Sharma also retweeted Kojima’s post, noting that meeting him was a “Wonderful way to close my first 60 days,” referring to the recent start to her tenure as head of Microsoft Gaming. While Kojima’s main purpose behind visiting Sharma and Booty at the Xbox offices likely has more to do with his upcoming horror game—OD—the box indicates that he also got a special gift from the company.

It is worth noting that a development kit for Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox would likely be far larger than the relatively small box held by Kojima in the photo. Along with this, kits for Project Helix are also unlikely to be ready yet. Xbox’s vice president, Jason Ronald, had even confirmed last month that alpha versions of the Project Helix software development kit (SDK) will be shipping out to developers in 2027.

“Project Helix is powered by a custom AMD [system on chip] and co-designed for the next generation of DirectX and FSR to unlock what comes next…It delivers an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability, integrates intelligence directly into the graphics and compute pipeline, and drives meaningful gains in efficiency, scale, and visual ambition. The result is more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players.”

As for Project Helix, Xbox’s general manager of portfolio and programs Chris Charla had spoken about how developers would need to start working on Xbox and PC today in order to appropriately prepare for the next-generation console. “We’re working hard so developers can make one Xbox build in the future and it’ll run on their Project Helix console, on PC and on streaming and cloud surfaces like smart TVs and other devices,” he said.

“Someone looking to be ready for next-gen with Xbox should be developing for Xbox console today, developing for Xbox on PC, and supporting Xbox Play Anywhere,” he continued. “That’ll put you in pole position for the next generation and ensure your Xbox on PC game runs natively on Project Helix. The exact specifics may differ per developer and game. In a lot of cases if you’re coming from a Steam or stock PC build it may be smarter to start with the Xbox for PC version first and then use that as the basis for the Xbox console version. Of course we’ll have more details about how developers can take advantage of the specific hardware features of Project Helix in the months ahead, but doing this ensures they’ll have a native build on Project Helix.”

Kojima himself is fresh off the PC release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and has likely begun focusing more towards Kojima Productions’ upcoming games—OD and Physint.

The studio has also noted that the update brings in more options for players to tweak when it comes to defining sharpness when making use of image upscaling. Along with this, bugs related to frame generation have also been addressed. For more details about the update, take a look at the full patch notes below.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released on PC just last month and has seemingly been quite a successful launch. It made its debut with almost 56,000 concurrent players on launch day, along with an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating with 96 percent of all reviews praising the port. In its estimates, research firm Alinea Analytics has estimated that, as of the end of March, the PC release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sold around 425,000 copies, bringing up the game’s total sales across PC and PS5 to over 2 million.

Leading up to the title’s PC release, Kojima Productions had taken to the PlayStation Blog to discuss some of the platform-specific features that had been designed for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. This includes features like ray tracing with reflections and ambient occlusion, as well as new content like the To The Wilder difficulty mode that pushes “your porter skills to the extreme in merciless environments filled with deadly enemies”. It is worth noting that new gameplay content was also added to the PS5 version with a free update.

Our own review of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on PC praised it, giving it a score of 10 out of 10 thanks to its excellent performance on the platform, plenty of graphics options, compelling story, and gameplay refinements over its predecessor. We called the title a “uniquely meditative experience” that was “punctuated by high-octane action” with “awesome boss fights”.

More recently, Kojima Productions had also updated the title to bring in enough performance refinements to get it officially Steam Deck Verified. This means that, along with UI considerations like readable texts and controller support, it is also capable of running on Valve’s handheld gaming PC at reasonable frame rates without many crashes or other issues.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach PC update 1.4 patch notes:

• Players on Steam will now see more Steam user avatars in the Social Strand Service.
• Fixed various rare crashes and implemented additional stability improvements.
• Expanded the range of sharpness control for upscaling options.
• Improved image quality for various textures when Texture Quality is set to Medium or lower.
• AMD FSR and Intel XeSS Frame Generation now correctly include vignetting when interpolating frames.
• Resolved a bug affecting the appearance of flowing water that occurred when building a Hot Spring with Frame Generation enabled.
• Various improvements and bug fixes related to the user interface.
• Fixed various minor graphics-related bugs.

