Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive in June 2025 to critical acclaim and multiple Game Awards nominations. Now, just five months later, an ESRB rating for Windows PC has appeared, confirming the port is happening. The only question left is when Sony will officially announce it.
The ESRB listing went live on November 25, 2025, showing Death Stranding 2 rated M for Mature on Windows PC with content descriptors for Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, and Violence. What makes this particularly interesting is that Sony Interactive Entertainment is listed as the publisher, not 505 Games who handled the original Death Stranding PC port.
Why This Matters for PC Gamers
When the original Death Stranding launched on PlayStation 4 in November 2019, it took eight months to reach PC in July 2020. That port was handled by 505 Games and came with exclusive features like photo mode, ultrawide monitor support, and Half-Life crossover content featuring Gordon Freeman’s glasses and crowbar.
Death Stranding 2 released on PS5 on June 26, 2025. If the same eight-month timeline applies, PC players could be exploring post-apocalyptic Australia and Mexico as early as February or March 2026. That’s significantly faster than many PlayStation exclusives that take two years or more to reach PC.
The fact that Sony is publishing the PC port directly instead of partnering with 505 Games suggests they’re taking a more aggressive approach to day-and-date or near-day-and-date PC releases. This aligns with Sony’s recent strategy of shortening the exclusivity window for their first-party titles.
What Death Stranding 2 Brings to the Table
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach picks up eleven months after the first game. Sam Porter Bridges and his crew venture beyond the United Cities of America into Australia, connecting isolated survivors to the chiral network to prevent humanity’s extinction. The sequel builds on Hideo Kojima’s original formula with more delivery methods, weirder story beats, and varied terrain that includes deserts, swamps, and coastal regions.
One of the standout additions is the tar-travelling hovercraft, which the game insists you call by its full name every single time. There are new threats, expanded traversal options, and environmental challenges that make package delivery even more stressful than before. Critics praised the game’s visual fidelity, emotional narrative, and soundtrack, calling it a more accomplished achievement than the original in nearly every way.
The game received generally favorable reviews with a Metacritic score reflecting critical acclaim. It earned seven nominations at The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Action/Adventure Game. The competition is stiff, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading with a record-breaking 12 nominations, but Death Stranding 2 is a serious contender.
What PC Features Might We See?
The original Death Stranding PC port added several features that made it the definitive version according to multiple reviewers. Photo mode, ultrawide support, DLSS, and high frame rate options transformed the experience. The PC version also included the Half-Life crossover content that wasn’t available on PlayStation.
Death Stranding 2 already looks stunning on PS5, but PC will likely push visual quality even further with higher resolution textures, improved lighting, ray tracing options, and frame rates beyond 60fps. Modding support could open the door for community-created content, custom missions, and quality-of-life improvements.
Given that Kojima Productions has experience with PC ports now, they’ll likely implement features that take advantage of keyboard and mouse controls, adjustable FOV, and various graphics presets for different hardware configurations. The question is whether they’ll include any PC-exclusive crossover content like they did with Half-Life.
Sony’s Evolving PC Strategy
Sony’s approach to PC releases has evolved dramatically over the past few years. What started as cautious experiments with older titles like Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone has accelerated into a legitimate multi-platform strategy. God of War, Spider-Man, The Last of Us, and Returnal all made the jump to PC with varying degrees of success.
The decision to publish Death Stranding 2 on PC directly through Sony Interactive Entertainment instead of partnering with a third-party publisher like 505 Games signals confidence in their PC operations. It also suggests they’re treating PC as a first-class platform rather than an afterthought.
This matters because it means future Sony exclusives will likely follow a similar pattern. Ghost of Yotei, which is also nominated for seven Game Awards alongside Death Stranding 2, will almost certainly get a PC port within a year of its PlayStation release. The days of waiting years for Sony exclusives to reach PC are ending.
When Will Sony Announce It?
ESRB ratings typically appear before official announcements, but they’re usually followed by reveals within weeks or months. The Game Awards happens on December 11, 2025, which would be the perfect venue for Sony and Kojima Productions to announce the PC port with a trailer.
Death Stranding 2 is competing for Game of the Year at that show, so it’ll already be in the spotlight. Announcing a PC release date during the ceremony would generate massive buzz and give PC gamers a reason to pre-order immediately. A February or March 2026 launch would align with Sony’s fiscal year planning and give them a strong Q1 title.
Another possibility is a State of Play announcement in January or February 2026, though that’s less dramatic than a Game Awards reveal. Either way, the ESRB rating means the port is far enough along that Sony is preparing marketing materials and getting regulatory approvals sorted.
FAQs
Has Death Stranding 2 been officially confirmed for PC?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has been rated for Windows PC by the ESRB, but Sony has not officially announced the port yet. ESRB ratings typically appear before official announcements, confirming the port is in development.
When will Death Stranding 2 release on PC?
Based on the original Death Stranding’s eight-month exclusivity window, Death Stranding 2 could launch on PC in February or March 2026. The ESRB rating appearing in November 2025 suggests an announcement and release are coming soon.
Will Death Stranding 2 PC have exclusive features?
While not confirmed, the original Death Stranding PC port included photo mode, ultrawide monitor support, DLSS, high frame rates, and Half-Life crossover content. The sequel will likely include similar PC-specific enhancements.
Who is publishing Death Stranding 2 on PC?
Sony Interactive Entertainment is listed as the publisher on the ESRB rating for Death Stranding 2 PC. This is different from the original game, which was published by 505 Games on PC.
How long was Death Stranding a PlayStation exclusive?
The original Death Stranding was a PlayStation 4 exclusive for eight months, releasing in November 2019 on PS4 and July 2020 on PC. Death Stranding 2 released on PS5 in June 2025.
Will Death Stranding 2 support mods on PC?
Modding support has not been confirmed, but the original Death Stranding PC version allowed community mods. If Kojima Productions follows the same approach, Death Stranding 2 PC will likely support modding as well.
What are the system requirements for Death Stranding 2 PC?
System requirements have not been announced yet. Based on the original Death Stranding and the fact that Death Stranding 2 is built on the Decima Engine for PS5, expect requirements similar to other modern AAA games with ray tracing and DLSS support.
Is Death Stranding 2 nominated for Game of the Year?
Yes, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025 on December 11. It also received nominations for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Action/Adventure Game, among others.
Conclusion
The ESRB rating confirms what most PC gamers expected. Death Stranding 2 is coming to Windows, and it’s happening much faster than Sony’s old exclusivity windows. With Sony publishing directly instead of using a third-party partner, the port will likely be a high-quality release that takes full advantage of PC hardware. Expect an official announcement at The Game Awards in December with a release date sometime in early 2026. PC players who’ve been avoiding spoilers since June can finally start getting excited. Kojima’s latest masterpiece is heading to PC, and based on the critical reception, it’s absolutely worth the wait. Whether you’re a returning porter or new to the franchise, Death Stranding 2 will give you plenty of reasons to keep on keeping on across the Australian wasteland.