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The Last of Us Part I PC Review— From Broken Port to the Best Way to Play an All-Timer

Last of Us Part I PC review covers the port's redemption arc — launch disaster to Steam Deck Verified — official specs, Part II on PC, price drops, an

The Last of Us Part I PC Review — From Broken Port to the Best Way to Play an All-Timer

The Last of Us Part I is Naughty Dog's ground-up PS5 remake of the 2013 classic, brought to PC in March 2023 by Iron Galaxy and PlayStation Publishing. The launch was infamously one of the worst PC ports in years — crashes, VRAM issues, shader-compile waits and potato-character glitches became instant memes — but three years of patches (through v1.1.5, July 2025, which added AMD FSR 4) have turned it into a polished, Steam Deck Verified definitive edition. With Part II Remastered also on PC since April 2025, HBO's Season 3 on the way, and the base game routinely half price, there's never been a better time to play it on PC.

Quick verdict:

Play it: this is one of the best stories games have ever told, and the PC version is finally technically worthy of it. Skip full price only if you're patient — it hits $29.99 every other month.

The Last of Us Part I at a glance

Game The Last of Us Part I (2022 remake)
Developer / PC port Naughty Dog / Iron Galaxy · Published by PlayStation Publishing
Release PS5: 2 Sept 2022 · PC (Steam/Epic): 28 March 2023
Genre Third-person action-adventure · survival horror · story-driven
Players Single-player only (no Factions MP — that was the 2013/2014 version)
Latest patch v1.1.5 (3 July 2025) — AMD FSR 4 support, crash/stability fixes
Steam reception All-time Very Positive (83–84%, ~94k reviews) · Recent Overwhelmingly Positive 95% · Steam Deck Verified
Price $59.99 base / $69.99 Digital Deluxe · frequent 50% sales to $29.99
Franchise status Part II Remastered on PC since 3 April 2025 · HBO Season 2 aired 2025 · Season 3 announced
Rating ESRB M (Mature) — violence, strong language

Table of contents

The story (still unmatched)

Twenty years after a fungal outbreak collapses civilization, smuggler Joel is hired to escort a fourteen-year-old girl, Ellie, across what's left of the United States — because Ellie is immune, and a militia group called the Fireflies believes she's the key to a cure. The journey — Boston to Pittsburgh to Wyoming, across seasons and through infected hordes and human raiders — becomes one of the most celebrated narratives in the medium: lean, brutal, and anchored entirely by the relationship between Troy Baker's Joel and Ashley Johnson's Ellie.

Every performance capture was re-recorded for this remake, and it shows in the micro-expressions. The remake also includes Left Behind, the excellent prequel chapter following Ellie and her best friend Riley. If you only know Joel and Ellie from HBO's show, this is the definitive interactive version of their story — the one the TV series is adapted from in the first place.

What Part I actually changes

Part I is not a remaster — it's a full rebuild in Naughty Dog's PS5-era engine. Key differences from the 2013 original and the 2014 Remaster:

  • Ground-up visuals: all-new models, animation and environments matching Part II's fidelity; updated audio mixing with 3D audio.
  • Modernized gameplay: smoother aiming and movement, smarter AI for companions and enemies, and reworked encounter pacing informed by Part II.
  • Full accessibility suite: dozens of options — visual, audio, motor, navigation — making this one of the most accessible AAA games on any platform.
  • New modes: Speedrun mode, permadeath and Grounded difficulty, unlockable filters and outfits for Ellie and Joel.
  • PC extras: ultrawide (21:9 and 32:9), unlocked framerate, every upscaler (DLSS, FSR, XeSS, FSR 4 since July 2025), full DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers, HDR.

The PC port's redemption arc

You need to know the history, because it explains the weird review pattern you'll see: Part I on PC launched in March 2023 as one of the worst AAA ports in recent memory. Constant crashes, VRAM over-allocation that tanked even high-end cards, shader compilation that could take half an hour before the first frame, and visual bugs (the infamous "potato Joel") turned the Steam page Mostly Negative within hours. Naughty Dog and Iron Galaxy spent the better part of a year patching it — and kept going through v1.1.5 in July 2025, which added AMD FSR 4 support and more stability fixes.

The result in 2026 is a complete about-face. The game now sits at 84% Very Positive all-time on Steam across ~94,000 reviews, with an Overwhelmingly Positive 95% in the recent 30-day window — players actively coming back to update old scores. It's Steam Deck Verified and actually runs well on Valve's handheld. The old professional reviews from March-May 2023 (60s and 70s) are reviewing a game that no longer exists.

Official PC system requirements

These are Naughty Dog's real tiers — note the old version of this post listed much lower specs, which would have been misleading:

Tier CPU GPU RAM
Minimum (720p30 Low) AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel i7-4770K AMD RX 470 (4GB) or NVIDIA GTX 970 / GTX 1050 Ti (4GB) 16 GB
Recommended (1080p60 High) Ryzen 5 3600X or i7-8700 RX 5700 XT / RX 6600 XT (8GB) or RTX 2070 Super / RTX 3060 (8GB) 16 GB
Performance (1440p60 High) i7-9700 / Ryzen 5 5600X RTX 2080 Ti / RX 6750 XT 32 GB
Ultra (4K60 Ultra) i5-12600K / Ryzen 7 5900X RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XTX 32 GB

Storage is 100 GB (SSD strongly recommended) on Windows 10 version 1909 or newer. First-launch tip that never changes: let the shader compilation finish before you judge performance.