MP1st reportedly spotted new casting calls under the codename “Shimmer” with Mari Ueda of Pivot Motion (which worked on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach) serving as casting director. The described scene allegedly involves a hijacked bus with multiple passengers, including a mother and her baby, various teenagers, and so on.

It’s the last reported requirement that’s so interesting – an “antagonistic character with a German accent.” Apparently described as “Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal but with flair”, he’s reportedly slim, quiet, “intense” and “confident in a psychotic way.” Shooting allegedly starts in June, though the fact that so many showcases and events are taking place at the same time is likely a sheer coincidence.

However, this is unlikely to be a major villain akin to, say, Higgs from Death Stranding. Such details don’t typically emerge in casting calls (but rather through Kojima’s own announcements). Whether this scene is even for the game remains to be seen, but it’s at least indicative that production is underway.

While it was in the conceptual stage last year, Kojima confirmed that it and OD would be a major focus for the company in 2026. Thus far, three actors have been announced – Charlee Fraser, Ma Dong-Seok and Minami Hamabe. Could the year hold even more reveals? Stay tuned in the meantime.

This includes full controller support with appropriate input icons, the ability to bring up the on-screen keyboard when needed, a lack of compatibility warnings, and potential launchers being navigable with a controller. There’s also support for the Deck’s default resolution of 1280×800 or 1280×720, appropriate default settings, legible text, and good support for Proton, including for anti-cheat systems and any other middleware.

Aside from getting Steam Deck Verified, the update also addresses frame rate drops that players might have experienced whenever they use the scope of a sniper rifle. For more details, check out the full patch notes below.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released on PC just last month after having spent several months only being available on PS5. The PC release made a strong debut, peaking at 57,682 concurrent players. While Kojima Productions hasn’t revealed too many details about sales, Alinea Analytics estimated that it had sold 425,000 copies on Steam in its release month. This, combined with a previous report indicating 1.4 million sales on PS5, would bring total sales of the title up to over 2 million.

Shortly after the PC release, lead level designer Hiraoki Yoshiike spoke about the more fast-paced nature of the storytelling in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, thanks to world-building being toned down, and how it was done this way because “Kojima wanted more people to enjoy the game all the way to the end. This was an order he provided.”

He went on to discuss how, since much of the world-building had already been done with the original Death Stranding, with the sequel, the studio could focus on telling the ongoing plot rather than having to divert their attention to more world-building elements.

For more details about the PC release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, check out our review.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach update 1.3 patch notes:

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now Steam Deck verified.
• Fixed hitches and stutter that could occur when zooming in with sniper rifles.
• Implemented performance optimizations.
• Fixed multiple rare crashes and improved overall stability.
• Addressed various minor graphics-related bugs.
• Various input and user interface related improvements and bug fixes.
• Implemented various text and localization related fixes.

Considering both platforms, Death Stranding 2 has potentially generated about $147 million in revenue since launch. The analyst firm also believes that the PC version’s release resulted in a significant spike in PS5 sales. Compared to previous discounts, the latter apparently jumped by 12,500 copies sold daily, peaking at 12,800.

While one could attribute this to marketing for the PC version driving more people to check it out on console, it also didn’t hurt that a new update went live for both platforms. It added new live-action cutscenes, items and an even tougher difficulty, “To The Wilder.” There’s also boss rematches and support for 21:9 ultrawide screens.

Whether or not that’s enough to spur more PS5 owners to jump in, the addition of more features certainly makes it a more attractive proposition. The lack of other major PS5 titles also likely helped (especially with Saros still more than a month away).

For more details on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for PC, check out our review.

“Kojima wanted more people to enjoy the game all the way to the end. This was an order he provided,” Yoshiike said.

Further in the interview, he noted that the studio decided to tone down the worldbuilding elements for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. That isn’t to say there isn’t any extra detail to be found in the game’s story, however, and Yoshiike even noted that completionists can discover and enjoy these elements on their own. For everyone else, however, the title offers a clearer path forward that doesn’t meander as much.

