Death Stranding 2: How to Fix Ultrawide Cutscenes – Lyall Mod Guide

Table of Contents (15)

What DeathStranding2Fix Actually Fixes

On PC, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach already renders gameplay in ultrawide and even super-ultrawide resolutions, but most cutscenes are still framed for 16:9. On a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor, that means thick black bars (pillarboxing) at the sides, and sometimes awkward zoom or cropping when you try to force ultrawide.

Modder Lyall released DeathStranding2Fix to solve exactly that. Once installed and configured, the patch:

• Removes pillarboxing in cutscenes on ultrawide and super‑ultrawide displays.
• Expands supported aspect ratios beyond the official list.
• Adds configurable FOV (field of view) correction so scenes don’t look zoomed or cropped.
• Optionally locks the HUD to 16:9 in the center of the screen, so interface elements don’t stretch into your peripheral vision.
• Works with common ultrawide resolutions like 2560×1080, 3440×1440, 3840×1080, and 5120×1440.

I’ve been running it on a 3440×1440 and a 3840×1080 setup. The difference in cutscenes is immediate: no side bars, no weird zoom, and framing that feels like it was shot for your monitor instead of a TV.

Before You Install: Requirements and Warnings

This is a community-made mod, not an official patch from Kojima Productions or Nixxes Software. It works well, but you should still treat it like any other third‑party tool.

• Platform: Tested on the Steam version of Death Stranding 2 on Windows.
• Game mode: Death Stranding 2 is single‑player, so there is no anti‑cheat to worry about, but mods are still “use at your own risk”.
• Backups: You should not need to edit any core files, but it’s still smart to back up your save folder and write down your current in‑game graphics settings.
• Updates: Game patches can temporarily break mods. Plan to re‑check DeathStranding2Fix after major updates.

Time-wise, a straightforward install and basic configuration usually takes about 10-15 minutes, plus a bit of extra tweaking if you’re picky about FOV.

Step 1: Find Your Death Stranding 2 Installation Folder

First, you need to know where Steam actually installed the game so you can drop the mod files in the right place.

The easiest way is through the Steam client:

• Open Steam.
• Go to your Library.
• Right‑click Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
• Click Manage → Browse local files.

This opens the game’s root folder in Explorer. On a default install, it will look something like:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Death Stranding 2

Leave this window open; you’ll need it when you extract the patch.

Step 2: Download DeathStranding2Fix from Codeberg

Lyall hosts DeathStranding2Fix on Codeberg, which is a Git-based hosting platform similar to GitHub. You want the latest release archive (usually a .zip file) for DeathStranding2Fix.

• Search for “DeathStranding2Fix Codeberg Lyall” in your browser.
• Open the Codeberg project page for DeathStranding2Fix.
• Scroll to the Releases section and download the latest version (e.g., DeathStranding2Fix_v0.2.zip).

Once it’s downloaded:

• Right‑click the zip file.
• Choose Extract All…, 7‑Zip → Extract Here, or similar.
• Open the extracted folder so you can see its contents.

Inside you should see at least:

• A DLL file (commonly dinput8.dll or similar, depending on the version).
• DeathStranding2Fix.ini – the configuration file.
• Possibly a readme (README.md or .txt) and license text.

Keep this window next to your open game folder; you’re about to drag the files across.

Step 3: Install DeathStranding2Fix into the Game Folder

Installation is just a file copy, no installers or patchers involved.

• Select all the files from the extracted DeathStranding2Fix folder.
• Drag them into the root of your Death Stranding 2 installation folder. This is the same folder that contains ds2.exe (or similar executable) and the game’s Data folders.
• If Windows asks whether to replace files, stop and double‑check you’re not overwriting anything critical. DeathStranding2Fix normally doesn’t require overwriting existing game files.

After copying, your Death Stranding 2 folder should now contain the new DLL and a DeathStranding2Fix.ini file next to the main executable.

At this point, the mod is technically installed. The next step is to configure it so your aspect ratio and FOV look right.

At this point, the mod is technically installed. The next step is to configure it so your aspect ratio and FOV look right.

Step 4: Configure DeathStranding2Fix.ini (Aspect & FOV)

DeathStranding2Fix.ini controls which features of the patch are active and how aggressive they are. You can edit it with any text editor.

• Right‑click DeathStranding2Fix.ini in your game folder.
• Select Open with → Notepad (or your preferred editor).

The exact options may evolve with new versions, but you’ll typically see entries similar to:

[General]
EnableMod = 1
FixCutsceneAspect = 1
ConstrainHUDTo16x9 = 1

[FOV]
EnableFOVFix = 1
FOVMult = 1.00

Key settings to focus on for ultrawide:

• EnableMod – Make sure this is set to 1 to turn the patch on.
• FixCutsceneAspect – Set to 1 to remove pillarboxing and let cutscenes render at your monitor’s aspect ratio.
• ConstrainHUDTo16x9 – 1 keeps the HUD in a 16:9 box in the center, which is much easier on the eyes on 32:9 or very wide 21:9 displays. Set to 0 if you’d rather let the HUD stretch fully across your screen.
• EnableFOVFix – This should be 1 if you want correct framing in cutscenes and gameplay when using ultrawide.
• FOVMult – This multiplies the base FOV. Values above 1.00 widen the view, below 1.00 narrow it.

