Websites like PC Gamer and Digital Foundry agree the sequel's PC port is much, much better than the disaster that was The Last of Us: Part 1 at launch. However, the follow-up isn't without its own problems. Digital Foundry reports "intense frame-time disruption" when entering new areas, and despite running on superior hardware, the recommended medium settings produce worse graphics in certain situations than the original PS4 version.
The outlet states: "The official system requirements suggest an RTX 3060 for 1080p 60fps gameplay, but these medium settings correspond to graphics that are worse in many ways than that of the PS4 release. For example, SSR exhibits full-size crosshatching not found in the PS4 release, and there are similar visual downgrades for flashlight bounce lighting, subsurface scattering and more."
Unlike the PC port of The Last of Us: Part I, this latest release is Steam Deck Verified at launch, but playing the game handheld in this fashion reportedly leaves a lot to be desired. According to Digital Foundry, it's "hard to attain a locked 30fps, with rough frame-pacing and spikes to 66ms or higher. On a more fundamental level, the camera doesn't move smoothly with frame health this poor, making the game look jerky even at a nominal 30fps."
PC Gamer is a bit more positive about the port, reporting excellent visuals and acceptable frame rates across a variety of benchmarks. However, it agrees with Digital Foundry's of a CPU workout. "The LOD transitions are quite distracting, even on the High preset, and the serious CPU workload might give your processor's cooling a lot more to deal with than any game has done so far. But given the tradeoff (no stuttering, no grindingly long shader compilation, no VRAM issues), these issues are acceptable."
Recently, the PC version of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 encountered performance issues and terrible optimisation, which saw it slammed with negative user reviews. The Last of Us 2 Remastered seems to be in a better state than it was at launch, but as Digital Foundry reports, "systemic issues remain".
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