“In the second game, we didn’t need to provide too many worldbuilding elements, we could make it less elaborate,” said Yoshiike. “For completionists, they can enjoy it, but at the same time, people who don’t necessarily care about it that much, we made sure they can follow the story through other supplemental elements within the game. That was one of the design choices that we made. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback that it’s much easier to recommend DS2 to people. And we’re able to see the metrics, and we saw that people progress much further than they previously had. So that was just as we designed, I think.”

Kojima has been known to make changes to his games based on player feedback in the past. Back in June 2025, musician Yoann “Woodkid” Lemoine revealed that the story for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach had been changed after earlier versions of the game were already in playtesting.

“There’s a key moment where we had a discussion, probably halfway [through] when we were doing the game, where he came to me and he said, ‘We have a problem,’” said Lemoine in an interview.

“Then he said, ‘I’m going to be very honest, we have been testing the game with players and the results are too good. They like it too much. That means something is wrong; we have to change something.’ And he changed stuff in the script and the way some crucial stuff [happens] in the game because he thought his work was not polarizing and not triggering enough emotions.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released on PS5 back in back in June. After seeing a positive critical reception at the time, Kojima Productions, alongside support studio Nixxes, would work on bringing the title to PC, where it would arrive this month. For more details about the latter, check out our review of the PC port. Also take a look at how many players rushed to play the game on launch day.

The ray-traced reflections won’t just apply to water surfaces, making sections like the battle against Neil all the more stunning, but also to tar. And thanks to ray traced ambient occlusion, you can expect “more realistic shadows in crevices, corners, and between objects.” So while the Very High setting should offer ample fidelity, ray tracing allows for going further beyond (though Kojima Productions notes that it isn’t factored into the system requirements).

As for the new update, its new difficulty, “To The Wilder,” will push “your porter skills to the extreme in merciless environments filled with deadly enemies, and completing orders will require every ounce of ingenuity you can muster.” While it doesn’t go into specifics – because why ruin the surprise – you can’t change the difficulty once it’s selected, and there’s no reward locked behind its completion (aside from a “truly priceless” sense of satisfaction).

And while it doesn’t specifically mention the ability to rematch other bosses, the new VR training area, “Trapped in a Strange Realm,” lets you relive those fights against Neil. Completing these will unlock new bandanas for Sam, and we’re already getting flashbacks to Metal Gear Solid’s infinite ammo cheat. The Chiral Feline will also occasionally visit the private room, but feel free to take pictures with it in the wild courtesy of Photo Mode’s new features.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on March 19th for PC, with the update going live on the same day for PS5. Head here for more details on what you should expect from the PC version. You can also watch the PC launch trailer below, though beware of spoilers.

As caught by social media user Okami13, Kojima revealed on Japanese radio show Spacewalk that the PS5 version will be getting things like a new difficulty mode dubbed “To The Wilder,” the ability to repeat boss fights, new items and live-action cutscenes, support for 21:9 ultrawide displays, and a host of gameplay adjustments, among other things. These things will be part of the PC release later this week.

The PC version of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was announced back in February with a trailer showing off some of the technical upgrades the title would be getting on PC. At the time, Kojima Productions and Nixxes had confirmed that, while gameplay will feature unlocked frame rates, cinematics will remain locked to 60 FPS. The title also includes support for DualSense features, like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

Kojima Productions’ head of publishing Jay Boor had gone into more detail about the PC release through a PlayStation Blog post, where he also revealed that it will include new content along with just the technical upgrades.

“We can also confirm today that new modes and features will be coming to both PC and PS5 at launch that will offer players new challenges and rewards,” he wrote. While he didn’t discuss the idea beyond this sentence, Boor’s statement drew comparisons with the original Death Stranding and its Director’s Cut release, which also included a host of new missions.

Earlier this month, Kojima Productions had also released a new trailer showcasing the VR Training Mode of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which allows players—as protagonist Sam Bridges—to take on a variety of combat and stealth scenarios. The mode is available through the Private Room on the DHV Magellan.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was originally released on PS5 back in June 2025. Its story revolves around Sam, after having spent a few months outside of the network of the United Cities of America, being given a new mission: to bring the Chiral Network to Mexico. After having faced some major complications on the completion of this mission, Sam decides to make his way to Australia to further expand the Chiral Network across the planet. As you might expect, a brand new continent also brings with it a new set of challenges, from new and returning enemies, to entirely new environmental hazards.

