Skip to main content
PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES
Search PC Gamer
View Profile
Movies & TV
Gaming Industry
PC Gaming Show
Newsletter Signup
Community Guidelines
Affiliate Links
Meet the team
About PC Gamer
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming mag
Try a single issue or save on a subscription
Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From£35.99View Deal
Essential Hardware
PC Gaming Show
Dune: Awakening
Recommended reading
How to fast travel in Death Stranding 2
How to increase carry capacity in Death Stranding 2
PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2’s first area before you leave
Death Stranding 2 sounds like everything I hoped it’d be
How to get a sandbike in Dune: Awakening
Where to find Fragile and Lou in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2: All the key details on the next game from Hideo Kojima
Death Stranding 2 vehicles and how to unlock them
Rory Norris
Contributions from
Sean Martin
25 June 2025
A porter needs a good ride.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
Tri-Cruiser
Floating Carrier
Pickup Off-roader
After the awe-inspiring scale of the first game, it should come as no surprise that Death Stranding 2 is massive. You have to traverse across the treacherous environments of Mexico and Australia, battling steep hills, deep rivers, storms, and even rockslides. It’s hard work, especially when you’re carrying a stack of boxes as tall as the Eiffel Tower on your back. That’s why you need to unlock vehicles as soon as possible.
Alongside building structures and placing equipment like ladders and climbing anchors, vehicles are key to surviving long treks across Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s landscape. However, vehicles are much more complicated to use compared to the PCC and climbing tools, and it takes you much longer to unlock most of them, too.
This guide is based on the PS5 version of Death Stranding 2, but we’ll update it if anything changes as and when the PC version arrives. If the first game is anything to judge by, we could see it coming our way in around six months time.
All Death Stranding 2 vehicles and how to unlock them
We’ve found three different vehicles in Death Stranding 2, though you won’t unlock vehicles until the end of Episode 1: Sam in Mexico. You can steal an Offroader Pickup in a Bandit Camp in the region, but you can only charge it and won’t be able to repair it.
Related Articles
How to fast travel in Death Stranding 2
How to increase carry capacity in Death Stranding 2
PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2’s first area before you leave
To use, store, or fabricate a new vehicle, all you have to do is use the garage tab at suitable bases with a circular platform next to the delivery terminal. If you can’t afford to fabricate a vehicle, don’t fret too much, as you can also find various vehicles while exploring. The idea is that, if another player ditches their ride for whatever reason, it can spawn in your world for you to use, though it’s unclear if you need to unlock vehicles through the story first to get those in your world.
In terms of the best vehicle in Death Stranding 2, that’s largely down to what you need it for. Trucks are good for hauling cargo across flatter areas and roads, while the Trike is fast and better for off-road, but it has less storage and is more exposed.
Tri-Cruiser
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
Unlock requirements: Beat the BT boss in Episode 1: Sam, after reaching the former Geophysics Research Lab
Fabrication recipe: 220 metals, 160 ceramics, 10 chemicals
The Tri-Cruiser is a nimble trike with high mobility and speed—it can even do wheelies to get over rough terrain better or boost if you click the stick. Naturally, it’s not got much in the way of defence, especially as Sam’s completely exposed in the driver’s seat. However, if you get to two stars with the Former Geophysics Research Lab in Mexico, you’ll get some additional armour to protect Sam that you can fabricate for the trike. Another advantage of the Tri-Cruiser is that you can pick up cargo as you pass over it for speedy gathering.
Floating Carrier
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
Unlock requirements: Deliver the cargo to West Fort Knot and add them to the Chiral Network in Episode 3: Drawbridge
Fabrication recipe: 100 resins, 130 metals
Though not technically a vehicle, you can use the Floating Carrier—intended to lug heavy cargo around—to carry Sam instead. Simply detach the carrier, press X to ride it, and then press circle to kick yourself around like you’re using a skateboard. It’s a lot of fun and surprisingly fast. You can even unlock the Carrier Handling Boost APAS Enhancement, which dramatically increases its handling, though you will need a high Porter Grade to get that.
Pickup Off-roader
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
Unlock requirements: Repair the monorail from the Mine North of F1 to West Fort Knot and deliver the special alloys in Episode 3: Drawbridge
Fabrication recipe: 320 metals, 230 ceramics, 20 shemicals
The Pickup Off-Roader is a seriously good vehicle. Though not quite as fast and nimble as the Tri-Cruiser, it has a massive cargo capacity, letting you lug around all sorts of goods and drop them off wherever you need to go. Sadly, you can’t pick up cargo while on the move, but if you stop, pick it up in one of your hands and head to the back, you can quickly deposit it with the rest of the load. Later on, you’ll get the Sticky Cannon upgrade, which automatically collects nearby cargo you drive past. The only disadvantage with this vehicle is that its battery drains quickly when going through water and it’s somewhat bulky.
Death Stranding 2 stats: Level up each one
Death Stranding 2 APAS Enhancements: Porter Grades
Death Stranding 2 carry capacity: Porter-bility
Death Stranding 2 repair vehicles: Charged and ready
Death Stranding 2 fast travel: Skip the scenery
Death Stranding 2 Magellen evaluation: Short-changed
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Rory Norris
Social Links Navigation
Guides Writer
Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.
With contributions from
Sean MartinSenior Guides Writer
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
How to fast travel in Death Stranding 2
How to increase carry capacity in Death Stranding 2
PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2’s first area before you leave
Death Stranding 2 sounds like everything I hoped it’d be
How to get a sandbike in Dune: Awakening
Where to find Fragile and Lou in Death Stranding 2
Latest in Action
Sloclap shoots, then scores as Rematch hits 3 million players, proving there’s a surprising overlap between sports and fighting game fans
I turn my back for one second and now Assassin’s Creed Shadows has Critical Role in it
11 little Death Stranding 2 improvements that made me say ‘hell yeah’
Palworld studio changes its mind about releasing its co-op Hollow Knight-like in early access, will go straight to 1.0
In Crimson Desert, the true boss battle is wrangling its controls to unlock the cool combat within
What happens if you choose ‘I won’t do it’ in Death Stranding 2?
Latest in Guides
How to remove ticks in Peak
Can you save your progress in Peak?
16 of the best landing spots in Fortnite
Where to find the Scoutmaster in Peak
How to revive your friends in Peak
Marvel Rivals Season 3 release date, potential characters, and more
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES
LATEST GAME REVIEWS
Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
Biwin Black Opal X570 Pro 2 TB review
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review
Razer Blade 14 (2025) review
Dune: Awakening review
Rematch review
PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Contact Future’s experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Accessibility Statement
Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,
BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…