The most important thing to know before playing Uncharted on Steam is that you aren't buying one game. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection contains the complete Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, but it does not include the older three PlayStation adventures or the original multiplayer modes. Expect a cinematic, linear third-person adventure built around climbing, gunfights, stealth, puzzles, and huge scripted set pieces—not an open-world shooter. Install it on an SSD, start with Uncharted 4, and tune your frame rate before you chase visual quality.
The Steam version is a strong PC port, but its 126GB footprint, shader-compilation stutter, demanding texture memory, and occasionally fussy mouse-and-keyboard feel deserve attention before you launch. This guide covers the campaign order, PC requirements, combat systems, graphics settings, Steam Deck expectations, and the handful of design quirks that can surprise first-time players.
Know Exactly What the Steam Collection Includes
Legacy of Thieves Collection is a two-campaign package. Uncharted 4 stars Nathan Drake, Sam Drake, Victor “Sully” Sullivan, Elena Fisher, and Nadine Ross. The Lost Legacy shifts the spotlight to Chloe Frazer and Nadine, with Sam returning as a reluctant partner. Both campaigns are fully playable offline, and both include the same broad mix of exploration, combat, stealth, and environmental puzzles.
There is no Uncharted 1, Uncharted 2, or Uncharted 3 here. That sounds like a major gap, but Uncharted 4 is designed to work as a new starting point. You’ll miss some emotional history involving Nathan and Sully, yet the plot explains the relationships clearly enough. If you want the earlier games, the official PlayStation Uncharted page explains where the other campaigns fit.
Play Uncharted 4 first. The Lost Legacy takes place afterward and assumes you understand Sam’s role in the previous story. The second game is shorter—roughly seven to nine hours for a normal first run, compared with around 14 to 18 hours for Uncharted 4—but it has more optional exploration. Neither game has a conventional skill tree, loot rarity, crafting system, or gear score. Your progression is authored by the level designers, not by equipment numbers.
| Campaign | Playable Leads | Typical First Run | What Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncharted 4 | Nathan Drake, Sam Drake | 14–18 hours | Larger story, vehicles, rope traversal, intense set pieces |
| The Lost Legacy | Chloe Frazer, Nadine Ross | 7–9 hours | More open exploration, lockpicking, optional ruins |
| Multiplayer | Not included | Unavailable | Legacy of Thieves is campaign-only on Steam |
Check Your PC Before Downloading 126GB
Storage is the first practical warning. Steam lists approximately 126GB of available space, and you should install the collection on an SSD rather than a hard drive. The game streams dense geometry, facial animation, texture data, and cinematic scenes constantly. A mechanical drive can turn traversal transitions into pauses and make texture pop-in more obvious.
The minimum specification targets 30 frames per second at 720p on Low, while the recommended specification is aimed at 30fps at 1080p on Medium. Those targets are conservative rather than a promise that every scene behaves identically. The Madagascar vehicle sequences, rainy combat arenas, and foliage-heavy areas can hit the GPU harder than quiet interiors.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended | Practical Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit | Keep Windows and GPU drivers current |
| CPU | Intel i5-4330 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 | Intel i7-4770 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X | Six modern cores help frame-time consistency |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM | 16GB is the sensible target for background apps |
| GPU | GTX 960 4GB / R9 290X 4GB | GTX 1060 6GB / RX 570 4GB | VRAM matters when raising textures |
| Storage | 126GB available | 126GB on SSD preferred | Leave extra free space for updates |
On a modern mid-range PC, 1080p at 60fps is a realistic goal with a sensible mix of High and Medium settings. A 1440p card with 8GB or more VRAM can push higher image quality, but the game’s cinematic camera and controller-friendly design mean a stable 60fps is usually more valuable than chasing 120fps. For troubleshooting, Steamoz’s PC crash and FPS fixes are useful general maintenance steps, especially after a driver update.
