The Last of Us got a big upgrade for the PlayStation 5, and it seems like its sequel might be getting a similar treatment. Series composer Gustavo Santaolalla appeared to have implied that a Last of Us Part II PS5 upgrade is in the works.
Santaolalla claimed there is an “improved version” of The Last of Us Part II
Santaolalla was a guest on a Blender podcast (around 1:36:30 in) and spoke about the game. According to Vandal, the acclaimed composer said there was a “versión mejorada” or an “improved version” of the sequel on the way. He said players can reportedly make him play new notes, which is likely a reference to his cameo in The Last of Us Part II that has him posted up in Jackson with a banjo. The audio is a little hard to understand, so it’s unclear if Santaolalla was just talking about how players could play the guitar in this sequel or if the alleged new version would expand upon that. He then stated he “can’t say much more,” which implies some sort of newer port. (Thanks to Suriel Vazquez for helping translate this slightly garbled interview.)
Naughty Dog has not announced an official PS5 upgrade for The Last of Us Part II, but there’s a precedent of Naughty Dog upgrading and porting The Last of Us. The PS3 original was remastered for PS4, which was updated for PS4 Pro. That remaster even received another update in 2020 that axed its load times before the whole game was completely remade for PS5 in 2022. That remake was ported to PC, as well (although it launched in a messy state). The Last of Us Part II even got a boost when it received an update that made it run at 60 frames per second when played on PS5.
Given this precedent, the climbing sales of The Last of Us and its sequel surrounding the HBO series, and the likelihood that The Last of Us Part III is still at least a few years away, it’s possible that a more substantial PS5 upgrade (as well as a PC port) of the divisive second chapter is in development. Sony has also shown a fondness for premium PS5 upgrades with Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut and Death Stranding Director’s Cut. A PS5 remake of Horizon Zero Dawn was rumored to be in development, too.
