It was supposed to be a victory lap. When Naughty Dog and Sony finally brought Joel and Ellie to PC, the hype was massive. You’ve probably seen the HBO show or played the original on a dusty PS3, so you know the story. It’s a masterpiece. But the launch of The Last of Us Part I Microsoft Windows Store edition and its Steam counterpart didn't exactly go to plan. It was a mess. Shadows looked like static, characters turned into "wet" versions of themselves, and the CPU usage was high enough to heat a small apartment.
Honestly, it was heartbreaking to see such a prestigious title get dragged through the mud because of technical debt.
What’s Actually Going On With The Last of Us Part I Microsoft Windows Store?
If you go looking for the game right now on the Xbox App for PC or the Microsoft Store, you might notice something weird. It’s often absent from the "Top Paid" charts where you'd expect a heavy hitter to live. Most PC players gravitate toward Steam or the Epic Games Store, but the Windows Store version exists within that broader Microsoft ecosystem, specifically for those who prefer keeping their library tied to their Xbox profile.
The game itself is a ground-up remake. This isn't just a "Remastered" port with higher resolution textures. We’re talking about the Part II engine being back-ported to the first game. The facial animations are hauntingly real. When Sarah looks at Joel in those opening minutes, you can see the micro-tremors in her expression. On a high-end PC, it is arguably the best-looking game ever made.
But that beauty comes at a literal cost.
Early on, the shaders were the enemy. You’d boot up the game and have to sit there for forty minutes—no joke—while the game "built shaders." If you tried to skip it? Total disaster. Textures would pop in and out like a glitchy fever dream. Iron Galaxy, the studio that assisted with the port, faced a mountain of criticism. Since then, Naughty Dog has stepped in heavily with patches. We are currently well past Version 1.1, and the game is finally in a state where I can actually recommend it without feeling like I’m setting your GPU on fire.
Why the Windows Store Version Feels Different
Most people don't realize that the Microsoft Store handles files differently than Steam. It uses a different wrapper. Sometimes that means better integration with Windows features like Auto HDR, but it can also mean a more "locked down" file system. If you're a modder, this is a huge deal.
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If you want to swap Joel’s model for a clicker or mess with the physics, the The Last of Us Part I Microsoft Windows Store version is going to give you a headache. Steam is much friendlier for that kind of tinkering.
However, for the average person who just wants to play? The experience is largely the same now. The stuttering is mostly gone. The VRAM management—which was a total nightmare for anyone with an 8GB card—has been tuned. It’s still a hog, though. Don't expect to run this on an old GTX 1060 and have a good time. You need hardware. Specifically, you need a solid SSD. Playing this on a mechanical hard drive is basically asking for the game to break.
The Specs You Actually Need
Forget the "Minimum Requirements" listed on the store page. Those are usually a lie or at least a very optimistic version of the truth.
- The "Real" Minimum: You want at least 16GB of RAM. If you have 8GB, just don't. The game will swap to your page file and turn into a slideshow.
- The GPU Reality: Even at 1080p, this game loves VRAM. If you're on a 3070 or a 4060 Ti, you have to be careful with texture settings. High textures look great, but "Ultra" will devour 10GB+ of VRAM instantly.
- CPU Bottlenecks: This is a heavy CPU game because of the AI and the physics. It loves cores. An i7 or a Ryzen 7 will see much smoother frame times than a budget quad-core chip.
Is It Worth It in 2026?
The short answer is yes. But only if you’ve patched it.
The story is still the gold standard. There’s a specific moment in Pittsburgh—I won’t spoil it if you’re one of the three people who hasn't played this—where the environment tells more of a story than the dialogue. The PC version, specifically the The Last of Us Part I Microsoft Windows Store build, allows for ultra-wide support. Playing this in 21:9 or 32:9 is transformative. It makes the world feel claustrophobic and expansive at the same time.
One thing that still bugs me is the lack of "Play Anywhere" support. Sony is getting better at PC ports, but we aren't at the point where you buy it on PS5 and get it on Windows. You're buying it again. That's a tough pill to swallow for $60 or $70. Wait for a sale. They happen often now, especially during the big seasonal shifts.
Dealing With the Memory Leak
Even now, some users report memory leaks after long play sessions. If you notice your frame rate dropping after two hours, just restart the game. It’s an old-school fix for a modern problem. It seems to be related to how the game handles asset streaming in the larger "hub" areas like Bill’s Town.
Naughty Dog has been pretty transparent about the fixes, but the "Mostly Negative" reviews on some platforms from the launch week still haunt the game’s reputation. Don't let those old reviews scare you off. The game today is a different beast than the game at launch.
Optimization Tips for Smooth Gameplay
If you’ve just downloaded The Last of Us Part I Microsoft Windows Store version, do yourself a favor and tweak these specific settings first:
- Turn on DLSS or FSR: Unless you have a 4090, you need reconstruction. DLSS Quality at 1440p looks better than native 1080p and runs significantly better.
- Shadow Quality: Drop this to "Medium." The visual difference between High and Medium is negligible in the heat of a fight, but the performance gain is massive.
- Real-Time Reflections: Turn them down. The game uses a lot of screen-space reflections that can tank your FPS in rainy scenes.
- The Shader Cache: Seriously, let it finish. Go make a sandwich. Get some coffee. If you play while it's at 10%, your CPU will be at 100% and you'll experience constant micro-stuttering.
The Narrative Impact on PC
There's something different about playing this with a mouse and keyboard. The shooting feels more desperate. In the original console versions, the aim assist did a lot of the heavy lifting. On PC, when a Clicker is sprinting at you and you miss that headshot because your hand shook? That’s pure adrenaline.
The mouse controls are finally tight. At launch, there was this weird jitter where the mouse felt like it was emulating an analog stick. That’s been fixed. It feels like a native PC shooter now.
Final Actionable Steps for Players
If you're ready to dive into Joel and Ellie's journey on the Microsoft ecosystem, here is exactly how to handle it for the best experience:
- Check your Windows Version: Ensure you are on the latest build of Windows 11. The Microsoft Store version of games often relies on updated system services to handle DRM and cloud saves properly.
- Update Graphics Drivers: Both Nvidia and AMD released specific "Game Ready" drivers for The Last of Us Part I. If you are running drivers from six months ago, you're going to have a bad time.
- Verify Files After Large Patches: If the game starts crashing after an update, use the "Repair" or "Verify" tool in the Xbox App. Sometimes the delta-patching process on the Windows Store gets messy and leaves corrupted files behind.
- Disable Background Overlays: Turn off the Discord overlay and any unnecessary recording software. This game wants every cycle your CPU can give it.
The journey from Boston to Salt Lake City is one of the greatest stories ever told in a digital medium. While the PC port had a rocky start, it is finally the definitive way to see this world—provided your rig can handle the weight of Naughty Dog's ambition. Look for it during the next Microsoft Store sale, usually around the holidays or mid-summer, as the price drop makes the hardware requirements much easier to stomach.