The Last of Us Part 1 (Steam pc) crashes when starting new game

Troubleshooting Guide: Addressing Crashes When Launching The Last of Us Part I on Steam for PC

The Last of Us Part I, one of the most acclaimed titles in modern gaming, has recently become available on PC via Steam. However, some players have encountered issues, particularly the game crashing to desktop (CTD) immediately after starting a new game. If you’re experiencing this problem, you’re not alone. Below, we provide a detailed overview of potential causes and practical solutions to help you enjoy the game smoothly.

Understanding the Issue

Many players report launching The Last of Us Part I results in the game loading shaders and then crashing without warning when attempting to start a new game. These crashes can be due to a variety of reasons, including hardware compatibility, driver issues, or corrupted game files.

Player System Overview

In troubleshooting, knowing your system setup helps tailor solutions. Here is the specifications of a typical user facing such problems:

Laptop Model: Razer Blade 15 (2021 Base Model)
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (6GB GDDR6 VRAM, with Optimus Technology)
Processor: Intel Core i7-10750H (10th Gen, 6-Core, 12 Threads, 2.6GHz base, up to 5.0GHz Turbo)
Display: 16:9 aspect ratio, 144Hz Full HD, calibrated with 8ms response time
Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD + 2TB NVMe SSD
Memory: 64GB DDR4 RAM (2x32GB 3200MT/s)

Common Causes and Solutions

1. Update Graphics Drivers

Outdated or incompatible GPU drivers are a common cause of runtime crashes.
Solution:
– Download and install the latest NVIDIA drivers from the official NVIDIA website.
– Consider performing a clean installation to remove previous driver remnants.

2. Verify Game Files Integrity

Corrupted game files can cause crashes.
Solution:
– Open Steam, navigate to your Library.
– Right-click The Last of Us Part I > Properties > Local Files.
– Click “Verify Integrity of Game Files” and allow Steam to check and repair any corrupted files.