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You can tailor The Last of Us to your access needs and preferred challenge without accepting a single all-or-nothing difficulty. Open the game’s Accessibility menu, start with a vision, hearing, or motor preset when appropriate, or change individual controls. Difficulty assists can then be adjusted separately. Menu names and available features differ between Part I, Part II, platforms, editions, and updates, so identify your release before following edition-specific advice.
Identify your game before changing settings
The Last of Us is available in multiple releases. The documented options below come primarily from The Last of Us Part II and the PS5 version of The Last of Us Part I. A PS4, PS5, or other edition can show different labels, groupings, or features.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Last of Us Part I – PlayStation 5 | $37.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
The Last of Us Part 1 - For PlayStation 5 | $42.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Resident Evil 4 - PS5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
- Part II: Naughty Dog’s feature overview describes more than 60 accessibility settings, three accessibility presets, and granular difficulty dimensions.
- Part I on PS5: PlayStation documents large and clear text, high contrast, audio alternatives, directional audio indicators, a screen reader, subtitle controls, controller remapping, adjustable difficulty, skippable puzzles, simplified quick-time events, and game-speed control.
- Other releases: Use the same general menu search, but do not assume every control listed here exists or uses the same name.
The Naughty Dog support center’s accessibility instructions were updated January 18, 2024. The Part II accessibility overview dates from June 9, 2020, while the PS5 Part I product information was accessed October 13, 2026. Those dates matter because a later patch or a different edition can alter a menu.
Open the Accessibility menu
- Start the game and pause it, or open its main menu before loading a chapter.
- Select Options.
- Select Accessibility.
- Choose a preset or open the individual categories and change only the controls you need.
- Return to play and test the changes in a low-pressure section. Reopen the menu whenever a control is too strong, too weak, or creates a new problem.
Naughty Dog says a setting that differs from its default is marked with a dot beside the feature name. That marker gives you a quick way to see which controls you have changed without remembering every value.
#1 Best Overall
- Enhanced visuals: Completely rebuilt from the ground up using Naughty Dog’s latest PS5 engine technology to improve every visual detail, The Last of Us experience has been faithfully enhanced with more realistic lighting and atmosphere, more intricate environments and creative reimaginings of familiar spaces.
- Fast loading: Initial loading times are near instant, and seamless after the first instance thanks to the PS5 console’s SSD – so you can pick up where you left off in the story and load specific encounters and chapters more quickly.
- Haptic feedback: DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback support for every weapon elevates combat encounters, and environments are brought to life through DualSense wireless controller haptic sensations of subtle falling rain, the crunch of stepping on snow and more.
- Adaptive triggers: All The Last of Us iconic weapons, including Joel’s revolver and Ellie’s bow, now deliver dynamic DualSense wireless controller trigger resistance and kickback on firing for deeper combat immersion.
- 3D Audio: Designed to make use of the PS5 console’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, Naughty Dog’s newly upgraded audio engine delivers richer soundscapes, bigger explosive moments and more visceral gameplay through compatible stereo headphones (analogue or USB) or TV speakers.
Apply a preset, then refine it
For the documented Part II preset flow, open Options > Accessibility and press Square. The preset screen offers three starting points:
| Preset | Typical barriers it addresses | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Reading small text, distinguishing visual information, navigating without relying on sight, or missing audio information that has a visual alternative | Review text size, contrast, navigation aids, audio-cue alternatives, and any camera assistance individually. |
| Hearing | Following dialogue, identifying who is speaking, or receiving information normally delivered through sound | Review subtitles, speaker names, awareness indicators, and other visual communication aids. |
| Motor | Repeated or timed inputs, holding buttons, camera control, or reaching a particular controller input | Review remapping, hold/toggle behavior, camera assistance, quick-time-event options, and game-speed controls where available. |
The vision, hearing, and motor presets can be applied together. They are starting configurations rather than permanent packages: after applying one or more, adjust individual settings to remove controls you do not want or add controls that the preset did not change. If you apply several presets, check the resulting menu one section at a time so you know which behavior each change introduced.
Choose controls by access need
Vision access
Part II’s documented vision examples include text-to-speech, high contrast, and navigation or audio cues. These controls can serve different situations, so do not treat the preset as a diagnosis or as the only valid choice.
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- Use high-contrast options when characters, interactable objects, or interface elements blend into the environment. If the contrast makes the scene too visually busy, reduce other visual aids rather than abandoning the whole preset.
