The Last of Us Part II Remastered - PC performance graphics benchmarks of Graphics Cards and Processors
We have tested the latest game The Last of Us Part II Remastered on maximum graphics settings with GeForce RTX and Radeon RX series video cards. We also evaluated the performance and quality of the game's graphics during our tests.
| THE GRAFICAL PART |
This subsection of our review highlights the main graphical aspects of this game. Particular attention is paid to the version of the graphics engine used, the version of the API used, graphic settings and the quality of development of the main visual aspects.
| Supported OS and Graphics API |
he Last of Us Part II uses advanced rendering technologies and is designed for 64-bit OS Windows 10/11 (version 1909 and above). The game requires installation on an SSD for fast loading of locations and animations, as well as at least 16 GB of RAM to ensure smooth gameplay. Below are the official system requirements and a brief description of what the game looks like on minimum и maximum graphics settings without mentioning frame rate and resolution.
System Requirements The Last of Us Part II
Minimum system requirements
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Operating system: Windows 10/11 (64-bit, version 1909 or higher)
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Processor: Intel Core i3-8100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
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Memory: 16 GB
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Video card:
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
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AMD Radeon RX 5500XT
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Disk space: 150 GB (SSD required)
Recommended System Requirements
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Operating system: Windows 10/11 (64-bit, version 1909 or higher)
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Processor: Intel Core i5-8600 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
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Memory: 16 GB
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Video card:
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
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AMD Radeon RX 5700
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Disk space: 150 GB (SSD required)
| DEVELOPMENT HISTORY |
The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC is a carefully adapted version of the original 2020 game, reworked with new technical standards and expanded functionality. Naughty Dog began active development of the remaster in 2022, in parallel with the internal adaptation of the engine for PlayStation 5. The successful launch of the console version of the remaster in January 2024 became the basis for the creation of a full-fledged port on Windows, and its release date is set for April 3, 2025.
The development of the PC version was the result of Sony's general policy of expanding its presence on the platform. Windows. The studio Iron Galaxy, which previously worked on the adaptation of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and the first part of The Last of Us, is working on the port. The team transferred most of the architecture of the PS5 version, adding the ability to flexibly customize controls, a wide screen resolution, as well as deep optimization for various hardware configurations.
Particular attention was paid to preserving the artistic level of the original and accurately conveying the atmosphere. The developers retained unique visual solutions, scenario production and smooth animation, which required a specific revision of the asset structure, especially within the framework of the DirectX 12 architecture. Support for DualShock 4, DualSense, Xbox gamepads, as well as a keyboard and mouse with full reassignability was also implemented. In addition, the PC version for the first time allowed the use of ultra-wide monitors, which was previously unavailable.
| GRAPHICS |
Graphical improvements in The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC is noticeable in all aspects, but the developers have completely abandoned the implementation of ray tracing. Instead, a dynamic lighting system based on physically correct materials (PBR) is used, which provides high visual fidelity without the use of ray tracing. Thanks to the competent setting of post-processing, anti-aliasing and shadows, the game maintains a photorealistic style without excessive load on the graphics processor.
The PC version offers a variety of graphics settings. The user can manually select shadow quality, texture resolution, filtering, model detail, rendering distance, volumetric fog, screen reflections (SSR), motion blur, and anti-aliasing types (TAA, FXAA, SMAA). All these settings allow the game to be adapted to a wide range of systems, from mid-range to flagship. Image scaling technologies are also supported: DLSS 3.5 from NVIDIA, FSR 3.1 from AMD, and XeSS from Intel. Using FSR 3.1, frames are generated based on scene motion and frame rate analysis, without the need for specialized equipment.
Even without ray tracing, the visuals remain high-quality. Tessellation and improved normals make the surfaces of buildings, skin, fabric, and natural materials look realistic. The work on vegetation and foliage has also been improved: grass sways in the wind, trees cast dynamic shadows, and weather conditions affect the visual style - for example, rain leaves traces on surfaces, and snow dynamically settles on objects.
Character animation remains one of the strongest points. The use of motion matching technology coupled with motion capture allowed us to achieve highly expressive facial animations, smooth changes in poses and gestures. All this is implemented without compromising performance, as the engine distributes resources between the CPU and GPU, optimizing the visual load.
| GAME ENGINE |
Version The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC uses Naughty Dog's internal engine, upgraded to handle the architecture Windows. Its core remains the same as the original, but it is now adapted to the capabilities of DirectX 12. Unlike many modern releases, the game does not use ray tracing boall, which allowed the focus to be on stability, cross-platform performance, and compatibility with different APIs and drivers.
