DF Direct Weekly #174: Star Wars Outlaws, AFMF 2 & More

Overview

In this episode, the team dives into the latest gaming and technology developments. Discussion ranges from technical previews of upcoming blockbusters like Star Wars Outlaws to hardware innovations, including updates to AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 and the latest handheld PC offerings.

Star Wars Outlaws Preview

• The panel discusses the recent Star Wars Outlaws preview footage, noting it was likely captured with NVIDIA Shadowplay.
• Experts highlight the game's high technical quality but express concerns over frame drops observed in preview assets.
• The PC specifications look balanced and comparable to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, suggesting good scalability.
• The panel stresses the importance of better marketing assets for future game displays.

Nobody Wants to Die

• This Unreal Engine 5 title is praised for its stunning atmosphere, reminiscent of Blade Runner and L.A. Noire.
• Analysis of the PS5 performance modes (1080p60 vs 1440p30) shows that the quality mode, utilizing Lumen lighting, provides a superior visual experience despite frame rate trade-offs.

Sports Gaming Technology

• EA is integrating high-end ray tracing into its sports titles via the Gibbs (Global Illumination Based on Surfels) system.
• The introduction of FC 25 graphics toggles marks a notable shift for the franchise.
• Discussion covers how College Football 25 showcases technical advancements like full cloth simulation and improved lighting, while operating at a native 1440p.

Hardware and Software Updates

• PlayStation VR2: The upcoming PC adapter and price cuts are analyzed. While the headset is hardware-excellent, the consensus is that the ecosystem lacks sufficient first-party support.
• ASUS ROG Ally X: Benchmarks show performance gains thanks to faster memory and increased capacity (24GB), solidifying its position as a top-tier Windows handheld.
• AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 (AFMF 2): This driver-level frame generation tech shows significant improvement over the original, delivering smoother gameplay across various titles without needing developer integration.

"I'd rather live with frame gen artifacts than just have that obvious difference in fluidity from one moment to the other."

Destiny 3 and Future Prospects

• Bungie's Destiny 3 has been unofficially cancelled or put on hold. The team reflects on the technical debt remaining in Destiny 2 and hopes for clarity regarding the studio's future projects and integration with Sony.