Digital Foundry: The Last of Us Part 2 PC Review - We're Disappointed - Analysis + Optimised Settings

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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
​



On the plus side, the quality of the PC version of The Last of Us Part 2 is considerably improved over Part 1's disastrous launch. However, we've still got plenty of issues with this port: GPU performance is much lower than it should be compared to similar results from the 12-year-old PS4, CPU utilisation can be very, very heavy - and yes, there can be stuttering problems. Even beyond that, capping frame-rate for a smoother ride isn't as simple as it should be. Alex details the pros and cons of the conversion.

00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:21 Technical Continuities with TLOU Part 1
00:01:51 GPU Performance
00:05:08 CPU Performance, Frame-Times and Steam Deck
00:10:40 Using Effective Frame-Rate Caps
00:12:49 Visual Issues
00:13:46 Optimised Settings
00:15:25 Conclusion
 
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- Better than Part 1's PC port at launch but still has some technical issues similar to it.
- Nixxess came in late in development
- Graphical settings are more or less the same as the first game with some additions like DLAA
- Scaling over the PS5 version is 'very minimal'

- Screen space shadows get higher quality when due to very high Contact Shadows
- GPU performance is still an issue, as in the requirements for GPU are pretty high for what's on display
- "Medium" pre-set is visually worse than base PS4 version

- Using PS4 equivalent settings on 3060, the game was often below 60fps
- 3060 is unable to double base PS4 performance reliably
- CPU utilization is better than Part 1's PC port at least but is still unusually demanding

- Brief shader comp at start and rest of the shaders are compiled asynchronously in the game itself
- Nice that you don't have to wait for a menu's but can have performance implications
- Frame time hitches and erratic frame time spikes noted during game play
- Frame Times are more erratic when going through an area the first time as it's also compiling shaders at the same time
- Most testing done on Ryzen 3600 but they also noted frame times on 5700X

- A few instances noted where the game stalled at 0fps for a few seconds, noted on Steam Deck as well
- Steam Deck has a dedicated profile, but it does not lock reliably to 30fps
- Camera motion is not smooth adn erratic frame times make it extra notable on Steam Deck

- Alex recommends frame-capping the game to 60hz for a smoother experience.
- On VRR displays, DF also recommends using external means to cap frame rate instead of the in-game one.
- Issue noted on PC that Shadows can often load close to the player even at maxed settings
- Flickering textures also noted.
- DLSS and DLAA are lower quality than DF are used to, DF recommends injecting transformer model

- 4070 GPU recommended for PS5 Performance equivalent settings
- 3060 etc recommended to use PS4 equivalent settings
 
HyQPq1s.gif
 
Do PC devs/publishers ever wait until a game is finished before releasing it? Its ridiculous, they know they are going to get flak and gamers will wait until patches are released instead of buying their content on launch. Or just pirate it instead.

Must make sense to somebody I guess.
 
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LOL. Medium settings is worse than the PS4 base and max barely goes above it besides shadows?!

All that arguing with Bojji Bojji was a waste. I'll take back everything I said. I'm stupid for being optimistic.

I think Sony should just stop making PC ports altogether. They have no idea what they are doing from a tech, marketing or business standpoint. Sell Nixxes and go back to making console only titles
 
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Anchovie123 said:
Alex continuing to ignore the fact that PS4/PS5 has hardware accelerated decompression and acting dumb founded at where this missing performance has gone to.
Click to expand...
Yeah. The port is not great (tho i think whey will manage akin of SM2), but the video is playing dumb quite a lot.

I'm kinda tired of DF takes to be honest, even when the topic itself is on-point.
 
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GHG said:
Alex discovering what overhead looks like in real time.
Click to expand...
I agree that there's overhead, but those numbers are insane. An RTX 3060 incapable of doubling base PS4 performance when it isn't that far from a PS5 is a whole other level of overhead. It's like we're back in the late 90s.
 
Looks like Naughty Dog still cant figure out windows.
dog-funny-dog.gif

5 years later, this is what minimal effort looks like. I was harsh on Square, but even Square Enix takes less time and do way better than this supposedly technically proficient studio.

Update: Finished the game today and ive got to say the port is actually very good performance-wise, biggest problem i had was that i couldnt rebind reloading and that the maxed out visual effects (lighting, AO) are really low quality. Only had a single framedrop for about 3 seconds and a stutter or two in one specific map area the one that Alex has also had issues in and this was with ReBAR on which is apparently bad for this game.

Other than that framegen wont do much if you play it unlocked, but its incredibly smooth if you lock the framerate and then use frame gen to get to yours monitors cap. Also make sure to grab the mod that disables the oversharpening.
 