The engine is built around hard optimization: it efficiently distributes tasks between CPU threads, especially in scenes with many NPCs and interactions. Thanks to this, even large-scale shootouts and scenes with destruction are processed without a drop in frame rate. In addition, the asset streaming system has been reworked: now the game loads textures and geometry on the fly, depending on the camera position and system load. This reduces the need for massive reloads and minimizes freezes.
In terms of gameplay, the engine has not undergone any major changes. All the mechanics remain the same: stealth, combat, enemy AI, ally behavior, and interaction with the environment. However, the roguelike mode of No Return required the addition of procedurally generated arenas and their adaptation to unique play styles - both stealthy and straightforward. This mode demonstrates the engine's flexibility in creating scenarios that are not typical for the original, allowing players to choose characters with unique skills, equipment modules, and variable gameplay modifiers.
The PC version of the engine supports widescreen displays, multiple monitors, controllers with adaptive triggers (when connected to DualSense) and full mouse support with acceleration and sensitivity. It also provides hardware scaling for various configurations. GPU, including support for DLSS 3.5 and FSR 3.1. In addition, NVIDIA Reflex technology and the AIC 3.1 (AI Computation Framework) system are used, which improves control responsiveness and accelerates frame processing due to hybrid models.
In this way, The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC is a balanced adaptation with an emphasis on performance and stability, while maintaining high visual quality through classic rendering techniques. The complete abandonment of ray tracing is a conscious decision aimed at improving compatibility and reducing technical requirements while maintaining a recognizable artistic style.
| QUALITY |
On the minimum settings, the game significantly reduces the detail of the environment and characters, reduces the quality of shadows and simplifies the work of shaders. Textures look less sharp, and additional effects (such as complex reflections or volumetric lighting) can be reduced to basic post-processing. At the same time, the overall narrative and cinematography of scenes remain at the proper level, although the visual richness and depth of the picture are reduced.
On the maximum Settings The Last of Us Part II offers advanced shaders, high-quality textures and detailed shadows, as well as more realistic lighting and weather effects. The environment is filled with additional decorative elements, and character animations look especially cinematic due to soft transitions and an advanced post-processing system (depth of field, reflections, diffuse light). This setting option gives the most complete visual impression, while requiring a more powerful video card and processor.
В The Last of Us Part II implemented support DLSS, FSR и TAA, which gives players the ability to choose between different anti-aliasing and scaling methods. However, the quality of the resulting image when using these technologies is noticeably different.
DLSS from NVIDIA delivers the best visual results using deep learning algorithms. This technology effectively increases the clarity of objects, reduces the number of artifacts and adds additional detail to small elements of the environment. With DLSS 3.5 enabled, the image looks as close to the original resolution as possible, especially at high graphics settings.
FSR3.1 from AMD also increases performance, but is noticeably inferior to DLSS in terms of quality. The Last of Us Part II more digital noise and artifacts appear, especially when characters and cameras move. Small details lose sharpness, and the overall perception of the scene becomes more "blurred".
TAA Performs anti-aliasing without upscaling, but produces a significant blurring effect that is clearly visible when moving the camera and in dynamic scenes.
So in The Last of Us Part II the best choice becomes DLSS, allowing you to achieve high definition, minimal artifacts and improved detail when scaling the image.
| TEST PART |
Below you will find a table of equipment that was kindly provided by our sponsors: GIGABYTE, ASUS, Kingston и Deep Cool. It reflects the list of motherboards, video cards, memory modules and cooling systems used in the tests, and also indicates the current configuration of the operating system and drivers.
| Test configuration | |
| GIGABYTE | |
| motherboards | |
| ASUS | |
| motherboards | |
| Video Cards |
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC |
| KINGSTON | |
| RAM |
16 GB DDR4 4600 CL19 Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB DDR4 3600 CL16 Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB DDR4 4000 CL18 Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB DDR5 5600 CL40 Kingston Fury Beast 32 GB DDR5 6000 CL30 Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB DDR5 7200 CL36 Kingston FURY Renegade |
| Storage devices |
Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Deep Cool | |
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Cases and cooling |
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| Software configuration |
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| Operating system | Windows 11 24H2 |
| Graphics driver |
Nvidia GeForce/ION Driver Release 572.83 WHQL AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 25.3.2 |
| Monitoring programs | MSI Afterburner 4.6.6 Beta 5 Build 16555 |
All video cards were tested at maximum graphics quality using MSI Afterburner. The purpose of the test is to determine how video cards from different manufacturers behave under the same conditions. Below is a video of a test segment from the game:
Our video cards were tested at different screen sizes 1920x1080, 2560x1440 и 3840x2160 with maximum graphics quality settings without upscales and generations.
| TEST GPU |
In the video card test, the default resolution is 1920x1080; other resolutions are added and removed manually. You can also remove and add any positions of video cards. You can also select any of our test processors from the list in the drop-down menu, comparing its performance with the given video card tests (by default, the most productive solution is selected). The test is carried out on the most powerful CPU in this game and is scaled to other processors, taking into account their testing on NVIDIA and AMD video cards.
