Oliver Mackenzie

Oliver Mackenzie

@oliemack.bsky.social

Video producer/writer, contributor at Digital Foundry. Past work at various news companies and nonprofits.

7K followers41 following295 posts

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

After looking over my PS5 Pro captures again, I'm less confident about leaning TSR on the PS5 Pro upscaler. In particular, there's one shot that shows a known PSSR issue, with disappearing rain.

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

I'm still not certain. Stills look very similar, and the Pro is running at a much higher resolution which explains at least some of the difference in motion. It would take more work to be sure. But if I was doing the video again, I would be more neutral.

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Black Flag Resynced is an unexpected technical triumph and one of the most impressive remakes I’ve seen. Here’s my video, based on an interview with key members of the development staff.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

Our first Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced video takes you inside the Anvil Next engine, showing how the latest tech delivers a modern, cutting-edge game - and how it compares against the original: youtu.be/23SXKKfm4NA

youtu.beAssassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Tech Review: A Stunning, Cutting-Edge UpgradeYouTube video by Digital Foundry
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Devil May Cry 5 is a good port on Switch 2, with reasonable image quality and great performance. There are a couple odd decisions in the mix though, and resolution figures seem a bit aggressive.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

Review: Devil May Cry 5 On Switch 2 Easily Outclasses the PS4 Version, Yet Further Improvements Could Be Made.

digitalfoundry.netReview: Devil May Cry 5 On Switch 2 Easily Outclasses the PS4 Version, Yet Further Improvements Could Be MadeHere's Oliver with the port report.
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

I've been playing more MTG recently after a long break and did pretty well in the Arena qualifier weekend. 4-0 in the only play-in I tried yesterday and 5-3 during the qualifier today playing mono green stompy.

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

I got knocked out by Nathan Steuer (2x pro tour winner) which makes failing to hit day 2 hurt a bit less. Not the best deck in the format or anything but simple and fun to play, with good matchups against a lot of the meta. Still learning this standard and making some mistakes for sure.

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

First Light on Xbox Series is fine enough, and Series S endures less compromise than usual.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

007 First Light - the Xbox Experience. Xbox Series X is - expected - similar to PlayStation 5, so how does the game scale to Series S? www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/007-...

digitalfoundry.netReview: 007 First Light on Xbox Series X|S: Minor Quirks But Solid Ports OverallSeries S' singular 30fps mode is very similar to Series X's 60fps performance mode.
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Aside from some image quality faults, the PS5 version of 007 First Light is in great shape - but PS5 Pro offers the premium experience.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

007 First Light - our first review coverage kicks off with a look at the PS5 and PS5 Pro versions. We're still waiting for Xbox code and will report back on that in due course: www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/007-...

digitalfoundry.netReview: 007 First Light Is A Technical Standout on PS5 and PS5 ProDespite some image quality concerns on base PS5.
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

This looks super cool! A good chance to catch up as I am a few expansions behind at this point 😅 Only messy thing is the separate sub which I'm not a huge fan of but platform compliance with MMOs can be weird.

FINAL FANTASY XIV@en.finalfantasyxiv.com

FINAL FANTASY XIV will make its debut on the Nintendo Switch™ 2 in August 2026!

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Is this really going to be tenable until the next update (possibly 6 months away, according to rumours), or is Apple going to come into fresh LPDDR5 supply? In the interim it seems inevitable that used Mac Studio prices will spike to ridiculous levels.

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Apple's current Mac desktop lineup is excellent, but it's substantially less excellent if you can't buy them! Knowing what I know now, I probably would have bought a reasonably specced 2025 Studio a couple months ago for personal use. But now that option seems to be foreclosed.

Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Switch 2’s rendition of Pragmata hits solid marks in most respects. Unfortunately, an unlocked frame-rate will make it a hard recommendation for many discerning players.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

Pragmata on Switch 2 aims high, with smart compromises and more DLSS alchemy - but really needs more consistent performance: www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/prag...

digitalfoundry.netReview: Pragmata On Switch 2: An Ambitious Port Held Back By Variable PerformanceNot so pragmatic decision-making.
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

I can't help but think Starfield on PS5 is a disappointment. Lingering performance woes, new configuration quirks, and frequent crashes conspire to make this a surprisingly troubled AAA port.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

Starfield arrives on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. We still enjoyed the core game, but there are plenty of technical issues - including crashing - that really need to be addressed: youtu.be/GAy35OlPO6Y

youtu.beStarfield PS5/PS5 Pro Review - A Good Game... But There Are IssuesYouTube video by Digital Foundry
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Cyberpunk 2077's legendary run of support continues with its long-awaited PS5 Pro patch. Advanced ray tracing and PSSR combine to make this quite the upgrade.

Digital Foundry@digitalfoundry.bsky.social

Cyberpunk 2077 gets a free PS5 Pro upgrade tomorrow, delivering three brand-new graphics modes - and we had the chance to check out the game early. Here's @oliemack.bsky.social and @dachsjaeger.bsky.social with their extensive thoughts on the upgrade: youtu.be/HPJ3GlL3znM

youtu.beCyberpunk 2077 PS5 Pro Review: All New Modes & Features Tested!YouTube video by Digital Foundry
Oliver Mackenzie
@oliemack.bsky.social

Addendum to this video: both PS5 Pro RT modes do feature some environmental RT reflections on very glossy transparent surfaces. These tend to be tucked away on concession machines and certain doorways, and don't generally apply to larger transparent faces like building windows.