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Gaiff said:
I agree that there's overhead, but those numbers are insane. An RTX 3060 incapable of doubling base PS4 performance when it isn't that far from a PS5 is a whole other level of overhead. It's like we're back in the late 90s.
Click to expand...

Sony heard everyone shouting out how their PC's were better than the PS5 Pro and said "prove it".
 
adamsapple said:
- "Medium" pre-set is visually worse than base PS4 version

- Using PS4 equivalent settings on 3060, the game was often below 60fps
- 3060 is unable to double base PS4 performance reliably
- CPU utilization is better than Part 1's PC port at least but is still unusually demanding

- 4070 GPU recommended for PS5 Performance equivalent settings
- 3060 etc recommended to use PS4 equivalent settings
Click to expand...
It's definitely a very cheap port...... And Nixxes is definitely losing the pedigree it had when it comes to offering great game ports.
 
Demanding game = bad ps4 port !!!.... right...
It's honestly not even that bad looking at the video. pc players are just whiny again
edit: ok seems to not be using cpu too much.. but what can you do compared to ND coding to the metal
 
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Gaiff said:
I agree that there's overhead, but those numbers are insane. An RTX 3060 incapable of doubling base PS4 performance when it isn't that far from a PS5 is a whole other level of overhead. It's like we're back in the late 90s.
Click to expand...
The game also appears strangely CPU bound seeing how even a 9800x3D doesn't do that much when unlocked. This could be memory related. While the PS5 version of the game has few visual enhancements over the PS4, if they overhauled how the memory setup works under the hood to take advantage of the PS5 and then ported that version, that could explain some of the issues.
 
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GHG said:
Sony heard everyone shouting out how their PC's were better than the PS5 Pro and said "prove it".
Click to expand...
And speaking of overhead. There's this really awesome presentation by Nixxes on the PC port of GOT. It really puts into perspective how much of a challenge it is and what it takes to port a pure console game to PC.




Also made a thread about it a few months ago that sadly got 0 replies.

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/miss...w-ghost-of-tsushima-was-ported-to-pc.1680349/
 
Bojji said:
Alex also said that part 1 and this are the biggest outliers compared to other games he ever tested. This is not overhead, just shit optimization.
Click to expand...

Most likely a bit of both.

This is an engine that has its roots in the PS3 remember, long before Sony even thought about porting anything to PC.
 
Windom Earle said:
Nobody asked for this humiliation ritual to be ported, fuck off lol
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only the best game and one of the best stories ever told in gaming.
"humiliation ritual".
cmon now. You dont have to like it but many found the game incredible. I think it's amazing. And the game made me hate it before I loved it
 
Everything about this game is disappointing, the gameplay is good but the story and writing is a mess
 
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rofif said:
depends. the show is HUGE and season 2 is coming.
It's an amazing game. Nowhere near junk.
Indiana Jones and the great circle... now that's junk
Click to expand...

Why bring up Indiana Jones here? Did you play it?

lCJo2ek.gif


Anyway I stand by my sub 20k CCU prediction. Nobody cares about this game.
 
GHG said:
Most likely a bit of both.

This is an engine that has its roots in the PS3 remember, long before Sony even thought about porting anything to PC.
Click to expand...

Yeah, ND engine clearly was never intended for use outside of PS consoles. But so was GOW engine and they did a decent job porting it.

Alex said that this game has similar performance on 3060 as Metro Exodus EE with RT:

89urKjt.jpeg
04NLwPu.jpeg


And 3060 can't even do 2x performance vs. PS4

m2ofpWX.jpeg



I think they deserve some special award for making PS4 game perform like that.
 
BennyBlanco said:
Why bring up Indiana Jones here? Did you play it?

lCJo2ek.gif


Anyway I stand by my sub 20k CCU prediction. Nobody cares about this game.
Click to expand...
I finished it. I BOUGHT it new on steam.
It was just ok. really 7/10.

shame nobody cares about it. tlou2 is one of a kind and no other games made me feel like this.
Shame people are only focused on abby muscles and not the story or her actual character.
This is one of finest single player games ever made and I will stand by this.
I still like uncharted 4 way more because tlou2 is too serious... but still
 
Bojji said:
Yeah, ND engine clearly was never intended for use outside of PS consoles. But so was GOW engine and they did a decent job porting it.

Alex said that this game has similar performance on 3060 as Metro Exodus EE with RT:

89urKjt.jpeg
04NLwPu.jpeg


And 3060 can't even do 2x performance vs. PS4

m2ofpWX.jpeg



I think they deserve some special award for making PS4 game perform like that.
Click to expand...

Metro Exodus EE (and the metro games in general) are PC first titles, and funnily enough it's the console performance that ends up suffering as a consequence.

So a comparison like that doesn't make any sense in this context.
 
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