There is a simple version of this and a complete version, and both are below in that order.

Short answer

The direct answer is above the fold; the reasoning underneath is there for when the direct answer does not fit your situation.

  • Revisit after a major patch if the behaviour changes.
  • Note the exception cases — they are specific rather than vague.
  • Prefer the in-game option over an external tool when both exist.

There are two Last of Us canons running in parallel now — the games and the HBO series — and they diverge. It is worth separating what the game does from what players have concluded it does. The accepted community answer is broadly right and wrong in a specific way that matters here.

What to do instead

The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first. The mechanic behind it is simpler than the discussion around it suggests. Nothing here depends on a setting you are unlikely to have. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work.

Most of the disagreement online comes from people describing different versions of The Last of Us. Testing this yourself takes a few minutes and settles it definitively. Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep.

Why it works this way

Edge cases are genuinely rare, which is why the simple answer is usually the correct one. What follows assumes you are on a current install and have not modified it. Anything that behaves differently on console than on PC is flagged where it matters.

  • Try the straightforward approach before the elaborate one.
  • Check which version any conflicting advice was written for.
  • Give a method one honest attempt before deciding it does not work.
  • Do not build a routine around an edge case.
  • Test it yourself where testing is cheap.

When the usual advice fails

Most of the disagreement you will find online is two people describing different builds. Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over. The Last of Us is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look. It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different.

There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing. The short version is near the top on purpose; the reasoning is there if you want to know why. Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see.

Worth knowing alongside this

If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over. Do the cheap check before the expensive one — that ordering alone saves most of the frustration. There is no hidden trick here that the game is keeping from you.

Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about. The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time.

The practical answer

The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice. Screenshots age faster than text, which is why this describes rather than shows. A single check up front replaces a lot of guessing later.

Where people go wrong

  • Rushing the last step, which is usually the one with the actual requirement in it.
  • Skipping the prerequisite because it looked optional in someone else's summary.
  • Trusting a video thumbnail that promises a result the video never actually shows.
  • Downloading a helper tool for something the game already does in its own menu.

The Last of Us FAQ

Do I need any mods or third-party tools for this?

No. Everything described here works with the base game on any supported platform.

Does this change between platforms?

The behaviour does not. Where menu paths or prompts differ, that is noted above.

Does this work the same on console and PC?

The logic is identical. Menu paths and button prompts differ, and any real difference is flagged above.

Is there a faster method?

Sometimes, at the cost of reliability. Where that trade exists it is described rather than recommended blindly.

That is the whole of it — if something here stops matching The Last of Us, the game changed, not the method.