- Enable navigation and audio cues when directional information is hard to locate visually. Test whether the cue tells you the direction, the relevant object, or both; the exact behavior depends on the release.
- Part I on PS5 documents large and clear text, high contrast, audio-cue alternatives, directional audio indicators, and a screen reader. Look for those features by their labels in that edition rather than copying a Part II value.
Hearing access
Part II’s hearing examples include subtitles, subtitle speaker names, and awareness indicators. Turn on the information you need, then consider reducing redundant elements that make the screen harder to scan.
- Subtitles: Enable them when spoken dialogue, environmental information, or combat callouts are difficult to hear.
- Subtitle names: Displaying the speaker can distinguish overlapping voices or characters who are off-screen.
- Awareness indicators: A visual indicator can communicate information that would otherwise arrive through sound. Check its placement during stealth and combat so it does not cover essential text.
Part I on PS5 also lists subtitle controls and audio alternatives. The exact subtitle categories and indicator behavior can differ from Part II, so verify the preview or gameplay result after changing them.
Motor access
Part II’s motor examples include remapping, hold or toggle changes, and camera assistance. These controls are useful when a button is difficult to reach, an action requires sustained pressure, or camera movement creates a barrier.
- Remap an action to a more reachable button, but check for conflicts with the action that was already assigned there.
- Change a hold action to a toggle when sustained pressure is tiring or unreliable. Test both activation and cancellation; a toggle can remain active longer than expected.
- Use camera assistance when continuous camera correction competes with movement or aiming. If assistance pulls your view away from a target, lower it or turn it off for that activity.
- For Part I on PS5, review controller remapping, simplified quick-time events, and game-speed controls where available.
Compare presets with individual settings
A preset is fastest when you want a broad starting point. Individual controls are more precise when only one activity is difficult or when a preset turns on more assistance than you want.
| Choice | Best fit | Trade-off to check |
|---|---|---|
| Vision preset | You want several visual and navigation aids at once. | Review each resulting control because contrast, cues, and text assistance may not all be necessary. |
| Hearing preset | You need subtitles and visual substitutes for sound-based information. | Too many indicators can compete with subtitle text or other interface elements. |
| Motor preset | You need several changes involving holds, reachability, camera movement, or timing. | Remapping can create conflicts, and toggles or assistance can change how an action behaves. |
| Individual settings | One precise barrier is limiting you, such as speaker identification or a repeated input. | You must find and adjust the matching control yourself. |
Presets can be combined in the documented Part II flow, so a player may begin with vision and hearing together, then remove options that add clutter. Applying a preset does not require you to keep every setting it changes.
Adjust challenge without treating difficulty as one switch
Difficulty and accessibility solve related but different problems. A lower difficulty can reduce combat pressure, while an accessibility control can address a specific input, perception, or timing barrier at another challenge level. Choose them independently when the game offers that separation.
Part II’s difficulty dimensions
The Part II overview describes separate dimensions for player damage, enemy effectiveness, ally effectiveness, stealth, and resources. This lets you decide which part of the challenge should remain demanding.
| If your concern is… | Review this dimension | Decision to make |
|---|---|---|
| Taking damage too quickly | Player damage | Reduce incoming damage while leaving stealth or resource scarcity more demanding, if those controls are available in your edition. |
| Enemies overwhelming you in direct fights | Enemy effectiveness | Reduce enemy combat effectiveness without necessarily changing exploration or puzzle aids. |
| Allies not helping enough | Ally effectiveness | Increase ally effectiveness if your release exposes that dimension. |
| Stealth being too strict or too easy | Stealth | Choose the level that gives you enough time to read the environment and plan movement. |
| Running out of supplies | Resources | Adjust resource pressure rather than lowering every combat setting. |
Some combat accessibility features in Part II are relative to the selected difficulty. Change the difficulty first, then recheck any dependent accessibility control; its available values or behavior may change.
Invisible While Prone in Part II
Part II’s Invisible While Prone option can be limited or unlimited. It is disabled during certain encounters in which stealth is not possible. When the option is limited, its duration is based on the selected stealth difficulty. Therefore, an apparent change in duration can be the expected interaction between the accessibility setting and stealth level, not a malfunction.
Part I on PS5
PlayStation describes adjustable difficulty in Part I as a way to customize challenge or activate assists individually. The same product information lists skippable puzzles, simplified quick-time events, and game speed among its gameplay features. Use those aids for the specific obstacle you are facing instead of lowering all combat pressure automatically.
