PS5 exclusive Spider-Man: Miles Morales will support an optional 4K/60fps performance mode for those who prefer a higher frame rate, developer Insomniac Games has confirmed.
The developer, who is also responsible for the upcoming Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, made the announcement on Twitter and also shared a GIF of the game in action.
Swing through the city like never before on PS5 with an optional 4K / 60fps Performance Mode. #MilesMoralesPS5 #SpiderManPS5 pic.twitter.com/FhPEPLjnKLJuly 20, 2020
Performance modes have become a common sight on the enhanced consoles such as PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, but tend to lower the resolution to 1080p to help boost the frame rate.
Frustratingly, however, they often fail to offer a tangible benefit – Ghost of Tsushima’s performance mode simply locks the game at 30fps for example, while God of War’s 'favor performance' option sees the game’s frame rate fluctuate wildly between 30 and 60fps.
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It’s promising, then, that not only will Spider-Man: Miles Morales keep its 4K resolution target, but a frame rate of 60fps is also touted. It does beg the question, though: what will the game’s ‘quality mode’ look like?
If performance mode can maintain a 4K output and offer 60fps the majority of the time, why would you opt for 30fps instead? The answer is likely to be ray tracing.
Shining light
Ray tracing is a boon for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, as it allows developers to create lifelike shadows, lighting and reflections in a scene. It works by simulating and tracking every ray of light produced by a source, say the New York sun, and requires a fair chunk of horsepower to render.
Both next-gen consoles support hardware accelerated ray tracing, and it will easily be the most costly resource for developers to utilize in their games.
After some initial confusion, Sony confirmed that Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a standalone experience for PlayStation 5 that is similar in scope to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. It’s not a fully-fledged sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4, but the game will follow the events of the first game as Miles gets to grips with his new superhero abilities.
Spider-Man Miles Morales is set to release in ‘holiday 2020’, which is the same launch window as the PS5.
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