DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH PC System Requirements & Benchmarks
Hideo Kojima returns with a new chapter for legendary porter Sam Bridges. Powered by an evolved Decima Engine, the photorealistic visuals make this a serious hardware heavyweight. A modern mid-to-high-end GPU or better is the absolute baseline for a smooth experience.
The engine optimization is phenomenal. You can achieve peak immersion and smooth framerates natively (using DLAA, etc.) without having to rely on upscaling crutches.
Current-gen entry-level cards (like the RTX 5050) absolutely crush 1080p gaming, making them the smartest play for maximizing your bang for the buck.For 1080p, an older 8GB VRAM card is perfectly fine. But if you're pushing 4K or heavy Ray Tracing, an 8GB buffer won't cut it—you'll need a modern GPU with plenty of VRAM headroom.
The first game ran great on handhelds, but this sequel is a noticeably heavier lift. You can technically scrape by on a Ryzen Z1-class handheld if you completely nuke the graphics settings, but realistically, you'll want to hold out for next-gen handheld hardware for a proper experience.On the desktop and gaming laptop side, things are much more forgiving—provided you have enough VRAM headroom. The playable hardware net is cast pretty wide here, so a lot of players should be able to jump right into the sequel with just a routine rig upgrade.
Changelog
Article published.
Popular GPU Ranking
User-popular GPUs for DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH
For PC gaming handhelds, because VRAM is shared with system memory, 16GB models are going to struggle hard unless you tank the resolution and settings and rely heavily on Frame Gen. Gaming laptops, however, have dedicated VRAM—so with the right CPU/GPU combo, 1080p is a smooth experience.
The verdict is estimated based on hardware specifications, assuming a game resolution of 720p and settings at Medium or lower. A 'PLAYABLE' status does not guarantee actual gameplay performance.
PC Parts Selection Guide
DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH PC Component Selection & Build Strategy
Looking at this from a pure gaming PC perspective, the hardware floor for your CPU and GPU isn't insanely high. You should absolutely allocate a good chunk of your budget toward 16GB of RAM and a fast 512GB+ NVMe SSD. However, don't fall into the trap of buying an older GPU that lacks Frame Gen support—your GPU choice here will make or break the build.
CPU
8+ cores with strong multi-core efficiency is your baseline for stability
❯High core counts are a huge advantage for background asset streaming across massive maps.
❯Even older-gen chips like the Ryzen 5600X can handle open-world exploration at around 50% utilization.
GPU
You want a card that can fully leverage DLSS/FSR Frame Generation
❯Mid-range GPUs can easily hit a native 60fps.
❯The play here is targeting 60fps native as your baseline, then using upscaling + frame gen to push those numbers higher.
RAM
32GB is the new standard. Consider 16GB the absolute baseline
❯Even just roaming empty fields eats up around 13GB of RAM.
❯Factor in Windows and background apps, and 16GB is the hard cutoff. You really want 32GB.
Storage
A fast Gen4 NVMe SSD is non-negotiable
❯Asset streaming is much heavier than the previous game; you'll suffer brutal load times on a SATA SSD.
❯The game has a massive 150GB footprint, so a 1TB drive is the realistic minimum you should aim for.
Pro Advice
BUILD BALANCE
Normally for this genre, you'd dump most of your budget into the GPU. However, thanks to excellent engine optimization, the GPU load is surprisingly forgiving, meaning you should balance your budget across RAM and storage too. That said, borderline specs will choke during late-game heavy loads. Do yourself a favor and grab a GPU with some headroom that supports modern frame generation.
More from Series
death-stranding - Specs & Benchmarks for Other Titles
There's a massive gap between the official Minimum and Recommended tiers. Our benchmarks show the publishers played it incredibly safe, padding the 'Recommended' specs with a massive performance buffer. That said, don't just settle for the bare minimum—it won't give you an actually enjoyable experience. You'll still want to aim your parts list closer to that recommended hardware.
The number of ● dots quantifies the performance level required from PC components on a scale of 1 to 10.
Minimum
Recommended
CPU
Core i3-10100
Ryzen 3 3100
CPU
Ryzen 7 5700X
Core i7-11700
GPU
Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
GeForce GTX 1660
GPU
GeForce RTX 3070
Radeon RX 6800
RAM
16 GB
RAM
16 GB
Storage
150 GB SSD
Storage
150 GB SSD
Supported Tech (Upscaling & Frame Gen)
Upscaler:DLSSFSRXeSS
Frame Gen:DLSS FGFSR FG
GPU Selection & FPS Analysis
DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH GPU Benchmark & FPS Guide
If you take the official spec sheet at face value, you'll end up either underpowered at the 'Minimum' or dealing with overkill at the 'Recommended' tier. You have to find the sweet spot. Based on our raw benchmarking, a 12GB RTX 3060 is the true baseline for this game.
