Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

The best gaming showcase event returns - Xbox Developer_underscore_Direct has a proven track record of delivering excellent presentations of impressive games, and the latest is no exception. Rich, John and Oliver discuss Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Beast of Reincarnation and Kiln, before moving onto a brace of Switch 2 enhanced titles, plus a look at the Xbox versions of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. And yes - Sega Saturn ray tracing. It's real and it's spectacular.

0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:00 News 1: Developer_Direct 2026 - Forza Horizon 6
0:16:00 Fable
0:31:27 Beast of Reincarnation
0:37:27 Kiln
0:45:50 News 2: DKC Returns gets fixes, Switch 2 boosts + Animal Crossing’s odd Switch 2 Edition
0:58:49 News 3: Final Fantasy 7 Remake tested on Xbox Series!
1:06:43 News 4: Modder builds 3-in-1 Switch/Xbox/PlayStation
1:17:41 Supporter Q1: Why hasn’t Microsoft announced more Switch 2 games?
1:22:03 Supporter Q2: Should Rockstar give PS5 Pro a 40fps mode in GTA 6?
1:27:58 Supporter Q3: Could Microsoft pull out of gaming hardware in favour of cloud gaming?
1:33:52 Supporter Q4: What’s a game everyone loved, but you hated?
1:41:22 Supporter Q5 Is RDNA 5 hyped too much?
1:45:46 Supporter Q6: Now that the Saturn can do ray tracing, should we ditch our current-gen machines?

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Another week, another controversy surrounding Monster Hunter Wilds PC performance - but perhaps this time we're looking at more of a silly bug than a game-breaking issue. John clues us in on a remarkable port of Super Mario 64 for the Sega Dreamcast (!), offers up opinions on Code Vein 2 on PS5 and shares his excitement for the latest Resident Evil Requiem disclosures. There's comment on the RTX 5070 Ti discontinuation reports and general bafflement on what's going on with 007 First Light's PC specs.

0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:00 News 1: Monster Hunter DLC checks drag PC performance
0:19:37 News 2: RE Requiem trailer showcases dual protagonist gameplay
0:27:34 News 3: RTX 5070 Ti “discontinuation” fracas
0:44:27 News 4: Super Mario 64 ported to Dreamcast
0:56:27 News 5: 007 First Light gets updated PC requirements
1:05:10 News 6: John previews Code Vein 2!
1:09:37 Supporter Q1: How should we pick between DLSS 4.0 and 4.5?
1:19:27 Supporter Q2: What’s a tech that you championed early - for better or for worse?
1:32:57 Supporter Q3: Why do Unreal Engine games on consoles have no shader gathering issues?
1:35:52 Supporter Q4: After the Switch 2 rumour cycle, have you changed your approach to evaluating unverified info?
1:42:55 Supporter Q5: Did Alex ‘raw dog’ his trip to CES?

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Direct from Las Vegas, A Redbull-powered Alex Battaglia and Oliver Mackenzie share their thoughts on everything they saw at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026, while also discussing all of the big announcements. Nvidia, AMD and Intel announcements, the latest TVs and monitors and... the weirdness. Plus, what is Crimson Desert and why should be excited about it?

0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:07 News 1: Nvidia, AMD, and Intel: chipmaker announcements
0:15:37 News 2: PC hardware: laptops, desktops, and accessories
0:28:49 News 3: TVs: MicroRGB, OLED, MicroLED, “Laser”, HDMI 2.2
0:54:54 News 4: Monitors: new QD-OLED coatings, RGB OLEDs, 5K2K ultrawides
1:02:46 News 5: Crimson Desert demo
1:08:37 News 6: CES weirdness: Project AVA, fighting robots, AI saturation, RCA and RadioShack revival, AR avatars, Lego Panther Lake, recumbent chairs, China pavilion
1:36:50 News 7: Reflections on Las Vegas and CES 2026
1:42:54 Supporter Q1: How will new CES tech be affected by RAM scarcity?
1:46:06 Supporter Q2: With new price constraints, is pushing graphics tech unsustainable?
1:51:23 Supporter Q3: Where’s Nvidia’s Reflex 2?
1:54:32 Supporter Q4: Is 30fps with frame gen a good idea for Ark on Switch 2?
2:01:00 Supporter Q5: Are monitors advancing too fast for GPUs?
2:05:28 Supporter Q6: Should games mask #StutterStruggle with tear-jerking content?
2:07:38 Supporter Q7: With Nvidia continuing to innovate, why should people buy AMD GPUs?

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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
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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
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