Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 graphics modes revealed: Fidelity, ray tracing and performance modes explained

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is easily one of, if not the most anticipated, PS5 title of 2023. With the looming release date of Insomniac Games' upcoming title, the graphics modes for the PlayStation 5 have finally been revealed. Much like Insomniac's previous titles, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has multiple graphics modes.

However, Insomniac Games has streamlined the graphics modes into two distinct categories instead of relying on multiple toggles for different modes. The previous Marvel's Spider-Man titles were among the first PS5 exclusives to feature real-time ray tracing.

The upcoming sequel will also feature ray tracing, albeit with significant cutbacks. Here's a complete breakdown of Marvel's Spider-Man 2's graphics modes, including the fidelity, ray tracing, and performance modes.

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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 graphics modes

Insomniac Games' previous PlayStation 5 exclusive - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, featured multiple graphics modes in tandem with robust VRR support. The game featured a "fidelity" mode targeting 30fps at native 4K and a "performance" mode targeting 60fps at 1440p, with toggles for VRR and ray tracing.

Surprisingly, the ray tracing option was available even in the 60fps Performance mode. However, despite being built on the same engine, the upcoming sequel does not feature a raytracing performance mode, like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

Here's a complete breakdown of the different graphics modes for Marvel's Spider-Man 2:

Fidelity mode

• 30fps
• 4K base resolution (native)
• Ray tracing and additional visual effects (advanced GI, improved tesselation, and more)

Performance mode

• 60fps (targeted)
• 4K (upscaled from 1440p)
• No ray tracing and other high-fidelity visual effects

The lack of ray tracing in performance mode feels quite jarring, considering Insomniac Games' previous titles on the PS5 have always featured support for RT on all modes. Even the PS5 versions of Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales featured a robust RT performance mode.

However, it seems that in the sequel, Insomniac Games is pushing the boundaries of their proprietary engine a bit too far, making it virtually impossible to deliver a smooth 60fps experience with RT enabled. Hopefully, the 4K performance mode has a locked 60fps.

It should also be mentioned that Insomniac games are yet to disclose anything related to their upcoming title's VRR support, something that has been a staple in most PlayStation first-party titles on the PS5.

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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to be released on October 20, 2023, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.