Use These Graphics Settings for a Smooth First Run
Don't blindly choose Ultra. The collection's highest presets spend performance on details you'll barely notice during a fast climb or a firefight. Texture quality is the exception: keep it as high as your VRAM allows, because it improves rock, fabric, and character surfaces without the same frame-rate cost as shadows or reflections.
Start with the game's built-in benchmark, then test the Madagascar convoy and a foliage-heavy section. Watch frame-time consistency rather than the peak FPS number. If the average reads 60 but the graph repeatedly jumps into 30ms or 40ms spikes, the game will feel uneven during camera pans.
| Setting | Recommended Value | FPS Impact | Visual Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Native or 1440p with upscaling | High | Native is sharpest; upscaling helps heavier scenes |
| Texture Quality | High if VRAM allows | Low to medium | Most worthwhile quality upgrade |
| Model Quality | High | Medium | Improves characters and geometry edges |
| Shadow Quality | Medium | Medium to high | Lower this before textures |
| Ambient Occlusion | Medium or High | Medium | Adds contact depth around ruins and characters |
| Reflections | Medium | High in wet areas | Easy setting to reduce during rainy fights |
| Volumetric Effects | Medium | Medium to high | Controls fog, smoke, and light shafts |
| Motion Blur | Personal preference | Minimal | Disable it for cleaner aiming |
| DLSS or FSR | Quality at 1440p; Balanced at 4K | Positive | Use sharpening carefully to avoid shimmer |
DLSS and FSR can rescue performance at higher resolutions, but Quality mode is the best first step. Balanced mode may introduce shimmering in foliage and thin ropes. If you see traversal stutter shortly after launching, let shader compilation finish and avoid repeatedly changing drivers or graphics presets while the game is building its cache. The official Steam store page lists the supported PC features and current system requirements.
Learn the Combat Loop Before Raising the Difficulty
Uncharted's gunplay is at its best when you move constantly. Nathan can blind-fire from cover, aim normally, vault over obstacles, perform contextual takedowns, and use the grappling hook to reposition in later encounters. Standing behind one piece of cover and trading shots is the slowest—and often most dangerous—way to play.
Mark enemies before the shooting starts
Press the marking command while aiming at enemies to keep their positions visible through cover. This matters because encounters are built around flanking routes, elevated snipers, and armored targets. Mark the sniper first, then identify the enemy carrying the heavy weapon. A marked arena becomes a route-planning puzzle: decide where to climb, which ledge gives you an escape, and whether the next takedown will expose you.
Prioritize threats, not the closest target
Snipers, shotgun users, and enemies with grenade launchers can end a fight faster than standard riflemen. The FAL and AK-47 are dependable mid-range options, while the Para 9 is useful when you need quick follow-up shots. The 9mm pistol is accurate and quiet enough for controlled openings, but it is not a substitute for a long gun once enemies start rushing.
The Rope Swing is more than a traversal gimmick. In combat, it lets you cross gaps, escape a collapsing position, and attack from a new angle. The rope also supports contextual melee opportunities when you swing toward an exposed enemy. Use it to break enemy sightlines rather than swinging randomly across the arena.
| Threat | Danger Signal | Best Response | Useful Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sniper | Scope glint and delayed shot | Break line of sight, then flank | FAL or any accurate rifle |
| Shotgunner | Fast push toward cover | Retreat, vault, and finish at range | AK-47 or shotgun |
| Armored soldier | Body shots barely stagger | Use headshots, explosives, or repositioning | Precision rifle or grenade |
| Heavy weapon carrier | Large weapon and slow movement | Stealth-takedown or attack from the side | Silenced pistol and cover |
| Grenadier | Visible grenade throw animation | Move immediately; don't stay in cover | Any rapid-fire weapon |
Difficulty changes incoming damage, enemy aggression, and how punishing mistakes feel; it doesn't turn the campaign into a loot-based progression grind. Explorer is ideal if you mainly want the story, Moderate is the balanced first playthrough, and Hard makes cover discipline and target priority matter much more. Crushing is best saved for a replay because enemies punish exposure brutally.
