themightyant

This is brilliant, loving that it;s a system level toggle.

@Darren1967 Yes system level toggle should be great. The main issue I can see is that we don't know how much performance it takes compared to PSSR1. Those games that were optimised for PSS1 may not hit the same framerates if the PSSR2 frame budget is more. But in those cases we could always turn it off. But this might not even be an issue. Look forward to seeing more thorough testing in March.

But to me, this is further proof that next-gen consoles aren't necessary right now.

@Sp180 Developers are ALWAYS holding back, constrained by the hardware. Like a heavyweight boxer who is only using a fraction of their strength. If they had more power they could achieve even more.

But I can understand being happy with this level of fidelity for a bit too.

Seems like an impressive port with sensible cut backs. DLSS advantage clearly on display, with image quality from a base 540p looking better than the base 720p on Series S.

Though some of those frame rate dips aren't great. Personally i'd prefer fluidity over fidelity. How frequent are the dips?

Whoa! That outdoors in the rain street shot reminded me of the bullshots from Watch Dogs that never came to be.

Also as usual the 120fps modes on these consoles are too much of tradeoff for my liking. That's fine 60fps is fine in games like this.

I think we will still move away from 8GB in many cases, but it will be more slow than it was going to be. And I don't see moving above needing 12/16GB of VRAM happening any time soon, which it might have done faster with the next gen consoles rumoured to have 32GB+ of GDDR7. But I guess only time will tell.

I think we are more limited by Steam Deck, Switch 2 (probably Steam Machine if it ever releases) and sometimes mobile than anything else. These are usually the lowest spec targets for most devs.

The revamped Xbox management does have a crucial advantage. The most painful decisions have already been made

I don't think you make a change like this without changing strategy again so i'd expect some pretty major changes in the next 12+ months. Maybe it will work out, but also: Be careful what you wish for / better the devil you know and all that.

Almost gutted I sold my Switch 1 copy now. But I got what I needed out of it back in the day when a portable Skyrim seemed like a pipedream. Glad to see this fixed.

Ahahahaha! That Alex and the lamp shot had me rolling. Love it.

Well I’m guessing it’s not Bluepoint! RIP

@MemuAccount I feel this is two separate issues.

1) Saying standard consoles are running at 720p and comparing that to Series S is disingenuous because, as I said, the base resolution isn't all that important anymore, it's the final perceived resolve that is more important. E.g. if with AI upscaling we can have a 1440p - 4K-like final image from a base of 720p - 1080p, but with added effects over what we would have at 1440p - 4K and higher/ smoother frame rates then that will usually be preferable as it's a better perceived final image.

Hence comparing Series S at 720p with comparatively weak FRS upscaling vs DLSS 4.5 from 720p is a complete mismatch. They don't remotely resolve the same, one is visibly far better. As John succinctly put it (I paraphrase): "it's the quality of the pixels not the quantity that often matters now".

2) Re: 60fps, VRR, SSD etc. I agree that these didn't seem important to many gamers until they had them in their hardware, and now it's hard to go back. But this is entirely normal social behaviour. Until a threshold is reached where an idea is adopted by a significant majority it isn't perceived as a standard or often even necessary. Consoles with their fixed specs, releasing every 7ish years and selling upwards of 50 million units are usually a place for these thresholds to be changed and new standards to be adopted by players.

It's very hard to do a JPEG reveal and make it hit, but bringing out OG Kratos TC Carson was a smart move, he just about pulled it off through sheer charisma.

I do wonder how they will handle the remakes if they will stick to the fixed camera that was key to the artistry in many shots. I'm not sure I want a complete 'reimagining' that deviates too far from the originals, at that point just make a new game.

@Rich_Leadbetter I hadn't considered Bluepoint might be doing this as there was the Santa Monica logo at the start... but that could actually make a lot of sense, especially as they were working on God of War before and may even be able to reuse some assets. (Though that stabs me right in the heart for the much hoped for Bluepoint dual engine Bloodborne remaster/remake) Only time will tell.

