Surprise! Death Stranding Director's Cut Is Now Available On Xbox Series X|S

I wonder if it is some kind of exception, or it is Sony dipping their toes.
Because there is no way that they haven't signed off this port since it's build on Decima (engine that Horizon games are built on) and Sony also owns the IP.

@Godot25 Not only that, but it was published by Sony. Interesting. I guess that Sony is just following Microsoft's steps and becoming multiplatform, slowly.

Holy Molly, I can't believe it.

@Banjo- It was published by 505 Games.

@chesheer Was not the original version published by Sony? Not that it matters much, but I think you're wrong. The PC port was the one published by 505 Games.

This one is published by 505 but looks like Sony had to give them permission so…

@Godot25 @Banjo- 505 still owns the publishing rights to the first game (for PC) and since tomorrow is the 5th anniversary, I reckon they're getting it out now cuz of expired contracts. Now the second game is locked down cuz it's fully published by Sony.

@Banjo- the original non-director’s cut was published by 505 on PC

I loved this on PS4, will definitely be taking advantage of that big discount.

Now I just wanna know what the Xbox-specific hologram will be (PlayStation was Horizon's Tallneck and PC was Half-Life's Strider).

@K1LLEGAL @UnusedBabyWipes Right, I meant the original version. Not that it matters much, more important is that Sony owns the IP and engine, according to the first poster.

@Banjo- yea it’s still a wild release to be sure.

@UnusedBabyWipes OG game is published by Sony. On PlayStation. But Sony still owns IP. So as I said. There is no way 505 Games could have released Xbox port without Sony saying "okay, you can do that"

EDIT: Okay. Now I'm reading that KojiPro secured Death Stranding IP. https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20241107-317236/

Which probably means that Death Stranding 2 on Xbox is matter of "when" not "if"

@K1LLEGAL Yeah, I almost regret my first comment here seeing the notifications bubble going up, but if I remove it, the thread won't make sense LOL. Anyway, I didn't play the PS4 version, so I might consider this for my Series X.

Wow, now that's a huge surprise.

That only means the sequel is also releasing on Xbox and most probably a lot sooner since Kojima and Phil Spencer are buddies.

@Godot25 That's what I thought, that the original game was published by Sony and that it was a shared project between Sony and Kojima. If Sony funded the development, owns the IP and provided the engine, it's wild like @K1LLEGAL said, that they are letting this go to Xbox after Jim Ryan's antics around the world during the acquisition of ABK. That said, the new CEO said that the future of Sony is "multiplatform", PC and mobile, at the very least. It's similar to Square Enix, that also got a new CEO and more recently stated that they were going fully multiplatform.

@Banjo- nah it’s a confusing scenario and now @Godot25 is saying Kojima Productions have the IP rights which would be awesome. Hope we see the sequel on Xbox too!

@Godot25 @K1LLEGAL OK, so then the sequel also comes to Xbox, no doubt now.

EDIT: It's optimised for Series X|S, so another reason to get it on Xbox.

Yaay this is great glad I didn't waste my reward points on something crap gonna pick this up tonight!

Someone please check on Geoff Keighley.

Nice, support this guys. I think Sony tests the waters to see if it will sell or not on Xbox and accordingly, if it goes well more games are about to come. Probably not the first line (God of War, Last of Us, Spiderman, etc), but some other PS exclusives (first or third party) could be available next for Xbox also.
People always complain about Microsoft, but from MS they realised they are not Nintendo to have a game with 60+ million copies sold (like Mario Kart) and they decided to release all their games on PC too and some lately also everywhere. PS was late in the dance for PC, they joined but it seems to me they are following their steps also releasing everywhere some games. Outside of Console wars, if that's the case, it's a win win for everyone.

@K1LLEGAL What's the matter with him now? 😂

That is a surprise. There was no indication that was in the pipeline!

@kelomaniack I agree. Notice that Marathon, a new IP developed and owned by Sony, will be released for PS5, Windows and Xbox at launch.

