In this edition of DF Direct Weekly, the hosts discuss the impressive reveal of Metro 2039, rumors of Nvidia acquiring a PC manufacturer, and technical issues with Starfield on PS5, alongside the potential 2026 return of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU. They also explore a peculiar resolution anomaly in Pragmata on PS5, highlighting ongoing challenges in game optimization and hardware performance.
In this 260th edition of DF Direct Weekly, the hosts discuss several major gaming and technology news items, beginning with the surprise reveal of Metro 2039 by 4A Games. The panel praises the game’s impressive visuals and continuity between its CG trailer and gameplay footage, noting its focus on darker, tunnel-centric environments and the continued use of the 4A engine with enhanced ray tracing techniques. They speculate on the game’s likely 30fps target on consoles, following the franchise’s tradition, and express excitement about the upcoming winter release window despite concerns over competition from major titles like GTA 6.
Next, the discussion turns to a rumor about Nvidia potentially acquiring a major PC manufacturer like Dell or HP, which Nvidia has officially denied. The panel debates the strategic logic behind such a move, suggesting Nvidia might want more control over hardware integration as it develops its own SOCs and platforms. They consider the potential implications for consumers and partners, noting that Nvidia’s expansion into making PCs could be a way to counter moves by companies like Microsoft licensing Xbox chipsets to OEMs. However, the rumor remains unconfirmed and somewhat speculative.
The conversation then shifts to Bethesda’s Starfield on PlayStation 5, where serious technical issues including frequent crashes and poor optimization have been reported. Oliver McKenzie details his experience with the game, highlighting the breadth of problems across different PS5 configurations and the inadequacy of Bethesda’s initial hotfix response. The panel expresses disappointment given Microsoft’s generally strong track record with PlayStation ports and criticizes the lack of polish and meaningful enhancements for the PS5 Pro. They hope forthcoming patches will improve stability but remain concerned about the game’s quality at launch.
On a more positive note, the hosts discuss the rumored return of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor in 2026 as a celebration of the AM4 platform’s 10th anniversary. They praise the CPU’s strong performance and consumer-friendly nature, especially for users wanting to upgrade without moving to the newer, more expensive AM5 platform and DDR5 memory. However, they caution that the eventual price point will be critical to its appeal, given current market conditions and the cost of newer hardware. The panel also considers the logistics behind the chip’s return and its potential impact on PC enthusiasts.
Finally, the show covers a curious technical anomaly discovered in the PlayStation 5 version of Pragmata, where resolution appears to differ based on save game data. The team finds that loading a cloud save from a PS5 Pro can result in a higher 1440p resolution, whereas starting fresh defaults to 1080p. This unexpected behavior has caused confusion among testers and is unusual for PlayStation titles. The hosts theorize about how save data might influence rendering settings and acknowledge the challenge of diagnosing such issues, ultimately leaving it as an open question for further investigation. The episode concludes with reminders about Digital Foundry’s community and content offerings.