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Open Options > Accessibility in either game. You can apply the Vision, Hearing, or Motor preset from Options > Accessibility > Square Button, combine presets, and then edit individual settings. The presets are starting points rather than locked modes, so you can build a control, visibility, audio, navigation, puzzle, or combat setup that matches your needs.
What the accessibility menu does
The Last of Us Part II established a broad accessibility system, with more than 60 settings in its official 2020 feature overview. The PS5 remake of The Last of Us Part I carries that foundation forward and adds two notable features: audio descriptions for cinematics and dialogue delivered as haptic feedback through the PS5 DualSense controller.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Last of Us Part I – PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Sony Interactive Entertainment The Last of Us Part 1 Standard PlayStation 5 | $45.06 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts | $31.06 | Buy on Amazon |
To open the controls, pause the game and choose Options > Accessibility. Naughty Dog’s current support instructions say changed features are marked with a dot. To use a preset, select Options > Accessibility > Square Button. Choose one or more of the Vision, Hearing, and Motor groups, apply them, and return to the individual menus to fine-tune the result.
Accessibility settings can be changed during play. They do not all solve the same problem: a navigation aid can remove disorientation, a combat aid can reduce timing pressure, and a puzzle skip can remove a logic challenge entirely. Treat each as a separate control over the experience rather than as a single easy-mode switch.
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- 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.
Part I and Part II: what is different
Both games cover visual, hearing, motor, motion-sensitivity, navigation, puzzle, and combat needs. Part I’s PS5 remake adds cinematic audio descriptions and haptic dialogue, while Part II introduced the larger published set of options and its own expanded combat and navigation controls. The exact list can vary by platform and edition, so do not assume that a setting documented for the PS5 version appears identically in every PC or console build.
| Area | The Last of Us Part I (PS5 remake) | The Last of Us Part II |
|---|---|---|
| Sensory support | Screen-reader and visual-comfort options, subtitles and visual alternatives to audio information, plus cinematic audio descriptions and DualSense haptic dialogue. | Screen-reader, subtitle, visual-contrast, awareness and audio-cue options; the official overview describes more than 60 accessibility settings. |
| Input flexibility | Remapping and alternatives to rapid presses, simultaneous presses, motion controls, touch controls, vibration and adaptive-trigger effects are documented on the product page. | Remapping, hold/toggle changes and alternatives for demanding inputs, with motor-oriented assists and combat controls. |
| Navigation and puzzles | Navigation and traversal assistance, enhanced audio cues, ledge protection and skippable puzzles are available; cinematic descriptions are an additional Part I feature. | Navigation Assistance, Enhanced Listen Mode, traversal support and Skip Puzzle are documented, with directional cues for story progression, items and enemies. |
| Combat modification | Adjustable difficulty, aim and camera assists, simplified quick-time events, slower game speed and other combat aids are available. | Combat Accessibility includes options such as reduced enemy perception or accuracy, Enhanced Dodge, Invisible While Prone and slow motion. |
| Platform qualification | Documented for the PS5 remake; a PC release also exists, but the cited official pages do not provide a complete feature-parity table. | Available in multiple editions; the cited documentation does not establish a complete cross-platform parity table. |
The comparison is about documented feature groups, not a promise that every toggle has the same name, range, or default on every build. Check the Accessibility menu in your installed edition before planning around a specific option.
Best starting setup for blind or low-vision players
Apply the Vision preset first
Choose the Vision preset from the Square Button menu. Then play a short, familiar section and adjust the controls below individually. The preset may enable more assistance than you need, and changing one setting at a time makes it easier to identify what improves navigation without adding unwanted audio or visual information.
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- Screen reader and text-to-speech: read menu text and other interface information aloud where supported.
- High-contrast display: separate characters, enemies, items or interactive elements from the environment with stronger visual contrast.
- Large HUD: increase interface elements that are difficult to read at the default size.
- Lock-on aim: reduce the visual and motor effort required to keep an aiming target on an enemy.
- Navigation Assistance: in Part II, turn the camera toward the current story progression when you use the relevant navigation command.
- Enhanced Listen Mode: in Part II, scan for items and enemies and receive directional audio cues.
