DF Direct Special: Xbox Showcase Reaction - Xbox Ally Handhelds, Final Fantasy 16 Tested + More!
The summer gaming events continue with the arrival of the Xbox Showcase. Microsoft has had a stellar 2025 and has delivered some exceptional events over the last few years - but this one doesn't quite make the grade. Rich, John and Oliver talk Ally handhelds, the pick of the games shown, the 2026 teases and we have capture and analysis of the "shadow dropped" port of Final Fantasy 16.
The summer gaming events continue with the arrival of the Xbox Showcase. Microsoft has had a stellar 2025 and has delivered some exceptional events over the last few years - but this one doesn't quite make the grade. Rich, John and Oliver talk Ally handhelds, the pick of the games shown, the 2026 teases and we have capture and analysis of the "shadow dropped" port of Final Fantasy 16. Join the DF Supporter Program for pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content, early access to new videos, early access to DF Direct Weekly and much, much more: https://bit.ly/3jEGjvxGo here to check out DF merch! https://store.digitalfoundry.netSubscribe for more Digital Foundry: http://bit.ly/DFSubscribe0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:43 Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X
0:15:51 Xbox full-screen experience on Windows 11
0:30:19 Final Fantasy 16 shadowdropped on Xbox - and we’ve tested it!
0:39:35 Ninja Gaiden 4
0:44:40 Persona 4 Revival
0:52:12 Beast of Reincarnation
0:56:46 Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
1:04:13 2026 teases: Fable, Forza, Gears of War - and Halo?
1:09:02 Thoughts on the showcase
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1:19:54
DF Direct Weekly #217: Summer Game Fest/State Of Play! Black Myth Wukong Xbox! PS5 VRR fixed!
Join Rich, Alex and John for their thoughts on two of the major summer events: Sony's State of Play and Geoff's Summer Game Fest. The team share their thoughts on the biggest games of the shows, before moving onto other matters: Rich is happy to see that Sony has fixed the VRR stuttering problem with PlayStation consoles, Alex discusses the team's cameo in an Unreal Fest anti-stutter presentation and the trio try to get to grips with Black Myth Wukong's sudden Xbox announcement.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:17 News 1: Summer Game Fest 2025 - Resident Evil Requiem
0:10:00 Mortal Shell 2, Onimusha: Way of the Sword,
0:17:12 Felt That Boxing, Mina The Hollower
0:26:26 Death Stranding 2 and Geoffcon evaluations
0:31:31 News 2: State of Play June 2025 - Lumines Arise
0:36:12 Pragmata, Romeo is a Dead Man
0:43:36 Silent Hill F, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement
0:49:49 Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Nioh 3
0:57:40 007: First Light
1:07:25 Ninja Gaiden, Mortal Kombat, Hirogami, Final Fantasy Tactics, Thief VR, Sword of the Sea, Marvel Tōkon
1:16:59 News 3: PS5 VRR stutter fixed!
1:23:26 News 4: Black Myth: Wukong gets Xbox release date
1:32:47 News 5: DF features in “Kill the Hitch”
1:41:10 Supporter Q1: How do The Witcher 4 (in tech demo form) and GTA 6 compare?
1:47:20 Supporter Q2: How close will the final version of The Witcher 4 be to its tech demo?
1:51:02 Supporter Q3: Will the Witcher 4 run on Switch 2?
1:53:01 Supporter Q4: Why is the Switch 2 such a conservative hardware concept?
1:59:23 Supporter Q5: Is there a compelling reason for Switch 2 owners to keep their Switch 1s?
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2:09:29
DF Direct Weekly #216: Switch 2 Retail Units Leak, Xbox 'Sidelines' Handheld, F1 25 Path Tracing!
The pre-launch anticipation for Nintendo Switch 2 ratchets up a level as retail units leak ahead of time, revealing the system's boot procedure, a preview of the front end and... not much more. The DF team react to those leaks, reflect on the Switch 2 journey that brought us to this launch and share some initial plans for coverage. Meanwhile, according to reporting from Windows Central, Microsoft has prioritised its bespoke handheld in favour of concentrating on Windows 11 gaming upgrade, Alex takes a look at F1 25's path tracing upgrade and Rich is super-impressed with GeForce Now's native aaaapppp for Steam Deck.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:16 News 1: Switch 2 retail units leak!