For reference, these are good starting points based on common ultrawide setups:

• 2560×1080 (21:9) – Try FOVMult = 1.10. This widens things enough to feel natural without making characters tiny.
• 3440×1440 (21:9) – I’ve had the best balance around FOVMult = 1.08–1.12. Start at 1.10 and adjust by 0.02 steps.
• 3840×1080 (32:9) – Start at FOVMult = 1.20. You’ll likely want more horizontal space here.
• 5120×1440 (32:9) – Try FOVMult = 1.18–1.22. Higher values make motion feel faster and can increase distortion, so don’t push it too far.

After editing the values, save the file (Ctrl + S) and close your editor.

Step 5: Test In‑Game and Fine‑Tune

Now launch Death Stranding 2 from Steam as usual. If everything is working, you shouldn’t see any crashes or warnings; the game will boot normally, but the behavior on an ultrawide display will be different.

• In gameplay: Walk around a wide outdoor area, pan the camera, and make sure the FOV feels natural. If Sam looks too “zoomed in” or the world feels cramped, raise FOVMult a bit. If the image feels distorted or “fish‑eyed,” lower it.
• In cutscenes: Pay attention to the edges of your screen. With FixCutsceneAspect = 1, there should be no black bars on the sides, and character heads and subtitles should stay comfortably within frame.
• HUD: If ConstrainHUDTo16x9 = 1, your health, BB gauge, and prompt icons should be grouped in a central 16:9 strip, not stuck at the extreme corners of your panel.

If something feels off:

• Alt‑tab out, tweak DeathStranding2Fix.ini, save it, then fully close and relaunch the game.
• Change FOVMult in small steps (0.02–0.05) rather than big jumps.
• Toggle ConstrainHUDTo16x9 between 0 and 1 and see which you prefer visually.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

If Death Stranding 2 misbehaves after installing DeathStranding2Fix, work through these quick checks.

Game Won’t Launch or Crashes on Startup

• Temporarily move the mod files (DLL and DeathStranding2Fix.ini) out of the game folder.
• Try launching again. If the game runs, the crash is mod‑related.
• Make sure you didn’t accidentally drop the files into a subfolder like bin instead of the root directory.
• Check for conflicts if you use other DLL‑based tools (ReShade, Special K, other camera/FOV mods). Two mods hooking the same API can fight each other.

Black Bars Still Show in Cutscenes

• Confirm your desktop and in‑game resolution match your monitor’s native ultrawide resolution (e.g., 3440×1440), not a 16:9 fallback.
• Open DeathStranding2Fix.ini and ensure FixCutsceneAspect = 1 and EnableMod = 1.
• Make sure you saved the INI after editing and relaunched the game; changes are not applied on the fly.
• If the game just updated, the mod might have been disabled. Re‑copy the latest version of DeathStranding2Fix into the folder.

HUD Is Too Small or Too Wide

• If the HUD feels tiny in the middle of a 32:9 screen, try ConstrainHUDTo16x9 = 0 so the UI uses the full width.
• If elements are way out in your peripheral vision and hard to read, switch it back to 1.
• Experiment with the game’s own HUD size and opacity options in Settings → Display to complement the mod.

How DeathStranding2Fix Compares to Other Ultrawide Solutions

Right now, there are three broad approaches for fixing ultrawide cutscenes in Death Stranding 2 on PC:

• XMODhub utility: A user‑friendly tool that injects fixes into RAM. It’s designed to survive Steam updates because it doesn’t change game files on disk and includes simple toggles and FOV sliders.
• Manual hex editing: Directly editing ds2.exe or related binaries to remove black bars. This works but is high‑maintenance: every game patch can overwrite your edits, and a wrong change can require a full file verification.
• Lyall’s DeathStranding2Fix: A drop‑in patch focused on aspect ratio, cutscene pillarboxing, FOV, and HUD layout, configured through a single INI file.

If you want the most granular control in a single place and are comfortable editing text configs, DeathStranding2Fix is a solid choice. It doesn’t rely on external launchers, it’s easy to remove, and it cleanly targets ultrawide pain points without touching unrelated game behavior.

Staying Up to Date After Game Patches

PC ports evolve, and each Death Stranding 2 update from Kojima Productions or Nixxes can change how rendering and cutscenes work. It’s worth building a simple maintenance routine around the mod.

• After every major patch: Launch the game once with the mod installed and check a cutscene. If aspect ratio looks wrong or you see new crashes, exit and temporarily remove DeathStranding2Fix.
• Check Codeberg for updates: Look for a newer version of DeathStranding2Fix that mentions compatibility with the latest game build.
• Clean reinstall: Delete the old mod DLL and INI from the game folder before copying in the updated version.
• Verify game files if things get messy: In Steam, right‑click the game → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files… This restores any core files if a conflicting tool changed them.

This routine keeps your install clean and minimizes the time you spend debugging strange behavior after an update.

Practical Takeaway

If you play Death Stranding 2 on a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor, Lyall’s DeathStranding2Fix is one of the most direct ways to get true ultrawide cutscenes with proper FOV and a usable HUD. Installation is just a file copy, configuration lives in a single INI, and removal is as simple as deleting those files.

Set aside 15 minutes to install it, start with the suggested FOVMult values for your resolution, and adjust in small steps until the game feels natural. Combined with the PC port’s existing ultrawide gameplay support, it makes Death Stranding 2 finally look like it was framed for your monitor from the very first cutscene to the last delivery.