Death Stranding May Be Getting Ray Tracing Support

Ray tracing support may be headed to the PC version of Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding, based on the latest information.

New changes to Death Stranding files on Steamdb appear to suggest that the PC version may be receiving an update that adds ray tracing support. This would be the first time a game running on Guerrilla Games’ engine supports the technology. As of writing, there is no word on whether the PS5 version will also receive a similar update to add ray tracing features.

Based on the information on Steamdb, it’s not clear what type of ray tracing features would be added to the game. Ray traced global illumination would likely require significant changes to the lighting model. Ray traced reflections and/or shadows, on the other hand, seem more likely.

Death Stranding was developed by Kojima Productions and released on November 8, 2019. It is the first game from director Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions after their split from Konami in 2015. Subsequently, the game was also released on Windows by 505 Games in July, 2020. A Director’s Cut featuring new content was later released for the PS5 in September, 2021, and then for PC in March, 2022.

After a cataclysmic catastrophe that resulted in terrible animals roaming the Earth, the game is set in the United States. Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus), a messenger entrusted with bringing supplies to remote colonies and reuniting them via a wireless communications network, is controlled by the players. Along with Reedus, the game also includes the likenesses of actors Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Troy Baker, Tommie Earl Jenkins, and Lindsay Wagner as supporting characters. Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn are also represented by their likenesses.

As of August 23, 2022, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is also available on Xbox Game Pass for PC.