Many gamers have expressed dissatisfaction with the PC version of The Last of Us Part I. Developed by Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment, the game has been plagued by various performance issues, including optimization problems, inefficient hardware utilization and frequent crashes — making it unplayable for some users.
Released on Steam on March 28, 2023, the game has received over 5,000 reviews submitted so far with a “mostly negative” rating.
Vicious comments from gamers on Steam
A player who has played the game for two hours called it a “Crashing Simulator” and reported 12 crashes and over half a dozen freezing errors on Steam.
Some players also experience stuttering camera movement when moving the mouse, with many others reporting high CPU and VRAM usage, causing poor performance even on high-end hardware.
According to PlayStation’s official blog, players need an RTX 4080 card to play the game smoothly on ultra settings. This requirement is surprising given that the game was initially released in 2013 on consoles.
Fans have also been questioning why Sony chose Iron Galaxy for The Last of Us Part I PC release instead of its in-house team Nixxes, a highly regarded PC porting team known for their exceptional work
Naughty Dog has acknowledged the numerous complaints about the game and said the team is “actively investigating” the issues. The studio announced via Twitter that it would keep gamers updated on any developments.
The Last of Us Part 1 PC version pricing
Sony’s PlayStation Studios has released three versions of The Last of Us Part I for PC at different price points. The base version is up for grabs on Steam (via Humble Bundle) and the Epic Games Store for $59.99, which is $10 cheaper than its PS5 counterpart.
The game can also be bought for even less on various third-party websites, with Green Man Gaming and Fanatical offering it for as low as $53.99. Digital codes seller Eneba is offering the game at around $45.
The digital deluxe edition, available on Steam and the Epic Games Store for $69.99, may be worth considering for those interested in accessing exclusive in-game items and benefits such as faster crafting, reloading and healing speeds. Fans of the game can also save $7 on this edition by purchasing it from Fanatical.
For fans or collectors of exclusive releases, Sony offers a special Firefly edition for the franchise’s leap into PC gaming, priced at $99.99. This edition includes digital deluxe in-game items, such as crafting materials, unlocked settings and cosmetic upgrades. It also comes with a SteelBook case and the first four issues of The Last of Us: American Dreams comic series.
The Last of Us Part I is a revamped version of the 2013 action-adventure game. It follows the story of Joel, a smuggler who has to guide a young girl named Ellie across the post-apocalyptic United States. The second chapter, The Last of Us Part II, gained widespread critical acclaim and was crowned Game of the Year at the 2020 Game Awards.