Target Mapping
This title is seriously VRAM-hungry. If you're pushing anything above 1080p, you need to pay close attention to VRAM capacity, not just raw compute power. Be especially careful with older cards or current-gen entry-level GPUs—that 8GB VRAM limit is a massive trap.
ENTRY
ENTRY 30fps
1080p
Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB OFFICIAL
GeForce GTX 1660 OFFICIAL
Radeon R9 290X 4GB
Radeon R9 390
STANDARD
STANDARD 60fps
1080p
GeForce RTX 3070 OFFICIAL
Radeon RX 6800 OFFICIAL
GeForce RTX 2060 12GB USED
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB USED
QHD
QHD 60fps
1440p
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti USED
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti USED
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB NEW
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB NEW
HIGH_REFRESH
HIGH_REFRESH 144fps
1080p
GeForce RTX 3080 10GB USED
GeForce RTX 4070 USED
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB USED
Radeon RX 6800 XT USED
ULTIMATE
ULTIMATE 60fps
4K
Radeon RX 7900 XT USED
GeForce RTX 4080 USED
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti NEW
GeForce RTX 5080 NEW
ENTRY
ENTRY 30fps
1080p
Radeon RX 6400 USED
Arc Graphics 140V (8 Xe2) NEW
Radeon RX 5500M USED
Radeon RX 6500 XT USED
STANDARD
STANDARD 60fps
1080p
Radeon RX 7600S USED
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop) USED
GeForce RTX 3060 (Laptop) USED
GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop) USED
QHD
QHD 60fps
1440p
Radeon RX 7900M USED
HIGH_REFRESH
HIGH_REFRESH 144fps
1080p
GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop) USED
GeForce RTX 4090 (Laptop) USED
Technical Evidence
To hit a rock-solid 1080p/Medium/60fps, your target GPU sits right in the middle of the official Minimum and Recommended tiers. You can get away with a CPU slightly weaker than the recommended spec, but given how tight CPU pricing is right now, do yourself a favor and just grab a modern-gen chip.
GPU Benchmarks
Official Minimum
Official Recommended
bld4me Choice
GeForce RTX 3070 Official Recommended
Arc B570 10GB bld4me NEW
Radeon RX 5700 bld4me USED
Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB Official Minimum
CPU Benchmarks
Official Minimum
Official Recommended
bld4me Choice
Ryzen 5 9600X bld4me NEW
Core i5-12400F bld4me USED
Ryzen 7 5700X Official Recommended
Core i3-10100 Official Minimum
This is a comparison graph of the manufacturer's minimum required specs, recommended specs, and bld4me-recommended parts (new and used). Higher values indicate smoother performance. bld4me's recommended parts are selected based on independent research, balancing comfortable gameplay with cost-performance for the game title.
GPU Matrix
The hardware demands for 1080p on Medium aren't crazy, but even the official 'Recommended' GPUs will sweat if you try to max out the sliders at 1080p Ultra. And it goes without saying: if you're pushing 4K, those recommended specs are going to be gasping for air.
GPU
720p
1080p
1440p
4K
Official Recommended
GeForce RTX 3070
LOW: 267fps,
MED: 200fps,
HIG: 154fps,
ULT: 108fps
LOW: 133fps,
MED: 100fps,
HIG: 77fps,
ULT: 54fps
LOW: 78fps,
MED: 59fps,
HIG: 45fps,
ULT: 32fps
LOW: 38fps,
MED: 29fps,
HIG: 22fps,
ULT: 15fps
bld4me NEW
Arc B570 10GB
LOW: 207fps,
MED: 156fps,
HIG: 120fps,
ULT: 84fps
LOW: 104fps,
MED: 78fps,
HIG: 60fps,
ULT: 42fps
LOW: 61fps,
MED: 46fps,
HIG: 35fps,
ULT: 25fps
LOW: 30fps,
MED: 22fps,
HIG: 17fps,
ULT: 12fps
bld4me USED
Radeon RX 5700
LOW: 160fps,
MED: 120fps,
HIG: 92fps,
ULT: 65fps
LOW: 80fps,
MED: 60fps,
HIG: 46fps,
ULT: 32fps
LOW: 47fps,
MED: 35fps,
HIG: 27fps,
ULT: 19fps
LOW: 23fps,
MED: 17fps,
HIG: 13fps,
ULT: Not playable
Official Minimum
Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
LOW: 99fps,
MED: 74fps,
HIG: 57fps,
ULT: 40fps
LOW: 49fps,
MED: 37fps,
HIG: 28fps,
ULT: 20fps
LOW: 29fps,
MED: 22fps,
HIG: 17fps,
ULT: 12fps
LOW: 14fps,
MED: 11fps,
HIG: Not playable,
ULT: Not playable
The FPS values above are estimated based purely on the GPU's native performance without any upscaler. These are merely estimates and do not guarantee actual performance.
