Spider-Man 2 Debuts to 'Mixed' Steam Reviews Amid Serious PC Performance Problems

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 problems, resulting in a currently 55% positive user review rating.

High-end hardware isn't immune. One RTX 4090 user reported frequent crashes despite using the latest Nvidia drivers. Numerous complaints cite game crashes every few minutes, rendering the game unplayable for some. Reviewers are urging potential buyers to wait for performance patches, describing the current state as "rough" with issues including: incomplete lighting in cutscenes, extremely low frame rates in certain scenes, audio desynchronization, freezing, stuttering, and general performance instability. Many players have already requested refunds.

A common problem appears to be frequent crashes of the game's graphics controller, even on powerful PCs. A recurring error message points to outdated drivers, overly demanding in-game settings, GPU overheating, or a game-related error.

Further complaints highlight malfunctions in features like DLSS and ray tracing, alongside lengthy loading times, missing textures, and persistent audio problems. Some users claim performance stutters worsen after extended play sessions, eventually leading to complete crashes, suggesting a potential memory leak as the culprit.

Nixxes Software, the porting studio, acknowledged the issues on the Steam forums, directing users to their support website for troubleshooting guides. They've requested users experiencing problems submit logs and crash dumps to aid in faster resolution. The studio also confirmed awareness of a bug impacting photo-op missions, particularly at frame rates below 20 FPS, suggesting lowering graphics settings or resolution as a temporary fix.