TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

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

In this week’s Direct, Microsoft says you don’t need an Xbox to play Xbox – but if they’re talking about streaming on a Fire Stick 4K, we’d beg to differ. Meanwhile, Alex talks about a 1.4GHz CPU overclock for the OG Xbox and shares his thoughts on the new Black Myth: Wukong full RT assets and benchmarks. Oliver tests out Ace Combat 7 on Switch, while Rich checks out frame generation on the First Descendant – in 30fps fidelity mode, 40fps balanced mode and 60fps performance mode. How high does frame-rate get – and are the lower fps modes a write-off?

Watch the Renegade Retro Repairs OG Xbox video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sOxISaySns

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0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:54 News 01: Microsoft says you don’t need an Xbox to play Xbox
0:24:31 News 02: Game Pass prices increased
0:38:36 News 03: New Black Myth: Wukong PC details revealed
0:53:26 News 04: Original Xbox gets 1.4 GHz CPU upgrade
1:01:34 News 05: The First Descendant frame gen tested!
1:13:21 News 06: Ace Combat 7 tested on Switch
1:19:41 Supporter Q1: Which Windows-based PC handheld would you recommend most?
1:25:36 Supporter Q2: Will you be doing more 3 person game playing videos?
1:29:44 Supporter Q3: What old unused Nintendo IP would you like to see again?
1:34:45 Supporter Q4: If Microsoft got Windows working seamlessly on ARM, what would that mean for their products?
1:43:27 Supporter Q5: Do you think Valve will give Steam Machines another shot?
1:49:21 Supporter Q6: Why is Intel’s XeSS so much better than AMD’s FSR?
1:59:01 Supporter Q7: Will Unreal Engine traversal stutter be fixed for the new Witcher game?
2:02:08 Supporter Q8: Could the PS Portal be updated or hacked to be a substantially more useful device?
2:06:25 Supporter Q9: John asks: how is the recording session going?

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

  • I really can’t see the angle where giving more options is in any way bad. Someone would have to go and change a setting, notice its bad, then forget how to do what they just did. Even children wouldn’t make that mistake.

  • Alex's reaction to the final question asker 👏😂

  • As far as difference in price between PC and Console Gamepass, don’t console players have access to more titles?

  • Just a shame their Xbox 360 library couldn’t end up coming to PC through an emulation app by Microsoft.

  • Alex almost falling asleep during the Xbox streaming discussion (no suprise there lol) , wait till it comes to the PC space and a choice between £1k plus for a card plus the cpu etc. or a lot cheaper streaming service with all the bells and whistles for a fraction of the cost

  • Old Nintendo IPs on the Switch 2. I've been waiting for a new MACH RIDER since 1986. There were so many great and innovative games on the NES. Or how about a new Cobra Triangle.

  • It's a shame Namco (Bandai), spent development time porting Ace Combat 7 to the Switch, when they could have ported it to the PSVR 2, and made it so much improved, including having the entire game playable from the HMD.

  • Some of these comments are as tone deaf as Microsoft's Exces. Forget reaching billions of gamers fantasy, the argument is that their offering isn't even enough to sell in their traditional space. The streaming optimal environment is bad enough to introduce mass audience game in worst possible quality now imagine regions with worse infrastructure and most countries that won't be able to do that at all in foreseeable future. Microsoft went all in with a business model that is snake oil for now, you fanboys don't become snake oil salesmen.

  • I appreciate that John's question devolved into water cooler "how's the weather" lmaoo

  • PC game pass has always had way less games than on Xbox. I have a Series S still because of this, and modern game devs still can't figure out crossplay.

  • Lool "allow the user to test their own limits of what's acceptable"

  • I have lost all faith in xbox at this point. The name xbox means inconsistency, incompetence and uncertainty for the future. I do not feel comfortable putting any more money into my digital library on that platform.

  • Microsoft does what makes the most money. It’s a business after all. Anyone who thinks any move by any company is the wrong move thinks they matter more than money. You don’t matter. Not to Sony or Xbox or Nintendo.

  • Depending on the type of game streaming can be quite viable. Obviously something like a competitive twitch shooter isn't going to be enjoyable no matter how fast and perfect your connection is, but I've streamed games through my home wifi from my main system to a laptop on the other side of the house and it quickly made me realize what games work and what games don't. Pretty much anything that's fine to play on a controller is playable with 30-40ms of latency. But I don't know how I'd feel about playing at the visual quality of a Series S.

  • If MS move to streaming only, they basically are saying to places like Australia that it's a low priority market. Universally, our internet just isn't good enough for it consistently. That's why PS Now or Stadia never launched here.

  • Good to see ace combat come to new platform. Love that game series

  • Man, having a neighbor pick up home chainsaw merchandising, as Rich is a videographer and streamer, sounds like a hellish twist of fate.

  • I bought a Series X shortly after release and did the 36 months of Live Gold to GP Ultimate for $1 trick. I played Halo campaign, and tried very hard to like Starfield but it just didn’t stick the landing for me. I was looking forward to Hellblade but I was on a month long trip when it released and my GP subscription expired. At this point I totally regret buying the Xbox and have no plans to renew the GP subscription.
    My Sony PS+ subscription expires soon and since they have removed the discounted 12 month subscription codes I will not renew that either.

  • Tired of the Xbox news. Don’t blame you guys, but Xbox is not relevant in today’s gaming world. The Steam Deck and Oculus Rift are more relevant. Their games have largely failed (outside of PC-centric games), Activision is a COD machine, Blizzard is basically dead other than deteriorating games as a service, there is nothing going on at Xbox with so few users now to warrant a quarter of the attention of PlayStation, Nintendo or PC.

  • If MS streaming to NVIDIA levels then they have an opportunity to massively expand their market share. At the right price of course..

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