Spider-Man Soars to Steam, Demanding Minimal PC Specs

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 swings onto PC today, January 30th, and its PC port, developed by Nixxes Software, promises impressive performance and fidelity across a wide range of hardware. Details revealed on the PlayStation Blog highlight the extensive PC features included.

The PC version eliminates the PlayStation Network (PSN) requirement, a welcome change for PC gamers. It also boasts advanced ray tracing capabilities, including DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction, significantly enhancing reflections and shadows, as explained by Nixxes graphics programmer Menno Bil. Improvements in ray-traced interiors and reduced ghosting/noise in ambient occlusion are also noted.

Further enhancing visuals are DLSS 3 and FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation technologies, with Intel XeSS also supported. 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 DLSS 3 Frame Generation quality.

Ultrawide monitor support extends to an impressive 48:9 aspect ratio, with cinematics viewable up to 32:9.

System requirements are categorized into ray-traced and non-ray-traced configurations. For players prioritizing performance over ray tracing, a modest system with an Nvidia GTX 1650, Intel Core i3 8100, and 16GB RAM can achieve 720p at 30 FPS. High-end systems can fully utilize their capabilities, with a 4K 60 FPS experience at "Ray Tracing Ultimate" requiring an RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 7 800X3D, and 32GB RAM.

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

The broad range of supported configurations has been widely praised online, with many Reddit users commending the comprehensive system requirements. The positive reception suggests high anticipation for the game's PC performance.