How to fix The Last of Us building shaders issue
Trying to play the The Last of Us Part 1 on PC but stuck on loading the building shaders? Here is how to fix the Last of Us building shaders issue.
The Last of Us Part 1 has finally launched on PC. Like console-to-PC ports of the past, however, Naughty Dog's critically beloved title has been plagued with technical issues. The most blatant of all is regarding the game's building shaders. So let's get into The Last of Us building shaders issue and how to fix it.
How to fix the Last of Us building shaders issue
Naughty Dog has acknowledged the issue and has confirmed a full fix has been prioritised. However, with no timescales offered, The Last of US PC players will have to deal with the issues for however long it takes.
In the meantime though, various players from r/thelastofus subreddit and YouTube have found their own fixes you can try to fix the Last of Us building shaders issue, along with the crashes that come with it:
1) Restarting your PC, as confirmed by u/BiggyWolfyBoi
2) Disconnect from your internet, as confirmed by u/Mynamewoot
3) Lowering your VRAM usage, as confirmed by u/Universal-Cereal-Bus
4) Turning off DLSS, as confirmed by u/Ryanshaw481
5) Disabling Smart Access Memory (AMD GPUs only), as confirmed by Vexed Sinik
Nexus Mods have also provided their own supposed fix for the issue. Since Nexus Mods think the building shaders issue is caused by a bugged version Oodle used in the game, it can be fixed by using their new Last of Us mod, Oodle v2.9.5 fix.
Although Naughty Dog is now on the case in prioritising a full fix, that could take days for as far as we know. So, you've got nothing to lose in trying these The Last of us building shaders issue fixes.
That's all you need to know for now on how to fix the Last of Us building shaders issue.
What is the Last of Us building shaders issue?
Regular PC players will likely be already familiar with the term, but building shaders is essentially what happens when you load up a game for the first time. Working on your GPU, shaders are small programs that run so the game's images can be processed.
When loaded up for that first time, the game is syncing up with your PC so that the shaders are configured specifically to its hardware. Normally, this should only take a few minutes. In The Last of Us Part 1's case though, it's been taking hours for many players.
What's more, PC Last of Us players who have already been waiting for so long have experienced crashes too - making the wait even more painful.
Adding salt to the wound, those who decide they just want their money back after waiting several hours might not even be able to get a refund - since Steam only allows refunds for games that have been played for less than 2 hours, as clarified on a Steam support FAQ.
For more on the game, check out the full list of Last of Us Part 1 voice actors. If you've yet to try the television adaptation, take a look at our The Last of Us Season 1 review.
For even more The Last of Us guides, you can be sure to find them right here at GGRecon.
About The Author
Ben Williams
Ben is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. Alongside his BA (Hons) in Business Management is a wealth of gaming and entertainment writing experience, having previously occupied roles as a Copywriter in e-commerce at Overclockers and Guides & SEO Writer at GameByte and FragHero. When not whipping up guides and reviews, Ben’ll be off playing the latest Pokemon games, Overwatch 2, Spider-Man, The Witcher, and Final Fantasy - all before reading manga and listening to Ice Nine Kills.
