Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, the stealth action adventure game that hit PS5 last year, is dropping on PC today. The sequel to Kojima’s return to gaming post his leaving Konami, it takes a lot of what made the original work and elevates it. It also may end up being one of the PlayStation’s last single-player games coming to PC, with rumors swirling around a change in their platform strategy. While the original ended up being a decent experience handheld, one major question remains: how does Death Stranding 2: On the Beach run on Steam Deck?
Death Stranding 2 puts us back in the well-worn shoes of Sam Bridges, now living a relaxing life with Lou, his baby companion from the first game. Before long, Sam is thrust back into the world at large, tasked with continuing his efforts to connect. Things quickly go awry as Sam must travel farther than he first thought. It’s a dark and personal story of loss and moving on, one that packs a much stronger punch than its predecessor.
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Death Stranding 2 was one of PlayStation’s best games in 2025.
We gave it a 9/10 on PS5, saying “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a stellar sequel that builds on the strong foundation laid by its predecessor. The story is human and personal, drawing the player in from its opening hours. The gameplay continues to be fantastic, as you feel every step in Sam’s journey thanks to the DualSense.
Combat is better and allows for more experimentation, even if the bosses are repetitive. It’s Kojima at his most Kojima, a visionary building a type of experience that only he can. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is an adventure worth taking.”
The original Death Stranding was a decent experience on Steam Deck with some tinkering, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the sequel. It doesn’t really come as a surprise, as the game is a visual feast on PS5. The Decima engine really pushed things to new levels, bringing a level of photorealism to the environment that was truly stunning.
Steam Deck just isn’t the best way to go for Death Stranding 2.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is playable on Deck in the loosest terms. It defaults to a Portable graphical setting that may be better on stronger handhelds, but it already drops all feasible settings to their lowest. Without tweaking anything, the frame rate sits around 10-20fps, jumping around frequently with plenty of stutters. The visuals look okay on the smaller screen, but they’re not sharp at all.
Once you bring in frame generation, it starts to jump into the 20-30fps range. The thing is, the visuals drop off a cliff. They’re fuzzy with tons of artifacting, which causes genuine issues in a game like Death Stranding 2. Reading the environment is essential for proper footing and route building. One bad step can lead to a fall and cargo damage. I found the best way to go was to use PICO for the upscale method, with FSR or XeSS frame gen and VSync off. This gave the best balance: a framerate around 20-30fps with drops and decent visuals.
It gets even worse once you factor in environmental changes, like sandstorms or rain. To its credit, the game never crashed, but playing it on the Steam Deck just isn’t the best way to go. The visual downgrades do the game a disservice while actively impeding the gameplay loop that depends on readability. The frame rate can jump up to the mid-40s when indoors. Hopefully, some patches and further optimization can iron out performance.
Stick to an actual PC or console for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
For those diving in on PC, there is more to find here. Enhanced visuals, uncapped framerates, harder difficulty options, wide screen support, and plenty more to make the experience stunning for those who can run it. High-end hardware also supports Ray Tracing on reflections and ambient occlusion. Some of these, including new content and difficulties, are also coming to PS5 as a free update.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a fantastic experience, but one better served on actual PC or console. The Steam Deck’s limitations really halt the game in its tracks. Poor visuals and low framerates make the Steam Deck experience less than playable. Those looking to carry some packages across the post-apocalyptic wasteland should do it elsewhere.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC.