Rank #2
- Enhanced visuals: Completely rebuilt from the ground up using Naughty Dog’s latest PS5 engine technology to improve every visual detail, The Last of Us experience has been faithfully enhanced with more realistic lighting and atmosphere, more intricate environments and creative reimaginings of familiar spaces.
- Fast loading: Initial loading times are near instant, and seamless after the first instance thanks to the PS5 console’s SSD – so you can pick up where you left off in the story and load specific encounters and chapters more quickly.
- Haptic feedback: DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback support for every weapon elevates combat encounters, and environments are brought to life through DualSense wireless controller haptic sensations of subtle falling rain, the crunch of stepping on snow and more.
- Adaptive triggers: All The Last of Us iconic weapons, including Joel’s revolver and Ellie’s bow, now deliver dynamic DualSense wireless controller trigger resistance and kickback on firing for deeper combat immersion.
- 3D Audio: Designed to make use of the PS5 console’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, Naughty Dog’s newly upgraded audio engine delivers richer soundscapes, bigger explosive moments and more visceral gameplay through compatible stereo headphones (analogue or USB) or TV speakers.
Understand what each setting changes before committing
Use the setting’s description and then test it in the activity it is meant to help. A visual cue that is useful while exploring may be distracting in a fight. A camera aid that reduces manual correction may also change how aiming feels. A toggle can remove the need to hold a button but requires you to remember how to cancel it. These are reasons to tune one small group at a time, not reasons to avoid the feature.
When two settings address the same barrier, compare them by the information or input you actually need. For example, subtitle names solve speaker identification; a general hearing preset may add several other indicators. Remapping solves reachability; a simplified quick-time option addresses repeated or timed prompts. Player-damage adjustment changes combat pressure, while a puzzle-skip option addresses a puzzle barrier. Selecting the narrower remedy usually leaves more of the rest of the experience unchanged.
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There is no universally correct configuration. The following sequence limits confusion and makes it easier to identify which change helped.
- Describe the barrier precisely. Decide whether the problem is reading, hearing dialogue, locating a target, holding a button, repeated inputs, camera control, timing, combat damage, stealth, or supplies.
- Apply the narrowest relevant control. Start with one setting or a small group in the matching category rather than changing every option.
- Play a representative section. Test the kind of moment that caused difficulty: a subtitle-heavy conversation, a stealth encounter, a quick-time event, or a crowded fight.
- Change one variable at a time. If the result is still uncomfortable, alter the next related setting and remember the previous value.
- Revisit after a new chapter or difficulty change. A control that felt ideal in exploration may be distracting in combat, and difficulty-dependent features can behave differently after a change.
This approach is a practical way to use the game’s individual controls; it is not a claim that one configuration is best for everyone.
Useful starting profiles
These are examples of how to combine documented feature groups. They are not medical recommendations and should be adapted to your own comfort.
Reading and visual-information profile
- Start with the vision preset, if your edition provides it.
- Keep text-to-speech, large text, or high contrast only where each one improves a specific task.
- Add navigation or audio cues when finding objectives or objects is the main barrier.
- Play a short section and remove visual aids that obscure more information than they reveal.
Dialogue and sound-information profile
- Start with the hearing preset or enable subtitles manually.
- Add speaker names when conversations overlap or characters are off-screen.
- Use awareness indicators or audio alternatives when sound-based warnings are inaccessible.
- Check subtitle size and placement during both quiet conversations and noisy combat.
Reduced-input and timing profile
- Start with the motor preset if available.
- Remap the actions you cannot comfortably reach, checking for replacement-button conflicts.
- Convert suitable holds to toggles and enable simplified quick-time events where your edition offers them.
- Use game-speed control or camera assistance for the specific timing or camera problem, then test whether the change affects aiming or movement.
Lower combat pressure while preserving exploration
- Keep exploration and resource settings at the level you enjoy.
- Adjust player damage or enemy effectiveness instead of selecting the lowest overall difficulty.
- Use skippable puzzles when the puzzle itself is the barrier, not when combat is the issue.
- Recheck dependent accessibility controls after changing difficulty.
Before you start: a short version and edition checklist
- Read the title screen or game information page to confirm Part I or Part II, platform, and edition.
- Open Options > Accessibility and look for the dot beside any non-default setting.
- If you are following the Part II preset instructions, press Square from Accessibility to open the preset screen.
- Write down the barrier you want to solve before changing several values.
- After applying a preset, inspect vision, hearing, and motor sections separately.
- Set difficulty dimensions before evaluating a difficulty-linked combat assist.
