Will The Last Of Us Part 2 Be A PS5 Launch Title?

Naughty Dog’s been working on The Last of Us Part 2 for a good few years now, but with a release date expected to be revealed anytime now and no confirmed news about the game’s launch, it’s looking more and more likely that the game will be launching on the PlayStation 5.

Originally, it was believed that The Last of Us Part 2 would be the swan-song of the PlayStation 4 and that a remastered or optimised version would be available for Sony’s next console somewhere down the line.

Credit: Naughty Dog

Admittedly, this speculation wasn’t founded in any real logic, but it’s similar to the launch of 2013’s The Last of Us, which released on the PlayStation 3 just a few months before the PS4 came out.

It then got a remastered version for the PS4. With the PS5 expected to drop in 2020, it would make sense.

It was theorised that Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding would be a PS5 launch title, but it seems to have swapped places with TLOU2, getting its release date earlier this week, and dropping in November this year.

Credit: Naughty Dog

Could Death Stranding – which was thought to be coming in 2020 – be the PS4’s swan-song, and does that make TLOU2 the launch title for the PS5?

It’s now being claimed that The Last of Us Part 2 has been delayed until 2020, according to industry insider and Kotaku top dog, Jason Schreier.

Sharing his knowledge on Twitter, Schreier wrote before Death Stranding‘s release date reveal: “Looks like Death Stranding is about to get announced for a November release.

“The Last of Us 2 was also planned for fall 2019 but I actually just heard it got bumped to early 2020, possibly February? Either way, wild final year for PS4.”

It definitely is a wild ride for the PS4’s final year – but what’s going to happen next?

We’ve been told already that we won’t be getting the PS5 until the latter half of 2020, so with a delay on their hands, how will Naughty Dog and Sony tackle the launch of TLOU2?

We could be seeing the game drop in Q1 or – at a push -Q2 2020, but with such a highly-anticipated game that’s likely to bridge the gap between two consoles, timing is everything if you want to keep sales numbers high.

Credit: Naughty Dog

It’s going to be difficult for Sony to find a 2020 window for Ellie’s next adventure that won’t harm its release, or the release of the PlayStation 5.

It’s looking ever more likely that Sony will decide to launch the game alongside the console, as well as releasing a PS4 version.

Hardcore fans of the series who want to see it in the best way possible will opt to purchase the console and game, whereas sales for the PS4 copies would still be high.

Credit: Naughty Dog

That being said, The Last of Us on PS3 launched just a few months before the PS4 came out. Maybe Sony will try and recreate that success again?

Hopefully we’ll hear more about the planned release date for The Last of Us Part 2 sooner rather than later, because it’s been a bumpy road full of ups and downs so far and I don’t think my heart can take it…

Featured Image Credit: Naughty Dog