With the long awaited S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl now blasting its way onto PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles across the globe, we took the opportunity to sit down with GSC Game World’s Technical Producer, Levgen Kulyk and Communications Director Zakhar Bocharov, to touch on just how the PS5 and PS5 Pro provide additional opportunities for immersion in the Ukrainian publisher/developer’s ultra-ambitious, open-world sequel.
PSU (Ben Fellows): Thank you for taking the time to speak with us! You’ve spoken about the potential of the PS5 version to bring “next-level immersion.” How did the capabilities of the DualSense controller influence early design decisions for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 on PlayStation?
Levgen: The concept and methodology, essentially, remain unchanged – we’re dealing with a fresh platform that demands a tailored strategy to extract the utmost from its capabilities for an optimal player experience. When it comes to the unique attributes of a particular console and its ecosystem, the PS5 enables us to incorporate additional elements, such as adaptive triggers, the DualSense touchpad, or gyroscopic aiming. As for the PS5 Pro, we can enhance lighting and visual effects, thanks to the system’s greater power.
PSU (Ben Fellows): Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers were mentioned as features you’re “utilising” on PS5. Could you walk us through one weapon or gameplay moment in the Zone where these features change the feel compared to other platforms?
Levgen: Overall, this is an ideal match for boosting immersion. The radio now speaks directly from the controller’s speaker – which feels very much like real life; shots and wounds are felt through vibration; weapons feel different thanks to adaptive triggers. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the audio design is very thoughtful, and thanks to spatial audio, it also performs exceptionally well. These are all highly complementary details, but together they work very effectively for immersion.
PSU (Ben Fellows) The PS5 Pro version is being touted as “the most beautiful way to play.” What specific visual or technical enhancements can PS5 Pro owners expect beyond base PS5 performance?
Levgen: The PS5 Pro is more powerful, so we were able to achieve certain graphical improvements specifically on this platform. This version features improved shadow quality and resolution, enhanced global illumination, higher-quality reflections, improved volumetric fog, enhanced volumetric cloud rendering.
PSU (Ben Fellows) Many PS5 players weigh framerate against resolution. What performance targets did you set for the PS5 build, and how did those goals shape your approach to visual fidelity?
Levgen:
Base PS5 – Performance: 2K 60 FPS – Quality: 4K 30 FPS
PS5 Pro – Performance: 4K 60 FPS – Quality: 4K 30 FPS
It feels like many will prefer the Performance mode, because we’re talking about an FPS game, but the most beautiful version, as mentioned earlier, is the PlayStation 5 Pro in Quality mode.
PSU (Ben Fellows) For players who’ve already explored the Zone elsewhere, what unique technical or sensory touches should PlayStation players expect from this version?
Zakhar: We primarily hope that the game will appeal to those who try it for the first time on PlayStation 5. Nevertheless, the enhanced immersion thanks to all the
features described above and the opportunity, for example, to earn the platinum trophy – sound, in our opinion, like a good reason to return. In any case, anyone can now choose the platform of their preference.
PSU (Ben Fellows): When adapting S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 for PS5, what was the biggest technical or creative challenge in fully optimising for PlayStation hardware?
Levgen: It’s hard to say: on one hand, it’s a new platform; on the other, we’re talking about overall optimization and tailoring it to a specific console. We can’t say we
encountered any serious challenges beyond the expected and, one might say, standard ones.
PSU (Ben Fellows): Mods are a huge part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s identity. How will mod support work on PS5 — will players see curated or community-created content, or a mix of both? And are there any technical limitations or advantages unique to PlayStation in delivering mods?
Zakhar: Mod support will be implemented through mod.io – just like in Legends of the Zone Trilogy for PS and Xbox or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 for Xbox and PC. Support will be added after the initial launch.
PSU (Ben Fellows): Looking ahead, can PlayStation fans expect post-launch content and expansions to arrive day-and-date with other platforms, or will there be a gap similar to launch?
Zakhar: Once the PS5 version joins the other platforms, we will do everything possible to ensure that: – all platforms receive the same updates at the same time; – every platform delivers the best possible optimized experience. This means that mods will eventually become available on PS5 as well, story DLCs will launch simultaneously across all platforms, and the transition to the new Unreal
Engine 5 version will happen for all players at once.
PSU (Ben Fellows): You’ve also teased a future PvP mode. Will it include cross-play support, and are there any discussions around introducing co-op — whether that’s a shared campaign, standalone PvE, or even a PvPvE experience within the Zone?
Zakhar: We have no updates regarding multiplayer right now – we’re fully concentrated on the updates and support for the single-player experience.
PSU (Ben Fellows): Thank you so much for your time!
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is out now on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
Interview kindly provided by GSC Game World.