On its original release, our own review gave Death Stranding 2: On the Beach a score of 10 out of 10, calling it a masterpiece. We praised its visuals, expansion on gameplay ideas from its predecessor, and memorable cast of characters, among many other things.

If you have been waiting for its PC release to experience the journey for yourself, here is everything you need to know before you pick it up.

The new trailer has Sam becoming familiar with every move in his repertoire, taking those skills into the real world to assure victory in situations where danger can come at him at any time. New missions unlock as you progress through the story, in case you’re gearing up to dive in on PC later this month, giving you an incentive to keep coming back to it alongside the potential “Likes” you can accumulate if you get your muscle memory nailed down.

If you’re on the PS5, it’s already live, and you can access it from your Private Room aboard the DHV Magellan. If you’re the type to keep coming back to the game for a few hours of fun even after you’ve finished the main story, it pays to keep yourself in fighting shape. Practice makes perfect, after all. Check it out below.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is available for PC on March 19th. Check out our review for the PS5 version.

Standalone Sequel That Continues the Social Strand System

Widely considered the latest of Kojima’s masterpieces – not least in our corner, where we awarded the PS5 release a perfect score – Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is the standalone follow-up to post-apocalyptic delivery simulator Death Stranding. Despite both games walking similar paths, Death Stranding 2 is designed to be approachable even if you didn’t play or finish the original (although knowledge of the game’s befuddling terminology – chiralium, BTs, timefall, DOOMs, and so on – wouldn’t go amiss). At the sequel’s core, however, remains the Social Strand system: an asynchronous online feature where your choice to leave structures, tools, and traversal aids behind indirectly shapes another player’s experience, and vice versa.

Character-Driven Narrative That Pushes the Series’ Themes

In Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima once again delivers a character-driven story which blends sci-fi spectacle with philosophical themes. Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges returns, joined by new and returning faces, as he embarks on another trek to establish lost connections across remote colonies – this time in Mexico and, predominately, Australia. You should expect a heavy thematic narrative that interrogates the ramifications of isolation and reconnection in a post-pandemic world.

Refined Combat, Stealth, and Traversal

Core gameplay still revolves around traversal, cargo management, and deliveries, but the sequel expands combat and stealth mechanics. You now come equipped with more strategic options, with an expanded roster of tactical gizmos and equipment to promote varied approaches and playstyles. Still, traversal is the experience’s beating heart; deeply physical, with each step placed deliberately. Planning routes, balancing weight, and adapting to environmental hazards are more crucial than ever.

NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Upscaling Support with Frame Regeneration

Death Stranding 2’s PC version includes support for NVIDIA DLSS 4, AMD FSR 4, and Intel XeSS 2, alongside upscaling and frame regeneration technology. This means that if your GPU is compatible, you can experience On The Beach’s expansive terrains and dense environmental detail at high fidelity without sacrificing performance. Furthermore, Pico – Progressive Image Compositor – options are available in upscale settings. Developed by Horizon’s Guerilla Games, Pico can be used with all supported graphics cards whilst being combined with any of the frame regeneration options. And finally, all upscaling options can be used alongside Dynamic Resolution Scaling too.

Native 4K and Ultrawide Support

The sequel can also be experienced in native 4K resolution alongside panoramic, ultrawide display support – super ultrawide 32:9 monitors are supported for gameplay, while standard ultrawide 21:9 is offered for in-game cutscenes. You don’t necessarily need an ultrawide monitor either, as high-res 16:9 monitors can enable widescreen aspect ratios in the game’s display settings. The game’s cinematic presentation and vast landscapes are particularly well-suited to wider aspect ratios, and while a 21:9 ultrawide PS5 update will coincide with the PC version, PC is still arguably the most immersive way to experience this detailed world.

Extensive Graphic Settings Include Uncapped Framerates

As you’d expect, this PC release offers a broad range of graphic settings, allowing you to fine-tune visual quality across ambient occlusion, real-time dynamic shadow texture, sand and water effects, and volumetric rendering for inclement weather – rain, sandstorms, fog, that sort of thing. Also, if your hardware and monitor refresh rates are up to it, uncapped framerates are an option.