- Traversal and combat audio cues: use sound to signal actions or threats that may be hard to identify visually.
- Ledge Guard: reduce accidental falls while moving through the environment.
- Skip Puzzle: bypass a puzzle section when visual information, timing or object recognition makes it inaccessible.
Part I additions for cinematic information
Part I adds audio descriptions for cinematics, which narrate important visual information during story scenes. It also supports dialogue through DualSense haptic feedback: spoken lines are conveyed as controller vibrations rather than only through the television or headset. The feature was described by Game Director Matthew Gallant as a prototype that proved successful in playtesting. A compatible DualSense controller is therefore relevant if you want to use that haptic dialogue path.
Make navigation cues useful rather than overwhelming
Enable only the cues you can distinguish reliably. For example, start with Enhanced Listen Mode and Navigation Assistance, then decide whether traversal and combat sounds add useful separation or create too much simultaneous audio. Large HUD and high contrast can remain enabled even when audio guidance does most of the work, because they help sighted collaborators or provide confirmation when a cue is missed.
Best setup for deaf or hard-of-hearing players
Start with subtitles, then add visual context
Apply the Hearing preset and turn on subtitles. Add the information that matters most in combat and exploration:
- Story + Combat dialogue: show spoken lines in both narrative scenes and active encounters instead of limiting subtitles to story dialogue.
- Speaker names: identify who is speaking when several characters are nearby or when a voice comes from off screen.
- Subtitle direction: indicate where a speaker or relevant sound originates.
- Awareness Indicators: provide a visual indication of enemy awareness. In Part II, these can persist during combat, making the information available while you are moving rather than only at the instant a sound occurs.
- Pickup notifications: confirm visually when an item has been collected.
- Combat vibration cues: substitute controller feedback for audio information when the game uses vibration to signal an event.
Part I’s official product description specifically calls out visual and vibration alternatives for audio information. The practical goal is redundancy: subtitles handle speech, directional or awareness indicators handle location and threat state, and vibration handles events that would otherwise be heard.
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Keep subtitles readable during fights
Speaker names and direction indicators are most valuable when dialogue overlaps with movement or combat. If the screen becomes too busy, keep Story + Combat dialogue and speaker names while disabling less important notifications. Test the result in an encounter rather than in a quiet hallway; combat is where missing a directional cue has the greatest consequence.
Best setup for motor or fine-motor needs
Change the input demand before changing difficulty
Apply the Motor preset, then open the control and gameplay sections. Remap actions so frequently used commands fall under your most comfortable fingers. Where the game offers it, convert a hold or repeated press to a toggle or a single press. This can remove fatigue without changing enemy behavior or puzzle logic.
- Camera Assist and Lock-on Aim: reduce the precision needed to track a target.
- Auto Pickup: collect nearby items without requiring a separate interaction for every object.
- Auto Weapon Swap: reduce the number of manual steps when a weapon runs out or a context changes.
- Traversal Assistance: reduce demanding movement sequences.
- Ledge Guard: protect against an unintended drop while navigating.
- Infinite Breath: remove repeated breath-management demands during underwater sections.
- Combat assists: reduce timing and aiming requirements while leaving exploration and story progression intact.
Disable physical effects you cannot use
Part I’s product page lists alternatives to rapid button presses, simultaneous presses, motion controls, touch controls, vibration and adaptive-trigger effects. Turn off or replace any input that causes pain, fatigue or an involuntary movement. A remapped control is useful only if the new button is reachable and does not create a different strain elsewhere, so test a full encounter after remapping.
Reduce motion sensitivity and visual discomfort
Use the motion-related controls before lowering overall difficulty. The documented options include:
- Camera shake: reduce or remove impact-driven camera movement.
- Motion blur: limit blur during camera movement.
- Camera distance: move the viewpoint farther from the character if a close camera causes discomfort.
- Field of view: adjust how much of the scene is visible at once, within the range offered by your edition.
- Dolly zoom: disable the perspective effect used during certain cinematic moments.
- Full-screen effects: reduce overlays or flashes that fill the display.
- Persistent center dot: keep a fixed visual reference point on screen.
