Spider-Man 2's PC Launch Marred by Performance Issues Despite 'Mixed' Reviews

Spider-Man 2's PC port, despite promising performance metrics 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 55% positive user review rating.

High-end hardware isn't immune. One RTX 4090 user reported frequent crashes, even with the latest Nvidia drivers. Multiple users describe the game as "unplayable," citing crashes every few minutes and prompting refund requests. Common complaints include lighting glitches in cutscenes, extremely low frame rates in certain scenes, audio desynchronization, freezing, stuttering, and general performance instability.

The primary culprit seems to be frequent graphics driver crashes, even on powerful PCs. A recurring error message points to outdated drivers, excessive in-game settings, GPU overheating, or game-related errors.

Beyond crashes, other issues plague the experience. DLSS and ray tracing functionalities are reportedly malfunctioning. Extended loading times, missing textures, and persistent audio problems are also prevalent. Some players claim performance stutters worsen over extended play sessions, culminating in hard crashes, potentially indicating a memory leak.

Nixxes Software, the port developer, acknowledged the problems on the Steam forums. They directed users to their support website for troubleshooting guides and requested logs and crash dumps for faster diagnosis. A specific bug affecting photo-op missions at low frame rates (below 20 FPS) was also acknowledged, with a suggested workaround involving reduced graphics settings or resolution.