The Last of Us Part 1 Best Settings for RX 6600 at 1080p
The Last of Us Part 1 on PC is a game of two stories: quiet chapters of ruined beauty that run gently, and dense infected encounters that reach for everything your hardware has. On an RX 6600 at 1080p the game is very playable — but the menu's texture options are hungrier than they look, and that is where most presets quietly go wrong. This guide is a preference guide built around VRAM honesty and FSR used as a scalpel, not a crutch.
Who This Preset Is For
- RX 6600 (8 GB) or a similar mid-range card, on a 1080p display.
- Players who would rather have no stutters than maximum textures.
- Anyone unsure which FSR mode fits a story-driven, slower game.
- People who noticed hitches in busy chapters and blamed the wrong option.
What Actually Limits This Card
Texture quality drives memory, not frame rate. The menu shows a VRAM indicator, and on an 8 GB card the honest choice is a tier that fits — exceeding memory shows up as hitches when entering areas, not as lower average fps, which is exactly why it feels mysterious in gameplay. Shadow and detail options drive the frame rate instead: dense Boston streets with rain, clicker swarms and many characters at once are the true benchmark scenes.
Because the game has no NVIDIA-style upscaler on this card, FSR is the scaling tool. In a slower, story-first game you watch the world more closely than in a shooter, so Quality mode is usually the sweet spot — the frame gain is real and the softness sits below what most people notice at normal seating distance.
Recommended Settings (RX 6600, 1080p)
| Setting | Recommended | Why (subjective) |
|---|---|---|
| Preset | Medium base, hand-tuned | The presets are reasonable; the rows below target what this card actually feels. |
| Texture Quality | Fit the VRAM meter, not your pride | The single most misunderstood line — see the section below. |
| Shadow Quality | Medium | Shadows carry the mood in interiors; Medium keeps mood, High is a luxury. |
| Dynamic Objects | Medium | Debris and clutter density; visible in riots of objects, costly in swarms. |
| Level of Detail | Medium–High | Background fidelity; keep it honest rather than maximal. |
| Upscaling (FSR) | Quality | Frame headroom for the heavy chapters; softness stays mild at 1080p. Mode trade-offs: our upscaling mode guide. |
| Image Sharpening | Low–Medium with FSR | Cleans the slight FSR softness; too much adds halos around edges. |
| Frame Rate Limit | 60 | A story game paced for steadiness — a solid 60 beats a swinging 75. |
| VSync | Off (taste) | Tearing is rare with a cap; choose by feel — guide here. |
The Texture Rule: Read the Meter, Not the Label
Set textures to the tier your VRAM meter says fits, not the highest tier the menu allows you to select. In practice on an 8 GB card this usually means a mid-to-high tier rather than the top one. The reason is asymmetric cost: picking one tier too high costs you hitches in exactly the moments the game is famous for — entering a new area with a scripted scene — while picking one tier lower costs almost nothing visually at 1080p, where texture differences compress.
A practical test: pick your texture tier, then replay the same chapter start twice. If entering the area is smooth both times, the tier fits. If the second run hitches while the first was fine, memory is the culprit — step down one tier.
Judging the Result Properly
- Benchmark the swarm, not the trail. A clicker encounter with several infected and rain is the real test; quiet forest walking flatters every preset.
- Hitches and frame rate are different problems. Hitches point at textures and streaming; low averages point at shadows, detail and resolution scale.
- Judge FSR while walking, not while aiming. In a slower game the softness matters more in still moments — watch foliage edges during dialogue before committing.
Quick Tips (In-Game Options Only)
- Set the texture tier first, everything else second — it is the option with hidden costs on this game.
- FSR Quality plus a little sharpening looks closer to native than either alone.
- Do not chase 60 in the heaviest chapters by gutting shadows — the game's atmosphere lives in its lighting.
- Recheck your preset after the first big city chapter; the early quarantine zone runs easier than what follows.
Disclaimer: All settings recommendations are subjective preference guides only. Results may vary based on individual hardware, game patch version, driver releases and personal visual taste. This is not a guaranteed universal fix. We do not provide any system modification instructions and take no responsibility for any changes you make inside your game. Always adjust game settings gradually to suit your own preference.
FAQ
Can an RX 6600 run TLOU Part 1 at 1080p 60?
Yes with a Medium-based preset and FSR Quality. The quiet chapters run easily; dense infected encounters are where the preset earns its keep.
Why does the game hitch when entering new areas?
That symptom usually points at VRAM pressure, not raw performance. Choose a texture tier the menu's memory indicator approves of and the hitches typically fade.
Which FSR mode should I use?
Quality at 1080p for the whole playthrough, Balanced only if the heaviest chapters still sag. Pair with a little in-game sharpening.