Cool for folks on Xbox who haven't played it I guess. Not over priced with that discount at least.

I played on PS5 and while it was a visual treat I have to say it was one of the most boring games I have ever played from a gameplay & narrative perspective.

@Savage_Joe Thanks. The poster updated that information already.

One of my favourite games of all time! Super happy for Xbox users to play it! I’ll probably triple dip and get it on my Series X today just to support the devs!

LET'S GOOOOO!
It finally happened!

That's a really good news. I have it already on PS5, but I'll maybe buy it again on Xbox, to show my support.

I started this when it came to PC Game Pass expecting it to be a massive pile of you-know-what.

I'm still surprised to this day how much I loved every minute of the 153 hours that I put into it.

I bought the directors cut on Steam a little while later but never got round to playing it again as I wanted to give it a little time before a replay.

With the release of the Xbox version I will put my Steam copy on hold and I'll be picking this up via Xbox Play Anywhere (confirmed on the store page) to show support for this and look forward to another 100+ hours.

Great game.

Glad Kojima owns the game now. But it is one of the most boring experiences ever, and should be studied at universities due to how a charisma and artist's brand can influence customer's decision making capabilities. If Kojima was not attached to the project, DS would be a 4/10 flop.

Wow, this is surprising. I think I might just go and get it tonight. Cool news.

Eh, I've spent $20 on worse lol.

Unexpected but very welcome!

Does this mean there’s any chance Stellar Blade could eventually come to Xbox?

@XxEvilAshxX I think we all did at one point or another lol

@Cakefish Sony doesn't own the IP, the developper is working on a PC version, so... who knows!

Wow. I was thinking to play it on PlayStation at some point, but now it will be on Xbox, for sure. Great price, too.

Wow…this come out of nowhere 😱 As someone who has played this on PS4 and PS5 I highly recommend it. It looks absolutely gorgeous on PS5, so imagine it’s the same on Series X. Granted, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea though. For me, I got the most joy out of traversing the beautiful environments, carrying your cargo load and doing deliveries. Combatting enemies or BTs was actually my least favourite part of the game. But give me miles and miles of a desolate environment, whilst carrying a full load of cargo and I was in gaming heaven 😃 This game really is about the journey, not the destination.

@Tatoun yeah, this opens up so many possibilities where Sony doesn’t own the IP. Whoever would’ve predicted that Death Stranding was a timed exclusive all along!

Of all the 3rd party exclusives Sony snapped up this year, Stellar Blade is the one that I want to see most on Xbox.

It's certainly not for everyone but for anyone like me that gets completely immersed in its world...it became a top ten all time for me. Maybe top five. I still think it has the greatest game trailer to this day (yes better than Gears 1!). My first Kojima game was MGSV.

@16BitHero I have also played MGSV and although the graphics and gameplay are great, the story doesn't make any sense. How would you compare Death Stranding with other games?

@Cakefish it's a very good game... despite the outfits. Gosh, I spent my whole playthrough trying to get... somewhat not vulgar clothes.
The gameplay and the OST are excellent.

@Tatoun yeah apparently I heard it plays similar to Nier Automata which sounds very appealing to me!

@Banjo- it's like MGS on acid, but I loved every second of it!

@Cakefish it's more nervous IMO

@Banjo- You certainly have to buy into Kojimas unorthodox storytelling which may never actually make complete sense but for me his games like many, are about the journey and not necessarily the destination. Like others have commented, the environments are gorgeous and yes a great deal of it is this post apocalyptic-esque walking simulator delivery man gig but I really bought into the sci fi premise and personally think it would make an epic TV show with the right backing. There is inventory management and the encounters are very survival horror in my opinion. This is absolutely not a game I would have imagined liking but again, the sci fi premise and execution is really spot on. NPC characters are great too and not just because they are known actors .I don't really know what to compare it to!