Where the franchise is in 2026

  • Both games are now on PC. The Last of Us Part II Remastered arrived on Steam and Epic on 3 April 2025 — ported by Nixxes, Weaseltron and Iron Galaxy — with the acclaimed No Return roguelike mode, Lost Levels and Guitar Free Play. It currently sits at 91% Very Positive on Steam.
  • The Last of Us Complete (PS5-only bundle of Part I + Part II Remastered) launched digitally in April 2025 ($99.99), with a physical Collector's Edition in July 2025. PC doesn't have an equivalent bundle yet — buy both games separately on sale.
  • HBO's adaptation: Season 2 (adapting the first half of Part II) aired in spring 2025, and Season 3 — set to finish Part 2's story — has been announced, keeping the franchise in the cultural conversation.
  • No Part 3. Naughty Dog is currently working on other projects (including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet), so Part I and Part II Remastered are the full story — for now.

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
One of the greatest stories in gaming, perfected Launch scars linger in old reviews — check dates
Now genuinely polished; Deck Verified; FSR 4 100GB install; heavy VRAM appetite at high settings
Definitive edition: includes Left Behind, all modes No Factions multiplayer from the original
PC features: ultrawide, unlocked fps, DualSense haptics Some prefer the 2013 original's grittier look
Routinely $29.99 (50% off) several times a year $59.99 list still stings for a 2022 remake

What still holds it back

  • History scar: the launch scandal means a lot of outdated "avoid the port" articles still rank in search. Check dates — anything before late 2023 is describing a different game.
  • Hardware hunger: even post-patches, 100GB and serious VRAM appetites at high settings; it's a showcase, not a lightweight.
  • No multiplayer: Factions from the original is gone (it lives only in the PS4 "Factions" standalone community and not on PC at all).
  • Price discipline: Sony holds $59.99 list hard; the game only gets good during sales. Deluxe adds cosmetics/DLC start-up advantages, not content.
  • The remake's cleaned-up visuals are admired by many but some die-hard fans insist the 2013 art direction had a rougher, more horror-leaning edge.

Buying advice for 2026

  • Price: $59.99 list, but it drops to $29.99 (50% off) on Steam, Epic and PS Store multiple times per month — never pay full price. Digital Deluxe ($69.99) adds cosmetics and early unlocks only; base edition is the play.
  • Where to buy: Steam or Epic on PC; the Epic version works with everything. Always wait for the ~$30 sales.
  • Play in order: Part I (this) first, then Part II Remastered (on PC since April 2025, $49.99, No Return included). There's no PC bundle, so use sale windows.
  • Deck: the Deck Verified badge is real — great handheld port at optimized settings, which is wild for a game this heavy.
  • Skip the "Deluxe Edition PC" downloads on Google Drive: the old version of this post distributed EIGHT pirated parts via Drive. The real game is $30 on sale, patched to v1.1.5, Deck Verified, and its licensing protects you from the malware those archives usually ride with.

Safe official links

Only download from official stores. This post previously hosted 33 pirated Google Drive archives of the game — the current, fully patched version is available on Steam and Epic, and it's cheap during sales.

More from IGGG

The Last of Us Part I PC FAQ

Is the PC port fixed now?

Yes. The March 2023 launch was a disaster, but Iron Galaxy and Naughty Dog patched it through mid-2025 — the latest official patch (v1.1.5, July 2025) added AMD FSR 4 and more stability. It's now Steam Deck Verified with 95% recent positive reviews.

Is The Last of Us Part I worth playing vs the 2013 original?

Yes — this is the definitive way to play the story, with rebuilt visuals matching Part II, modernized controls and AI, the Left Behind expansion included, and new modes like Speedrun and Grounded.

How long is The Last of Us Part I?

Roughly 12–15 hours for the main story (about 3 more with Left Behind), up to 25+ for completionists across collectibles and modes. It's lean and deliberate, not a 60-hour open world.

Is Part II on PC too?

Yes — The Last of Us Part II Remastered hit PC on 3 April 2025 with the No Return roguelike mode, Lost Levels and all PS5 enhancements. Buy Part I first — the stories are sequential.

What are the real PC system requirements?

Official minimum: Ryzen 5 1500X / i7-4770K, 16 GB RAM, RX 470 4GB or GTX 970 4GB, 100 GB SSD. Recommended (1080p60 high): Ryzen 5 3600X / i7-8700, RX 5700 XT 8GB or RTX 2070 Super 8GB. Much higher than the old version of this post claimed.

Is it on Game Pass or PS Plus?

Not on Game Pass (it's a PlayStation property). On PS Plus Extra, Part I has cycled in and out of the catalog — check the current library on your console, but on PC you buy it.

Does it support ultrawide and Steam Deck?

Both — full 21:9 and 32:9 ultrawide support, unlocked framerate, every upscaler (DLSS, FSR, XeSS, FSR 4), and full DualSense haptics even on PC. It's also Steam Deck Verified.

Is this the same game from the HBO show?

Yes — HBO's The Last of Us Season 1 adapted this exact story (Joel and Ellie's cross-country trip). Season 2 (2025) adapts the first part of Part II; Season 3 will finish it. The game is the source material.

Final verdict

The Last of Us Part I on PC is the rare redemption story that actually paid off: a port so bad in March 2023 that Sony's entire PC strategy got questioned, rebuilt into a polished, Deck Verified, feature-complete definitive edition. The game itself — the story, performances, tension — was never in doubt. Now the technology isn't either. Grab it on sale, wait out the shader compile once, and you'll understand why people still make videos about this game weekly in 2026.

Best for: story-first players, HBO viewers curious about the source, PlayStation refugees on PC, survival-horror fans.

Skip if: you want a big open world or multiplayer — this is a linear, authored, ~13-hour experience.


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