In the last DF Direct video of the year, Rich, Oliver and Alex join forces to discusses their experiences of the best gaming hardware of 2025. Handhelds dominate, and while Switch 2's mega sales cannot be denied, Rich makes the case for the crazy GPD Win 5, while Oliver opts for the SteamOS-based Lenovo Legion Go S. Beyond portables, it's all about the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, RTX 5090, the Blackwell and RDNA 4 launches in general and - finally - green shoots of hope in what looks to be a grim 2026. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:53 GPD Win 5 0:11:07 Asus ROG Xbox Ally X 0:15:40 Lenovo Legion Go S 0:18:44 MSI Claw 8 AI + 0:19:45 Nintendo Switch 2 0:28:59 AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 0:38:52 Nvidia Blackwell 0:51:11 AMD RDNA 4 0:59:58 Expectations for 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Need we saw more? As we draw to the end of another remarkable year in video games, the Digital Foundry team sit down to pore over the technological showcases of the last 12 months in an attempt to answer the immortal question: What were the best game graphics of the year? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:09 Honourable Mentions: Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, Star Wars Outlaws (Switch 2), Fast Fusion 0:11:45 Routine 0:16:35 Earthion 0:20:00 Silent Hill f 0:25:50 Mafia: The Old Country 0:32:18 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond 0:39:00 Ghost of Yōtei 0:46:11 Dying Light: The Beast 0:56:32 Top Three Discussion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A critical mass of rumours is strongly suggesting that Half-Life 3 will be a launch title for Steam Machine - but how does that work when the RAM crisis is making any kind of hardware launch so challenging? Meanwhile, Oliver pops in to talk about an actual patch for the woeful Switch 1 port of Batman: Arkham Knight, while Tom makes a similarly cameo-sized appearance to talk about Skyrim's anti-latency patch - which isn't quite what we were hoping for. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for what is an absolutely colossal Direct which will also be the last we produce in the year of our lord 2025. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:33 News 1: Is Half-Life 3 a Steam Machine launch game? 0:14:45 News 2: Batman: Arkham Knight patch brings Switch 2 boosts 0:26:28 News 3: Skyrim Switch 2 patch improves input lag - at a cost 0:34:57 News 4: Ayaneo announces Strix Halo uber-handheld 0:45:56 News 5: Bungie exhibits Marathon in new video 0:58:46 News 6: Avatar gets DLSS Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction 1:14:27 News 7: Blur Busters releases TestUFO 3.0 1:22:42 News 8: Presenting the Digital Foundry 2025 Community Awards! 1:44:13 Supporter Q1: Will future handhelds be fast enough to run path-traced games? 1:47:30 Supporter Q2: Are there realistic alternatives to UE5 for AAA games? 1:52:39 Supporter Q3: What do you think of Mega Man: Dual Override? 1:54:25 Supporter Q4: What are the best graphics of 2025 on low-end hardware? 2:00:31 Supporter Q5: How would you set up an Xbox 360 or PS3 in the modern era? 2:04:55 Supporter Q6: Should AI write supporter questions for DF Direct? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of the year! The Digital Foundry team discuss the big reveals and the games that caught their eye at The Game Awards, with the traditional complaints about the volume of CG trailers. Beyond that, Rich shares his impressions on the first PS3 emulator for PlayStation 5, Alex gets to grips with the wobbly performance of FSR Redstone frame generation and Oliver shares some eyebrow-raising results from Skyrim on Switch 2. And as usual, questions are answered. Questions like: "Is Star Wars Outlaws more ‘bespoke’ on Switch 2 than Assassin’s Creed Shadows?" 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:12 News 1: The Game Awards: Control Resonant 0:08:42 Tomb Raider: Catalyst and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis 0:16:56 Total War: Warhammer 40,000 0:23:59 Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, Exodus, Divinity 0:34:23 Ontos, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, No Law, Pragmata, AUDIOMECH, TankRat 0:49:34 News 2: Devs ship PS3 emulator in PS5 game 0:59:09 News 3 Skyrim disappoints on Switch 2 1:07:21 News 4: AMD FSR Redstone launches 1:26:38 Supporter Q1: Will The Witchers 4, 5, and 6 be constrained by cross-gen limits? 1:35:14 Supporter Q2: Will Unified Memory Architecture appear on PCs? 1:39:21 Supporter Q3: Could Microsoft port their backwards compatibility solution to PS5? 1:44:31 Supporter Q4: Is there a way to install a streamlined Windows 11 cleansed of Microsoft services? 