WithThe Last of Us Part 2only a week from launch, anticipation is building among fans. As reviews continue topraise the sequel’s emotionally rich narrative,fans of the game are also excitedly celebrating another major milestone in the road to the game’s release. Now, players who pre-ordered a digital copy ofThe Last of Us Part 2can download the game on their PS4s.
As games grow more advanced, file sizes continue to expand. Games likeFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, for example, areinfamous for weighing in at 100 gigabytes.Thankfully,The Last of Us Part 2is not as large as other AAA games, but it will still take awhile to install on slower Internet connections. However, pre-loading will allow less fortunate players to prepare the game in advance of its debut.
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Previously, several Reddit users noticed that Sony’s countdown toThe Last of Us Part 2’s release also included “an expected auto-download date” of June 23, 2025. According to a report from PushSquare,The Last of Us Part 2is 78.52 GB, and players will be downloading version 1.02. However, players who install the game this week will be unable to unlock their copy until June 19.
On Twitter, some users were surprised that the game was available to pre-load so early. After all, other AAA titles likeSpider-Manfor the PS4 only made the game available three days early. However, two major factors may have contributed to this date in particular. While one such factor is the game’s file size, the COVID-19 pandemic is another, since social distancing makes it difficult to obtain physical games. In fact,Naughty Dog delayedThe Last of Us Part 2due to the logistical problems of a worldwide launch in the middle of a lockdown. Although pre-loading does not resolve all of these issues, it is a massive boon to players who lack other options.
Overall, players should be excited forThe Last of Us Part 2’s release. Despitesome reports concerning the game’s divisive nature,it is clear that Naughty Dog and Sony have gone to great lengths to improve on the first part’s gameplay and to make it widely accessible in these difficult times.
The Last of Us Part 2will be available on May 25, 2025 for PS4.
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