With the release of Death Stranding 2, it’s impossible not to reflect on just how jaw-droppingly beautiful the original Death Stranding still is—especially the PC version. Despite being several years old now, the first game continues to be a visual masterpiece, with its hauntingly desolate landscapes, photorealistic characters, and atmospheric effects that still rival (and often outperform) many modern titles. The PC release elevated it even further with higher frame rates, ultrawide support, and crisp graphical enhancements that made Sam Porter Bridges’ lonely trek across post-apocalyptic America feel more immersive than ever. In many ways, Death Stranding on PC remains a benchmark of how cinematic gaming can—and should—look and perform, making it all the more bittersweet as the sequel lands without a simultaneous PC launch.
It’s 2025. We should be past this. We’ve come so far, and yet we’re still pretending that staggered platform releases are somehow a good idea. Death Stranding 2 launching solely on PS5 might make short-term sense from a marketing or exclusivity standpoint, but it’s frustrating for a gaming audience that knows the sequel is inevitably heading to PC—eventually. This outdated model creates unnecessary fragmentation, FOMO, and an artificial sense of gatekeeping around some of gaming’s biggest experiences. Gamers shouldn’t have to wait months or years to play a title just because they prefer mouse and keyboard, or simply didn’t buy into a particular ecosystem. With the original game already having proven how incredible the experience can be on PC, it’s high time the industry stops treating non-console players like second-class citizens. A simultaneous release isn’t just smart business—it’s fair, forward-thinking, and long overdue.