1:56:38 Supporter Q5: Is Star Wars Outlaws more ‘bespoke’ on Switch 2 than Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nintendo didn't release Metroid Prime 4 Switch 1 review code to journalists, so how does it stack up against Switch 2? Rich does some digging. Meanwhile, the team lament the end of the iconic Crucial RAM, but there's better news about the return of some kind of 32-bit PhysX support for RTX 50-series GPUs. Oliver talks Sonic Racing Crossworlds on Switch 2, John's impressed by TimeSplitters Rewind - and just how bad have things got for HDR support in video games? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:55 News 1: Metroid Prime 4 tested on Switch 1! 0:29:22 News 2: Micron kills Crucial RAM 0:39:29 News 3: Nvidia partially brings back 32 bit PhysX for 50 series 0:45:34 News 4: Sonic Racing Crossworlds tested on Switch 2 0:51:00 News 5: CD Projekt plans fast release pace for Witchers 4-6 0:59:21 News 6: Veteran HDR dev bemoans state of HDR in games 1:14:23 News 7: TimeSplitters Rewind impresses 1:22:17 Supporter Q1: Will price hikes cause a gaming Dark Age? How are next gen consoles affected? 1:32:44 Supporter Q2: How could Cyberpunk 2077 be improved visually? 1:35:59 Supporter Q3: What games are “Too Big for Steam Machine?” 1:39:46 Supporter Q4: Should Nintendo have tried to match Series S with Switch 2? 1:44:33 Supporter Q5: Do you have any fond PSP gaming memories? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Direct, Rich gets to grips with Ghost of Yōtei's unlocked frame-rate and balanced mode upgrades, discovering some excellent results. The team discuss the seemingly soon arrival of a PC port for Death Stranding 2, while mulling over Ubisoft's details on its upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows Switch 2 port. John's highly excited by eXoWin9X and there's a celebratory round of applause for Panic Button - entrusted by Nintendo to upgrade some its most important games for Switch 2. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:32 News 1: Ghost of Yōtei gets unlocked VRR modes 0:19:58 News 2: Death Stranding 2 PC incoming? 0:27:06 News 3: eXoWin9x gets vintage PC games running on modern Windows 0:36:48 News 4: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Switch 2 version detailed 0:49:24 News 5: Panic Button handled key Switch 2 updates 0:55:25 Supporter Q1: Is Kirby Air Riders the game Mario Kart World should have been? 1:01:26 Supporter Q2: What’s the most unexpected feature announced for a product? 1:10:25 Supporter Q3: Will Steam Machine cement a performance target for game developers? 1:14:29 Supporter Q4: Will surging RAM prices doom the Steam Machine? What about PS6? 1:21:21 Supporter Q5: Does Nvidia need to concentrate more on Linux driver development? 1:26:39 Supporter Q6: Can Alex share a recent PC gaming experience that made him happy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A meaty new episode of DF Direct Weekly kicks off with a Valve double-header - reaction to news that Steam Machine may be heading for PC pricing, plus news of Linux FSR 4 support via Proton... including old GPUs. Meanwhile, Angry Alex is back and he's measured just how bad Windows performance in AC Shadows is impacted by a rogue update. Red Dead Redemption 1 returns once again, Oliver has opinions on Horizon Steel Frontiers and let's just say that we really think you should check out Sektori. 0:00:00 Introduction0:01:07 News 1: Steam Machine price: above $500?0:18:36 News 2: FSR 4 gets Proton support0:33:00 News 3: Windows update kills gaming performance0:50:10 News 4: Price hikes incoming: should you buy a GPU right now?1:05:21 News 5: Red Dead Redemption gets new round of ports1:11:06 News 6: Horizon Steel Frontiers announced1:17:52 News 7: Twin-stick shooter Sektori impresses1:23:00 Supporter Q1: On the system’s 20th anniversary, what are your favourite Xbox 360 games?1:32:20 Supporter Q2: Why is everyone so excited for Steam Machine?1:38:19 Supporter Q3: Is there a new sub-PS5 hardware tier developing?1:43:44 Supporter Q4: Will developers add new Steam Machine graphical presets?1:50:47 Supporter Q5: Is Switch 2 DLSS superior to FSR 3?1:55:49 Supporter Q6: Should Sony fret over Steam Machine competition? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valve's reveal of the Steam Machine has proven phenomenally popular to the point where our coverage is by far and away the biggest DF video of the year. But there's more information emerging post-embargo we had to share, plus plenty of discussion points to wade through. How much will it cost? Does this really cause problems for Microsoft? What is the actual make-up of the Zen 4 CPU? And is a spec that's comparable with PlayStation 5 really the best that could be done over five years into this generation? Rich, Oliver and Alex convene once again to talk about the Valve initiative. