Do not buy The Last of Us Part I on PC or Steam Deck (yet) — here's …

You know something’s up when all the journalists get a review code on the day of release. That’s exactly what happened with The Last of Us Part I on PC and Steam Deck, and while the reality is not as bad as the fear mongering of many, there are problems that Naughty Dog need to work on here. Just a casual glance at the Steam reviews (currently at “Mostly negative”) will show you that users are running into constant crashes, poor optimization, and users waiting a lifetime for shaders to load before playing.

Let’s answer some key questions here: how bad is this situation?

And can we expect fixes soon?

It runs well on (some) PC configurations

The Last of Us Part I

(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

For PC testing, we turn our attention to my three rigs — ranging from the ultimate top of the line to super old bargain bin material. One thing to note is that across all three systems, shaders took roughly an hour to load. First, we have the monstrous MSI Titan GT77 HX with an Intel Core i9-13980HX, RTX 4090 and 64GB of DDR5 RAM.

Unsurprisingly, there are no issues with running this game at its highest settings without a hint of slowdown. You can truly appreciate the visual feast that Naughty Dog has created here. But if you don’t have £5,300, you’re going to run into some problems.

The Last of Us Part I

(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

That’s where we move to the second laptop: the Asus TUF Gaming F15 with 12th Gen Intel Core i7, RTX 3060, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM.

This is where you really start to see optimization issues. Sure, at medium presets, I was able to hit an average of 35-40 FPS, but there were crashes aplenty, and even some mid-scene loading screens (even though it’s running off a PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD). And finally, my super old Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 with 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen 7, GTX 1660 Ti, and 16GB of RAM.

I wish I could tell you how the game performs on this machine, but the shaders reached 5% loaded and it crashed. No matter how many times I re-opened the game and reinstalled it, nothing could make it work.

And on Steam Deck, it’s more problematic

The Last of Us Part I

(Image credit: Future)

Take the issues from above, such as the shader loading taking a long time, and combine them with some performance issues and crashes. That sums up the current Steam Deck experience at the moment. 

You can see the telltale signs of this game being well on the way to Steam Deck verified status — there’s an official controller layout, the menus and button prompt tutorials change, and most of the graphics settings are set lower by default.

The Last of Us Part I

(Image credit: Future)

But in its current build, the recommended settings still blow out the available vRAM and slow frame rates down to an unacceptable crawl. That is in the moments when the game is not crashing (I ran into 2 during the opening scenes, and a further 3 when in the midst of combat with Tess and Ellie).  With the following tweaks, you can secure a fairly reliable 20-30 FPS with only a few moments of slow down or frame jumps thereafter.

The Last of Us Part I recommended settings (for now)

  • Animation Quality: Medium
  • Draw Distance: Low
  • Dynamic Objects Level of Detail: Low
  • Characters Level of Detail: Medium
  • Environments Level of Detail: Low
  • Framerate Limit: 30

One thing I can guarantee is that once Naughty Dog squashes the bugs and gets that performance to a near-rock solid 30 FPS, this is a surefire entry to my Best Steam Deck games list.

Bottom Line

The Last of Us Part I

(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

Outside of Returnal, this is the second PC and Steam Deck release from PlayStation Studios that has arrived with issues.

Unlike Returnal, though, Naughty Dog has been quick to respond and say that patches are on the way.

The Last of Us Part I PC players: we’ve heard your concerns, and our team is actively investigating multiple issues you’ve reported. We will continue to update you, but our team is prioritizing updates and will address issues in upcoming patches.March 28, 2023

See more This is encouraging to see, because as you can probably tell from the tattoo I have and the artwork on my wall, The Last of Us (and Part II) are two of the most important games in my life.

And out of the PC ports PlayStation has done, this is easily the biggest — giving a new audience the chance to experience one of the most critically acclaimed video game stories out there. Was this rushed towards the end, in order to capitalize on the The Last of Us TV show‘s release? Maybe — we’ll never know.

But regardless, hold off on that purchase until we see performance improvements, and bug fixes.

Today’s best The Last of Us Part I deals

Tags:

flamingo-land listed on couponmatrix.uklegoland-holidays listed on couponmatrix.ukmodern-milkman listed on couponmatrix.ukselect-fashion listed on couponmatrix.uktile-giant listed on couponmatrix.uk999inks listed on couponmatrix.uk
flamingo-land listed on couponmatrix.ukNestled in the heart of Yorkshire, Flamingo Land is the UK’s most visited zoo, theme park and holiday resort. Animal lovers and thrill-seekers unite at Flamingo Land: with rollercoasters, water rides and hundreds of amazing animals (yes, even flamingos!), it’s the perfect day out for the whole family. Treat your loved ones to an action-packed adventure for less with one of our exclusive Flamingo Land discount codes and watch your budding explorers create their own magical memories. Featuring animals from the African savannah, the Australian outback, below the ocean depths and farmyard favourites, there’s something new to discover at every turn.
legoland-holidays listed on couponmatrix.ukEmbrace nostalgia and fun all in one kid-friendly theme park at Legoland Windsor. Complete with rides, models and – of course – Lego building workshops, there’s plenty enough to enjoy with a helping hand of Legoland Holiday deals, whether that’s saving on your daily admission or bagging a bargain on an overnight stay. Spice up your visit with a special visit to attractions like Miniland and Ninjago World for a glimpse at how much Lego has built for you to enjoy.
modern-milkman listed on couponmatrix.ukModern Milkman is like the traditional delivery service of days gone by, with a twenty-first-century twist. Serving up everything from semi-skimmed cow’s milk to vegan oat milk, iced coffee milkshake to blueberry yoghurt, and croissants to pantry supplies, this is a milkman that does it all! Join the revolution with a Modern Milkman discount code, and start looking forward to up to three deliveries a week with the ability to manage your delivery from the website or app. Ironically, circling back to reusable glass bottles could be the future, which is why Modern Milkman embraces the circular economy and puts the planet over plastics.
select-fashion listed on couponmatrix.ukSelect Fashion are one of the biggest names in women’s fashion in the UK. Their extensive collection of on-trend styles and clothing make them the perfect place to pick up something special for your wardrobe. With a Select discount code from us you can save on the best in high street fashion, without breaking a sweat. Whether you’re looking for a new pair of jeans or you’re after a dress for date night, Select have got you covered.
tile-giant listed on couponmatrix.ukWhether you’re giving the bathroom a Moroccan-inspired makeover or fixing those slate tiles on the kitchen floor, Tile Giant is your one-stop shop for all your tile-related needs! You could save a pretty penny when you put your Tile Giant discount code to use, and no matter how big or small your home improvement project might be, your DIY dreams can come true for less. From tiles for all tastes to plenty of helpful advice, turn to the Tile Giant team to add some spice to your space.
999inks listed on couponmatrix.uk999inks.co.uk is the UK's leading online retailer for printer ink cartridges and toners. They offer a wide range of products from major brands like HP, Canon, Epson and Brother, as well as compatible and remanufactured cartridges. With a wide range of products from ink and toner cartridges to stationery and paper, you can get all you need from 999inks.co.uk! And with our 999inks.co.uk coupon code, you can save even more on your purchase!