The latest Marvel's Spider-Man 2 update adds a PS5 Pro mode with new ray-tracing features
For your friendly neighborhood PS5 Pro
If your spidey sense has been tingling lately, it might be because of a new surprise update released for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Version 1.004 is available now and introduces full PlayStation 5 Pro support.
Some of the best PS5 games have been receiving recent updates adding compatibility with Sony’s upcoming console, such as The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 update, detailed in a recent post by developer Insomniac Games, adds two new graphics modes: Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro.
Performance Pro mode will be the default setting on the PS5 Pro. It targets 60 fps but offers all the same graphical features of the Fidelity mode on the base PS5 in addition to PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling. All ray-tracing features are also enabled by default, including ray-traced water and window reflections.
The developer states that “this mode is recommended for most players.”
The Fidelity Pro mode is then an alternate option for those who really want to push their graphics to the max. It targets 30 fps and introduces new ray-tracing graphical features plus greater pedestrian and traffic density. This is in addition to higher-quality character hair. A handful of new features can be individually tweaked to target different frame rates, with support for variable refresh rate (VRR) displays.
These toggles include: RT Key Light Shadows, RT Reflections & Interiors, and RT Ambient Occlusion. The first is only available in Fidelity Pro mode and uses ray-tracing to offer more realistic shadows at medium to long distances - in theory improving wide views of the city.
RT Reflections & Interiors can be set to Medium or High, with High only available in Fidelity Pro mode. This changes the resolution of ray-traced reflections and building window interiors.
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Finally, RT Ambient Occlusion can be disabled or set to Medium or High in order to leverage ray-tracing to improve ambient occlusion effects. Apparently, “the visual impact of this feature will vary greatly based on the scene” so it might be one to keep disabled if you’re looking for an easy and potentially less noticeable way to improve performance in Fidelity Pro mode.
If you want to get your hands on the console when it releases, PS5 Pro pre-orders are open now at a range of retailers.
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Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.