DF Direct Weekly #280: John on GTA 6, State of Play Disappoints, Helix "Family of Devices"

More from Digital Foundry Direct Weekly All episodes →

1. 

   23 Sep 2026 · 50 min

   DF Direct Q+A: Switch 2 60FPS Frame-Gen - How Good/Bad Is It? Should Next-Gen Be Delayed?

   Stellar Blade on Switch 2 enforces the use of frame generation to target 60fps - and Capcom is offering the same feature with a toggle in the upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2 port. So how does it work and what have we learned from testing it in Stellar Blade? Beyond that, Tom, Rich and Oliver discuss whether next-gen hardware should be delayed, why Nintendo is avoiding DLSS in its own Switch 2 titles and whether Valve should release an ARM-based handheld. And finally, what's the point of chromatic aberration? 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Supporter Q1: Is frame gen a good fit for Switch 2 games like…

2. 

   S1 · E282 · 21 Sep 2026 · 59 min

   DF Direct Weekly #282: 007 First Light Path Tracing, Kingmakers Gameplay, New GPUs Delayed To 2028?

   In a bit of a slow week for news, the team goes hands-on with a bunch of cool games to present their findings - principal amongst them being 007 First Light's visually stunning, but incredibly taxing path tracing upgrade. Redemption Road's 12-minute Kingmakers gameplay deep dive impresses the panel before Tom delivers his thoughts on Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave on Switch 2, with Oliver testing Diablo 4 also on the Nintendo hybrid. Meanwhile, reliable leaker Kepler_L2 says that we're only looking at one new GPU launch in 2027 - and it looks like the desktop version of the same GPU slated to…

3. 

   16 Sep 2026 · 51 min

   DF Direct Q+A: Hands-On With Steam Frame, Half-Life Alyx Standalone + More

   With Steam Frame just missing the embargo for the last DF Direct, John, Rich and Oliver share impressions of Valve's latest hardware plus there's some ARM standalone testing of Half-Life Alyx, Cyberpunk 2077 and Streets of Rage 4. Beyond that, it's Supporter Q+A time: why doesn't From Software fix 30fps frame-pacing issues? If DLSS 5 isn't really DLSS, how should DLSS evolve? Finally... with the legendary Kallax having been modded into Skyrim by Ikea, what other Scandinavian furniture should be added to the game?! Want an ad-free DF Direct experience? Get a private RSS feed and high quality…

4. 

   S1 · E281 · 14 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 35 min

   DF Direct Weekly #281: Kojima's Psyint Canned By Sony, Coming To Xbox, Switch 2 VRR, Ocarina of Time

   A massive week for news. PlayStation ends decades of partnership with Hideo Kojima as Physint is cancelled by Sony - but picked up by Microsoft, meaning it's coming to Xbox. The team take a look at the surprise-but-a-welcome-one reveal of VRR coming to Switch 2 docked mode, while there's commentary and analysis on the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and a brand new Nintendo Direct. John and Oliver compare notes on Marvel's Wolverine, Rich takes us back to the PS4 Pro reveal on its tenth anniversary while John tells us about the co-op fun he's been having with Big Walk. The DF Supporter Program…

5. 

   11 Sep 2026 · 42 min

   DF Direct Q+A: Will AMD Deliver Its Own DLSS 5? Will CD Projekt RED Bring Back The RED Engine?

   The DF Direct Q+A Show returns and suffice it to say, there's a huge amount of interest around DLSS 5. Will AMD and indeed Intel deliver equivalent tech? What are the limits of DLSS 5 and how will they be overcome? Meanwhile, is Pearl Abyss developer of the year? And is The Witcher 3 Remastered evidence that CD Projekt RED will return to the RED Engine? For an ad-free experience check out the Digital Foundry Supporter Program for ad-free high quality video downloads and a private RSS feed: https://patreon.com/digitalfoundry 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Supporter Q1: Should AMD create their own…

6. 

   6 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 17 min

   DLSS 5 Tested: NBA 2K27 Image Quality + Benchmarks, Mods And More

   Six months after its reveal, DLSS 5 has launched with NBA 2K27 and its utilisation is a world apart from the first clips, not to mention the vast array of modded footage we've seen since its leak last week. Rich, John and Oliver compare notes on the difference it makes, the huge performance cost, what is achievable with mods and more. Join the DF Supporter Program for ad free video downloads and a private ad free RSS feed. https://patreon.com/digitalfoundry 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:27 What is DLSS 5? 0:15:36 DLSS 5 visuals in NBA 2K27 0:25:07 DLSS 5 performance in NBA 2K27 0:42:17 Mods:…

7. 

   S1 · E279 · 31 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 18 min

   DF Direct Weekly #279: The Witcher 3 Remaster Reaction, Xbox Disc To Digital, Best of Gamescom 2026!

   While Grand Theft Auto 6's gameplay reveal somewhat overshadowed proceedings, it was indeed Gamescom 2026 this week and with Rich's legs giving out, it was down to John to represent us at the show. So, after dispensing with some gaming and technology news, John delivers his own "best of" tour of Gamescom, discussing the titles he loved. Looking to enjoy DF Direct Weekly ad-free? Gain access to a private RSS feed and video downloads on our Patreon: https://patreon.com/digitalfoundry 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:01 News 1: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered revealed 0:12:52 News 2: Xbox disc to…

8. 

   29 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 17 min

   Grand Theft Auto 6 Extended Look: The Most Impressive Real-Time Game Graphics Yet?

   26 minutes of actual GTA 6 gameplay "dropped" - and on balance, it's one of the most extraordinary visual accomplishments ever seen in real-time game graphics. It's not perfect - nothing can be - but in this DF Direct Special, Oliver and Rich share their thoughts and reactions to the presentation. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:24 Overall impressions 0:10:09 Performance: 30 FPS only 0:25:22 Lighting: shadowmaps, RT reflections, RTGI 0:37:31 Simulation and the open world 0:45:49 Image quality 0:50:57 Supporter Q1: How will next-gen consoles and PCs improve on the PS5 visuals? 0:56:55 Supporter Q2:…

9. 

   27 Aug 2026 · 46 min

   DF Direct Q+A: What If PlayStation 6 Is Actually The New PS Portable/Handheld?

   At the time of recording, it was the lull before the storm that is Gamescom 2026 - but we've still got a bunch of fascinating questions to wade through. Have we got it all wrong with PlayStation 6? Is it actually the hotly rumoured handheld with Sony pivoting in a Nintendo-like direction? If games hit photorealism, where does that leave Digital Foundry? And are plasma TVs the new CRT? 00:00 Introduction 01:21 Sponsored by MSI QD-OLED 02:42 Supporter Q1: Could the next-gen PSP and PS6 be the same thing? 14:26 Supporter Q2: Should PC games rename their graphics settings to constrain…

10. 

    S1 · E278 · 24 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 15 min

    DF Direct Weekly #278: Sony Undecided On PS6 Price/Launch Date, Black Myth Zhong Kui Gameplay

    We're not going to be commenting on leaks from a stolen GTA 6 build that's years old and promoting a memecoin but we WILL be talking about Sony's comments on not knowing PS6's pricing and release date and assessing the Black Myth Zhong Kui gameplay reveal. Rich is intrigued by Alan Wake's big PC upgrade for AMD users, while John muses over the reported end of live service elements in Horizon Hunters Gathering. Finally, five years ago, Alex made a range of predictions about Switch 2 and DLSS... so how accurate did they turn out to be? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:49 News 1: Sony undecided on PS6…