Digital Foundry Direct Weekly

The fallout from the Xbox Reset continues as more questions are raised: does Xbox's recent pivots change the plan for Project Helix? Will it still allow other PC stores to run on it? Will it have a disc drive? Meanwhile, other questions are asked: will cancelling PlayStation Plus make Sony rethink its physical media cancellation? What about the "code in the box" GTA 6? And is Nintendo the last platform holder that not to lay-off its developers and antagonise its audience?00:00 Introduction01:06 Supporter Q1: If Microsoft makes so much money as a platform holder, why will Project Helix let you play Steam games?14:41 Supporter Q2: Could Project Helix have an optional disc drive?19:46 Supporter Q3: Could players sway Sony’s mind on PS5 discs by cancelling PlayStation Plus?26:09 Supporter Q4: What’s the worst thing Nintendo has ever done?34:20 Supporter Q5: Should we buy GTA 6 in physical form to prove a point to Sony and Take-Two?37:17 Supporter Q6: What PS3 game should get the Black Flag Resynced treatment?

In the wake of the outcry against the decimation of id Software, Microsoft and seemingly id itself try to downplay the damage and reassure the audience - but what do we think of this - and indeed John Carmack's statements on the issue? Meanwhile Oliver has some bad news about Call of Duty Black Ops on PS5 or rather, the "Just There" edition as Rich dubs it. Beyond that, the petition against the end of PS5 physical media crosses the 250,000 threshold and there's further evidence that RTX 50 Series Super is happening. Finally, after wading through a bunch of bad news, the team find something to celebrate as we hit the five year anniversary of the Steam Deck reveal.0:00:00 Introduction 0:01:32 News 1: Doom: The Dark Ages DLC arrives, while id layoffs linger 0:35:23 News 2: “Don’t kill the disc” petition crosses 250,000 signatures 0:55:07 News 3: Black Ops 1 & 2 launch on PS4, PS5 1:02:53 News 4: PSU maker drops RTX 50 Super series info 1:13:18 Retrospective: 5 years of Steam Deck

One part necessary re-organisation, one part liberation for key developers, one part vandalism of Xbox studios, it's a mixture of disbelief and anger from the DF panel as the full extent of Xbox's so-called "reset" becomes clear. If Asha Sharma's report on the business is on the level, clearly something had to be done - but as the scale of the lay-offs and the astonishing cuts to id Software become clear, are spreadsheets now more important to Microsoft than its audience?0:00:00 Introduction0:00:51 Supporter Q1: Why is Microsoft laying off 3200 people?0:28:39 Supporter Q2: Will Sony be forced to be more flexible with their digital storefront, now that physical discs are on the way out?0:45:04 Supporter Q3: Should Microsoft and Sony just call their next-gen consoles off?0:54:48 Supporter Q4: Could the PS6 SoC be revised?1:00:19 Supporter Q5: Could you use PCIe expansion to attach graphics expansion tech to current consoles?

Sony announces the end of PlayStation game discs via a three paragraph blog post - bringing to an end the era of physical media and actually owning the games you buy, along with the right to resell them, share them and preserve them. A sombre panel assesses the full implications of Sony's decision, why it's doing it, the damage it'll cause and how the PlayStation Store needs a major revamp to take the place of physical media. Also: Sony shuts down the PS3 and Vita stores, Xbox may have alternative plans for potentially phasing out discs and a new Switch 2 LCD panel will hopefully address the problems of the current one.0:00:00 Introduction0:00:52 News 1: Sony planning to cease manufacturing new PlayStation games0:43:32 News 2: Sony pulling PS3, Vita digital stores0:54:47 News 3: Xbox disc to digital program reportedly planned1:01:55 News 4: New Switch 2 display reportedly enters the fray

