Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

It took a Q+A session of its own within a financial earnings call - as opposed to talking directly to its users - but Sony has finally responded to the backlash whipped up by its announcement of the cancellation of physical media. What do we make of the response? And if it's just a small minority of PlayStation users upset by the news, is it right that Sony ignores the very negative feedback? Beyond that, we talk next-gen "secret source", whether it's possible for PC users to get a curated out-of-the-box "good settings experience" and where does Project Helix back-compat stand compared to PlayStation 6?

00:00 Introduction
00:44 Supporter Q1: Does Sony’s response to disc discontinuation critics miss the mark?
19:46 Supporter Q2: Do disc enthusiasts represent a minority Sony can ignore?
33:27 Supporter Q3: What ‘secret sauce’ will sell PS6 and Xbox Helix?
42:52 Supporter Q4: Is it too much of a hassle to get good PC performance?
49:34 Supporter Q5: Will Helix be disadvantaged relative to PS6 when playing last gen software?
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The news has been pretty grim for the last few months, so why not concentrate on the positives? PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have delivered the best performing videogame generation since the 16-bit 2D era with more support for 60fps gaming than any other 3D-focused console. How did this happen and what are the drawbacks? Meanwhile, if those same consoles are effectively pint-sized PCs using PC components, why is there the sense that PC gaming is far less performant than it should be? John, Rich and Oliver discuss this, with a cameo from Tom talking Splatoon Raiders and OG Xbox "back compat" improvements.

0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:41 News 1: This is the most performant console generation in 30 years... but what about PC?
0:32:23 News 2: Have we gone too easy on Halo: Campaign Evolved?
0:47:00 News 3: Will Xbox Helix cut out Steam?
0:59:05 News 4: Splatoon Raiders tested!
1:14:40 News 5: Improvements for Xbox BC on PC!
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The hardware situation grows more bleak by the week, so where does this leave next generation consoles? If they're too expensive, will developers target them over current-gen hardware? Is enhanced RT and path tracing enough to make people upgrade? Will there be actual next-gen exclusives? Would it make more sense to buy a higher-end PC now? All this and more is discussed in the latest show.

00:00 Introduction
00:57 Supporter Q1: Why should people want next-gen consoles?
19:09 Supporter Q2: Will people hold on to PS5 and Series X to play their disc games?
28:59 Supporter Q3: Should we just buy expensive PCs now, in lieu of next-gen consoles?
40:29 Supporter Q4: Does Xbox BC on PC threaten Steam?
46:57 Supporter Q5: Will we see future Xbox ports for Switch 2?
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In the latest DF Direct Weekly, we go deeper into the OG Xbox emulator for PC... which is actually running within an Xbox 360 emulator, Inception-style. So what's the masterplan from Microsoft? The team mull over the reaction to Halo: Campaign Evolved, more details emerge on the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 and it's panic stations - again - as Valve predicts that the memory crisis is only going to get worse. Much worse.

0:00:00 Introduction
0:03:25 News 1: Xbox BC tested on PC!
0:23:48 News 2: Halo Campaign Evolved: a beautiful remake
0:44:56 News 3: Konami reveals resolution, frame-rate targets for new MGS collection
0:55:40 News 4: Valve warns memory crisis “getting worse”
1:10:24 Retrospective: Xbox One S review
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The Q+A show returns, with Rich, Oliver and Will getting to grips with the potential of the Creation Engine 3 in The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, while assessing the merits of Doom as THE great American videogame. Sony's new vapour chamber patent is considered for PS6 viability, while questions linger over what Sega's support for Nvidia's RTX Spark actually amounts to. And there's more: what would the generation have looked like if it stuck to 30fps? Is Sony killing discs really about its post-handheld ecosystem? And what's the deal with Oliver's cat?

00:00 Introduction
00:42 Supporter Q1: What can we expect from Bethesda’s Creation Engine 3?
13:58 Supporter Q2: Is Doom (1993) the great American video game?
20:37 Supporter Q3: Does Sony’s new vapour chamber patent mean they are ditching liquid metal?
26:58 Supporter Q4: Will developers deliver native ARM versions of their games for RTX Spark?
33:16 Supporter Q5: Would console graphics look better if developers skipped 60 FPS modes entirely?
41:40 Supporter Q6: Has the next-gen portable PlayStation driven Sony’s decision to kill discs?
46:58 Supporter Q7: When will we see the non-tail parts of Oliver’s cat?
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