Best graphics settings for The Last of Us PC Part 1

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The Last of Us Part 1, the award-winning action-adventure game, is finally here on PC – and we’ve pulled together a comprehensive guide to the best graphics settings for you.

It’s worth noting that at the time of writing the game is experiencing a host of technical issues – which are causing crashes and stability problems.

We have confirmation from Naughty Dog that a patch is here – in the form of a hotfix, but gamers are still reporting stability issues. The Last of Us Part 1 still frequently crashes on PC, however tinkering with the graphics settings does seem to help with overall stability.

NOW READ: The Last of Us Part 1 on PC finally got a hotfix… but it’s still crashing

One of the most exciting features of the PC release is that the game will now feature DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) alongside advanced graphical options that were previously unavailable in the console version.

With these new features, the game can upscale its resolution, enhancing its overall quality. In addition, the PC version of The Last of Us Part 1 supports ultrawide gaming monitors in both 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios, helping create an even more immersive experience.

However, it’s essential to note that the game demands a significant amount of power from your PC. If you have a high-end PC, you can take advantage of the advanced graphics options to experience the game at its best.

On the other hand, if you’re gaming on a budget PC, you may need to optimize the graphics settings for performance and FPS. We also recommend always playing with DLSS – that way you’ll get a razor sharp image without stressing the GPU beyond its means.

Here, we break down a few of the features, before rounding up with – what we believe to be the best settings for The Last of Us Part 1 on PC. Let’s kick off.

What features should you enable on The Last of Us Part 1 on PC for performance?

Here’s a breakdown of the best graphics settings to enable for a performance or fidelity focused experience:

Performance Settings:

If you’re gaming on a less powerful PC, consider enabling either DLSS or FSR to upscale the game’s resolution artificially. This allows you to enjoy the game at higher resolutions without compromising on frame rates. Additionally, using VSync will help stabilize and moderate your frame rates, keeping your performance level.

What features should you enable on The Last of Us Part 1 on PC for a fidelity experience?

Fidelity Settings:

If you’re gaming on a high-end PC with the latest hardware, you can enjoy the game at its highest graphical settings. We recommend using the ultrawide options if your PC can handle it.

You can also enable DLSS or FSR at the highest fidelity options. However, we would also recommend using VSync to prevent screen-tearing when gaming at high frame rates.

NOW READ: Can your PC run The Last of Us Part 1? Find out here

It’s important to note that not all gaming PCs are the same. Gamers should consider tinkering with all the graphics settings. Do this to find what works best for their specific system.

We’ll keep updating our recommendations periodically, so be sure to check back in for the latest updates.

What are the best graphics settings for The Last of Us Part 1 on PC.

When we talk about ‘best settings’, for us it’s about finding a sweet spot between performance and fidelity.

Below is a breakdown of the best graphics settings on The Last of Us Part 1 on PC. We shared the testing rig with Videogamer.com – and, in this instance, it’s powered by a mid-range Nvidia RTX 2070.

Overall, the game ran well on this older hardware with the below configuration – finding a great balance between visual fidelity and performance. Please follow the below:

• Aspect Ratio – Default
• Display Resolution – Default
• Ultra Pillarboxes – Default
• V-Sync – On
• Framerate Cap – 60
• Scaling Mode – DLSS or FSR
• Quality – Balanced
• Graphics Preset – Custom
• Animation Quality – Medium
• Draw Distance – Low
• Dynamic Objects Level of Detail – Low
• Character Level of Detail – Medium
• Environments Level of Detail – Medium
• Dynamic Objects Texture Quality – Low
• Characters Texture Quality – Medium
• Environments Texture Quality – Medium
• Visual Effects Texture Quality – Low
• Texture Filtering – Anisotropic 4x
• Texture Sampling Quality – Medium
• Ambient Shadows Quality – Quarter Resolution
• Directional Shadow Resolution – Medium
• Directional Shadow Distance – Medium
• Image Based Lighting – On
• Spotlights Shadow Resolution – Medium
• Point Lights Shadow Resolution – Medium
• Bounced Lighting – On
• Screen Space Shadows Quality

As always, we would recommend DLSS or FSR is switched on to maximise FPS.

We found that switching some of the elements, such as Directional Shadow Distance, down to ‘Medium’ did not massively impair image quality, but this will be down to personal preference.

If you have more powerful hardware, or you are willing to compromise on performance to achieve a higher-quality image, we recommend the following adjustments to the above:

• Draw distance – Low – change to high
• Dynamic Objects Level of Detail – Low – change to high
• Character Level of Detail – Medium – change to high
• Dynamic Objects Texture Quality – Low – change to high
• Characters Texture Quality – Medium – change to high
• Environments Texture Quality – Medium – change to high

It’s also worth noting that we experienced some slowdown while the shadows were installed (For more detail about other issues gamers are facing, please visit our dedicated ‘patch’ page). We would recommend waiting for these to install before playing the game or tinkering with the graphics settings.

We also struggled to get Ultrawide support to work effectively, so will continue to monitor to see if this becomes a wider issue in need of a patch.

TLOU PC Best Graphics Settings FAQs

Is The Last of Us Part 1 PC a difficult game to run?

Yes, The Last of Us Part 1 is a graphically intensive game that demands a heavy amount of processing power to run.

Can The Last of Us Part 1 PC be played in windowed mode?

Yes, The Last of Us Part 1 can be played in windowed mode, making it easier for simpler gaming PCs to run the game

Yes, The Last of Us Part 1 can be played in windowed mode. This makes it easier for simpler gaming PCs to run the game.