This is utterly bizarre. I do have SOME sympathy for devs/publishers trying to prevent piracy - which is rampant on PC based on torrent snatch numbers, which is just one piracy avenue - especially for new games*.

(*)Not that every pirated game is a lost sale, but why should they enable thieves to steal? It's a tough one to solve, especially as @JJtheTexan said it does harm to paying customers. I don't know what the answer is for new games.

But adding new DRM to old games that are already cracked makes absolutely ZERO sense. The pirated game performs better, which only further pushes people towards that option.

@Anna_Rae Should be great for that. Enjoy!

Personally I prefer the Steam Deck for emulation because anything before HDMI I think looks better on a small screen than blown up onto a massive 4K screen, those games were never designed for that. Whereas they still look fantastic on a smaller screen, especially Steam Deck OLED.

I still slightly regret selling my original Steam Controller... but I did make good money on it, and I didn't actually use it much.

@MemuAccount Final perceived resolve matters more than base resolution and this varies game by game. It's also subjective. I frequently see DF say things are "unplayable" that I enjoyed playing.

RAM prices are nuts, but it's the speed of change on the pricing that is so difficult to judge. They will likely have to lock down pricing both with suppliers and for us consumers for a time before confirming. Not an enviable task in the current market.

I am intrigued to see what the hardware can actually do outside of the specs, as on paper it doesn't seem to quite match up with their claims of 4K @ 60fps. Although a lot of people are only considering the very latest AAA titles which is a _tiny proportion of the (currently) 25,302 games verified or playable for Proton on Steam Deck. The vast majority will work at high framerates and resolutions.

I'm also really looking forward to are reviews on the Steam Controller. Just going by looks I can't imagine it's very comfortable to use all 3 control options with 3 very different thumb positions for D-pad, Analogue and track pad. It looks uncomfortable and unwieldy, but perhaps it's not.

@NandoCalrissian Which is why Oliver doesn't like all the settings! It's just nice to just play games and not have to worry about which mode looks best.

@Ukigumo I think it's complicated because it is still a FromSoft game even if Sony owns the IP. Shuhei Yoshida suggested, while also claiming he didn't know for certain, that the ball was in FromSoft / Miyazaki's court.

But I also suspect Sony will want to, understandably in my view, cash in on the demand for Bloodborne and do an entire Bluepoint remake like Demon's Souls. The trouble is they were busy with another project and it's if they actually want to do it. While I'd be happy with a 60fps / upscaled res / QoL patch as a consumer, I do understand from a business perspective Sony wanting more. If I was in their shoes i'd do the same frankly. PS6 launch title?

Wow! I'm not usually a fan of lighting mods as for all the good they can do they usually change the vibe and artistic intent of the devs too much, but this looks sublime (except the crushed blacks).

I don't need a Bluepoint Bloodborne remake, just a 60fps remaster with adjusted lighting like this and a couple of QoL features like not having to farm blood vials!!! It looks utterly GLORIOUS.

Nice write up. Especially appreciate all the comparison images. Much appreciated Oliver!

@Rich_Leadbetter Sure, but you usually pair a GPU with a top of the line CPU, RAM, MB etc. in those reviews. As you said in yourself in the B570 review:

"...while benchmarks on a best of the best CPU show no issues with the B580, or the new B570, the situation changes radically on older or less capable systems, that's something Intel needs to address...

It's something I have an issue with on reviews as they are often (understandably) are benched with hardware they will almost never be paired with, and we won't actually get that performance with a lesser CPU, RAM, MB etc. That's a hard nut to crack.

Either way I appreciate the article, nice to see a budget gaming PC can still be built, just about.

Nice article Rich, however it would probably be useful to know what sort of performance we could expect from such a system so we could weigh up the pros and cons of these concessions.

What a bizarre way to check for DLC, constantly checking rather than just storing it as a simple global at launch. Awful programming.

Posts like this always make me glad I’m not sensitive to this sort of thing. New tech is good, but it’s not really an important issue for me, I’ll spend my cash on things that are. But glad this exists for those that are.

