Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is coming to PS5 on November 20, 2024 following a year of PC and Xbox Series exclusivity. With brand-new updates and the game’s first expansion now in active development, developer GSC is balancing a lot of plates, but the studio is confident in its upcoming port of its open-world survival game.

Speaking to FRVR ahead of Gamescom 2025, GSC explained that the PlayStation version of the game has been in the works for a while now. With massive, game-changing updates released over the last year, development was a “parallel process” with the team making sure the PS5 version “will be on par with other versions” on release so that “all updates will roll out concurrently across all platforms”.

“We focused on the Xbox version initially, and Game Pass was a great way to introduce the game to a large new audience,” GSC explained when asked about the PS5 version’s development. “Once we completed the core version for Xbox Series X/S, we shifted to the PS5, while continuing to support the game across all platforms.”

The PS5 version of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will also include new features that make use of the console’s unique hardware. Players using the standard DualSense controller will be offered more immersion through its features, although we don’t know if these features will also be present on the PC version when using that controller.

“It’s safe to say we utilize all DualSense features,” GSC told us. “Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are at the top of the list, followed by gyro aiming. The in-game speaker will be used for radio talks, and we also support gesture recognition and the lightbar. Again, we cover pretty much everything.”

One of the biggest questions surrounding the PS5 version of the game is how Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will handle mod support. On Xbox Series consoles, all mods must go through mod.io, similar to games like Baldur’s Gate 3, but with new assets able to be introduced via this service, there is a worry that support could be limited like with Skyrim and Fallout 4. However, it seems GSC is hoping for parity between both consoles.

“Mods will be supported on the PS5 through mod.io – essentially the same as they are supportednow on Xbox Series X/S,” the studio told us.

“As soon as the PS5 version enters the pool of the platforms Stalker 2 is available on, the idea is to keep the same best possible experience for everyone who plays the game.”

Finally, the team teased that Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will make use of the PS5 Pro specifically to offer players a better experience. The team expressed their desire “to leverage its power to introduce console-specific features” which includes better reflections, volumetric fog and more.

The PS5 version of Stalker 2 is still a few months away, but GSC Game World is still working on major improvements to the core experience for all players. The game’s extensive Q3 and Q4 roadmap includes an engine update for optimisation, major A-Life improvements, reworked stashes, new missions and the long-awaited return of binoculars and night-vision.