Since its release in June 2020, The Last of Us Part 2 has proven pretty divisive among both gamers and critics. Unfortunately, some of the controversy surrounding the game has been in somewhat bad faith, with some players criticising the game for including trans characters or spotlighting LGBTQ+ issues.
However, other negative opinions of the game have revolved around its relentlessly bleak tone and lack of gameplay innovation, so not all of the criticism has been bigoted in nature.
Still, for many gamers, The Last of Us Part 2 is a masterpiece of storytelling and atmosphere, and so it’s natural that those gamers would want to play The Last of Us Part 2 on PS5. If you’re one of them, then we’ve got good news and bad news, so read on to find out whether a The Last of Us Part 2 PS5 version is a reality.
The Last of Us Part 2 isn’t natively on PS5
Unfortunately, despite being released at the end of a console generation (and thus being ripe for some kind of next-gen port), The Last of Us Part 2 isn’t currently available on PS5.
There’s no native PS5 version of the game, so if you buy it from the PlayStation Store, you’re buying the PS4 version.
This is despite the fact that other games released in 2020, including fellow PS4 exclusive Ghost of Tsushima, did eventually get PS5 releases, so The Last of Us Part 2 is something of an anomaly in that regard.
It’s not entirely clear why there hasn’t been some kind of The Last of Us Part 2 PS5 port yet. Naughty Dog hasn’t revealed any kind of official reason for the lack of a PS5 edition of the game, and since the developer is remaining silent, we only have speculation to fall back on.
Happily, the rumour mill appears to be in full swing when it comes to The Last of Us Part 2 on PS5. Recently, the game’s composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, gave an interview in which he appeared to inadvertently reveal the existence of some kind of re-release of The Last of Us Part 2, one in which it would be possible to approach the composer himself and ask him to play pieces from the game’s soundtrack.
Of course, that doesn’t constitute an official confirmation, so it’s a good idea to take Santaolalla’s comments with a pinch of salt for now. However, since he’d be involved behind-the-scenes with any kind of new re-release of The Last of Us Part 2, this is a solid indication that something big could be on the way for the game.
You can still play The Last of Us Part 2 on PS5
Even though The Last of Us Part 2 may not technically be available on PS5, you can still play the game on Sony’s current-gen console thanks to the magic of backwards compatibility.
All you have to do is slot your PS4 disc into your PS5, or download the game onto your console via the PlayStation Store, and fire it up just like you would with any other PS4 game.
The Last of Us Part 2 also received a major next-gen upgrade in January 2023, pushing the frame rate target up to 60fps (if you want), so playing the PS4 version on PS5 is essentially very similar to playing a native version of the game.
In short, if you haven’t played The Last of Us Part 2 yet – or you want to revisit the game with fresh eyes – then playing the PS4 version on your PS5 is arguably the best way to do so thanks to these improvements.
Is The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5?
Another reason that a PS5 version of The Last of Us Part 2 is almost certainly in the pipeline is the existence of The Last of Us Part 1.
This remake of the original The Last of Us was released for the PS5 in September 2022, and was then subsequently ported to the PC (albeit with a particularly poor reception at launch) in 2023.
It seems strange that current-gen gamers can enjoy a native version of the original The Last of Us on PS5, but they can’t then move onto The Last of Us Part 2 without making the backwards leap to the previous generation.
At time of writing, the Gamescom event, which takes place in mid-August, is just around the corner, so it’s possible that we’ll see an announcement regarding a PS5 The Last of Us Part 2 port during the opening night’s showcase.
However, for the time being, you’ll have to content yourself with playing The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5, then playing the sequel on PS4, unless you’re willing to wait for any kind of potential announcement that could be on the horizon.
Should you play The Last of Us Part 2 on PS5 via backwards compatibility?
If you’re on the fence about playing The Last of Us Part 2, then we can help.
You should play The Last of Us Part 2 if:
- You loved The Last of Us and want to know how the story continues.
- You like deeply atmospheric games with a strong emphasis on narrative.
- You like stealth-focused action-adventure games and don’t mind linearity.
You should not play The Last of Us Part 2 if:
- You don’t want to play through a relentlessly bleak and uncompromising story.
- You want a gameplay model that is innovative and different.
- You don’t like linear games and would prefer something more open-ended.