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:41 Steam Machine pricing 0:13:42 Potential impacts to Microsoft 0:25:18 CPU: likely Hawk Point 2 0:30:54 Hardware concerns and deficits 0:45:11 Should Valve have used Strix Halo? 0:51:41 8GB of VRAM and SteamOS efficiencies 1:03:04 Steam Frame and Valve’s push into ARM 1:14:25 Supporter Q1: Will Steam Machine have pre-loading of shader cache? 1:19:17 Supporter Q2: How can Valve solve the anti-cheat problem? 1:22:25 Supporter Q3: Will Valve drop Half-Life 3 for the launch of Steam Machine? 1:28:21 Supporter Q4: What is a proper punishment for Alex after his denigration of PS3? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the new Steam Machine PC/console hybrid has taken centrestage, it's not the only major hardware launch revealed by Valve today. Steam Frame is a state-of-the-art VR headset that not only streams games from your PC but can actually run them on the headset itself, with an x86 to ARM translation layer working in addition to Proton. Oliver's been hands-on and shares his impressions with John in this DF Direct Special. 00:00 Overview04:17 Internal specifications06:55 Displays and optics15:19 Foveated rendering and foveated streaming18:06 Modularity, controls, and audio24:52 Standalone gaming functionality32:30 Game streaming37:25 Analysis and conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the hardware we've been waiting for. Built on SteamOS, Valve's brand-new Steam Machine runs the same games that Steam Deck does, with 6x the graphics horsepower - all built into a super-cute, premium, cube-like design. Oliver visited Valve HQ to go hands-on with both the new PC/console hybrid and the new Steam Controller, reporting back with impressions, specs and insights from the engineers behind the project. 0:00:00 Introduction0:01:11 Steam Machine overview0:04:38 Specs and architecture0:22:38 Other specs and capabilities0:30:24 Steam Controller0:36:26 Analysis and conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aside from the monumental release of our brand new website, it was looking like a quiet week until the gigaton news that Grand Theft Auto 6 was delayed again quote-unquote dropped. The team discuss the implications in this week's Direct, before moving onto PS Portal cloud streaming impressions and the AMD marketing debacle that is the RDNA 1/2 driver situation. Silent Hill 2 is all but certain to arrive on Xbox, but what about Switch 2? Plus: kudos to Nintendo as it looks almost certain now that Switch 2 is the biggest console launch of all-time... within a three-month launch window at least! 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:53 Our new website - digitalfoundry.net! 0:09:13 News 1: GTA 6 launch delayed to November 2026 0:21:20 News 2: PS Portal now officially supports PS5 Cloud Streaming 0:39:17 News 3: AMD’s RDNA 1 and 2 driver debacle 0:55:30 News 4: Switch 2 is the fastest selling console of all time (so far) 1:04:09 News 5: Silent Hill 2 reportedly headed to Xbox 1:10:41 Supporter Q1: What do you consider “retro”? 1:18:23 Supporter Q2: What is the most exciting console gen technologically? 1:23:09 Supporter Q3: Should Microsoft worry about Valve’s future devices? 1:33:46 Supporter Q4: Will Rockstar reconsider a simultaneous GTA 6 PC launch? 1:41:21 Supporter Q5: Will the upcoming PS handheld play PS6 games natively, or only via streaming? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the time of uploading this video, it has been one year to the day since PlayStation 5 Pro was available to buy. In a DF Direct Special, John, Oliver and Tom compare notes on a massive range of Pro-enhanced titles, putting them into buckets: successful, good but not great and straight-out bad. And with that out of the way, it's time to talk about the overall effectiveness of the system in delivering an enhanced experience - plus thoughts and hopes for PS5 Pro: Year Two. 0:00:00 Overview 0:01:19 Game Boost and PS4 Enhance Image Quality 0:05:41 Successful games: FF7 Rebirth, Control, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Black Myth Wukong, TLOU, The Callisto Protocol, Gran Turismo 7, Ghost of Yotei, Horizon Forbidden West 0:25:11 Death Stranding 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Space Marine 2, Hellblade 2, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter Wilds, Stellar Blade, Forza Horizon 5, Battlefield 6 0:35:11 Unsuccessful and middling games: MGS Delta, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill F, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Alan Wake 2, Jedi: Survivor, The Outer Worlds 2, Helldivers 2, Doom: The Dark Ages, Astro Bot, Black Ops 6 0:58:03 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new patch has "dropped" for Metal Gear Solid Delta and there are big performance and feature improvements in some areas, but is the game actually fixed? Meanwhile, Oliver gets to grips with Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 and comes away disappointed, while John is highly impressed with Lumines Arise. The team try to work their way through a puzzling interview from Microsoft's Satya Nadella, while a promising game that first started development in 2012 now actually has a launch trailer - but what is Routine? And 13 years on, why should you be interested? