Picture this: it's 2026, and your dusty copy of The Last of Us Part II is still sitting there on the shelf, begging for a 60fps glow-up. Rumors have been swirling for years, and the chatter just won't quit. According to fresh buzz, both that gritty masterpiece and Kojima's bizarre delivery sim are finally getting the PS5 treatment they deserve—and this time, there might be new story stuff in the cards. Let's dive into what's cooking.
A Tale of Two Juggernauts
Back in the day, these two games basically defined the final stretch of the PS4 era. Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic revenge saga dropped in the summer of 2020 and went on to become the most awarded game in history—no small feat. Death Stranding, meanwhile, had already been out for a year by then, confusing and delighting players with its weird balancing acts, ghostly BTs, and a plot that only Hideo Kojima could dream up. Both are playable on PS5 via backward compatibility, sure, but they're still stuck in last-gen mode. No official patch, no silky frame rates, no DualSense wizardry. And frankly, that’s just rude.
Whispers from the Insider Trenches
The current wave of excitement started when well-known industry insider Navtra (from the ResetEra forums) dropped some spicy hints. Their words, as reported by Wccftech, were something like: "If you're interested in Death Stranding but haven't played it yet, it might be worth it to wait a lil bit." A little bit! See, that's the kind of tease that makes a gamer’s heart skip a beat. Another user straight-up asked if an extended edition was in the works, and Navtra basically said "yep," hinting that it won't be a free upgrade because—you guessed it—brand-new story content is on the way. For a game that already had you delivering pizzas across a fractured America, the prospect of more narrative beats is both bizarre and wildly exciting.
What About Ellie?
Navtra also whispered that Naughty Dog had, at some point, been tinkering with a proper PS5 patch for The Last of Us Part II. Are they still grinding away at it? The insider wasn’t totally sure, but added, "I'd be surprised if it doesn't get a patch, though." And honestly, same. This is a game that looks jaw-dropping even on a base PS4. Imagine it running at a locked 60fps with ray-traced lighting, faster loads, and maybe even haptic feedback when you pull back that bowstring. The original The Last of Us got a remaster on PS4 just a year after its PS3 release, so there’s a solid precedent. And let’s be real—Naughty Dog wouldn't even need to go full remaster. A well-optimized patch would be enough to make the internet collectively lose its mind.
DualSense Dreams and Kojima’s 4D Fantasies
Now, the real magic could happen with the DualSense controller. Death Stranding is practically built for it. Feel the crunch of gravel under Sam’s boots? The squelch of tar as a BT grabs your ankle? The wobble of a tower of packages as you struggle to keep balance? That’s haptic heaven right there. Kojima has always been obsessed with creating a "4D" experience—something that transcends the screen—and the DualSense is basically a portal to that dream. If the Extended Edition leans into adaptive triggers for climbing and weapon handling, it could be a whole new way to suffer through the postman apocalypse. And we are here for it.
The Long Wait—Is 2026 Finally the Year?
Let’s inject a little reality check, because rumors are flaky creatures. We’ve been hearing about these upgrades since the PS5 launched, and all we’ve gotten so far is silence and a few cryptic tweets from industry watchdogs. But 2026 might just be the turning point. Both games are visual stunners that deserve to be shown off on current hardware. For The Last of Us Part II, a patch would give players the 60fps mode they’ve been salivating over, maybe even a new difficulty or permadeath option just for laughs. For Death Stranding, the Extended Edition could fold in content that was left on the cutting room floor—or take us somewhere entirely unexpected, like the moon. (Kojima, if you’re reading this, you’re welcome.)
The community is on pins and needles, and every time an insider blinks, we all scramble for clues. Whether these rumors pan out is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: when (if?) these upgrades finally land, our PS5s are going to get a serious workout. And if you haven’t played either game yet... well, maybe listen to Navtra and just hold your horses a little longer.
Available now (but maybe hold off): The Last of Us Part II and Death Stranding on PS4.