The Last of Us Part II accessibility features

Feature check at a glance

Of the ten features we track, the official information for The Last of Us Part II documents 10 in full and 0 in part.

• SubtitlesYes
• Subtitle size optionsYes
• Colour-blind modesYes
• Full control remappingYes
• Hold-to-toggle optionsYes
• Difficulty and assist optionsYes
• Audio cues for navigationYes
• Text-to-speech or menu narrationYes
• Motion and camera-shake reductionYes
• High-contrast modeYes

Notes on each feature

• Subtitles: Story dialogue only, story plus combat dialogue, or off; speaker names and an off-screen direction arrow.
• Subtitle size options: Small, medium or large, with an optional darkened background.
• Colour-blind modes: Protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia modes; HUD colour choice of five colours.
• Full control remapping: Every command can be remapped; left-hand-only and right-hand-only schemes.
• Hold-to-toggle options: Separate hold/toggle choices for aiming, listen mode, sprinting, crafting and more.
• Difficulty and assist options: Five named challenge levels plus custom settings and combat assists such as reduced enemy accuracy.
• Audio cues for navigation: Traversal and combat audio cues, with a browsable glossary of each sound.
• Text-to-speech or menu narration: Narrates on-screen text; the publisher lists all supported languages except Thai.
• Motion and camera-shake reduction: Camera shake and motion blur sliders (1-10), field of view and camera distance adjustments.
• High-contrast mode: High contrast display with three settings that recolour allies, enemies and items.

Starting with the vision, hearing and motor presets

The quickest way into Naughty Dog's settings is one of three presets. Each one switches on a group of recommended options across several menus at once: one for blind and low-vision players, one for Deaf and hard-of-hearing players, and one for players with physical or mobility disabilities. You can then open any individual setting and change it, so a preset is a starting point rather than a locked package.

That matters because needs rarely sit neatly in one box. A player with low vision and limited hand strength can apply the vision preset and then add the hold-to-toggle options from the motor list by hand. If you are setting the game up for someone else, it is worth applying the preset with them present and walking through what changed, because some options (such as traversal assistance) noticeably alter how the game feels.

Our general guides on vision, hearing and motor access explain which of these settings tend to matter most and why.

Playing by sound: cues, enhanced listen mode and narration

For players with little or no sight, the publisher documents a layered audio system. Traversal cues play for jumpable gaps, climbable ledges, squeeze-throughs, crouching areas, interactive objects and breakable glass. Combat cues signal incoming melee attacks, when you are aiming at an enemy and when a shot lands. An audio cue glossary lets you listen to each sound before you need it.

Navigation assistance turns the camera towards the next story objective, and enhanced listen mode scans for items or enemies, with the cue's pitch indicating the target's height. A ledge guard uses sound and vibration to stop accidental falls. Text-to-speech narrates on-screen text and, according to Naughty Dog, switches on automatically if the console's own text-to-speech is enabled and the language is English.

There is also a screen magnifier with low, medium and high settings: double-tap the touch pad to toggle zoom, then move the focus with the touch pad.

Every hold, every rapid press and one-handed layouts

The motor options go further than most games. Repeated button presses can be switched from taps to a single hold, and melee combos likewise. Aiming, listen mode, sprinting, crafting, backpack weapon swaps and holding breath can each be set to hold or toggle independently, so you only change what causes strain.

Every command can be remapped. As well as the default layout there are left-hand-only and right-hand-only schemes and three custom slots, and the controller orientation can be set to left, right or upside down for players who rest the pad on a lap or table. Guitar-playing sections have their own input options (vertical, horizontal or taps).

If you use an adaptive controller, these settings pair well with the console-level remapping described in our PlayStation Access controller guide.

Adjusting the challenge and the camera in Seattle

There are five named challenge levels (Very Light, Light, Moderate, Hard and Survivor) plus a custom option that lets you set player damage, enemies, allies, stealth and resources separately. Combat accessibility switches include hostages that don't escape, enemies that don't flank, reduced enemy perception and accuracy, enhanced dodge, invisibility while prone and an optional slow-motion mode while aiming.

Camera shake and motion blur each have a slider from 1 to 10, the dolly-zoom effect and full-screen effects can be turned off, and field of view and camera distance can be moved five steps either way. A persistent centre dot is also available, which some players find helpful for motion sickness.

In our editorial view, the game's themes and violence are intense, and the PEGI 18 rating is the first thing a parent or carer should weigh; the accessibility options do not change the content.

For Deaf and hard-of-hearing players, awareness indicators show the direction of combat threats, damage indicators show where hits come from, and pick-up notifications confirm what you have collected. These visual cues sit alongside the subtitle direction arrow, so most important sounds have an on-screen equivalent.