Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

Ever wondered why game coverage often neglects Xbox consoles? It's an issue we've highlighted before and after Call of Duty failed to register on Metacritic, Microsoft is finally doing something about it. In the new Q+A, the team discuss the issue, its impact on DF and hopes that things will genuinely improve. Meanwhile, what to make of the reported Project Helix delay to 2028? Will new CPU releases get caught up in the hardware crisis? Was Sony's QSSR a direct response to a potential FSR 4.1 on Xbox consoles? And will Nintendo update its Switch 2 DLSS tech?

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00:00 Introduction
01:03 Xbox attempts to solve creator/journalist review code problems
11:08 Supporter Q1: Why is Xbox Helix suffering an apparent delay to 2028?
24:56 Supporter Q2: How will Xbox Helix offer hardware expandability?
32:08 Supporter Q3: Will CPUs continue to stagnate, or will they advance further in 2027?
38:07 Supporter Q4: Was QSSR designed to counter FSR 4.1 on Xbox Series?
43:37 Supporter Q5: Will Nintendo revise their DLSS tech for Switch 2?
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Big news this week from Fortune, with an insider feature on Xbox that combines deep access to senior management along with a range of big reveals: a Helix console costing between $1200 to $1800 coming 2028? A handheld in 2027? Disagreements between the Xbox and Microsoft OS teams? There's a lot to discuss here. Meanwhile, the team lament the end of BioWare and mull over the leaked Mass Effect trailer, and there's good news for RDNA 2 GPU owners - and Xbox Series console users - as FSR 4 arrives ahead of time. A potential PlayStation frame generation technique is discussed and finally, five years of Oliver Mackenzie at Digital Foundry! The panel look back at his first video and discuss his approach to working on the channel.

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0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:04 News 1: Article lays out Xbox next-gen plans
0:21:26 News 2: EA shutters BioWare, Mass Effect Universe trailer leaks
0:31:33 News 3: AMD ports FSR 4.1 to RDNA 2, handhelds, Xbox
0:45:51 News 4: Sony patents frame extrapolation technique
0:59:30 Five years of Oliver!
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Reports that Nvidia's RTX 5090 gaming flagship would be discontinued gathered pace, with Nvidia finally denying cancellation of the card. But in a world where a 5090 can cost $8000, is its presence in the gaming market all but over? Can Nvidia do anything about it? Meanwhile, DF Supporter have questions about GTA 6 on PlayStation and in the absence of actual information, we can only offer our thoughts and speculation. Finally, what would actually constitute a Switch 2 "impossible port"...?

00:00 Introduction
00:35 News 1: Nvidia refutes RTX 5090 discontinuation rumours, but questions linger
22:46 Supporter Q1: With the high cost of memory, should Sony have used a larger GPU in PS6?
34:10 Supporter Q2: Could the ROG Xbox Ally X20 screen be used in a Switch 2 OLED?
37:20 Supporter Q3: How will Rockstar configure GTA 6 on PS5 and PS5 Pro?
42:45 Supporter Q4: How long will GTA 7 take to develop?
48:22 Supporter Q5: Why are so many UE5 games shipping with hardware Lumen and MegaLights now?
53:09 Supporter Q6: Which Switch 2 ports meet the criteria for an impossible port?
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A year on from its initial launch, Xbox Ally gets a brilliant OLED upgrade for the new X20 edition but are we any closer to an actual Xbox-like experience? Meanwhile, Nvidia delivers faster frame-gen and DLSS 5 while Epic acts like a lightning rod for all the AI hate with its latest pivot. Oliver tests out The Crew Motorfest on Switch 2, while John has thoughts on Castlevania: Belmont's Curse.

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00:00 Introduction
02:07 News 1: Nvidia debuts faster frame gen, DLSS 5
18:13 News 2: Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 tested!
32:44 News 3: Epic embraces AI coding for new Epic Games Launcher
48:22 News 4: The Crew Motorfest tested on Switch 2 54:39 News 5: Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse impressions
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In the new AI era, it seems that decompilation, recompilation and unofficial ports are child's play - so what are the chances of an unofficial GTA 6 PC port before Rockstar delivers the real thing? And adjacent to that, how is Sony going to react to the massive impact of the recent PS5 jailbreak? Meanwhile, the panel are asked about the importance of PS5 Pro as it nears its second anniversary and questions are asked about the support level for the recently released QSSR.

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00:00 Introduction
00:50 Supporter Q1: Will Rockstar move up GTA 6’s PC release date because of PS5 emulation?
15:22 Supporter Q2: Will Sony adjust their policies in response to PS5 jailbreaks?
21:09 Supporter Q3: Have you changed your opinions on PS5 Pro over the past couple of years?
26:36 Supporter Q4: Will Sony abandon QSSR?
32:56 Supporter Q5: Can Nintendo force VRR to work on Switch 2 games?
38:05 Supporter Q6: Why do PC graphics vendors not implement upscaling with DRS as a default?
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