Spider-Man 2 Swings Onto Steam With Forgiving PC Specs

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 swings onto PC today, January 30th, and PC gamers are buzzing about its impressive performance and extensive hardware compatibility. Developed by Nixxes Software, the port boasts optimized performance and fidelity across a wide range of systems.

The PlayStation Blog details the enhanced PC features, including the removal of the PSN requirement and the inclusion of advanced ray tracing features like DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction. According to Nixxes graphics programmer Menno Bil, this results in more detailed reflections and shadows, improved interiors, and reduced ghosting and noise.

Further enhancing visual fidelity are DLSS 3 and FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation technologies, along with Intel XeSS. While DLSS 4's Multi-Frame Generation isn't directly supported, users can potentially leverage the Nvidia app to utilize the newer transformer model for improved image quality. Ultrawide monitor support extends to an impressive 48:9 aspect ratio, with cinematics viewable up to 32:9.

The system requirements are categorized by ray tracing settings, demonstrating remarkable scalability. Lower-end systems with components like an Nvidia GTX 1650, Intel Core i3 8100, and 16GB of RAM can achieve 720p at 30 FPS without ray tracing. High-end configurations, such as an RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and 32GB of RAM, are needed for 4K 60 FPS with "Ray Tracing Ultimate."

Steam Deck compatibility remains uncertain due to the relatively high RAM requirements and need for a modern GPU. Unlike the previous Spider-Man titles which had PS4 ports, Spider-Man 2's PS5 origins may present greater hardware demands.

Despite this, the broad range of supported configurations has garnered significant online praise. Reddit users have lauded the system requirements as exceptionally comprehensive and well-optimized, expressing high hopes for the game's performance.