Digital Foundry Direct Weekly 117: FFXVI, Nintendo & More
Final Fantasy XVI Performance Analysis
John and Tom discuss the controversial performance mode in Final Fantasy XVI. The primary consensus is that the game appears to be fundamentally designed for 30 FPS, with the performance mode added later in development. This leads to several technical issues:
• Resolution and Upscaling: The game heavily relies on DRS (Dynamic Resolution Scaling) and what appears to be FSR 1 or a similar spatial upscaler, leading to poor image quality at lower resolutions.
• The 30 FPS Debate: While some viewers are frustrated by 30 FPS, the team highlights that human perception and display technology (e.g., larger screens) play a huge role in this sensitivity.
• Polish Concerns: Including a flawed performance mode makes the title feel less polished than it is in its 30 FPS quality mode.
"I couldn't help but feel like I was being gaslit by people. I don't think that's the case. I've never seen such a vicious reaction to motion blur."
Nintendo Direct Highlights
The team breaks down numerous announcements from the recent Nintendo Direct:
New Titles & Remakes
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Praised for its bespoke, handcrafted animation and imaginative gameplay departures from the 'New Super Mario Bros.' formula.
• Super Mario RPG Remake: A faithful recreation that modernizes the visuals while retaining the original grid-based level design.
• Arkham Trilogy on Switch: The developers are skeptical about handling the demanding Arkham Knight port, noting that the Batmobile sections are extreme performance bottlenecks.
• Sonic Superstars & Penny's Big Breakaway: High interest in the latter due to the developers' momentum-driven platforming pedigree (formerly of Sonic Mania).
Industry Trends & Tech Issues
• Hardware Costs: Discussions on why console and component prices are rising rather than falling mid-generation.
• AMD Sponsoring & Upscaling: A major critique of AMD-sponsored PC titles preventing the implementation of DLSS and XESS, forcing reliance on FSR 2, which is arguably inferior for image reconstruction on NVIDIA hardware.