Sony has confirmed that The Last of Us Part II Remastered will require a PSN login for its PC release. While the thought of creating yet another account next to Steam, Epic, or other digital storefronts is already frustrating enough, the bigger issue lies in regions without PSN support. The port is set to launch on April 3 2025, but will be unavailable for players in those regions, proving Sony has learned nothing from the Helldivers 2 fiasco in May 2024.
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Last year, Sony faced backlash when it announced Helldivers 2 would require a PSN login for PC players. This led to a wave of negative reviews until Sony backtracked on the decision and made Helldivers 2 a PSN-free title.
Despite this, Sony has continued the practice with other PC releases. This includes the God of War Ragnarök which we have already written about, but also different titles like Horizon Zero Dawn remaster, Ghost of Tsushima, Until Dawn, and plenty more.
Sony originally claimed the PSN requirement was for the “safety and security” of online play. However, the fact that Sony is implementing a PSN requirement policy for both multiplayer and single-player titles makes that claim doubtful, to say the least.
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Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II first launched in June 2020 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. The game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed The Last of Us, continuing and expanding the story as players take control of Ellie and Abby. The remastered version for the PS5 came out on January 19, 2024. Overall, the game received acclaim for gameplay, audio, and visuals, though many users were less-than-impressed with the story and characters.
Nevertheless, The Last of Us Part II is a good single-player game to play, and the addition of the roguelike-inspired No Return mode and other gameplay tweaks make the remastered version the definitive edition for fans.
The news of The Last of Us Part II‘s PC port has certainly put a smile on the face of many fans of the post-apocalyptic survival adventure. Modern hardware will be able to take full advantage of the game’s stunning visuals, along with smoother gameplay.
However, the excitement is dampened by the PSN requirement, which will keep many potential players away from the game. After all, what is the point in restricting single-player games to PSN-eligible regions? Single-player titles like The Last of Us Part II gain nothing from this added barrier.