Something to look forward to: Initially launched on the PlayStation 3 in 2013, The Last of Us has been a wildly successful franchise. Its popularity spawned a PS4 remaster in 2014, a sequel in 2020, and a remake for current-gen hardware in 2022. The games were initially limited to PlayStation consoles only. However, Naughty Dog announced the series would make its way to PC, with a release slated for March.
The Last of Us Part I, announced and released in 2022, was a remake of the original 2013 game. Developer Naughty Dog wanted to re-release the game to bring it up to par with The Last of Us Part II. The remake features higher-quality graphics and animations compared to its previous counterpart and support for Dualsense exclusive features such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
The studio also revealed a first for The Last of Us franchise: a PC port. Initially, the PC version didn’t have a release date, but Naughty Dog later confirmed it would arrive on March 3, 2023. Although the game and story are now 10 years old, it was nice to see that PlayStation Studios didn’t waste time bringing the high-fidelity remake to PC gamers.
Due to the massive success of the original, rumors began swirling way back in 2014 regarding potential movie adaptions of the video game. None of these panned out until 2020 when HBO announced a partnership with Naughty Dog to adapt The Last of Us into a TV series. Initially set to air in December 2020, the covid outbreak delayed production, pushing the release to 2023.
After nearly three years of delays, teasers, and trailers, the TV series finally aired on January 15, 2023. The first episode received warm praise from viewers, who greatly appreciated the show staying close to the source material, which is rare for video game adaptations. Industry experts expect the series to be renewed for a second and third season to cover the longer sequel, The Last of Us Part 2.
Due to the extensive hype and overall success of the HBO series, sales for both The Last of Us Part I and the PS4 remaster have jumped tremendously. GamesIndustry reports that The Last of Us Part I saw an increase in sales of 238 percent week-on-week, while the remaster’s sales rose by 322 percent.
This recent spike for the game’s PS4 and PS5 versions could be an excellent sign for the franchise’s launch on PC, as the show has increased interest in the series heavily. The port’s release also nearly coincides with the show’s season finale. If this was intentional, perhaps a PC port of The Last of Us Part II could arrive alongside a second season.
The Last of Us Part I officially launches on PC on March 3, 2023, on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