Estimated FPS Database
DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACHseo_benchmark_table_suffix
Estimated FPS on this site is calculated based on the official recommended requirements of each game, assuming only the GPU is changed. Actual frame rates may vary depending on the environment, such as the combined CPU, memory, and storage.
DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH
105 SKUS
Share DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH benchmarks for
GPU
Share
720PHD
1080PFHD
1440PQHD
4KUHD
Grade S
SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"
The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.
LOW: 12fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
GeForce GTX 780 Ti
LOW: 83fps, MED: 62fps, HIG: 48fps, ULT: 34fps
LOW: 41fps, MED: 31fps, HIG: 24fps, ULT: 17fps
LOW: 24fps, MED: 18fps, HIG: 14fps, ULT: Not playable
LOW: 12fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
GeForce GTX 980
LOW: 83fps, MED: 62fps, HIG: 48fps, ULT: 34fps
LOW: 41fps, MED: 31fps, HIG: 24fps, ULT: 17fps
LOW: 24fps, MED: 18fps, HIG: 14fps, ULT: Not playable
LOW: 12fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Radeon R9 290X 4GB
LOW: 81fps, MED: 61fps, HIG: 47fps, ULT: 33fps
LOW: 40fps, MED: 30fps, HIG: 23fps, ULT: 16fps
LOW: 24fps, MED: 18fps, HIG: 14fps, ULT: Not playable
LOW: 12fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Radeon R9 390
LOW: 81fps, MED: 61fps, HIG: 47fps, ULT: 33fps
LOW: 40fps, MED: 30fps, HIG: 23fps, ULT: 16fps
LOW: 24fps, MED: 18fps, HIG: 14fps, ULT: Not playable
LOW: 12fps, MED: Not playable, HIG: Not playable, ULT: Not playable
Ranking Criteria Explained
S
SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"
The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.
A
ADVANCED"If you crave that next level of smoothness"
A step-up GPU for chasing high refresh rates and stunning visuals.
B
BALANCED"bld4me's recommendation. The smart, well-balanced choice"
The smart pick—perfect balance of power and efficiency.
C
COMPETENT"Play at 1080p/Medium"
Ensures standard playability, delivering 30 to just under 60 FPS at 1080p/Medium settings.
The Bottom Line
The Game's Verdict: Recommended Specs & Grade
This is a true sequel to the original hit that turned "movement-as-gameplay" into a core mechanic alongside a heavy, cinematic narrative. Visual density has received a massive bump this time around. Combined with a shift toward a more open-world action design, the hardware requirements are undeniably steeper.
Make no mistake: system RAM and VRAM demands are heavy. Consider 16GB of system memory the absolute hard cutoff, and be aware that an 8GB VRAM buffer might actually choke. Keep that reality in check when looking at specs.
That being said, engine scalability is impressive. If you tank the resolution and settings, it's optimized enough to run on a Steam Deck at 720p/Low. Ultimately, your hardware choices will entirely dictate how much eye candy you get to experience.
FAQ
FAQ: DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH
Can I comfortably play DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH with RX 580 8GB, A380, GTX 1060 3GB, RX 570 4GB, GTX 1650?
To be direct, achieving a completely comfortable experience will be challenging. While you can play by setting all graphics to 'Low' and utilizing upscalers, you will experience stuttering during intense combat or effects-heavy scenes. We recommend lowering texture and shadow quality first, and utilizing upscaler performance modes to test gameplay stability.
[Estimated Framerate (1080p / Low Preset)]
RX 580 8GB: Approx. 47 fps (w/ FSR)
A380: Approx. 45 fps (w/ XeSS)
GTX 1060 3GB: Approx. 45 fps (w/ FSR)
RX 570 4GB: Approx. 43 fps (w/ FSR)
GTX 1650: Approx. 43 fps (w/ FSR)
What are the benchmark results and framerates for GTX 1050 Ti in DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH?
The estimated average framerates for each GPU at 1080p (Full HD) on the Low preset are as follows:
GTX 1050 Ti: Approx. 30 fps (w/ FSR)
Can RX 560 4GB, GTX 1050 2GB run DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH?
Unfortunately, running the game properly is highly unlikely. The graphics performance of these GPUs cannot handle the immense rendering workload of DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH. Even if the game launches, you will face extreme frame drops (10-20fps range), texture loading delays, or frequent freezes. Because severe rendering lag compromises the intended game experience, a GPU upgrade is mandatory to play this title.
Will DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH launch on GTX 750 Ti 2GB? Will it crash?
It is extremely likely that the game will crash on startup or fail to reach the main menu. In addition to severe performance deficits, these GPUs often lack the required VRAM capacity or modern architectural features, failing to meet the basic launch requirements. Since this is a hardware-level limitation that cannot be bypassed via settings, please ensure your system meets the official system requirements.
