Spider-Man 2 Launch Marked by Mixed Steam Reception, Performance Issues Plague PC

Spider-Man 2's PC port, initially touted for its impressive performance based on its system requirements, has received a mixed reception on Steam. A significant number of players are reporting various technical issues, resulting in a "mixed" user review rating.

Currently, only 55% of Steam reviews are positive. Many users, even those with high-end hardware like RTX 4090 GPUs and the latest drivers, are experiencing frequent crashes. Several reports describe the game as "completely unplayable" due to crashes occurring every few minutes. One user noted crashes even with an RTX 4090 and the latest Nvidia drivers (5.66.36).

Reviewers cite a range of problems, including:

• Frequent crashes: The primary issue seems to be frequent crashes related to the game's graphics controller, even on high-end PCs. Error messages often indicate problems with display drivers, suggesting potential incompatibility, overly demanding settings, overheating, or inherent game errors.
• DLSS and Ray Tracing Issues: Several users report malfunctions with DLSS and ray tracing features.
• Performance Degradation: Some players claim performance stutters and eventual crashes after extended play sessions, possibly indicating a memory leak.
• Other Bugs: Additional problems include long loading times, missing textures, audio desynchronization, and poor performance in cutscenes. Nixxes acknowledged a bug affecting photo-op missions at low frame rates (below 20 FPS), suggesting a workaround of lowering graphics settings or resolution.

Nixxes Software, the port developer, has acknowledged the issues on the Steam forums, directing users to their support website for troubleshooting guides and requesting logs and crash dumps to aid in faster resolution. They've also confirmed their awareness of specific bugs. Many users are recommending potential buyers wait for stability patches before purchasing.