Making the Most of Auto Pick-Up Enabled in The Last of Us Part II Remastered

Why Looting Matters in a No Damage Run

When you are attempting a no damage run on Grounded+ difficulty in The Last of Us Part II Remastered, every resource counts. You cannot afford to take a single hit from an enemy or a trap, so you need every bullet, every bandage, and every scrap of metal you can find. That is where the decision to keep auto pick-up enabled becomes a quiet but important part of your strategy. It is one of those accessibility settings that, once you get used to it, feels strange to turn off.

I remember my first attempt at a no damage run on the PlayStation 5. I was in the early Seattle sections, still learning the rhythm of the encounter design. I had auto pick-up enabled from the start, mostly because I did not think about it. But as I moved through the first few encounters, I noticed how much smoother the looting felt. Instead of mashing a button every time I walked over a dead enemy or a shelf of supplies, the game just collected things for me. That let me keep my eyes on enemy patrol routes and environmental hazards. In a run where one mistake ends the attempt, that extra split second of attention matters.

For players who are not doing a no damage run, auto pick-up enabled still makes the experience more fluid. The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a game that asks you to scavenge constantly. Ammo, crafting materials, and collectible items are scattered everywhere. Manually picking up each one can slow down your momentum, especially during tense stealth sections. Having auto pick-up enabled means you can move through a room without stopping, which keeps the pacing tight and the immersion high.

How It Works With Maximum Upgrades

By the time you reach the later chapters, you have likely invested in maximum upgrades for your weapons and skill tree. Ellie and Abby both have extensive upgrade paths that improve everything from health to weapon sway to crafting speed. When you have auto pick-up enabled, those upgrades feel even more rewarding. You can sprint through a supply closet, grab everything in one pass, and keep moving toward your next objective. The game handles the tedium of looting so you can focus on the combat and the story.

In the Jackson flashback sequences, for example, supplies are more scarce. Every pill bottle and piece of scrap feels precious. With auto pick-up enabled, you do not have to worry about missing a single item because you were looking the wrong way. The game scoops up anything you walk near, which is a small comfort in a world that offers very little comfort to its characters.

One thing I have noticed is that auto pick-up enabled works best when you combine it with the right controller sensitivity and camera speed. If your camera moves too fast, you might run past items without the game registering them. If it is too slow, you might feel stuck in a looting animation. I keep my camera speed at a moderate setting, which lets me sweep a room quickly without missing the auto pick-up window. It is a small tweak, but it makes a difference in a gameplay walkthrough where you want to show off clean movement.

The Trade-Offs on Grounded+ Difficulty

There is a reason some experienced players choose to turn off auto pick-up. On Grounded+ difficulty, enemies are more aggressive, and your resources are scarce. Picking up items manually gives you a sense of control. You know exactly what you grabbed and when. With auto pick-up enabled, you might accidentally pick up a bottle when you meant to grab a bandage, or you might step on a pile of supplies and get a crafting notification that covers your crosshair at a bad moment. It is rare, but it happens.

I have also seen players argue that manual looting forces you to engage with the environment more carefully. When you have to press a button for every item, you are more aware of where things are placed. That awareness can help you plan escape routes or remember where you left a health kit. There is some truth to that. But for a no damage run, where you are already hyper-aware of every corner and doorway, the convenience of auto pick-up enabled outweighs the small risk of a UI distraction.

Naughty Dog designed the accessibility settings in The Last of Us Part II Remastered with a wide range of players in mind. Auto pick-up is just one toggle among many, but it is one of the most impactful for speed and flow. If you are doing a 4K ultra gameplay recording, you want the action to look smooth. Stopping to press a button on every item breaks the visual rhythm. Keeping auto pick-up enabled keeps the footage clean and the pacing natural.

Collectibles and Chronological Mode

If you are attempting an all collectibles run, auto pick-up enabled is almost essential. There are over two hundred collectible items in the game, from trading cards to artifacts to journal entries. Some of them are hidden in corners you would never check if you were not actively searching. Having auto pick-up enabled means that as you sweep through an area, the game automatically flags anything you missed. You can see the collection notification pop up, which tells you that you found something. That feedback loop is satisfying and helpful.

Chronological mode is a feature that lets you play the story in the order events actually happen, rather than the original timeline. It rearranges certain chapters so that Abby and Ellie's stories interleave more naturally. When you are playing in chronological mode with auto pick-up enabled, the looting stays consistent across both characters. You do not have to adjust your muscle memory between the two campaigns. That consistency is nice, especially when you are switching between Ellie's stealthy approach and Abby's more aggressive style.

Santa Barbara is a good example. In that chapter, the open beach environment has supplies scattered across a wide area. With auto pick-up enabled, you can run along the shoreline and collect everything without breaking stride. It makes the exploration feel less like a chore and more like a scavenger hunt. The same goes for the Seattle downtown sections, where resources are spread across multiple buildings. You can enter a room, sweep it quickly, and leave, all while the game handles the small interactions.

Final Thoughts on the Setting

Auto pick-up is one of those settings that you might not notice until you turn it off. Then suddenly you are pressing square on every desk and shelf, and the game feels slower. For most players, especially those going for a no damage run or an all collectibles run, keeping auto pick-up enabled is the right call. It reduces friction, keeps your attention on the combat and exploration, and makes the whole experience feel more polished.

If you are new to Grounded+ difficulty, I recommend leaving auto pick-up enabled for your first few encounters. See how it feels. If you find yourself accidentally grabbing items you do not need, you can always toggle it off in the accessibility menu. But for my money, the convenience is worth the occasional clutter. In a game as demanding as The Last of Us Part II Remastered, any small advantage you can get is worth taking.