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. Many users report significant technical difficulties, resulting in a currently 55% positive user review rating.

Numerous players with high-end GPUs, including RTX 4090 users, report frequent crashes. One user stated, "Despite having a high-end GPU and running the latest Nvidia drivers (5.66.36), the game frequently crashes." Another commented, "The game is completely unplayable on PC. The game crashes to desktop every five minutes. I have already requested a refund." Reviewers are urging potential buyers to wait for performance patches, citing numerous issues including: slow frame rates in cutscenes, audio desynchronization, freezing, stuttering, and missing lighting. One user even stated they'd request a refund due to the game's instability.

The primary problem seems to be frequent crashes of the game's graphics controller, even on high-spec PCs. A common error message reads: “A problem has occurred with your display driver. This can be caused by out of date drivers, using game settings higher than your GPU can handle, an overheating GPU, or an error with the game. Please try updating your graphics drivers, or lowering your in-game settings.”

Further complaints include malfunctioning DLSS and ray tracing features, extended loading times, missing textures, and persistent audio problems. Some players also report performance stutters escalating to crashes after extended play sessions, suggesting a potential memory leak as the culprit.

Nixxes Software, the port developer, acknowledged the issues on the Steam forums, directing users to their support website for troubleshooting guides and requesting logs and crash dumps to expedite problem resolution. They also addressed a bug affecting photo-op missions, advising users to lower graphics settings or resolution if their framerate drops below 20 FPS.