The Uncharted 4 AVX2 fix refers to an official update released for the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC, which removed a strict hardware requirement that previously prevented players with older CPUs from launching the game. The AVX2 Conflict When the Legacy of Thieves Collection
first launched on PC in October 2022, it required AVX2 (Advanced Vector Extensions 2), a CPU instruction set introduced with Intel's Haswell (4th Gen) and AMD's Ryzen processors. This meant popular but aging CPUs—such as the Intel Core i7-2600K or i7-3770K—could not even open the game, leading to crashes at startup. The requirement was particularly controversial because:
The original game's origins: Uncharted 4 was built for the PlayStation 4, which uses a Jaguar CPU that does not support AVX2.
Misleading specs: Early Steam store pages did not explicitly mention the AVX2 requirement, leaving many users with "incompatible" hardware after purchase.
Technical necessity: Critics argued that while AVX2 provides a performance boost (roughly 10% in some scenarios), it was likely a compiler oversight rather than a fundamental technical necessity for the game to function. The Official Fix
On November 16, 2022, developers Iron Galaxy and Naughty Dog released Patch v1.3.20812 to resolve the issue.
Fallback Executables: The patch introduced a system where the game detects the CPU's capabilities at launch. If AVX2 is missing, it automatically switches to a fallback executable (u4-l.exe or tll-l.exe) that uses older instruction sets. uncharted 4 avx2 fix
Preserving Performance: This approach allowed users with modern hardware to continue benefiting from the performance optimizations of AVX2 while ensuring the game remained accessible to those on "legacy" hardware. Broader Impact
The fix was hailed as a win for PC gaming preservation and accessibility, particularly for users in regions where upgrading hardware frequently is economically difficult. It also served as a cautionary tale for PC ports, highlighting the importance of providing software fallbacks for older hardware that still meets the raw power requirements of a game.
For those still experiencing issues or using unofficial versions, community-made workarounds—often involving modified .dll files or "AVX2 fix" packages—were common prior to the official patch, though the official Uncharted Steam Update is now the recommended solution.
Some community modders create "patches" or modified .exe files that replace the AVX2 instructions with SSE instructions that older CPUs understand.
Uncharted 4 AVX2 Fix (often referred to as the "AVX2 Bypass") is a vital community-made patch for PC players running older CPUs that lack Advanced Vector Extensions 2 support. While the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
officially requires AVX2, this fix allows the game to boot and run on older—yet still capable—hardware like Intel Ivy Bridge or AMD Phenom processors. The Problem: The AVX2 Hard Wall The Uncharted 4 AVX2 fix refers to an
Upon its PC release, many players with older high-end CPUs (such as the legendary i7-3770K) found they could not even reach the main menu. The game would simply crash to desktop or throw an error because the executable relied on AVX2 instructions that these older architectures physically do not have. The Solution: How the Fix Works The fix is typically distributed as a modified or a replacement executable (often found on Nexus Mods ). It works by: Instruction Translation:
Intercepting the AVX2 calls and redirecting them to standard AVX or SSE instructions. Bypassing Checks:
Removing the initial hardware "handshake" that prevents the game from launching on unsupported CPUs. Performance & Stability Playability:
Surprisingly, once the AVX2 barrier is removed, the game runs remarkably well. Since Uncharted 4
was originally designed for the Jaguar CPU in the PS4 (which also lacks AVX2), the engine isn't inherently "broken" without it; the requirement on PC was largely an optimization choice by Naughty Dog/Iron Galaxy. Frame Times:
You may notice slightly higher CPU usage or occasional stuttering compared to a native AVX2 system, as the CPU has to work harder to process the "translated" instructions. Crash Frequency: Graphical glitches : None observed
Most users report a stable experience, though some specific scripted sequences or heavy physics-based combat transitions may cause rare crashes. The Verdict The AVX2 fix is a
for budget-conscious gamers or enthusiasts keeping older rigs alive. It proves that the AVX2 requirement was more of a "soft" optimization gate rather than a fundamental necessity for the game to function.
Enables play on older, popular hardware (Intel 3rd Gen, older AMD FX). Easy to install (usually a simple file drag-and-drop). Maintains surprisingly consistent frame rates. Not officially supported; game updates may break the fix. Minor performance overhead due to instruction emulation. for the current version of the fix?
AVX2 (Advanced Vector Extensions 2) is a set of CPU instructions used to improve performance for things like physics calculations and AI. Modern games often utilize these instructions to run more efficiently.
The problem arises because Uncharted 4: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC was compiled to rely heavily on AVX2 instructions. Unlike some other games that include "fallback" code for older processors, Uncharted 4 attempts to execute these instructions immediately upon startup. If your CPU was released before 2013 (specifically Intel 4th Gen Haswell or older), your hardware cannot understand these instructions, leading to an instant crash.