Window is hard to latch

I got the following single hung windows.

MFR: PHP-28 Series:810S
A-L-I@ VALIDATOR

The top latches of the bottom window cannot get disengaged easily for my wife to move it upward and open. Closing is also difficult which requires lots of downward force to engage the latches.

Please advise of anything that can be done to make these opening and closing processes easier. Thank you.

Sorry it took so long. Here are the pictures. One vendor recommended replacing sash balancers, but I do not know where they are, and they may not be available due to Philips Products are out of business now. Thank you for your help in advance.

I took out the window to check the condition of balancers. The balancer looks relatively clean without any major debris or dust on track or itself that could prevent the window from opening up.

I did notice however that, when the window is not completely closed, the latches at top was not fully engaged. Once I press down the movable window hard enough, the latches create a large clung sound, the window is fully down, and the latches are engaged.

So even when I pull the latches toward me to get disengaged and push up the window while still maintaining the disengagement, the window cannot go up. It seems as though the latches are still hooked, and only after I push upward hard enough, the window obliges.

So maybe balancers are not the issues; latches could be. One picture shows some offset between the latch cover and the hook. Could this be the cause? Please advise.

One more picture.