- Max
When resolved 1920x1080:
- Average FPS (25 frames): Reached on video cards of the level of Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3060.
- Minimum FPS (25 frames): Provided by video cards of the level of Adeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3060.
- Comfortable average FPS (60 frames): Possible with graphics cards like Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
When resolved 2560x1440:
- Average FPS (25 frames): Reached on video cards of the level of Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3060.
- Minimum FPS (25 frames): Provided by video cards of the level of Adeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3060.
- Comfortable average FPS (60 frames): Possible with graphics cards like Radeon RX 6750 XT or GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.
When resolved 3840x2160:
- Average FPS (25 frames): Reached on video cards of the level of Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3060.
- Minimum FPS (25 frames): Provided by video cards of the level of Adeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3060.
- Comfortable average FPS (60 frames): Possible with video cards of the Radeon RX 7900 XT or GeForce RTX 4070 Ti level.
| VIDEO MEMORY CONSUMPTION |
Testing of video memory consumed by the game was carried out by the program MSI Afterburner. The indicator was based on the results on video cards from AMD and NVIDIA with separate screen sizes 1920x1080, 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 with various anti-aliasing settings. By default, the graph displays the most current solutions. Other video cards are added and removed from the chart at the request of the reader.
- Max
GameGPU
Resolution 1920x1080:
- Video cards with 12 GB of video memory: consume 9 GB
- Video cards with 16 GB of video memory: consume 9 GB
- Video cards with 24 GB of video memory: consume 9 GB
- Video cards with 32 GB of video memory: consume 10 GB
Resolution 2560x1440:
- Video cards with 12 GB of video memory: consume 9 GB
- Video cards with 16 GB of video memory: consume 10 GB
- Video cards with 24 GB of video memory: consume 10 GB
- Video cards with 32 GB of video memory: consume 10 GB
Resolution 3840x2160:
- Video cards with 12 GB of video memory: consume 10 GB
- Video cards with 16 GB of video memory: consume 11 GB
- Video cards with 24 GB of video memory: consume 11 GB
- Video cards with 32 GB of video memory: consume 11 GB
| CPU TEST |
Testing was carried out at a resolution of 1920x1080. In the processor test, you can remove or add any processor positions. You can also select any tested video card from the list in the drop-down menu, comparing its performance with the given processor test results (by default, the most productive solution from NVIDIA is selected). Testing takes place on the most powerful NVIDIA and AMD video cards and scales to low-end models.
- Max
When using NVIDIA video cards:
- Processors for acceptable FPS (not lower than 25 frames per second):
- AMD Ryzen 3 3100
- Intel Core i3-10100
- Processors for comfortable FPS (at least 60 frames per second):
- AMD Ryzen 3 3300
- Intel Core i3-10100
When using AMD video cards:
- Processors for acceptable FPS (not lower than 25 frames per second):
- AMD Ryzen 3 3100
- Intel Core i3-10100
- Processors for comfortable FPS (at least 60 frames per second):
- AMD Ryzen 3 3300
- Intel Core i3-10100
- Max
Loading and using streams:
- Maximum load: The game can load up to 24 streams.
- Optimal loading: Uses up to 16 threads as efficiently as possible.
| RAM TEST |
The test was carried out on the basic configuration of Core i 9 13900K with 32 GB DDR5 6400 MHz pre-installed memory. All used RAM was taken as an indicator. The RAM test on the entire system was carried out on various video cards without launching third-party applications (browsers, etc.). In the graphics, you can add and remove any resolutions and video cards as desired.
- Max
GameGPU
Resolution 1920x1080:
- Video cards with 12 GB of video memory: consume 15 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 16 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 24 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 32 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
Resolution 2560x1440:
- Video cards with 12 GB of video memory: consume 15 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 16 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 24 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 32 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
Resolution 3840x2160:
- Video cards with 12 GB of video memory: consume 15 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 16 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 24 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
- Video cards with 32 GB of video memory: consume 14 GB of RAM
| SPONSORS TESTS |
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