Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As another year comes to a close, Digital Foundry unleashes its traditional holiday video, celebrating the best game graphics of the year. Outside of some highly honourable mentions, ten games are lauded for their phenomenal visuals. John, Alex and Oliver share their thoughts in a massive 108-minute long celebration! 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:58 Honourable mentions: STALKER 2, Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor ReFantazio, Nightdive Studios, Tiny Glade, FF7 Rebirth, Power Rangers 0:20:46 Dragon’s Dogma 2 0:26:35 Riven 0:30:32 Dragon Age: The Veilguard 0:37:24 Silent Hill 2 0:48:50 Astro Bot 0:54:32 Penny’s Big Breakaway 0:58:05 Black Myth: Wukong 1:08:49 Top 3 Discussion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With an official announcement for Nintendo Switch 2 due in the next month or so, it's perhaps no surprise to see the leaks coming in thick and fast - but how believable are they? Meanwhile, Oliver gets to grips with the latest patch for Alan Wake 2 on PS5 Pro - is there genuine improvement? Rich tries to piece together the latest RTX 50-series rumours into something coherently plausible, while John examines the latest Switch IP-abusing shovelware: the mighty Monkey Kong in New-York. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:09 News 1: Switch 2 leaks describe dock, magnetic connection 0:17:40 News 2: New Alan Wake 2 PS5 Pro patch tested! 0:28:14 News 3: Indiana Jones lighting improved on Xbox 0:35:32 News 4: New Legion Go uses SteamOS 0:49:50 News 5: RTX 50 series leaks continue 1:01:35 News 6: DF Supporter Game of the Year awards! 1:18:01 News 7: “Monkey Kong” hits Nintendo eShop 1:25:36 Supporter Q1: After the Mark Cerny interview, how do you think Sony will approach PS6? 1:33:47 Supporter Q2: How will Project Amethyst affect Microsoft’s relationship with AMD? 1:39:00 Supporter Q3: How will today’s high-end PC hardware compare to next gen consoles? 1:45:01 Supporter Q4: Why was PS3/360 game performance often so poor? 1:55:02 Supporter Q5: What do you make of FF7 Rebirth’s PC lighting upgrades? 1:58:54 Supporter Q6: What’s the best looking last gen game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices