Digital Foundry Direct Weekly: New Switch, PSVR 2, & GPU News

The New Switch Rumors

The team dives into the unconfirmed but highly anticipated new Switch model, focusing on the rumored 7-inch OLED screen. John and Alex debate the merits of a 720p resolution, arguing that it maintains pixel density and avoids the issues of scaling native software to a higher resolution screen. They also analyze the likelihood of DLSS implementation, concluding it is a hardware-heavy software task that cannot be added via a simple dock add-on, suggesting an entirely new SoC would be required instead.

PSVR 2 and Industry Trends

Sony’s announcement of the next-gen PSVR is a major highlight. The team discusses the potential for inside-out tracking and high-quality hand controllers resembling the Valve Index knuckles, which could bridge the gap between console VR and high-end PC experiences. Additionally, they touch on the Doom 3 VR announcement, noting the historical significance of the title in the origins of modern VR.

GPU Market: Radeon RX 6700 XT

The analysts discuss the Radeon RX 6700 XT, questioning its competitiveness against Nvidia's offerings. Key points include:
• The complex market reality regarding pricing and stock availability.
• The performance benefits of Infinity Cache.
• The ongoing disadvantage of AMD regarding the absence of a direct DLSS equivalent, emphasizing that temporal upscaling alternatives are currently lagging.

Retro Pickups & Professional Updates

In a turn toward retro gaming, the team showcases recent physical acquisitions, including rare PC Engine titles and the polished Japanese version of OutRun 2 SP. Alex also shares his ongoing project of building a Pentium 3 era PC, highlighting the surprising speed of Windows 98 for vintage workloads.

"I really think we're going to be seeing so much from AI, from NVIDIA and from others... the potential use for this technology is something to keep an eye on."

Final Discussions

The episode concludes with Q&A from Patreon supporters, covering:
• Best titles for demonstrating HDR.
• The potential for Apple's M-series chips to disrupt the gaming space.
• Future rendering techniques like MetaHumans to reduce development costs.