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Something to look forward to: Another PC port recommends 32GB of RAM for gameplay above 1080p. While not all recent major PC releases suggest such high memory usage, it is becoming a concerning trend as the industry fully transitions into a new console generation and a new technical floor for PC performance.
Sony released details on the PC system specs and features for The Last of Us Part I this week, just in time for the smash-hit HBO TV adaptation to conclude its first season. Although based on similar graphics technology, the GPU and memory requirements are significantly heavier than Naught Dog’s last PC port, Uncharted.
The Last of Us Part I requires at least 16GB of RAM and 100GB of storage – much more than the PlayStation 5 version’s 79GB storage requirement. Furthermore, the system specs chart doesn’t mention an HDD. It’s unlikely that the game won’t boot from an HDD, but take the omission as a sign that Sony strongly recommends an SSD.
Like other recent blockbusters, the game suggests an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970, GTX 1050 Ti, or AMD Radeon 470 at minimum for 30-frame-per-second gameplay at 720p. It also follows ongoing trends in recommending a GeForce RTX 2070 Super, RTX 3060, or Radeon RX 6600 XT for 1080p 60fps gameplay at high settings.
Click to enlarge
Sony’s system requirement chart erroneously recommends a Radeon RX 5800 XT – a graphics card that doesn’t exist. Judging by the other cards in the “recommended” tier, it probably meant the 5700 XT.
For playing at 1400p or 4K, Sony recommends 32GB of system memory and a recent high-end GPU. While unusually high, the requirement echoes recent titles like Forspoken and Sony’s Returnal.
Like Sony’s other PC ports, The Last of Us Part I supports DLSS, FSR 2.2, 21:9 and 32:9 ultrawide, wired DualSense features, and 3D audio. Adjustable PC graphics settings include texture quality, shadows, reflections, ambient occlusion, and more. Like the PS5 version, the game doesn’t feature ray tracing.
The Last of Us Part I arrives on Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 28. The standard edition is $59.99.
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Margarett Buresh