Update the game and GPU driver, let shader compilation reach 100%, verify the installation, then test with DLSS/FSR, HDR, VRR, and frame generation disabled. The Last of Us Part I has had several officially acknowledged PC rendering problems, including texture and lighting flicker, corrupted reflections, checkerboard artifacts, screen tearing, and TV-specific issues. The correct fix depends on which symptom you are seeing.
Quick fix checklist
- Update the game through Steam or Epic Games Store.
- Allow shader building to finish before loading gameplay.
- Install the latest driver from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel, then restart Windows.
- Verify the game files.
- Temporarily disable DLSS, FSR, frame generation, HDR, Motion Blur, and VRR.
- Lower textures, reflections, lighting, and volumetric effects.
- Test a framerate cap and borderless windowed mode.
- If the entire display flickers, test another cable, monitor, or TV.
Do not start with unofficial DLL downloads, registry cleaners, “FPS boosters,” or replacement game files.
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Identify the type of flicker
Whole-screen flashing
If the desktop or other games also flicker, the likely cause is outside the game: a driver, unstable overclock or undervolt, cable, monitor, HDR setting, VRR mode, or power-delivery problem. This is a diagnostic inference, not an official diagnosis.
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Rapidly changing textures, black surfaces, corrupted water reflections, flashing shadows, or broken fog are more consistent with a game, shader, driver, or rendering-path problem. A location-specific issue is especially likely to be a game bug.
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Checkerboard artifacts
Naughty Dog specifically documented checkerboard artifacts on AMD RX 580 and RX 590 cards when Motion Blur was enabled. That issue was addressed in patch v1.1.1.
Flashlight-related corruption
Corrupted lighting triggered by the flashlight was among the problems addressed in v1.0.3.0. Update the game before changing hardware or reinstalling Windows.
Screen tearing
Tearing is not the same as texture flicker. It appears as a horizontal split while the camera moves and is caused by frame-synchronization behavior. Patch v1.1.0 addressed tearing that could remain even with V-Sync enabled.
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Patch v1.1.4 fixed a particular TV rendering issue involving NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. It does not prove that every TV flicker has the same cause. Test native resolution with upscaling, HDR, and VRR disabled.
Official patch history
The PC version has received fixes for multiple, separate graphics problems:
| Patch | Relevant fixes |
|---|---|
| v1.0.2.0 — April 7, 2023 | Lighting and texture flickering in The Quarantine Zone and Left Behind, plus other shader and display issues. |
| v1.0.3.0 — April 15, 2023 | Flashlight lighting corruption, water-reflection corruption, low-resolution lighting and fog, NVIDIA Ultra corruption, AMD FSR flashlight corruption, and a Left Behind mall-banner flicker. |
| v1.0.4.0 — April 26, 2023 | Incorrect AMD texture rendering and related fidelity and performance improvements. |
| v1.0.5.0 — May 9, 2023 | Reduced shader-building times and reiterated the need for current GPU drivers. |
| v1.1.0 — June 13, 2023 | Addressed V-Sync-related tearing, shader loading, texture and environment loading, and several GPU crashes. |
| v1.1.1 — July 22, 2023 | Fixed RX 580/RX 590 checkerboard patterns associated with Motion Blur and other visual problems. |
| v1.1.2 — August 23, 2023 | Improved blending of terrain and environmental effects. |
| v1.1.3 — March 19, 2024 | Added AMD FSR3 Super Resolution and Frame Generation. |
| v1.1.3.1 — April 25, 2024 | Improved AMD FSR3 Frame Generation support. |
| v1.1.4 — January 24, 2025 | Added FSR3.1 and fixed a TV rendering issue involving DLSS or FSR. |
| v1.1.5 — July 3, 2025 | Added AMD FSR 4 support for compatible Radeon GPUs and included performance, crash, and stability improvements. |
The latest official patch page identified here is v1.1.5. Check Steam or Epic for anything newer before troubleshooting.
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Detailed troubleshooting sequence
1. Update the game
Close the game. In Steam, open Library > right-click The Last of Us Part I > Properties and check for updates. In Epic Games Launcher, open Library and use the game’s update option. Restart the launcher if it does not detect an update.
2. Finish shader compilation
Launch the game and wait for shader construction to reach 100% before entering gameplay. Patches including v1.0.5.0, v1.1.0, and v1.1.2 can trigger a full rebuild. Interrupting it can cause stutter, temporary visual problems, or crashes. Restart the game after compilation completes. If the process repeatedly restarts, verify the files and check available disk space.
3. Update the GPU driver and reboot
Use only the manufacturer’s official download page. The driver numbers mentioned in older patch notes, such as NVIDIA 531.61, 531.79, 536.67, or 545.37 and AMD Adrenalin 23.4.3, are historical references from 2023—not current recommendations.