Stealth Is a Full System, Not a Bonus Trick
Stealth encounters let you thin a battlefield before the shooting begins. Tall grass hides Nathan, marked enemies remain trackable, and silent takedowns can remove isolated opponents without triggering the entire arena. The key is patience: wait for patrols to separate, check the detection indicator, and move only after the nearest guard commits to a route.
Don't assume every stealth section must remain perfect. Many arenas allow a hybrid approach where you silently eliminate two or three enemies, then use a suppressed pistol or a quick reposition when the patrol pattern becomes inconvenient. If the alarm starts, escape the original hiding spot immediately. Enemies will search your last known position, so staying there turns a recoverable mistake into a grenade-filled death.
Explosives are strongest after you have created confusion. A grenade can force multiple enemies out of cover, but throwing one from the same position twice makes your movement predictable. Use the environment: climb above a group, swing to another platform, or vault through cover after the blast. Uncharted rewards improvisation more than perfect stealth streaks.
Explore Carefully Instead of Treating Every Detour as Mandatory
Both campaigns hide treasures, journal entries, optional conversations, and photo opportunities. These collectibles are not required for the story and don't unlock a statistical advantage, so don't ruin your first playthrough by staring at a checklist every minute. Explore naturally, especially in the larger areas of The Lost Legacy, then use chapter select for cleanup.
The Lost Legacy's Western Ghats chapter is the major structural change. Chloe drives through a semi-open region with optional towers, puzzle locations, and marked points of interest. Completing optional ruins can reward you with a useful token that contributes to the Queen's Ruby, an item that reacts when you are near collectibles. That makes exploration more valuable than it first appears, but you still don't need to clear every location before moving the story forward.
Keep an eye out for unusual ledges, yellow-painted handholds, rope anchors, and environmental objects that look slightly brighter than their surroundings. Uncharted's visual language is deliberate. If a route seems impossible, look for the next handhold rather than searching for a hidden skill or item. The game rarely asks you to solve an abstract movement problem; it usually wants you to read the scenery.
For players who enjoy secret hunting, Steamoz’s guides to hidden locations and rewards and secret areas in Everspace 2 cover the same general exploration mindset, though Uncharted's collectibles are intentionally more relaxed.
Steam Deck, Controls, and Replay Features
The collection is playable on Steam Deck, but you should expect compromises. A 40fps cap at 40Hz is often a better target than chasing an unstable 60fps. Use a lower resolution with FSR, keep textures within the Deck's memory limits, and accept that large vehicle sequences can dip. Battery life also suffers during demanding chapters, so a charger is sensible for a full campaign session.
On desktop, a controller remains the most natural option because aiming assist, analog movement, trigger pressure, and contextual traversal were designed around a gamepad. Mouse aiming is perfectly usable and gives you more precise headshots, but keyboard movement can feel less elegant during climbing and rope sequences. Rebind crouch, reload, and weapon swap before starting; muscle memory matters when an arena suddenly collapses around you.
After finishing a campaign, Chapter Select lets you replay sections and collect missed treasures without deleting your original progress. The collection also includes encounter replay, concept art, skins, render modes, and a dedicated speed-run timer. These extras are worth saving for a second run because they make route optimization and combat experimentation much more enjoyable than constantly interrupting the first story playthrough.
Before installing, check the official Naughty Dog website for support information and the PlayStation PC collection page for platform details. If another PC game is also fighting your frame rate, Steamoz’s Far Cry 6 performance settings guide has a useful reminder: stabilize frame times first, then spend your remaining performance budget on image quality.
The short version: install Legacy of Thieves on an SSD, play Uncharted 4 before The Lost Legacy, target a locked 60fps on desktop, mark enemies, keep moving, and don't confuse collectibles with mandatory progression. Once you understand that rhythm, the collection's scripted spectacle stops feeling like it is playing itself and starts feeling like a beautifully staged adventure you are actively steering.