The Last of Us PC FAIL
The Last of Us Part I is one of the most acclaimed games of all time, but its recent PC port has left many fans disappointed and frustrated. The game, which was released on Steam on March 28, 2023, has been plagued by performance issues, crashes, long loading times, and high system requirements. Many players have reported that the game is unplayable on their PCs, even if they meet or exceed the recommended specs.
One of the main problems with the PC port is the shader compilation process, which can take up to two hours or more before the game can start. Some users have speculated that this is due to a bugged version of the Oodle decompression library that the game uses[^1^][1]. Replacing the file associated with Oodle may solve the long loading times, but it does not guarantee a smooth gameplay experience.
Another issue is the high CPU utilization and video memory consumption that the game demands. The system requirements only call for a graphics card with 4GB of video memory, but in reality, the game can use up to 14GB or more at max settings. This can cause stuttering, hitches, and crashes, especially if the GPU runs out of video memory. The game also puts a lot of stress on the CPU, which can limit the benefits of using super resolution tools like DLSS and FSR.
The Last of Us Part I on PC is a rare disappointing PlayStation port at launch, following some impressive recent ports like Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Naughty Dog has acknowledged the issues and promised to address them in upcoming patches, but it remains to be seen how long it will take to fix the game and make it playable for everyone. For now, many players are requesting refunds or waiting for updates before diving into Joel and Ellie's story on PC.
The Last of Us Part I on PC is a great example of how a poorly optimized port can ruin a masterpiece. It is a shame that such a beloved game has been tarnished by technical issues that could have been avoided with more testing and polishing. Hopefully, Naughty Dog and Iron Galaxy will learn from this experience and deliver a better PC port for The Last of Us Part II in the future.
No comments