DF Direct Weekly #171: Xbox Fire Stick Tested, Black Myth: Wukong Specs, First Descendant Frame-Gen!

Gaming

Introduction

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to the 171st edition of DF Weekly, our weekly discussion show covering the latest gaming and technology news. There's plenty to discuss this week. Joining me on the panel, first of all, he's back, Oliver McKenzie.

Panelists and Topics

Hi, Oliver McKenzie here. Always a pleasure, Rich. This week, it's a little bit of a more scant lineup, but I think we have some interesting topics regardless.

Absolutely! We've got a lot of controversies this week. Alex Battaglia, hello!

Yeah, I was about to say, we have our weekly Microsoft Beatdown to go over, right? But we'll get to that later.

Store Plug

Before we proceed, don't forget to check out store.digitalfoundry.net for all our latest merchandising, including our Digital Foundry approved seal of quality t-shirt. Do enjoy!

First News Topic: Xbox Fire Stick

Microsoft announced that Xbox Game Pass streaming is now available for Amazon Fire Stick 4K and 4K Max models. I downloaded the app onto my Fire Stick and gave it a go. I'll have impressions on that shortly. The new advertising campaign literally says you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox, which is quite a controversial message.

Impressions on Xbox Fire Stick

When I tested the Xbox Game Pass streaming on the Fire Stick, it set up very easily, paired my controller quite well. However, the experience was mixed. The latency was noticeable but not game-changing terrible. The image quality, however, was poor. On a 48" OLED, it looked like a low-bitrate, 1080p stream. The bit rate seemed insufficient for a TV-based experience.

Oliver and Alex expressed their thoughts. Oliver pointed out that the actual quality of the game streaming on a phone, tablet, or Fire Stick is not very good. He believes Microsoft needs to focus on providing a superior service before aggressively marketing the idea that you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games.

Alex mentioned the gradual exit from traditional console markets. He sees the approach of focusing on streaming with Fire Stick as a strategy that might not be compelling for most gamers interested in performance, image quality, and latency.

Price Increase for Game Pass

Microsoft will introduce a tier in Game Pass that doesn't offer Day One games for $ 14.99. This contradicts the prior Game Pass promise of Day One games. There's a push for people to move to Game Pass Ultimate, which will now be $ 20.

Disparity with PC Game Pass

The price increase only affects console users, which makes PC Game Pass appear more attractive at just $ 11.99 with Day One titles. This also questions the future of Xbox as Microsoft seems to focus more on PC and mobile gamers.

Black Myth: Wukong

A new preview beat for Black Myth: Wukong looks promising. Nvidia announced further details, revealing full RT (Ray Tracing) support. They showed a single asset and some benchmarks that seem heavy but expected for a full path-tracing game.

Impressions on Black Myth: Wukong

The comparison images and benchmarks indicate a significant performance boost with the RTX 4090 using DLSS 3. The benchmarks show RTX 4070 performing better in Ray Tracing compared to older cards like 3080, attributed to frame generation and architectural improvements.

Retro Renegade Repairs

This channel caught Alex's eye. The creator has upgraded an OG Xbox with a new CPU socket, allowing for plug-and-play CPU upgrades. This makes games like Half-Life 2 run smoother, showcasing how these mods can extend the capabilities of old consoles.

First Descendant Frame Generation

The First Descendant added FSR 3 frame generation, making it the second title to do so. It offers three different modes on PlayStation 5: Fidelity (30 FPS), Balanced (40 FPS), and Performance (60 FPS). All modes can use FSR 3, although it works best in Performance mode.

Observations on First Descendant

The frame generation quality is generally good, but lower base frame rates (e.g., 30 FPS) result in higher input latency. Testing in VSync off and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) shows odd frame timing in the former but works better in the latter.

Ace Combat 7 on Nintendo Switch

Ace Combat 7 arrived on Switch, running at 720p 30 FPS in docked mode. It retains the visual quality of the original, including volumetric clouds, and performs consistently well.

Supporter Q&A

We addressed numerous questions from our supporters, ranging from handheld recommendations for PC gamers focused on Game Pass to potential re-release of classic Nintendo IPs, implications of arm optimization for Windows, and the future of Steam Machines.

Key Takeaways

  • Xbox Fire Stick: Latency and image quality issues mar the experience.
  • Game Pass Price: Console users face price hikes, while PC users benefit from better cost-value.
  • Black Myth: Wukong: Promises excellent performance with Nvidia’s technology.
  • Retro Renegade Repairs: DIY mods to OG Xbox demonstrate enhanced performance.
  • First Descendant Frame Generation: Best experienced with Performance mode and VRR.
  • Ace Combat 7: Switch port is remarkably good, maintaining visual fidelity and performance.

Conclusion

This week's DF Direct Weekly covered a plethora of intriguing topics, from Xbox Fire Stick streaming and Game Pass price changes to impressive ports and exciting tech in upcoming games. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to explore these advancements in gaming and technology.

Keywords

  • Xbox Fire Stick streaming
  • Game Pass price increase
  • Black Myth: Wukong RT support
  • Retro Renegade Repairs
  • First Descendant FSR 3 frame generation
  • Ace Combat 7 on Nintendo Switch

FAQ

Q: How is Xbox Game Pass streaming on the Fire Stick? A: It has noticeable latency and poor image quality, making it less appealing compared to playing on an Xbox Series S.

Q: What are the new Game Pass pricing changes? A: There's a new tier for $ 14.99 without Day One games and Game Pass Ultimate is increasing to $ 20.

Q: How does Black Myth: Wukong perform with Nvidia RT? A: The game shows significant performance improvements with RTX 4090 and DLSS 3, but benchmarks confirm it is resource-heavy.

Q: Can the OG Xbox be upgraded for better performance? A: Yes, channels like Retro Renegade Repairs demonstrate how to upgrade the CPU, significantly improving game performance.

Q: How does FSR 3 frame generation work in First Descendant? A: It works best in Performance mode targeting 60 FPS, but lower base frame rates result in higher input latency.

Q: How does Ace Combat 7 run on the Nintendo Switch? A: The port runs at 720p 30 FPS in docked mode, retaining visual quality and performing consistently well.