Thanks in-part to HBO’s recent adaptation,The Last of Usis back in the public zeitgeist, possibly even bigger than ever. While Naughty Dog has repeatedly refuted rumors about aLast of Us 3, the studio has fully confirmed that aLast of Usmultiplayer game will be coming out soon, with recent statements from the developer suggesting that fans will see more later this year. While a newLast of Usgame is great news, there have been some recent reports that suggest that the game may not live up to its full potential.
Naughty Dog recently posted a newLast of Us-related job listingfor a quality assurance tester, specifically for an upcoming multiplayer game. The real kicker in this listing was that it asked for a QA tester who had extensive knowledge of both the PS4 and PS5, which many fans have taken to mean thatThe Last of Usmultiplayer title will be coming to the previous-gen console as well. If true, this could be a little worrisome.
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The Last of Us Multiplayer Needs to Leave the Last Console Generation Behind
Cross-generation games have been a standard of the industry for decades. It’s often the case that when a new console releases, titles are ported to both last and current-gen devices to maximize sales for those who haven’t moved hardware. This usually continues for a year or so, with developers then slowly phasing out previous-gen consoles so that they can focus on making next-generation titles. This current cycle has seencross-generation gameslast a lot longer than usual, with modern releases still coming out for all platforms, but the industry could finally be hitting a turning point.
At the end of last year,Gotham Knightsannounced it was canceling previous-generation ports. Soon after,Hogwarts Legacyannounced that it was delaying its own previous-gen iterations. WhenStar Wars Jedi: Survivor’s release datewas announced last December, it also came with the confirmation that it would only be coming to current-gen consoles, and the same is true for a handful of other AAA titles likeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2. It seems as though developers are finally starting to move away from previous-gen tech, and their games are going to be all the better for it.
If rumors are true andThe Last of Usmultiplayer does release for PlayStation 4 as well as PlayStation 5, it could end up being severely constrained by last-gen limitations. The PS4 was a powerful console, but it still pales in comparison to the PS5. A base PS4 simply can’t match the PS5’s lightning-fast load times, its capability for high frame rates, or its visual fidelity. If Naughty Dog is planning on releasingThe Last of Usmultiplayer on the PS4, it’s almost guaranteed that the PS5 version won’t look, sound, or feel as good as it could have if the game was developed from the ground-up for PS5.
This issue may only be worsened by the game’s multiplayer focus. Whilecross-platform technologyhas come leaps and bounds over the last few years, there are often still performance issues when players attempt to engage in a match with those using last-gen technology. Frame rate issues, texture pop-in, and a bevy of other issues are still commonplace during cross-platform play, and whileThe Last of Usmultiplayer is presumably limited to just two consoles, there’s still a risk that the experience isn’t going to be as smooth as it could with a fully current-gen focus.
The Last of Usmultiplayer game is in development.
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