What do you get for the gamer-slash-outdoors-enthusiast who has everything? A Death Stranding 2-themed exoskeleton, apparently.
Kojima Productions has teamed up with Dynsys, an exoskeleton creator, to create a Death Stranding 2-style exoskeleton for hiking and climbing, which Dynsys says will allow users to “experience game-like mobility in real life.”
Co-designed by Dynsys and Death Stranding 2 art director Yoji Shinkawa, the Z1 Exoskeleton Pro – Death Stranding 2 on the Beach Limited Edition claims to improve speed, endurance, and comfort during hikes and climbs. This exoskeleton resembles the one protagonist Sam Porter Bridges uses in the Death Stranding games, and features lights that allow users to check the gizmo’s battery level and operational status, just like in Death Stranding 2.
“We designed this exoskeleton with the same passion and precision as if it were built for the world of Death Stranding,” Skinkawa says in a statement on the Dynsys website. “Every detail was refined to bring the game’s futuristic vision into reality, creating something Sam himself might wear. Wearing it feels as if the world of Death Stranding has come to life, where imagination and reality finally connect.”
Per the Dynsys website, the Z1 Exoskeleton Pro extends the average user’s endurance by 15.5 miles when hiking and 9.3 miles when climbing vertically. The Z1’s leg enhancement feature adds “50% extra power to your steps,” and offloads “up to 200%” of the pressure a wearer’s body weight would otherwise put on their knees. Dynsys also claims the device will make users “instantly feel up to 44lbs lighter.” Batteries last for four hours, but can easily be swapped out for extended hikes.
Notably, Dynsys doesn’t share exactly how much the Z1 Exoskeleton Pro weighs, or how big it is when folded up for transport. The exoskeleton manufacturer’s website lists the Z1’s “machine weight” as “680g per leg” and says that, when folded, the Z1’s size is “comparable to an iPad Mini.”
The Death Stranding 2 version of the Z1 Exoskeleton Pro launches Dec. 2, but it’s rather hard to pin down a price. Various parts of the website link to a Kickstarter page, where prices for non-Death-Stranding-themed versions of the device range from $749 to $2,298, depending on the style chosen (single- or double-jointed) and the accessories included. However, the retail price for the Z1 has been reported as $1500, so the Death Stranger version may come in at a similar rate.
Dynsys says that the Death Stranding 2 Z1 Exoskeleton will only be available in limited quantities, and encourages prospective buyers to subscribe to the Dynsys newsletter for more information.
Dynsys and Kojima Productions are also holding a giveaway, and three winners will be chosen to receive a free Death Stranding 2 Z1 Exoskeleton Pro. To qualify, interested parties must take part in the “Share Your Journey Mission,” using text, video, and/or photos to document their outdoor adventures and explain how they’d use the exoskeleton. Entrants must then share their creation on social media, screenshot the post, and email the screenshot to Dynsys, after which Dynsys will select the three “most creative/touching entries.” It’s not clear when the winners will be announced, nor when they will receive their free exoskeletons.