@16BitHero That sounds good! I like subtle horror.

There are some games I wouldn't play even for free. This is one of them.
But I'm still glad for Xbox and for the people that are gonna enjoy it.

@Tatoun It sounds like at times relaxing, at times intense and overwhelming.

Now Xbox and PC users can play as a FedEx employee for 40 hours....

This is incredible! One of my top 5 games of all time.

I hope Xbox players support the game.

People call it a walking simulator or mailman simulator, but, to, me it felt very much like MGS V gameplay wise; but rather than trying to plan your way through areas with enemy soldiers, you're trying to find the safest, yet, fastest route without either getting attacked by "bandits" (I honestly don't remember the name of the humans who attack porters) or dealing with BTs.

It's equal parts Zen and equal parts stealth, mixed with a little travel planning. Plus, story is pretty bonkers.

@Ricky-Spanish Hahaha, I was thinking the same!

I've just bought it with my reward points. Hope to see the sequel on Xbox too.

@GamingFan4Lyf IIRC, aren't they called "mules"?

This game is worth playing for the Soundtrack alone.

Let's go!!!!

This is brilliant news! The Xbox has been lacking in the 'single player open world' category for some time and I never finished it on Playstation

@HarmanSmith Yes, thanks

Amazing game. I spent hundreds of hours exploring it on my PS4, and I'm 100% down for doing it again on SX

Please don’t sleep on the game, it’s one of my favorites games of all time and I even wondering if buying it again on Xbox having got the platinum twice.

I bought it instantly for Series X. Great game so far. I think 20 euros is a steal.

Great news! I could never really get into the game personally after 5 or 6 attempts but always great more people get to play more games!

Just a reminder that all “insiders” and popular sites have been telling us the full year about xbox losing 3rd party support. Now we have Square Enix releasing games on xbox. Now the death stranding.
I think the narrative of “porting to xbox is hard and not financially feasible as people dont buy games on xbox” can slowly die out. They just released the game with 50% discount. Clearly its not hard to port and they will make money even with such decent discount.
A big W for xbox and players in general. All this exclusivity BS has to end.

@kelomaniack apparently sony has nothing to do with this. Kojima bought the rights for IP and the contract with sony ended today. It was 5 year contract. So we can expect sequel at some point on xbox. Probably they still have some agreement with sony for timed exclusivity.

I would not bank on any 1st party games from sony releasing on xbox at least in foreseeable future. Maybe if xbox share grows little bit they might port something eventually but its all speculation for now

Wow! Super chuffed about this and happy to be given the opportunity of having it on my primary gaming platform.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible!👏

Good for Xbox gamers that haven’t played it yet! Definitely one of the best games I played in the last 25 years.

Kojima is a creator. As such he wants to make his content available to the widest audience possible. Ask any developer and they'd tell you (at least off the record) that if it were up to them, their games would be available everywhere. Great that Xbox players can now experience this very strange and great game.

As a multi plat gamer I could have played this at any point on my PS5... but I haven't. I am glad it's come to Xbox though so others have the chance to play it.

As Xbox is my prefered platform I'll look out for analysis videos to see how well the port has been done, you never know, at the dicounted price I may try it, unlikely though.

I played a bit of this on the PS5 through PS Plus Extra and I enjoyed what little I did play. I remember the environments being absolutely gorgeous and I had some fun navigating the terrain making some deliveries while trying to avoid the “Beached things” otherwise known as BTs.

I stopped playing due to other PS5 exclusives I wanted to play and finish and Death Stranding isn’t a game you can just power through in a weekend. I’m buying this for my Series X to give it a proper play through this time and I’m chuffed this is on my primary console with achievements too! £17.49 is a definitely a steal so I’ll be using some of my reward points towards this then will spend the rest when The Thing Remastered is released.

I thought this was a really good price so went ahead and got it. Nice surprise.

Apparently Kojima has taken the IP over and has been making a lot of noise with MS lately. This was a very welcome surprise!