In the wake of Steam Machine pricing and sharp Xbox MSRP increases, are we looking at the prospect of a $1000 next-gen console? John, Rich and Oliver discuss. Meanwhile, in the current climate, how can you save money on gaming hardware? Is GTA 6 in danger of being the most over-hyped game ever? And if time travel were available, how could the current Xbox crisis have been averted?00:00 Introduction00:51 News 1: How does the gaming industry survive recent hardware price bumps?24:54 News 2: What’s your advice for saving money on gaming hardware?33:44 News 3: How is John feeling after the GTA 6 code-in-a-box fiasco?42:11 News 4: Is GTA 6 the most overhyped game ever?46:57 News 5: If you could time travel, how would you fix Xbox?55:28 News 6: What’s the future of the Steam Machine?

Oliver, Rich and Tom discuss GTA 6. Are the 63 new screenshots indicative of actual gameplay? What about the "code in a box" situation? Are the latest PS5 Pro rumours plausible? Meanwhile, the panel is shocked by the huge Xbox price rises, somewhat more positive about FSR 4 arriving on RDNA 3 GPUs, and there's a full breakdown of Sonic Frontiers for Switch 2. And finally, SteamOS can now power a range of desktop PC hardware - but wasn't Bazzite doing that already?0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:37 News 1: New GTA 6 assets, details released 0:32:43 News 2: AI-driven price rises hit Xbox, Apple0:45:52 News 3: FSR 4.1 released for RDNA 3 GPUs0:57:50 News 4: SteamOS 3.8 supports wide range of AMD PCs1:05:53 News 5: Sonic Frontiers tested on Switch 2!

In the wake of our Steam Machine review, Rich and Will tackle a range of Supporter questions on the price, value and design of the hardware, the ability of Valve to supply it - and the future of SteamOS in general.00:00 Introduction00:37 Supporter Q1: What should we think of the value of the Steam Machine?12:03 Supporter Q2: What’s the target audience for the Steam Machine?20:01 Supporter Q3: Should Valve have used unified memory?25:19 Supporter Q4: Is Valve incapable of shipping hardware in volume at the moment?29:30 Supporter Q5: Will Nvidia be supported in future SteamOS releases?35:09 Supporter Q6: Why doesn’t the Steam Machine have a lunchbox-style handle?

Actual GTA 6 news - and a new clip - see John, Tom and Oliver "concerned" over missing RT reflections. Then it's onto Unreal Fest with discussion on the latest Unreal Engine 5 upgrades and the implications of AI in Unreal Engine 6 workflow. The Gears of War: E-Day tech demo demands attention, while John gets to grips with a staggeringly expensive VR headset. And would you believe it's been a whole five years since we published our massive PS1 launch episode of DF Retro? John's got some stories to share.0:00:00 Introduction0:02:33 News 1: Rockstar releases new GTA 6 footage0:11:10 News 2: Unreal Engine 5.8 demonstrated at Unreal Fest0:31:10 News 3: Epic reveals new Unreal Engine 6 details0:39:41 News 4: New PS5 8TB SSD costs nearly $30000:45:20 News 5: Call of Duty Black Ops 1 and 2 being ported to PlayStation0:50:49 News 6: John tests Pimax Dream Air1:03:56 Retrospective: looking back on DF Retro PS1

The team is left reeling after reports emerge of studios on the brink within Microsoft - a far cry from the highs of the summer showcase and previous comments from management about preserving their studio structure. Meanwhile, we discuss ARM's new ML rendering suite, the potential return of the previously cancelled RTX 50-series Super cards and... is Sega working on a retro handheld and if so, what would we want from it?00:00 Introduction00:48 Supporter Q1: What’s going on at Xbox?21:08 Supporter Q2: Will Xbox become the next 3DO?29:35 Supporter Q3: What do you think of ARM’s new AI rendering suite?36:44 Supporter Q4: What should we expect from the 50 series Super cards?44:00 Supporter Q5: What does Intel and Nvidia’s GPU collaboration mean for Arc?49:35 Supporter Q6: Is Sega working on a new retro handheld?