Being thorough in its mission to accommodate the players wishes, The Last of Us 2 offers an expanded set of options even when it comes to the game’s brightness. Even better: that part of the options menu comes attached with pictures of three completely different game environments, so it’s super easy to see exactly which part of the scenery we are affecting while adjusting. 

Playing with this set of options is encouraged since only you can find that “sweet spot” that works best for yourself. What follows is an explanation for each item of the options menu, which you can then use concerning your personal preferences.

In any case, it will be genuinely hard to make this game look visually bad – it’s guaranteed to remain gorgeous with whichever combination of settings.

3. Adjust the Brightness of the HUD (the in-game heads-up display) correctly

This refers to the ¾ of a circle positioned in the bottom right corner of the screen, with an icon of the currently equipped weapon in the middle. It represents current health and ammo reserve and communicates to the player information like how many bullets we got left in the magazine, or how close we are to dying.

Choosing the maximum number for that slider will accent the outline of the counter, making it easier to track even when we’re not focusing on it. However, those looking for a more realistic experience will surely find such pronunciation to be distracting.

How correctly adjusting the HUD Brightness fixes the problem:

• Players wanting to have a full grasp of their momentary condition can turn it up to 5, and make the health bar and ammo display easily visible at all times
• Setting the slider to a minimum will make the HUD almost transparent, which results in a more life-like experience

How to apply these settings:

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose > Options > Display > under “General” > Brightness > set the slider for the HUD Brightness on the desired position

A handy tool

2. Best Settings for TVs that don’t support HDR (High Dynamic Range)

Aside from the HUD, on TVs without HDR capabilities we can adjust the overall brightness of the game. The developers were clever enough to attach a representation of the three basic archetypes of environments we’ll find in the game here (shadowy areas, areas with 50-50 distribution of light vs. dark, and well-lit areas).

Therefore, it falls on our goodwill how much leeway we’ll grant to Ellie when she stumbles upon a dark subway, or to Abby while she scavenges for supplies in an abandoned hospital.  Be wary though: higher brightness equals less imposing shadows, but also light rays with a view-obscuring potency.  

How correctly adjusting the Brightness for TVs that don’t support HDR fixes the problem:

• The best thing about this kind of settings is that we can re-adjust them at will: having trouble locating enemies in the darker areas?– raise the brightness level, etc.
• Prevents the frustration brought on by dying due to low visibility

How to apply these settings:

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose > Options > Display > under “General” > Brightness > set the slider for the Brightness on the desired position 

1. Best Settings for TVs that support HDR 

Owners of fancier TV sets get the option to adjust one more slider: the one dedicated to Contrast. As is described in the menu, this refers to the difference between light and shadow. A higher value means a more exaggerated distinction between the two (abyss-like darkness and heavenly sun-light, respectively). 

This may seem like an obvious video-gamey feature, and it totally is. However, that doesn’t mean it’s an availability without any amount of value when it comes to the overall experience, either. By positioning this slider correctly, we’ll be able to not just flex our modern TV’ muscles, but also enjoy the game even more during its most heated moments.

As for the slider itself, since turning HDR on automatically makes the screen somewhat darker, I’ll recommend the range between -2 to 3 for the Contrast value. The Last of Us 2 it’s a game that aims for photo-realism, and setting a “grounded” level for the HDR Contrast seems like the best fit for it.

How correctly adjusting the Brightness for TVs that support HDR fixes the problem:

• Enables us to experience this beautiful game in the best visual output technically possible, without hindering the moment-to-moment gameplay
• Amplifies the artistic achievements in a game that is at the top of its genre

How to apply these settings:

Press the “Options” button on your controller, then choose > Options > Display > under “General” > Brightness > set the slider for the Brightness between 5 to 8 > set the slider for the Contrast between -2 to 3

A look to the past...

That being said, I urge you to experiment with this set of options and find exactly what suits best for your gaming equipment.

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