Part II’s official guide documents these controls and their ranges or toggles. Part I’s product information summarizes visual-comfort options that remove potentially uncomfortable camera effects. If symptoms appear only during a particular scene, change the relevant effect first instead of disabling every visual aid.
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Skip a puzzle without skipping the story
Both games include a Skip Puzzle option. Use it when a puzzle depends on visual searching, timing, simultaneous input or another interaction that blocks progress. Skipping removes the puzzle challenge while allowing the surrounding narrative and exploration to continue. It is a targeted accessibility choice, not a requirement to lower every other setting.
Reduce timing pressure in Part I
Part I lists simplified quick-time events and game-speed reduction among its accessibility controls. Slowing the game can make a sequence easier to read and execute while preserving the same encounter layout. Pausing and manual saving also help players who need breaks or a stable recovery point.
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Use Part II’s Combat Accessibility menu selectively
Part II offers combat-specific changes that can be combined according to the barrier you are facing:
- Reduced enemy perception or accuracy: give yourself more time to reposition or recover from exposure.
- Enhanced Dodge: make evasive timing more forgiving.
- Invisible While Prone: prevent detection in situations where remaining prone is the intended strategy.
- Slow motion: reduce the speed of an encounter so aiming and movement require less rapid coordination.
These options materially change challenge. Enable the smallest change that solves the specific problem, or combine them when the barrier involves both perception and motor timing.
A practical setup process
- Open the menu: pause the game and choose Options > Accessibility.
- Choose a starting group: select the Vision, Hearing or Motor preset from Accessibility > Square Button. You may combine presets.
- Set sensory access first: enable screen-reader, subtitle, high-contrast, audio-description, haptic-dialogue or visual-alternative features that match your needs and edition.
- Remove input barriers: remap controls, change holds or repeated presses where available, and disable motion, touch, vibration or adaptive-trigger requirements you cannot use.
- Add navigation support: try Navigation Assistance, Enhanced Listen Mode, traversal cues and Ledge Guard before changing combat difficulty.
- Test a short section: use one exploration segment and one combat encounter. Note which cue is missing, confusing or physically tiring.
- Edit one setting at a time: return to the individual menu, change a single option, and replay the same section so you can tell what helped.
- Save a comfortable combination: keep the settings that remove the barrier without adding unnecessary visual, audio or controller feedback.
Troubleshooting common problems
“I cannot find the presets.”
Presets are not a separate top-level mode. Open Options > Accessibility, then use the Square Button prompt to open the preset groups.
“A setting I read about is missing.”
Check the game, platform and edition. Part I’s feature list is for the PS5 remake, and the cited official pages do not publish a complete PS5-to-PC or Part II edition parity table. Also look for the dot marking changed features and scroll through each relevant submenu rather than relying on the preset alone.
“Audio cues are enabled, but I still miss information.”
Combine cues with their visual or haptic alternative. For example, subtitles and speaker names cover speech, Awareness Indicators cover threat state, and vibration can cover events that would otherwise be heard. In Part II, Enhanced Listen Mode can add directional information for items and enemies.
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“The game is still physically exhausting.”
Revisit remapping and hold/toggle options, then disable motion, touch, vibration and adaptive-trigger effects that add effort. Add Auto Pickup, Auto Weapon Swap, Ledge Guard, Traversal Assistance or Infinite Breath where those specific interactions are the source of fatigue.
“I want to keep the challenge but cannot solve one section.”
Use Skip Puzzle for the blocked puzzle, or apply a narrow combat aid such as Enhanced Dodge or slower game speed for one encounter. The settings are player-controlled, so you can return to a stricter configuration afterward.
What the official documentation establishes
- Naughty Dog’s 2020 Part II overview states that the game has more than 60 accessibility settings.
- Sony Interactive Entertainment published the full Part I feature list on August 26, 2022.
- Naughty Dog Support’s current instructions, dated January 18, 2024, specify the Accessibility path and the Square Button preset menu.
- Part I Game Director Matthew Gallant identified cinematic audio descriptions and DualSense haptic dialogue as new features for the remake.
Those descriptions come from official documentation. They establish the available feature categories and documented functions, but they do not constitute a complete cross-platform matrix or an independent test of every edition.
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