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First compare your PC with the game’s published minimum requirements: they target 30 fps at 720p on Low settings and call for a listed Ryzen 5 1500X or Core i7-4770K CPU, 16 GB RAM, a listed 4 GB graphics card, 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or newer, and a 100 GB SSD. If your CPU or graphics card falls below that baseline, settings changes are not a guaranteed compatibility fix. If your PC meets it, work through the ten checks below; if the cause remains unclear, the exact error and system details are needed to diagnose it.
Check whether your PC meets the published minimum
PlayStation lists these minimum specifications for The Last of Us Part I on PC, with a target of 30 fps at 720p on Low settings. They are the publisher’s stated baseline, not a promise that every system at or below it will run reliably.
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Target | 30 fps at 720p, Low | Average 60 fps at 1080p, High |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core i7-4770K | AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel Core i7-8700 |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics card | AMD Radeon RX 470 (4 GB), RX 6500 XT (4 GB), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (4 GB), or GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB), RX 6600 XT (8 GB), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8 GB), or RTX 3060 (8 GB) |
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit, version 1909 or newer | Windows 10 64-bit, version 1909 or newer |
| Storage | 100 GB SSD | 100 GB SSD |
These tiers and their targets come from PlayStation’s PC specifications. The recommended tier is a materially stronger target, not another version of the minimum. The listed graphics cards are examples of the stated baseline; a model not named here should be compared carefully rather than assumed equivalent from its name alone.
If your processor or GPU is below the minimum tier, lowering settings may help only if the game can run on that hardware; the official requirements do not establish that it will. Check RAM, Windows version, and SSD storage too. Steam also lists an SSD as recommended in its game requirements.
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10 checks for launch failures or poor performance
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Identify where the failure happens
Does the game fail to open, crash while building shaders, or start but run slowly? Write down the exact error message and note your CPU, GPU and its memory, system RAM, Windows version, free storage, graphics-driver version, game version, and storefront. Those details distinguish a likely compatibility limit from a patch, driver, or configuration problem.
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Compare your CPU and GPU to the minimum
Check the actual model names against the minimum table above, along with 16 GB RAM and the listed OS and SSD requirements. If the CPU or GPU is below the stated baseline, do not treat resolution or graphics tweaks as a confirmed workaround for unsupported hardware.
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Install the current game update
Update through the storefront where you own the game. Official patch notes document continued performance, crash, and stability work; for example, Naughty Dog’s version 1.1.5 notes, dated July 3, 2025, list performance optimizations, crash fixes, stability improvements, and FSR 4 support for compatible Radeon GPUs. That history is a reason to use the current patch, not to assume a launch-era fix still applies. Avoid third-party executables or DLL swaps.
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Update the graphics driver, then restart
Get the driver from the GPU maker rather than relying on an old driver version recommended in a past post. Naughty Dog’s FAQ links to NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel driver sources and says: “It’s recommended that you restart your machine after finishing a GPU driver update before launching a game.” Follow that restart before testing again.
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Begin with the Low preset
Once the game opens, select Low and test before raising individual settings. The PC version exposes options including texture quality, shadows, reflections, and ambient occlusion; lower demanding settings if performance remains poor. The resulting frame rate depends on the particular PC.
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Lower resolution and set a frame-rate cap
Use a lower supported display resolution if needed, keeping in mind that PlayStation’s minimum target is specifically 720p on Low at 30 fps. To set the cap, open Options > Display > Framerate Cap. To monitor the in-game performance display, open Options > HUD > Performance, as documented in the Naughty Dog PC FAQ. A cap can limit fluctuations; it cannot make below-minimum hardware meet the target.
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Use upscaling only if your hardware supports it
The PC feature page lists AMD FSR 2.2 and NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution, with support dependent on compatible PC and graphics hardware. FSR may improve frame rates on compatible cards, but neither upscaling option is a universal launch fix or a guarantee for a system below minimum. The July 2025 patch notes add FSR 4 for compatible Radeon GPUs; do not assume that feature is available to every card.
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Let an update-triggered shader rebuild finish
Some official updates trigger a full shader rebuild, and patch notes have also documented shader-compilation improvements. If the game is rebuilding shaders after an update, allow the process to complete instead of terminating it simply because it takes time. There is no universal completion time established in the official guidance.
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Use audio troubleshooting only for audio symptoms
If the problem is distorted, missing, or otherwise faulty audio, follow the FAQ’s audio-specific steps for latency, output mode, or Windows speaker configuration. These adjustments are not remedies for a graphics crash, slow frame rate, or unsupported CPU or GPU.
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Escalate with the error and system details
If the game still fails, use the technical-support route linked from the official PC FAQ. Include the precise error and the hardware, Windows, driver, game-version, storage, and storefront details from check one. Avoid unverified file edits that can make diagnosis harder.
When an upgrade may be necessary
If your PC is below the listed CPU or GPU baseline, the official material does not show that software tweaks can make it compatible. An upgrade may be needed, but identify the limiting component before buying anything; an SSD does not remedy a below-minimum processor or graphics card. If you lack the stated storage, PlayStation specifies a 100 GB SSD. Before choosing one, confirm your PC has a compatible free slot and interface and enough capacity for the game.
If your system meets the minimum but still fails after updates and the relevant settings checks, do not jump straight to hardware replacement. A specific patch, driver, configuration, or other system issue may be involved, and the error message plus PC details are needed to narrow it down.
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