0:33:30 News 2: Microsoft reportedly delaying Xbox handheld
0:50:49 News 3: F1 25 packs path tracing punch
1:12:20 News 4: Nvidia releases native GeForce Now Steam Deck app
1:21:02 Supporter Q1: What games has John picked up in Japan?
1:28:58 Supporter Q2: How do the DLSS versions and presets interact?
1:34:34 Supporter Q3: Could Nvidia make DLSS mandatory on PC?
1:40:09 Supporter Q4: With Switch 2 fast approaching, have we underestimated the appeal of DLSS?
1:45:16 Supporter Q5: Is the RetroTINK 4K still useful on Switch 2?
1:47:41 Supporter Q6: Are there technical obstacles to standardizing ML upscaling through DirectX?
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Another packed Direct sees Tom, Rich and Oliver pore over 37 minutes of Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 footage, stacking it up against Series S and PS4 with intriguing results. AMD's announcement for the RX 9060 XT promises to be everything RTX 5060 isn't, while the team mull over Mario Kart World developer disclosures! Oliver gets Doom: The Dark Ages' PC performance meters working on both Xbox consoles while there's some bafflement surrounding Ninja Theory's Hellblade 2 PS5 announcement...
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:39 News 1: 37 minutes of Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 footage released!
0:18:51 News 2: AMD introduces 9060 XT
0:31:43 News 3: AMD teases “FSR Redstone”
0:44:15 News 4: Doom has hidden performance metrics on Xbox
0:53:38 News 5: Mario Kart World originally planned for Switch 1
1:02:49 News 6: Hellblade 2 coming to PS5
1:11:29 Supporter Q1: What do you make of the Nvidia/Gamers Nexus controversy?
1:19:41 Supporter Q2: If Microsoft is working on an Xbox emulator for Windows, does that signal the end for traditional Xbox consoles?
1:28:56 Supporter Q3: Should Nintendo release a non-portable, home-only Switch 2?
1:35:32 Supporter Q4: Could Switch 2 become a dumping ground for last-gen games?
1:40:29 Supporter Q5: What are your hopes and concerns for Switch 2?
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1:51:51
DF Direct Weekly #214: No Switch 2 Launch Reviews? Next-Gen Xbox Using ARM + The "Forced RT" Debate!
In this week's Direct, Rich, John and Alex discuss the strongly rumoured plans for NO Switch 2 launch reviews, along with apparent news that the next-gen Xbox will use ARM-based Snapdragon processors. Rich tests out our in-development VRR capture/analysis tools with Days Gone Remastered, measures the ongoing PS5 VRR stutter effect while Alex shares his excitement for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows disclosures. Finally, John's excited about the new Backbone Pro controller - which is much more than just a mobile controller peripheral.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:57 News 1: Nintendo reportedly not sending early Switch 2 review units
0:11:52 News 2: Should we criticize “forced ray tracing”?
0:32:03 News 3: Next-gen Xbox to use Snapdragon ARM chips?
0:43:03 News 4: Assassin’s Creed Shadows devs spill ray tracing revelations
0:59:11 News 5: Days Gone patch brings balanced modes, VRR support
1:13:27 News 6: John tests the Backbone Pro
1:23:23 Supporter Q1: Are we reaching the end of the home console era?
1:29:46 Supporter Q2: Should Halo run on id Tech?
1:38:38 Supporter Q3: Could Doom: The Dark Ages get a PS4 version? A Switch 2 version?
1:41:55 Supporter Q4: What happened to the review of Spider-Man 2 on PC?
1:48:33 Supporter Q5: What are your favourite memories of the Sega Saturn?
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When it comes to video games and the hardware and tech we play them on, the team at Digital Foundry are unparalleled experts. Each week, DF Direct breaks down the latest breakthroughs in video game visuals, sound, and performance happening on PlayStation, Xbox, the most powerful PC setups, and more. If you’re a geek for graphics, GPUs, or just video games in general, DF Direct will help you get the most out of your gaming setup. DF Direct is a part of the Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Visit Geek.com for more information.
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