Digital Foundry: Red Dead Redemption, PS5 Atmos & AMD RDNA 4

Red Dead Redemption 'Remaster' Controversy

The panel discusses the recent announcement of Red Dead Redemption coming to modern consoles. While the port by Double 11 is expected to be technically competent, the lack of a native PlayStation 5 version and the complete absence of a PC release have sparked significant backlash.

• The game appears to be a straight conversion rather than a significant remaster.
• There is no enhancement for PS5, leaving players capped at the original performance levels.
• The frustration is compounded by the persistent lack of PC support, despite high community demand.

PlayStation 5 Dolby Atmos Implementation

Following a lengthy explanation from Mark Cerny, the team dives into how the PS5 handles the new Dolby Atmos support.

• The system leverages the existing Tempest 3D Audio engine by mapping audio channels to the 7.1.4 speaker configuration.
• This is an automatic feature for games designed with 3D audio in mind.
• In contrast, testing confirms that the Xbox implementation of Atmos continues to suffer from audible latency issues in interactive gaming sessions.

AMD RDNA 4 Rumors

Rumors suggest that AMD may skip a high-end GPU for the next generation, focusing instead on mid-range chips.

"Competition is sorely needed in the GPU space, particularly in terms of keeping prices in check."

• The risk is that AMD might lose further mindshare to NVIDIA if they fail to provide a "halo" product that sets performance expectations.
• The team reflects on the importance of aggressive feature sets (like DLSS and Path Tracing) that currently give NVIDIA a significant market advantage.

Hardware & Tech Updates

• PS5 Slim Rumors: Leaked footage suggests a new design with a detachable disk drive, but uncertainty remains about its actual size and marketing focus.
• RetroTINK 4K: John shares his impressions on this forthcoming scaler, hailing it as a "godsend" for retro-gaming enthusiasts and creators requiring perfect pixel-perfect scaling for VGA and HDMI sources.