- Test in play, then return to the menu rather than assuming the first configuration is final.
This checklist is especially useful when switching between Part I and Part II. A familiar label may refer to a different behavior, and a feature documented for PS5 Part I may not be present in another release.
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When a setting appears to be missing or ineffective
The menu path is different
Confirm the installment, platform, and edition shown on your title screen or game information page. The documented path is the general Naughty Dog route, but a different release can use different labels or organize controls elsewhere.
A preset changed more than expected
Presets combine multiple settings. Reopen the individual categories, use the dot markers to identify non-default controls, and change only the items you want to keep. Applying a second preset can add or alter settings from the first.
A control is unavailable during a scene
Some features are conditional. In Part II, Invisible While Prone is disabled in encounters where stealth is impossible. A difficulty-linked option can also have different limits after you change stealth or another related dimension.
The change does not solve the problem
Return to the original barrier rather than lowering every value. For example, use subtitle names for speaker identification, remapping for reachability, a quick-time-event simplification for repeated timing, or a combat-difficulty dimension for incoming damage. Testing the matching control avoids creating unnecessary changes elsewhere.
The setting works in one edition but not another
Do not assume that a Part II feature is present in Part I, or that a PS5 feature is present in another platform release. Consult the controls actually displayed by your copy and use the edition-specific descriptions above only as a guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently asked questions
Where are accessibility settings in The Last of Us?
Use Options > Accessibility. Naughty Dog’s support instructions say a dot appears beside a feature when its value differs from the default.
How do I open the Part II accessibility presets?
From Options > Accessibility, press Square in the documented Part II flow. Vision, hearing, and motor presets can be applied together and then adjusted individually.
Rank #3
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
Do I have to use a whole preset?
No. A preset is a starting configuration. You can change individual settings afterward or skip presets and select only the controls that address your barrier.
Can I lower combat difficulty without making every part of the game easier?
Part II describes separate dimensions for player damage, enemy effectiveness, ally effectiveness, stealth, and resources. Part I on PS5 also describes adjustable difficulty and individual assists. The exact controls depend on your edition.
Why did Invisible While Prone change after I changed difficulty?
In Part II, the limited duration of Invisible While Prone is based on stealth difficulty. The option is also disabled in encounters where stealth is impossible, so both effects can be expected rather than errors.
Which setting helps if quick-time events are the problem?
Part I on PS5 lists simplified quick-time events, and Part II’s motor-oriented controls include timing-related assistance. Look for the matching option in your edition and test it in a representative sequence.
What should I do if remapping causes a new problem?
Check the action assigned to the replacement button. Remapping can create a conflict with the action that was already there, so change one assignment at a time and test both actions.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsAre the same accessibility options available in every release?
No. Features and labels vary by installment, platform, edition, and update. The documented Part II count of more than 60 settings should not be treated as a count for every release.
What to remember
- Find accessibility controls through the game’s Options menu and look for dots marking values that differ from default.
- In the documented Part II flow, press Square from Accessibility to open the presets; vision, hearing, and motor presets can be combined and refined.
- Use an individual setting or a difficulty dimension for the barrier you have, rather than assuming a single global difficulty must change everything.
- Part I on PS5 and Part II do not expose identical features, and labels can vary by platform, edition, and update.
Naughty Dog Lead Systems Designer Matthew Gallant summarized the purpose of these controls in the June 9, 2020 accessibility overview: “We encourage everyone to take advantage of these features to create a gameplay experience that’s right for them.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are accessibility settings in The Last of Us?
Open Options, then Accessibility. Changed values are marked with a dot beside the feature name.
How do I open Part II presets?
Open Options > Accessibility and press Square. The vision, hearing, and motor presets can be combined and refined afterward.
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Part II exposes separate dimensions for player damage, enemy effectiveness, ally effectiveness, stealth, and resources. Availability varies by edition.
Why is Invisible While Prone unavailable?
Part II disables it in certain encounters where stealth is impossible. Its limited duration also depends on stealth difficulty.
Are settings identical in Part I and Part II?
No. Features and labels vary by installment, platform, edition, and update.
The Bottom Line
Confirm your edition, open Options > Accessibility, and start with the smallest change that addresses your barrier. In Part II, Square opens the combined vision, hearing, and motor presets; Part II also separates several difficulty dimensions. Part I on PS5 adds adjustable difficulty, skippable puzzles, simplified quick-time events, and game-speed controls. Test each change in play and refine it for the experience you want.
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