Hands On: The Last of Us 2 Marries Visuals and Frame Rate in PS5 Pro Game Changer '

The very first game Sony chose to market its upgraded PS5 Pro console alongside during its short reveal video was The Last of Us Part II Remastered, which at the time, felt like a double-edged sword. Its outstanding quality means hardcore PS5 owners are always open to a replay of the Naughty Dog game, but from a visual perspective, it already looked pretty incredible on PS4. It also already looks pretty incredible on PS5 thanks to a native PS5 remaster at the start of this year.

Placing the focus entirely on visuals without any hands on time with a controller, The Last of Us 2 Remastered on a PS5 Pro could be emblematic of the "They're the same picture" meme from The Office. You are looking for the more minute details in any particular scene to notice any proper difference over the standard PS5 version. Yet, combine those stellar visuals with the smoother gameplay of 60 frames-per-second and everything changes. The Last of Us 2 truly shines on a PS5 Pro by marrying the best of both worlds: it features both peak performance and graphical quality all at once.

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Sony's enhanced PS5 Pro system allows The Last of Us 2 Remastered to run in a new graphical setting: the Pro mode. It renders natively at 1440p, but PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) then upscales the resolution to 4K while targeting 60 frames-per-second. This setting essentially takes the Performance Mode of the original PS5 remaster and works on the resolution through AI upscaling. It retains the steady 60FPS and improves the graphics further to make for an even better playing game.

Having played through roughly the first 90 minutes of the campaign over again, what really stands out the most are the smaller details. From the wrinkles on Joel's hands to the individual freckles on Ellie's cheeks to the smallest snowflakes landing on Dina's coat, tiny elements of a scene are more noticeable in this higher resolution. Previously blurry or tough to notice, the PS5 Pro brings every detail to the forefront.

Given the experience already looks so sublime without visual enhancements placed on top, a seasoned PS5 owner isn't going to spot many sweeping advancements. However, with the finer elements put in focus within a smoother, more responsive experience, this is the definitive way to play The Last of Us 2 on console. While the settings menu claims the PS5 Pro can only "target" 60fps, it achieves it virtually all of the time. From spectacular cutscenes to the more intense combat encounters, the game never hitches or takes a nosedive in frame rate during an action-heavy sequence. It's as flawless as flawless can be — an impressive achievement to see graphics and performance so perfectly synced with one another. No longer does one need to suffer so the other can thrive.

The Last of Us 2 Remastered, therefore, has to go down as one of the premiere PS5 Pro launch games, proving how the console can be seen as the best of both the Graphics and Performance Modes of the past. By combining the two base PS5 modes through PSSR, the Naughty Dog masterpiece has never been better on consoles.

What's even more exciting, though, is the PlayStation heavyweight achieved this visual and performance splendour with a PS5 remaster of a PS4 game. What will it manage when developing a title natively for PS5, now with knowledge and experience of already working with PS5 Pro? Give it a few years, but its next PS5 Pro title could be the one that justifies your purchase. The Last of Us 2 Remastered isn't bad either in the meantime.

Please see more PS5 Pro screenshots below:

Have you been playing The Last of Us 2 on PS5 Pro? What are your experiences in terms of visuals and performance? Share your findings in the comments below.