The Last of Us Part 1 PC System Requirements: Min, Recommended, High & Ultra
The The Last of Us Part 1 PC system requirements call for a Core i7-4770K or Ryzen 5 1500X CPU, a 4GB GTX 1050 Ti-class GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 100GB of SSD storage just to hit 720p at 30fps on minimum settings — for 1080p/60fps the recommended spec jumps to a Core i7-8700 or Ryzen 5 3600X paired with an 8GB RTX 3060-class card. It’s one of the heaviest requirement lists Naughty Dog has ever published, and RAM, VRAM, and storage are the parts that catch most PC gamers off guard.
The Last of Us Part 1 PC System Requirements at a Glance
Below is the full the last of us part 1 pc system requirements breakdown across all four tiers Naughty Dog listed on the official Steam store page, from minimum 720p/30fps up to 4K/60fps ultra.
| Tier | Target | CPU | GPU (VRAM) | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 720p / 30fps | Intel Core i7-4770K or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X | GTX 970 / GTX 1050 Ti / RX 470 (4GB) | 16GB | 100GB SSD |
| Recommended | 1080p / 60fps | Intel Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X | RTX 2070 Super / RTX 3060 / RX 5800 XT (8GB) | 16GB | 100GB SSD |
| High | 1440p / 60fps | Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | RTX 2080 Ti / RX 6750 XT (11GB) | 32GB | 100GB SSD |
| Ultra | 4K / 60fps | Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | RTX 4080 / RX 7900 XT (16GB) | 32GB | 100GB SSD |
Every tier — even minimum — assumes 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or newer (Windows 11 works fine too) and installation on an SSD, not a mechanical hard drive.
Minimum Requirements Explained (720p, 30fps)
The minimum tier targets the lowest settings preset at 720p and a 30fps cap, and it’s still demanding by current standards: a Core i7-4770K or Ryzen 5 1500X CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 4GB-class GPU like the GTX 970, GTX 1050 Ti, or RX 470. Drop below this — 8GB of RAM, a 2-3GB GPU, or a hard drive instead of an SSD — and you’ll see stuttering, texture pop-in, and long shader-compilation waits before you can even start a level.
Recommended Requirements Explained (1080p, 60fps)
To run the last of us part 1 pc system requirements at the recommended tier — 1080p, 60fps, medium-to-high settings — you need a Core i7-8700 or Ryzen 5 3600X, 16GB of RAM, and an 8GB GPU such as the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 3060, or RX 5800 XT / RX 6600 XT. This is the sweet spot most PC gamers should target: a smooth, console-parity experience without needing flagship hardware.
High and Ultra Tiers: 1440p and 4K
Pushing to 1440p/60fps (high) calls for a Core i7-9700K or Ryzen 5 5600X, 32GB of RAM, and an RTX 2080 Ti or RX 6750 XT. The ultra tier for native 4K/60fps with maxed settings wants a Core i5-12600K or Ryzen 9 5900X, 32GB of RAM, and an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XT. These upper tiers exist mainly for players with high-refresh 1440p or 4K monitors chasing native-resolution fidelity rather than upscaling.
Why TLOU Part 1 Is So Heavy on RAM, VRAM, and Storage
16GB of RAM at minimum is unusually high for a game built on a 2013 PlayStation 3 foundation — this PC version is a ground-up remake of the original The Last of Us, and Naughty Dog’s engine keeps large texture pools resident in memory to avoid pop-in during traversal. VRAM matters just as much as raw GPU horsepower: a fast card with only 4GB will bottleneck hard on the high-resolution texture packs, which is why every tier above lists a specific VRAM figure next to the GPU model rather than just a card name. And the 100GB SSD requirement isn’t a soft suggestion — the shader cache and uncompressed texture data are large enough that installing on a mechanical hard drive causes severe loading stutter and a multi-hour shader-compilation pass on first launch. If your rig is short on any of these three (RAM, VRAM, or fast SSD storage), that will limit your experience more than raw CPU or GPU clock speed will.
Has PC Performance Improved Since Launch?
Yes, meaningfully. The March 2023 PC launch was rough — reviewers and players reported shader-compilation waits of 40-50 minutes on mid-range CPUs, memory leaks, and frequent crashes. Naughty Dog’s patch 1.0.5.0 in May 2023 was a roughly 49GB update that cut shader-building times to around half of launch-day figures, improved global CPU utilization, and fixed a string of stability issues. Later 2023-2024 updates further refined texture streaming on Low/Medium presets and reduced (though didn’t fully eliminate) shader-related stutter. If you’re buying today, expect a noticeably smoother first-launch experience than the day-one reviews described — though a one-time shader-compile pass is still normal and expected on any hardware.
How to Check If Your PC Can Run It
- Open Settings > System > About on Windows to confirm your CPU model and installed RAM.
- Check your GPU model and VRAM in Task Manager > Performance > GPU, or via the NVIDIA/AMD control panel.
- Confirm at least 100GB free on an SSD, not an HDD — open File Explorer > This PC to see free space per drive.
- Compare your specs against the minimum tier first; if you meet or beat the recommended tier, expect a stable 1080p/60fps experience.
- If your GPU has less VRAM than listed for your target tier, drop texture quality one notch before touching other settings — VRAM overflow causes the worst stutter.
Where to Buy The Last of Us Part 1 for PC
Once your PC clears the requirements above, the fastest way to get playing is a genuine Steam key for The Last of Us Part 1 from NDWS Market’s video game keys category — every key is a real, publisher-issued activation code delivered instantly after checkout, not a shared or region-locked account. Browse the rest of the PC game key catalog for other recent releases, or check the full NDWS Market shop if you also need Windows or antivirus licenses to get a new or upgraded gaming PC set up properly. Got a friend who wants in too? Steam gift cards make it easy for them to grab their own copy. If you run into an activation question after purchase, our FAQ page covers redemption steps for every platform we sell keys for.
FAQ
Can my PC run The Last of Us Part 1?
If you have at least a Core i7-4770K or Ryzen 5 1500X, 16GB RAM, a 4GB GPU (GTX 970-class or better), and 100GB free on an SSD, you meet the minimum requirements for 720p/30fps.
Why does The Last of Us Part 1 need 16GB of RAM minimum?
The PC version streams high-resolution textures and keeps large asset pools in memory to avoid pop-in, so even the lowest settings preset assumes 16GB — 8GB systems will struggle with stutter and slow shader compilation.
Does The Last of Us Part 1 really need 100GB of storage?
Yes — install size plus shader cache and texture data total around 100GB, and Naughty Dog explicitly expects an SSD; installing on a mechanical hard drive causes severe stuttering and long load times.
Has the PC port’s performance been fixed since the rough 2023 launch?
Largely yes. Patch 1.0.5.0 (May 2023) roughly halved shader-compilation times and improved CPU utilization, and later updates further stabilized performance, though a one-time shader-compile pass on first launch is still normal.
What GPU do I need for 1080p 60fps?
An 8GB card such as the RTX 2070 Super, RTX 3060, or RX 5800 XT / RX 6600 XT meets the recommended tier for stable 1080p/60fps on medium-high settings.
Where can I buy a genuine key for The Last of Us Part 1?
You can buy an official Steam key instantly from NDWS Market’s video games category, with delivery straight to your account after checkout.