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:49 News 1: Metal Gear Solid Delta patch shows performance bump 0:23:19 News 2: Bloodlines 2 tested on PS5 0:33:16 News 3: Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailer drops for Switch 2 0:41:34 News 4: Lumines Arise impresses in preview 0:47:34 News 5: Microsoft CEO: gaming’s competition is short-form video 1:04:53 News 6: Routine re-emerges in release date trailer 1:09:23 Supporter Q1: Could you add Linux coverage to your PC game reviews? 1:16:06 Supporter Q2: Why did Xbox lose this console generation? 1:26:49 Supporter Q3: Is the new Power Saver mode actually intended for the cloud? 1:33:57 Supporter Q4: Is Apple finally serious about gaming? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A gigantic new episode of DF Direct Weekly sees the team's reaction to the big Halo Campaign Evolved reveal - and some unfortunate Unreal Engine 5 issues already coming into view. Meanwhile, what does Microsoft actually mean by its "very premium, very high-end" next-gen comments and is the Xbox Ally X interface really the best way forward? Meanwhile, John and some familiar faces reveal our next big project - the DF Retro Super Show - our brand new video podcast. Beyond that, Rich talks PlayStation power saver with Death Stranding 1 and 2, while alarming stats are revealed about the decline of games journalism. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:12 News 1: Halo Campaign Evolved revealed! 0:23:03 News 2: Sarah Bond: next Xbox "very premium, very high-end" 0:55:55 News 3: Announcing the DF Retro Super Show! 1:01:46 News 4: Nvidia drops Bonsai tech demo 1:13:05 News 5: Death Stranding 1 + 2 tested in Power Saver mode 1:27:11 News 6: Game journalists rapidly departing industry 1:42:37 Supporter Q1: Is Microsoft making a mistake by muddling the definition of an Xbox? 1:50:50 Supporter Q2: Is Microsoft’s new 30% gaming margin target driving its recent woes? 1:57:17 Supporter Q3: Does pursuing the state of the art make sense in a cost-constrained, multi-platform era? 2:01:25 Supporter Q4: Is Sony’s new portable PlayStation doomed to the same fate as the Vita? 2:05:58 Supporter Q5: How can AAA game studios survive in an era of increasing console prices? 2:12:09 Supporter Q6: Did you ever hear the tragedy of Alex Battaglia the Wise? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ROG Xbox Ally X is "in the house" and Rich describes his first couple of days in the review process. Alex answers the big question as to whether new PC games stutter more than older ones, while Oliver gets to grips with Black Myth Wukong's latest patch on PlayStation, complete with Lumen-free performance mode. Finally, next-gen Xbox and PlayStation spec leaks are gathering pace - so what do we make of them? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:54 News 1: ROG Xbox Ally X first impressions and benchmarks! 0:31:28 News 2: Black Myth: Wukong patch brings Xbox updates to PS5 0:42:23 News 3: Did old PC games stutter less? 0:57:52 News 4: Latest Xbox Magnus rumours suggest large, expensive die 1:10:38 News 5: New PS5 Pro features subtle revisions 1:16:35 Supporter Q1: What does Alex think of Mark Cerny’s recent Project Amethyst announcements? 1:26:47 Supporter Q2: What does Microsoft’s collaboration with AMD look like? 1:33:59 Supporter Q3: Should Nintendo release a docked-only version of Switch 2? 1:36:43 Supporter Q4: Any thoughts on the recent Gamers Nexus animation error exposé? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's DF Direct, Microsoft deny rumours that its next-gen console has been cancelled - but to what extent are its statements credible in the wake of the infamous "four games" messaging? The existence of ports of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS5, Xbox and Switch 2 are confirmed by the most reliable leaker in the business, while John shares his impressions of Yooka-Replaylee. And to what extent did Nintendo underclock the SoC for Switch 2? 