Report: Ryzen 5800X3D to return
0:54:33 Content discussion: is Pragmata on PS5 1080p or 1440p?

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In the latest edition of the DF Direct Q+A show, we tackle the question of whether Switch 2 and the upcoming Sony handheld should spawn cheaper "micro-console" variants. We ponder the reasons behind the delay of the Switch 2 port of 007 First Light. Why do Xbox games have screen-tearing where Sony versions do not? And a big one - is console gaming and gaming in general stagnating?

00:00 Introduction
00:44 Supporter Q1: Should Nintendo release a home console-only version of Switch 2? And should Sony package their PS6 handheld as a home console?
10:16 Supporter Q2: Given recent handheld price spikes, what’s a realistic price for a PS6 handheld?
16:36 Supporter Q3: Is the 007 First Light delay for Switch 2 a good thing?
22:06 Supporter Q4: Why do Xbox games often tear when their PS5 counterparts are perfectly v-synced?
28:50 Supporter Q5: Have console stagnation and game engine homogeneity made gaming boring?
38:51 Supporter Q6: Should PC settings options be less granular?
45:58 Supporter Q7: Should console game devs introduce settings that don’t do anything to placate users?

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It's another BIG Direct! The embargo for Pragmata lifts today and John and Rich share their thoughts on the PC version ahead of a look at all of the console versions later in the week. The team discuss the recent round of Forza Horizon 6 previews, before moving on to the highs and the lows of playing Samson from Liquid Swords. Alex has much to share about Nvidia's latest path tracing innovations, Rich is intrigued by Nvidia's upcoming Nvidia N1/N1X based laptops, while the reveal of an amazing Super Mario Bros demo on Sega Master System leads to some disturbing anecdotes from Rich.


0:00:00 Introduction0:00:56 News 1: Pragmata tested on PC!0:15:09 News 2: Forza Horizon 6 impresses in new previews0:26:06 News 3 Samson proves deeply disappointing0:48:12 News 4: Nvidia talks path tracing advances at GDC1:02:21 News 5: Nvidia N1 motherboard leaks1:12:14 News 6: Super Mario Brothers demoed on Sega Master System

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