4. Verify the installation
Steam: Library > right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
Epic Games Store: Library > three-dot menu beside the game > Manage > Verify.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesVerification is particularly useful after an interrupted update, crash during shader compilation, mod use, or replacement of game files.
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5. Use a clean diagnostic graphics setup
Go to Options > Display and temporarily test native resolution, with DLSS, FSR, dynamic resolution, frame generation, HDR, and VRR disabled. In Options > Graphics, disable Motion Blur. Then test V-Sync both off and on.
If the corruption disappears only when DLSS or FSR is disabled, the upscaling or reconstruction path is the likely trigger. Try another mode rather than assuming the GPU is defective. Do not force FSR 4 unless the GPU and driver support it.
6. Lower demanding settings
Use a lower preset temporarily, then re-enable settings one at a time. Prioritize:
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Lowering textures and reflections can reduce VRAM pressure, but low VRAM is not the confirmed cause of every flicker.
7. Cap the framerate
Use Options > Display > Framerate Cap. A cap can make frame pacing and VRR or V-Sync behavior more predictable, but it will not repair corrupted textures or a location-specific rendering bug.
Monitor, HDR, VRR, and cable checks
If the whole display flashes rather than individual objects, test the display chain:
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- Use borderless windowed mode.
- Set Windows and the game to the same refresh rate.
- Disable HDR temporarily.
- Disable G-SYNC or FreeSync temporarily.
- Try another DisplayPort or HDMI cable.
- Test another monitor or television.
- Disable Steam, Discord, NVIDIA, AMD, Xbox Game Bar, and motherboard overlays.
- Remove GPU overclocks and undervolts.
- Check whether another game shows the same behavior.
If multiple games flicker, investigate the driver, GPU stability, cable, monitor, or power delivery before blaming The Last of Us Part I.
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GPU-specific notes
AMD
AMD texture-rendering problems were addressed in v1.0.4.0. RX 580 and RX 590 checkerboard artifacts linked to Motion Blur were addressed in v1.1.1. AMD FSR support has also changed across later patches, so use a current driver and test with upscaling disabled before changing hardware.
NVIDIA
NVIDIA Ultra graphical corruption was addressed in v1.0.3.0. A boot crash involving NVIDIA Insider driver 545.37 was documented in v1.1.1; the recommendation to use public driver 536.67 was a historical 2023 workaround, not current guidance.
Intel
v1.1.0 fixed multiple Intel GPU crashes, while v1.0.5.1 fixed an Intel Arc boot crash. Intel users should install current Intel graphics drivers rather than applying an AMD- or NVIDIA-specific workaround.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Hardware and storage baseline
Naughty Dog’s official minimum requirements are an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core i7-4770K, Radeon 470 4 GB, GTX 970 4 GB, or GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB, 16 GB of RAM, Windows 10 64-bit version 1909 or newer, and 100 GB of SSD storage.
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The recommended baseline is a Ryzen 5 3600X or Core i7-8700, Radeon RX 5800 XT, RX 6600 XT, RTX 2070 Super, or RTX 3060 with 8 GB VRAM, 16 GB of RAM, and a 100 GB SSD. Naughty Dog warns that an older HDD may be unsuitable even though the published requirements focus on storage capacity.
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Meeting the minimum requirements does not rule out every rendering problem, but upgrading hardware should come after updates, verification, and display-path testing. Do not buy a GPU, SSD, cable, or display solely because one game flickers.
When to contact support
Contact Naughty Dog support when the game is fully patched, the driver is current, files are verified, shaders have completed, and the problem still occurs at low settings with upscaling and HDR disabled. Repeated corruption in the same location, while other games work normally, is useful evidence of a game-specific issue.
Include a screenshot or video, GPU model, driver version, game version, display mode, monitor or TV model, and the affected chapter or location. The official PC FAQ also covers drivers, shader building, display settings, and the framerate cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Last of Us Part I PC flickering bug fixed?
Several specific flickering and graphics bugs were fixed in patches, but flickering is not one universal issue. Update to the newest build available through your launcher and identify whether the problem affects textures, lighting, tearing, the whole display, or a particular TV or upscaling mode.
Why does the game rebuild shaders?
Major patches can trigger a full shader rebuild. Wait until it reaches 100% before playing; interrupting the process can cause stutter, temporary visual issues, or crashes.
Should I disable DLSS or FSR?
Disable them temporarily as a diagnostic test. If the corruption disappears, try another upscaling mode or native resolution rather than treating the result as proof of defective hardware.
Is screen tearing the same as flickering?
No. Tearing is a horizontal image split caused by synchronization, while flickering textures or lighting are rendering or asset problems.
Should I use an unofficial DLL fix?
No. Use official patches, drivers, file verification, and support. Unofficial DLLs can damage the installation, introduce security risks, and complicate support.
Does Steam Deck Verified guarantee no visual bugs?
No. Patch v1.1.0 added Steam Deck Verified status and Deck-specific fixes, but that designation does not guarantee that every graphics issue is absent on every configuration.
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