Hours-long shader builds were a real problem in the PC version of The Last of Us Part I, and Naughty Dog released patches addressing slow compilation, crashes and a Windows 11 startup crash. Some delay—especially on a first launch or after a rebuild—can be expected. If the percentage is not moving, the game repeatedly crashes or it loops through the build on every launch, do not assume that waiting longer will fix it: work through the checks below.
Why does The Last of Us Part I build shaders?
Shaders are small programs the game prepares for your particular graphics hardware and driver so it can render scenes. The preparation can be CPU-intensive, and its progress does not necessarily advance at a steady rate. It is not a game download.
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The first build can take longer than later launches. A game update, graphics-driver change, reinstall or file verification can also require shaders to be built again. Naughty Dog specifically lists reinstalling and verifying files through Steam among the reasons a completed build may run again: its shader rebuild FAQ.
Is an hours-long build normal—or is it stuck?
There is no official completion-time guarantee that applies to every PC. The result depends on the game build, CPU, graphics driver, available memory and other system conditions. Very long shader loads were a documented problem with the PC port; community reports of particular wait times are anecdotes, not benchmarks.
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- Enhanced visuals: Completely rebuilt from the ground up using Naughty Dog’s latest PS5 engine technology to improve every visual detail, The Last of Us experience has been faithfully enhanced with more realistic lighting and atmosphere, more intricate environments and creative reimaginings of familiar spaces.
- Fast loading: Initial loading times are near instant, and seamless after the first instance thanks to the PS5 console’s SSD – so you can pick up where you left off in the story and load specific encounters and chapters more quickly.
- Haptic feedback: DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback support for every weapon elevates combat encounters, and environments are brought to life through DualSense wireless controller haptic sensations of subtle falling rain, the crunch of stepping on snow and more.
- Adaptive triggers: All The Last of Us iconic weapons, including Joel’s revolver and Ellie’s bow, now deliver dynamic DualSense wireless controller trigger resistance and kickback on firing for deeper combat immersion.
- 3D Audio: Designed to make use of the PS5 console’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, Naughty Dog’s newly upgraded audio engine delivers richer soundscapes, bigger explosive moments and more visceral gameplay through compatible stereo headphones (analogue or USB) or TV speakers.
Signs it may still be working
- The displayed percentage changes when you check it periodically.
- The game process continues to use CPU, with intermittent disk activity.
- Windows remains responsive and there is no crash dialog or memory warning.
Progress can be uneven, so a brief pause at one percentage is not proof of a hang. If the build is advancing, avoid repeatedly closing the game; let it finish.
Signs to troubleshoot rather than keep waiting
- The percentage stays fixed for an extended period while CPU and disk activity are near zero.
- The game crashes at the same point repeatedly or restarts the build from the beginning every launch.
- You see an insufficient system or video memory message, Windows becomes unresponsive, or the game hangs indefinitely.
- The game will not boot, particularly after an update or driver change.
Did Windows 11 cause the problem?
Windows 11 was involved in a specific issue, but it is not established as the cause of every slow build. Naughty Dog’s May 9, 2023 v1.0.5.0 patch notes say the patch fixed a Windows 11 boot crash. The same notes addressed shader-building time generally and abnormally long shader loads on AMD hardware. The evidence points to problems with the PC port and its hardware-and-driver combinations, not a blanket Windows 11 incompatibility.
The PC release launched on March 28, 2023. The early fixes are useful context, not a claim that v1.0.5.0 is the current game version: check Steam or Epic for the latest available update. The official Steam listing specifies Windows 10 version 1909 or newer, which includes Windows 11.
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What to do, in order
- Check whether it is progressing. Note the percentage, wait and check it again rather than judging from one short interval. Open Task Manager and look at the game process’s CPU and disk activity. Check for a crash dialog or memory warning. If there is activity and the system is responsive, give the build time to finish.
- Update the game. Install the latest update through your store—Steam or Epic Games Store. Early PC patches addressed shader-building crashes and slow compilation; v1.0.4.0 addressed shader-building crashes and first-boot loading problems, while v1.1.0 improved shader compilation and fixed an AMD shader crash.
- Install the current graphics driver for your GPU, then restart Windows. Use the vendor’s official page: AMD drivers or NVIDIA GeForce drivers. Driver numbers mentioned in 2023 patch notes are historical and should not be treated as current recommendations.
- Close unnecessary background work for the retry. Quit demanding applications and, as a diagnostic, temporarily close overlays or recording tools. This helps reduce competing resource use; it is not a confirmed universal fix for shader compilation.
- Check free space and hardware. Steam lists 100 GB of available storage and recommends an SSD. Its minimum requirements include 16 GB RAM and a 4 GB graphics-memory-class GPU; the recommended configuration also lists 16 GB RAM, with 8 GB graphics-memory-class GPU examples. Meeting minimum specifications is a baseline to run the game, not a promise of short shader builds.
- Verify files only if corruption or missing files are plausible. In Steam, open Library, right-click The Last of Us Part I, select Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Labels may vary slightly by Steam client version. Verification can trigger another shader build, so do not use it as a routine first step.
- Retry without interrupting the build. Avoid starting demanding applications or repeatedly killing the game while compilation is active. Let the shaders finish before starting a new game.
- Contact support if the failure persists. Use Naughty Dog’s PC support section and include the details listed below.
What if it crashes, hangs or rebuilds every time?
Crash during compilation or a repeated crash at one percentage
Update the game and GPU driver, restart Windows, then retry with unnecessary applications closed. Naughty Dog’s early patches addressed shader-building crashes, including an AMD shader crash. If the same failure remains after updating, record the crash message and build percentage for support rather than replacing game files with unofficial DLLs or patches.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsInfinite hang after entering gameplay
An early PC build could hang indefinitely if a player loaded into the game while shaders were still building. Naughty Dog said its v1.0.4.1 hotfix fixed that behavior. Allowing the initial build to complete before starting a new game remains the safer approach; do not assume every mode or chapter is safe while compilation continues.
Memory warning or system instability
System RAM, GPU video memory (VRAM) and the Windows pagefile are different resources. If Windows or the game reports insufficient system memory, close background programs and check memory use. Windows’ System managed pagefile size is a cautious option if you are investigating memory pressure, provided its drive has enough free space; it is not an official universal fix or a way to guarantee faster shader compilation. A video-memory warning points instead to the GPU’s VRAM and graphics load. Do not buy RAM or a GPU based only on the time spent compiling.
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Shaders rebuild after verification, reinstall or update
A new build after reinstalling or Steam file verification can be expected, according to Naughty Dog’s FAQ. If it restarts on every ordinary launch without one of those changes, note when the loop began and contact support. Deleting caches indiscriminately can force another full build and is not a first-line fix.
Windows 11 startup failure or an AMD-specific issue
Update to the latest game build and current GPU driver first. The Windows 11 boot crash and abnormally long AMD shader loads were specifically mentioned in v1.0.5.0 patch notes; the AMD shader crash was also addressed in v1.1.0. These historical fixes do not mean every current failure has the same cause.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Which hardware or resource is relevant?
| Symptom | Most relevant check |
|---|---|
| Slow but active compilation | CPU activity, current game and GPU driver, and whether the percentage advances. |
| Long loading or slow asset access | Free storage and whether the game is on an SSD; Steam recommends an SSD. |
| System-memory error or Windows instability | RAM pressure and background applications; consider pagefile behavior only as a targeted memory check. |
| Video-memory warning | GPU VRAM and the game’s stated GPU requirements. |
| Crash during shader building | Game update, graphics driver, repeatable crash point and support details. |
| Rebuild immediately after file verification or reinstall | This can be expected; verification and reinstalling are documented rebuild triggers. |
An SSD can improve loading and asset access, but it cannot guarantee fast shader compilation, which also depends on CPU work and driver behavior. More RAM or VRAM is relevant when there is evidence of the corresponding memory limit; neither is a universal shader-speed upgrade.
What not to do
- Do not repeatedly terminate a build that is still advancing; that can waste progress and lead to more waiting.
- Do not delete shader caches as an opening fix: the next launch may have to compile them again.
- Do not install unofficial DLL replacements, modified executables or third-party “memory leak patches.” They are not standard supported fixes and can create security or compatibility problems.
- Do not downgrade from Windows 11 solely because compilation is slow. The documented Windows 11 issue was a specific boot crash, not proof that the OS causes all long builds.
- Do not treat the minimum hardware requirements as a guarantee of fast compilation or smooth performance.
When to contact support
Send Naughty Dog support enough detail to distinguish a slow build from a repeatable failure:
Quick Recap
- Windows version and build, and whether you use Steam or Epic Games Store.
- Game version, CPU, GPU, RAM amount and storage type.
- GPU driver version and the percentage where the build stalls or crashes.
- Whether the issue began after a game patch, driver update, reinstall or file verification.
- The exact error message and any logs requested by support.
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