Spider-Man 2 Launches on Steam with Lenient PC Requirements

Sony's Marvel Spider-Man 2 has finally swung onto PC today, January 30, bringing the excitement of web-slinging action to a broader audience. Although the port's development had been anticipated, the exact performance on various PC setups remained a mystery until now.

On the PlayStation Blog, Nixxes Software, the developers behind the port, detailed the advanced PC features designed to optimize performance and visuals across a wide array of hardware. Alongside a captivating new trailer, Spider-Man 2 on PC notably drops the hard PSN requirement, making it more accessible for PC players. The game also introduces enhanced raytracing capabilities, including DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction.

"In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC with ray reconstruction enabled, we see more detailed ray-traced reflections and better-defined ray-traced shadows, especially when viewing raytracing effects at steep angles," explained Nixxes graphics programmer Menno Bil. "We also see improvements in the ray-traced interiors and less ghosting and noise in the ray-traced ambient occlusion."

In addition to ray reconstruction, the game supports DLSS 3 and FSR 3.1 for upscaling and frame generation, with Intel’s XeSS upscaler also included. While DLSS 4’s Multi Frame Generation isn't supported by default, players can potentially enhance DLSS 3's Frame Generation through the Nvidia app.

For those with expansive setups, Spider-Man 2 offers ultrawide support up to an impressive 48:9 aspect ratio, ensuring that all cinematics are viewable up to 32:9.

The system requirements are thoughtfully split into ray-traced and non-ray-traced setups. If you're not keen on advanced reflections, you can enjoy the game at 720p and 30 FPS on a modest setup with components like an Nvidia GTX 1650, Intel Core i3 8100, and 16 GB of RAM.

For those with high-end rigs, the "Ray Tracing Ultimate" configuration at 4K and 60 FPS demands an RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7800X3D, and 32 GB of RAM, ensuring that you can fully leverage your hardware's capabilities.

As for running Spider-Man 2 on a Steam Deck, the high RAM requirements and need for a modern graphics card make it a challenging prospect, and it's unlikely to receive Steam Deck verification. Previous titles like Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, being PS4 ports, were more scalable, whereas the PS5-exclusive Spider-Man 2 might push the Steam Deck's limits.

The comprehensive range of system requirements has garnered positive feedback online. A user on Reddit commented, "This must be the best hardware requirements sheet I’ve seen so far." Another user, ItsMeIcebear4, added, "Honestly, great job. If performance lives up to this, it'll be very well received."