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:58 News 1: Microsoft: future Xbox console hardware re-confirmed 0:17:10 News 2: Yooka-Replaylee lands on current gen systems 0:27:51 News 3: Red Dead Redemption 2 remaster heavily rumoured 0:35:18 News 4: Ominous omens surround next Halo 0:47:16 Supporter Q1: If the next-gen Xbox is cancelled, what will have been lost? 0:52:47 Supporter Q2: Will competing consoles continue to launch at a similar cadence in the future? 0:59:27 Supporter Q3: Will developers focus on more advanced physics or mechanics to differentiate their games during cross-gen? 1:06:38 Supporter Q4: How will PS5 Pro fare in cross-gen software? 1:10:09 Supporter Q5: Should we consider Microsoft’s commercially unsuccessful consoles to be failures? 1:22:18 Supporter Q6: Is the Switch 1 or Switch 2 underclocked more heavily? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could this be the foundational GPU technology for the PlayStation 6? Mark Cerny's latest Project Amethyst update describes the building blocks of future graphics technology, with a strong focus on ray tracing and machine learning capabilities, along with bandwidth-enhancing features designed to reduce the need on massive memory controllers. John, Rich and Oliver discuss the tech and share more information from Mark Cerny via an email Q&A conducted in the wake of the video's publication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest DF Direct is dominated by discussion of Microsoft's gigantic price hikes for Game Pass - proof positive that the previous prices were unsustainable, or a greedy cash grab from Xbox? And who exactly wants the new content added to the top-end tier? Meanwhile, the team share their thoughts on the new Austin Evans PS5 teardown video, while Rich reports on a brace of native Steam Deck ports: Baldur's Gate 3 and Cronos. The former shows big improvements, but there's confusion surrounding Cronos. Meanwhile, John's back with plenty of stories from his latest visit to Japan. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:27 News 1: Game Pass hit by massive price hikes 0:32:39 News 2: New PS5 Slim disassembled, examined 0:43:54 News 3: Native Steam Deck versions of Cronos, Baldur’s Gate 3 arrive 0:55:52 News 4: New DualSense reportedly features replaceable battery 1:02:14 News 5: John reports back from Japan 1:22:04 Supporter Q1: What do you think of the Panzer Dragoon Zwei remake? 1:30:12 Supporter Q2: Will the PlayStation handheld produce better visual results than Strix Halo handhelds? 1:36:32 Supporter Q3: What lessons can PC handhelds take from Switch 2 and its DLSS? 1:48:04 Supporter Q4: How do you think the PS6 will be initially received? 1:54:04 Supporter Q5: Do Wii games look good on a flatscreen with a typical remastering treatment? 1:58:41 Supporter Q6: What did everyone’s retro PC setups look like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, it's another episode of DF Direct Weekly and yes, once again it's two hours of content discussing the latest gaming and technology news. Marvel's Wolverine, Saros, Flight Sim 2024 and Deus Ex Remastered cover off what we want to talk about from the latest Sony State of Play, while there's reaction to what was essentially the non-reveal of Forza Horizon 6. We catch up with the state of Silent Hill f on Xbox following the late arrival of review code and - finally - the last minute indefinite delay to the release of Borderlands 4 on Switch 2 had to be addressed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest exciting episode of DF Direct Weekly, Alex and Oliver share impressions on the PC and PS5 versions of Dying Light: The Beast in the wake of review code problems stopping us from delivering a full review. Meanwhile, the shocking news of an Intel/Nvidia partnership demands attention from the team, before Rich shares his experiences of testing the leaked FSR4 INT8 version on RDNA 3 hardware. There's eyebrow-raising disbelief around the Gearbox CEO's reactions to Borderlands 4 performance critiques, while pricing for the Strix Halo-equipped GPD Win 5 confirms that the most powerful handheld ever made will arrive with an elevated price-point to match. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:02 News 1: Dying Light: The Beast shows great PC, PS5 performance 0:20:28 News 2: Intel, Nvidia form chip partnership 0:32:58 News 3: Version of FSR 4 runs across wide range of GPUs 0:51:27 News 4: Combative Gearbox boss addresses Borderlands critics 1:10:17 News 5: GPD Win 5 arrives with hefty price tag 1:22:37 Supporter Q1: Can you explain Virtual Shadow Maps? 1:28:16 Supporter Q2: Shouldn’t you praise PSSR more for looking sharp in motion? 1:34:20 Supporter Q3: Do next-gen consoles need 50GB of RAM for AI? 1:40:15 Supporter Q4: Why do you think AMD Redstone is built to run without discrete AI hardware? 1:44:08 Supporter Q5: Could Intel and Nvidia produce their own console? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices