How to improve FPS in The Last of Us Part I (PC)
The Last of Us Part I's PC port launched with serious optimization issues: shader compilation stuttering, brutal VRAM consumption, and inconsistent performance. After several patches, the game is playable on modest hardware if you configure the right settings. This guide covers the recommendations that appear in at least 3 technical sources and connects each setting to the estimated FPS gain on your hardware.
This is what you'd gain with a NVIDIA RTX 3060
Calculations based on our FPS model combined with the % gain of each setting (measured in public benchmarks). Calculate your exact FPS with your own hardware →
1. Quick wins (no visual loss)
Start here. Each one adds a little, but together they give +13% free FPS.
Motion Blur
Disabling motion blur frees up GPU load without any real visual loss. For most players it even improves sharpness during movement.
Film Grain
Removing the artificial grain cleans up the image and saves a few FPS. A matter of taste, but it helps.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is controversial and almost nobody wants it. Off by default.
Lens Flare
Lens flares impact performance in scenes with direct light. Off gives a cleaner image.
2. Medium impact settings
Here's where most of the FPS is. Minor visual impact, major performance impact.
Volumetric Effects
The best FPS/visual-impact ratio in the game. Dropping from Ultra to Medium in volumetrics is barely noticeable in gameplay but significantly frees up GPU.
Shadow Quality
The difference between Ultra and High is only visible when comparing screenshots side by side. Recommended change.
Reflections
Reflections at High maintain almost all visual quality at a lower GPU cost.
Depth of Field
Depth of field at Medium works perfectly, especially in gameplay where you barely notice it.
Texture Quality (8 GB VRAM)
If you have a GPU with 8 GB VRAM (RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 4060, RX 6600 XT...), Ultra exceeds the memory and causes severe stuttering. High is mandatory.
3. Upscaling (DLSS / FSR / XeSS)
The biggest gain in the game. Compatible with almost any modern GPU.
DLSS Quality (NVIDIA RTX 20-series y superior)
+28% FPSAt 1080p Quality it's practically no visual cost and gives +25-30% FPS. At 1440p the effect grows.
DLSS Frame Generation (RTX 40-series)
+75% FPSEnable Frame Gen alongside DLSS. Doubles FPS, but requires a base of 50+ FPS for acceptable latency.
FSR 2 Quality (AMD y NVIDIA no-RTX)
+22% FPSWorks on all GPUs. Less polished than DLSS but gains FPS without relevant visual cost at Quality.
XeSS Quality (Intel Arc)
+20% FPSSpecific to Arc cards, gives similar gains to FSR. Requires recent Intel drivers.
4. Tips by GPU
NVIDIA
- •Enable Resizable BAR (ReBAR) from GeForce Experience or BIOS. TLOU benefits notably.
- •Use DLSS over FSR if you have RTX. Better upscaling quality.
- •If you have RTX 40-series, enable Frame Generation whenever your base is at 50+ FPS.
AMD
- •Enable Smart Access Memory (SAM) in BIOS if your CPU is Ryzen 5000+ and board is B550/X570 or higher.
- •FSR 2 Quality is your best upscaling option.
- •On RX 6000 with 8 GB VRAM, don't use Texture Quality Ultra: causes severe stutter.
Intel
- •Keep Arc drivers up to date — Intel improves TLOU performance with every release.
- •XeSS Quality works well, especially on Arc A770/B580.
- •Enable ReBAR (usually comes by default on Arc-compatible boards).
5. Known game issues
Shader compilation stutter
On first run the game compiles shaders for 10-15 minutes. This is normal — let it finish at the main menu before playing. After that, the stutter disappears.
Estado: Patch 1.0.5 (improved)
Massive VRAM consumption on Ultra
With less than 12 GB VRAM, Texture Quality Ultra exceeds memory and causes drastic FPS drops. Fix: lower to High.
Estado: Still present (engine limitation)
CPU bottleneck in populated areas
In areas with many NPCs (museum section, Boston QZ) the CPU gets saturated. Closing overlays (Discord, GeForce Experience) helps.
6. Frequently asked questions
Can I play TLOU Part I with an RTX 3060?▾
How much VRAM do I need for Ultra?▾
Why does it stutter at the start?▾
DLSS or FSR, which one?▾
Want to know exactly how many FPS YOUR PC will get?
Enter your GPU and CPU in our calculator and measure the real impact of each setting.
Calculations based on consensus of technical sources and our own FPS model. More about our methodology →