DualSense Controller Integration

If you’re using a PS5 DualSense as your go-to PC gaming controller, then Death Stranding 2 lets you take advantage of the controller’s haptic feedback to feel the drama in the game’s high-intensity combat through your hands, and study the weight distribution of your cargo through its adaptive triggers. From resistance when traversing uneven ground, to subtle atmospheric feedback, the DualSense brings tactile immersion to the experience.

Full Keyboard and Mouse Customisation

If you prefer traditional PC controls, Death Stranding 2’s also got you covered with complete mouse and keyboard support along with comprehensive keybinding options. Now, PC players of the original Death Stranding report only minor gripes with the default controls. If we assume Death Stranding 2 will be the same, then the option to map custom keybinds will likely be relegated to something that is nice to have rather than being an essential customisation.

Advanced 3D Audio Support

On the subject of what’s essential. Death Stranding 2 PC ships with advanced support for 3D audio, including Dolby Access – enabling Dolby Atmos – DTS Sound Unbound, or Windows Sonic for Headphones. Through compatible headphones or sound systems, object-based surround sound that gives you clear audible pictures – bringing sounds from any direction or elevation – are integral in supporting immersion through exploration. Your ears will pinpoint everything from rainfall on roofs to distant enemy footsteps and chatter, giving you the edge whether you’re sneaking past an outpost or looking for stealthy takedowns.

New Modes and Features are Coming

As confirmed by Kojima Productions, new game modes, features, challenges, and rewards are coming to Death Stranding 2’s PC version, with full details expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. If the original game’s Director’s Cut is anything to go by, you could see a suite of meaningful gameplay, tools, and quality of life improvements rather than cosmetic additions.

Connecting PSN Account Unlocks Exclusive Bonuses

By no means essential, if you’ve got one then logging into your PlayStation account while accessing Death Stranding 2 PC grants access to the PlayStation overlay and unlocks trophy support along with your profile, settings, and friends list. Unique in-game patches, backpack customisations, and a special PS logo-inspired suit are extra incentives to connect your PSN account.

Pre-Order Bonuses

All Death Stranding 2: On The Beach PC pre-orders give the following in-game bonuses: a Quokka early unlock custom hologram, and Battle, Boost, and Bokka Skeletons, each in silver up to level three. If you’re unsure, holograms are visual bonus items used to decorate structures, while skeletons are wearable mechanical leg frames which enhance Sam’s physical abilities. You’ll find these especially useful the harsher the terrain you encounter.

Release Date, Price, and PC Requirements

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach releases to PC on March 19th, with the Standard Edition priced at £69.99 / $69.99. There is a Digital Deluxe Edition available alongside the Standard to purchase via Steam or the Epic Games Store – we’ll detail this edition next.

To hit the game’s minimum PC requirements, with graphics preset set to low and an average performance of 1080p at 30fps, you’ll need an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GPU, Intel Core i3-10100 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU, and 16GB RAM. In fact, 16GB RAM is what’s required through each graphics preset, from medium through high up to very high.

The recommended PC specs are as follows: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 GPU and Intel Core i7-11700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5700X CPU. This setup should yield you an average performance of 1440p resolution at 60fps. If you want to hit 4K resolution at those framerates, your GPU needs to be a GeForce RTX 4080, AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT or equivalent. 150GB SSD storage is also required.

Digital Deluxe Edition Content

As we’ve just said, a Digital Deluxe Edition is also available, bundling in exclusive, decorative in-game patches plus gold Battle, Boost, and Bokka skeletons, and an early unlock for a level one machine gun – retailing for £79.99 / $79.99.

The Definitive Version – Content Updates Also Coming to PS5

So whilst this isn’t Death Stranding 2: Director’s Cut (that hasn’t been officially announced, but will likely follow the same pattern as Death Stranding), there’s no doubt that the upcoming PC release will be the definitive, most technically complete way to experience the sequel. The advanced graphical options and cinematic widescreen support shape its definitiveness alone, but PlayStation players won’t be left behind as the slated content drops are set to come to PS5 as well as be included in the PC version.