While I have major issues with Nvidia's product stack, particularly on pricing and RAM allocation, DLSS continues to be the thing that makes me want to pick up an Nvidia GPU as a gamer. AMD are always several steps behind here.

This is why I love individual lists, far more interesting than a homogenised list. We've got Metacritic, Steam reviews and The Game Awards for that. It's also far more likely to shine a light on games that might have been overlooked.

@ramu-chan It is divisive, but if you like it it's fantastic. I thought it was 80% brilliant, but 20% let it down.

Yet the online discourse makes it sound like a terrible game and GROSSLY over exaggerates things like the team chatter - which hardly happens - or green crystal collection - which as long as you don't leave it all to the end isn't really a chore.

Most of the game is just classic Metroid Prime - oodles of atmosphere, clever design and plenty of fun. But I can see why some won't like it as much.

Great write up. I've often used the phrase "yesterday's technology tomorrow" to describe Nintendo's hardware in the past (though I am fond of ol'Ninty in other ways) so reading "tomorrow's technology today" was exciting to see.

It is a glimpse into the future and I can imagine a docked Strix Halo giving PS5-like visuals when docked on AC power, but then being able to pick up and play as a handheld with reduced settings. That's exciting. Though for now a RRP starting from around £1650 for this 395 model is outside my budget. Regardless I am excited about the future possibilities.

This is why I love personal lists more than group voted ones, we get a lot of variety! While my list bears little resemblance to yours I only see this as a positive as it puts more games on my radar.

Re: Metroid Prime 4 I lean more towards your view here than others, but am a bit in between. It’s a good game with some great moments, but also has some terrible ones too. But I liked it overall.

@Zeeejay Just seems like a shoddy port considering Steam Deck gets 60fps comfortable at Low preset, 60fps 99% of the time at Medium and 50-60fps at High. And if you further tweak settings you can get a pretty stable 60fps at mostly high+ settings.

From everything i've seen it's a SHOCKINGLY bad port, but I look forward to seeing your full coverage and discovering more.

Slightly bizarre list imo. Is this best art design, or best graphics? Metroid 4 has stunning art design, and a lovely use of HDR, combining to feel very atmospheric, but the graphics themselves are pretty basic when put under even the lightest microscope.

I'm not adverse to either, it would just be good to know what you are actually evaluating. It seems pretty scattergun, almost as if you shoe-horning games you like/want to mention into these awards. That doesn't feel quite right.

EDIT: they clarify slightly more in the full video, but still feels a bit scattergun. Also surprised DS2 didn’t take top spot tbh, it made my jaw drop, which Doom didn’t, buy I understand their reasoning.

It's certainly an interesting curio, but i'll be waiting to see how the emulator handles more challenging games.

First 4 hours I absolutely loved and was thinking it was the second best in the series after Prime 1, but then the desert area and backtracking started and it’s just frustrating for long periods.

It’s a shame because when it’s good it’s great, the highs are high, but the lows are pretty low too. Will be interesting to see how it balances this out and which wins. Feel very mixed right now.

We already know Windows sucks a lot of performance out of hardware, but seeing a Windows patch affect it to this degree is bonkers.

But I also have to wonder how widespread the issue is. Logically if it was affecting most games to this extent there would be a larger outcry, right? So it's likely it's still either a relatively small number of games, or the performance dip is much smaller generally.

Either way not a great situation, and hopefully more press like this will get the issue resolved faster.

Well this sucks! I have been putting off building a new rig for several years now and was thinking of building a new one soon, but was holding out for RDNA 5 or next Nvidia offering. Maybe i'll build everything else and find a stop-gap GPU.

This was a nice flashback. I didn't actually get an Xbox 360 Day 1, I was saving for a PS3, but after seeing Gears of War I went out and spent that PS3 money on an Xbox 360 and didn't look back.

Love that the onboarding process was just 2 button presses. Just 'Language' and 'Xbox Storage Device'. Compare that with lengthy onboarding nowadays even if setting up as a new device.

