u/MythBuster2

>Bethesda is promising a new patch for Oblivion Remastered based on the Switch 2 version's optimisations - but is there any evidence to suggest that the Switch 2 optimisations will make any real differences for the other versions? Meanwhile, Oliver clarifies his comments on which PC specs reflect next-gen consoles, whether Project Helix will make much of a difference for Microsoft and whether Epic should make their own console (!). Finally, how come Switch 2 hasn't really much in the way of cross-gen first party exclusives?

>The team reacts to Pearl Abyss' statement that Crimson Desert is - somehow - coming to Switch 2, but the first order of business is to share impressions (and performance testing) for the Gears of War E-Day MP beta on PC... and while extremely impressive, we do have some concerns. Rich tests a remarkable system for playing Switch 2 games on the go in TV move with a virtual 174-inch OLED display, John's excited by a new wave of announced VR titles, there's curiousity around Xbox/Game Pass app games coming to Linux and there's some eyebrow-raising data on Resident Evil Requiem physical disc sales.

>Arcade fighters have enjoyed one of the longest runs of any gaming genre, starting life back in the early to mid-80s. PlayStation and Arc systems works have teamed up with marvel to reinvigorate the genre, with Tōkon fighting souls. Running under the latest UE5 engine, with Arc’s superb 2.5D cell shaded anime graphical style from their modern Guilty Gear and DBZ fighters. Thanks to review code from PlayStation UK and an open beta at the end of July. I put in some rounds across PS5, Pro and PC to see if this is a fight worth having?

>A handheld port of Oblivion Remastered was always set to be a challenge on a tech level - but here it is on Switch 2 today. In keeping its Unreal Engine 5-enhanced visuals it's surprisingly in tact, though cutbacks in shadow quality and world detail are apparent. More of a problem is the stability at 30fps, with Switch 2 sporting obvious hitches in the open world. Tom goes into detail on an initially impressive, but also frustrating port.

Article: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/switch-2-oblivion-remastered-frustrates-as-much-as-it-impresses

>It's been a year since Digital Foundry parted ways with IGN, buying out its shares and becoming completely independent. The team discuss the challenges of the last 12 months within the context of continuing bad news within the games business, before discussing what we've achieved from our objectives, where we've fallen short and how we're looking to revamp our tools. Beyond that, there are more questions about the future of the console business, the idea of an Xbox Helix "add in card" for PC, how Nintendo has achieved success without compromising its identity and finally... what PC spec today would match the consoles of tomorrow?

>Undisputed masters of Unreal Engine, Gears of War E-Day sees the team getting to grips with UE5, rolling out the full suite of features with a range of different graphics mode and a sweetspot 60fps target. Oliver tests out the Xbox Series X and Series S multiplayer beta code, delivering these impressions.

Article: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/previews/the-gears-of-war-e-day-beta-shows-ue5-visuals-at-their-best-despite-sometimes-shaky-performance-on-series-xs

>What was looking like a fairly quiet week turned into a frenzy with the news that Rockstar will be publishing an "extended look" at Grand Theft Auto 6 on August 27 - but what should we expect? And why on earth would Netflix pay for a six-hour exclusivity window? Meanwhile, The Verge reveals Microsoft docs confirming Xbox 360 emulation for PC, Xbox Disc2Digital should be coming soon and someone has Half-Life Alyx kinda running on Meta Quest 3. Finally can the Steam Hardware Survey really be trusted? Are there really more 16GB GPUs out there than 8GB GPUs?

>John, Coury and Try talk about graphical effects that were revolutionary at the time but have been "lost" to the evolution of technology.

>A month on since its release, the dust has now settled on the Black Ops 1 and 2 ports on PS4 and PS5. The verdict: it's an immensely popular release that at last gives PlayStation users a way to play the game on modern systems. But it's clearly lacking in a few ways - with settings that fall far short of PC's best, and with ongoing online connectivity issues. Tom on task to investigate the highs and lows.

Article: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/black-ops-1plus2-are-lacklustre-ps5-and-ps4-ports-of-some-of-the-best-call-of-duty-titles

>Quake - one of the very greatest games ever made. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, MachineGames has delivered a brand new mission pack - Dawn of the Machine - and we've had early access to it. John Linneman reminds us of what made Quake so special, why it still holds up today, and takes us through the excellent new expansion.

Article: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/quakes-30th-anniversary-dawn-of-the-machine-episode-is-an-ambitious-celebration-of-the-games-history

>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?

>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.

>Originally released in 1988, Truxton has now returned - modernised for the latest gaming systems, but retaining the heart of the original's bullet hell brilliance. John takes a look at the new game across multiple systems, compares against the original, and assesses how the original 3:4 aspect ratio gameplay works on today's somewhat wider 16:9 display standard.

>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.

>Halo Campaign Evolved is an exciting, expertly modernised rendition of a truly classic game - and we're generally happy with how it turned out on consoles. PC? It's a little more complicated - there's much to commend this release, but scalability is limited, important options are only available via mods and the CPU overhead is very, very high compared to the smoother results we've seen on less capable console hardware.

>We've already gone into depth on how Halo Campaign Evolved reimagines and remakes the original, classic game and we've got a PC review to follow, but for now, here's how every console version of the game stacks up. Halo Studios has delivered accomplished work here and while all versions are worthy of your purchasing power, it's PS5 Pro that addresses most of the lingering issues.

Article: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/features/halo-campaign-evolved-scales-well-from-ps5-pro-to-xbox-series-s-despite-its-full-throated-unreal-engine-5-features

>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.

>Assassin's Creed has been around for almost 20 years, but in 2026, Ubisoft have remade, refreshed, and Re-Synced one of the most influential in the series, AC:Black Flag. Re-built using the latest Anvil Next Engine, using Ray Traced GI, Reflections, improved physics, updated rendering, character models and HUGE changes to the core gameplay. Is this Old game, in a new guide, worth it's weight in gold?