Death Stranding 2 system requirements are good news for gamers trapped between aging PCs and skyrocketing hardware prices, and there's even a 'portable preset' for playing on handhelds

After making us wait for the better part of a year, Kojima Productions finally made the PC version of Death Stranding 2 official earlier this month. And with the release now just over three weeks away, port developer Nixxes has unveiled the official PC system requirements, which I'm happy to say aren't terribly onerous.

Obviously, the higher you can go the better it's going to be, but if you find yourself stuck between an aging rig and obscene hardware prices, the minimum spec is pretty manageable: PCs still trundling along with 8GB RAM are out of luck (and yes, there are still a few of you out there) but come on, even with RAM prices the way they are, surely you can scrounge up another 8GB somewhere and get your system to a more functional state? 150GB of SSD space is a bit of an eye-widener—that's nearly double what the original Death Stranding sucked up—but that's the way of things these days: Games are big.

Death Stranding 2 PC system requirements — (Image credit: Nixxes via Sony)

It's up, up, up from there, to a "very high" spec promising 4K at 60 fps performance, if you've got the hardware to handle it. Upscaling and frame generation options are available across Nvidia DLSS 4, AMD FSR4, and Intel XESS 2, and there's even an upscaling option called "Pico," which is being used in a PC port for the first time.

"This 'Progressive Image Compositor' is developed by Guerrilla for the Decima engine and is the same upscaling technology that’s used for Death Stranding 2 on PS5," Nixxes explained. "Pico upscaling can be used with all supported graphics cards and can be combined with the various options for frame generation offered in the game. All upscaling options can be used in combination with Dynamic Resolution Scaling, or with an upscaling quality setting of choice to improve performance. Native AA options are also available for maximum fidelity."

Lots of flexibility there, then, but it does make me long just a little bit for the days when my choices were EGA or VGA.

Ultrawide displays are also supported for both gameplay and cutscenes, and if you want to enjoy the ultrawide experience on a normalwide display, you can do that too: The PC version includes an option to play the game in 21:9 on 16:9 monitors. (The option will be added to the PS5 version of Death Stranding, too.)

Here's how it all breaks down:

Minimum - 1080p, 30 fps, low graphics preset

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
CPU: Intel Core i3-10100 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 150GB SSD
OS: Windows 10/11 (Version 1909 or newer)

Medium- 1080p, 60 fps, medium graphics preset

GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12GB or AMD Radeon RX 6600
CPU: Intel Core i5-11400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 150GB SSD
OS: Windows 10/11 (Version 1909 or newer)

HIgh (Recommended) - 1440p, 60 fps, high graphics preset

GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 o AMD Radeon RX 6800
CPU: Intel Core i7-11700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 150GB SSD
OS: Windows 10/11 (Version 1909 or newer)

Very High - 4K, 60 fps, very high graphics preset

GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 or AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
CPU: Intel Core i7-11700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 150GB SSD
OS: Windows 10/11 (Version 1909 or newer)

It's not mentioned in the specs but Nixxes said the PC version of Death Stranding 2 will also include a "portable preset" for handheld gaming devices. Death Standing 2 isn't currently verified for the Steam Deck, but it sure sounds like it will be.

Death Stranding 2 for PC is set to launch for PC on March 19. It's up for preorder now on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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