But then Region Locked first game! lol. Was just waiting for a RROD and it would of have been the 360 life in microcosm.

Oh my god, I had that same corner unit. Lol. Memories.

Excellent write up. It's not for me, but I know it will be for some.

@Lotus_DF I meant “2020” more in terms of performance than the actual year the hardware release dates, but I take you point. It just looks so backwards thinking when the specs sit at the mid point of the hardware steam chart before it even releases. Surely you want a reasonable upgrade? So who is that for?

Yet I agree that low cost could be the deciding factor that makes it sell, but I also think the low specs might be the thing that holds it back. As I said it’s a bit of condunrdum. We’ll have to wait and see.

But I am excited about what the device COULD be in future. Whether that’s a third party “Steam Machine” or a more Pro aimed model.

@Lotus_DF I think the problem is they effectively have 2020 hardware specs in a device coming out in 2026 and the bar will likely be raised in 2027 with next-gen consoles.

Yes it will be likely be a decent entry level gaming PC, but it’s not hard to want a bit more.

It's a bit of a conundrum. The Steam DECK absolutely felt like an enthusiast device, being able to play a lot of your Steam library on the go. But the Steam MACHINE doesn't seem to be targeted at that same group of players, the specs are just too low for most enthusiasts.

I am sure there will still be some enthusiasts who still want it, whether to use as the ultimate emulator box, or for other reasons, but for most it's unlikely to replace their PCs. I do wonder how it will fare with a different target group.

I said on the other thread I thought they would be aiming from £500+ depending how bullish they were being. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Personally I would have been there day 1 if it was around £750+ with a 16GB GPU and a little more GPU grunt. As it is I likely won't be buying... but then... I said the same about the Deck!

Great fix. Easy decision to make if you have the storage.

Tears of the Kingdom, on Switch 1, you could see the whole way across the map yet Gamefreak can't handle a few NPCs in a city more than a few metres away even on Switch 2. Honestly this is just incompetent in 2025.

Would be disappointing on an indie game but Pokemon is the biggest franchise in the world, it's embarrassing.

@NandoCalrissian They suggested OEMs might build different specifications. But hopefully they release Steam OS and we can build our own systems with better specs but still take advantage of things like boot/instant on from the controller and immediate resume, like Steam Deck.

Price will be all important. For the specs it SHOULD be cheaper than PS5 but will it be? Also only having an 8GB VRAM option is disappointing for 2 reasons.

1. It will prolong 8GB being base level
2. It will limit what this can do.

Either way it's pretty exciting, but personally i'd want higher specs.

UPDATE Steve from Gamers Nexus said Valve hinted it would be priced more like an entry level PC than a console.

Thanks @Rich_Leadbetter appreciate the reply. All fair points. I guess my point was if you are naming PS5 as a comparison that naturally invites the other comparisons too. Though as you rightly say value is hard to compare with so many other factors, it isn't just the box price.

That $999 PC is a great deal, assuming they haven't cheaped out on some components. Maybe this will FINALLY be the year I replace my old rig, but i've been saying that for years. lol

Great to see DF have it's own website. Best of luck with it.

Rich. I was wondering what the full systems specs were of the test rig, that information seems to be absent here.

Either way I suspect it would still be a struggle to hit that £699 budget with a £350 and £400 GPU assuming you aren't Linus-ing it and buying second hard parts. What was the RRP of your build?

The naysayers will probably have a good old whinge, but i've been pretty happy with mine. After selling my launch PS5 I got the Pro from Very for around £270 net + drive, that's fine for an enthusiast to (mostly) play at the highest console fidelity for the 3+ years with fewer compromises.

Bit of a shame about the handful of games they run worse, but it is the minority.

Good job getting up so many previous posts. Best of luck with the new website DF.

Nice work. Hope the comments are as good as on EG.

Shame there are no threaded comments though it makes it much harder to have, and follow, a conversation.

Onwards and upwards DF.