It would be interesting to learn more about the Sony reasoning. Was it part of the original deal that Kojima would gain full rights 5 years later? Was it part of some other negotiation with them? Was the price too good? Do they just not see much for the future of the franchise beyond the 2 games?

It seems like something they would want to keep and maybe even make film or TV shows in but we will probably never know.

@UnusedBabyWipes I hope the Xbox hologram is Banjo-Kazooie doing the Talon Trot.

Now everyone can experience how overrated it is!

Bought it instantly at that price - however wouldn’t be surprised if it subsequently ended up on Gamepass…. Now that I bought it…

Put it on game pass. I’m not paying $20 for a game that’s been out for like 10 years.

@jesse_dylan But it didn’t release 10 years ago, it came out 5 years ago on Nov 8th 2019 so your over exaggerating how old it is. KJP didn’t have to offer the 50% off for 2 weeks but they did and most of us are grateful for that offer.

Bought it on PS4 just before I bought a Series S. Never played it. So I'm buying again on a shiny new Series X. Looks intriguing.

@Banjo- Its a very good game and you can tell its using some of the ideas from how MGSV played, but I would say it feels completely unique and unlike any other game. But providing you enjoyed the open nature of just wandering then it should land well.

@uberdaddypig 100 hours exploring?? WOW! Is it that big of a game? I never got round to playing it when I had my PS4, but really interested now of course 😬

@Ilyn What I enjoyed about MGSV is how realistic it feels, not just the graphics but the gameplay. I beat that game, including the last, repeated, super difficult last missions, in spite of the final loop and the pointless end... I see that Death Stranding is a divisive game, but at this price and enhanced for Series X is a no-brainer.

@Banjo- You should enjoy DS then as it does have a very realistic feel despite being sci-fi. Things like strict weight limits, weight affecting speed and balance, and even how long it can take to build stuff all really elevate the game.

You are right its very divisive and not for everyone but its one of the best games I played this year and if you have a fancy TV it really does look stunning. For £20 it worth anyones time.

@Ilyn I have a fancy TV, indeed (LG OLED G4).😁

Nice that the game gets an Xbox release! Its really a hit or miss kind of game, I gave up after like 7 hours as the walking part got boring for me but if it clicks for you then you´re in for a treat!

@RetroMan71 it's a big game. You can probably speedrun it quicker, but I took time to build motorways to help other folk playing. It's a genius concept with peoples' worlds interlinked, with stronger connections pulling more of each others' stuff across. Highly recommend. My favourite game of all time.

Good to see Kojima gain control of his IP.

Wish he owned metal gear too!

@MaccaMUFC yes, I was exaggerating. Gratitude has nothing to do with it. It’s money or not, and it’s not good enough for me to pony up when money is limited and I have so much other stuff to play. They’re a business, not your dad. Their feelings aren’t hurt, and they don’t discount to be nice; they discount because they think it’ll make the most profit. No exaggeration this time. I’d have sprung for $10, but I’d rather see it on game pass.

Bought and downloaded last night!

@jesse_dylan Ok I think we’ve established your one of those people who expect everything for nothing and that every game should be added into Game Pass or your not interested.

Regardless of KJP’s intentions of offering 50% off it’s still considered pro-consumer when they could have easily just released it at full price at £34.99. You say you’ve got plenty of other games to play so enjoy those while we enjoy this one 👍🏻

🙄 This is a stupid argument mate.

You’ve established you’re pleased to sit at the feet of your masters and say “be grateful for what you get!” like a Tory.

This game was free on epic, and it was on game pass pc. I’m not in any hurry to grab a 5 year old game and say “thank you thank you!” and make an ahegao face.

Enjoy the game. I’m sure I will too, eventually, when I play it. I’m into the post apocalyptic wandering delivery person motif.

@cburg Me too! People weren't lying, it's weird as heck. But I'm in a weird mood so it's working for me.