Spider-Man 2 will include ray tracing in both Quality and Performance modes

With the release of Spider-Man 2 in just over a month, developer Insomniac Games is going all out to thrill us all on launch day. We see developers unveiling new features and additions that build upon the foundation set by the two previous games. Spider-Man 2 even promises to be the visually most impressive game in the series yet, as it will be the first game exclusively for the PS5.

Insomniac has fully leveraged the exclusive use of Spider-Man 2 for the PS5 and even stated in a recent interview with IGN that this game is the "culmination of everything [Insomniac] has learned about developing for the PS5." For instance, in this interview, it was revealed that players of Spider-Man 2 won't have to choose between "Quality" and "Performance" modes to utilize ray tracing, as both features are integrated from the start.

"We've made Spider-Man Remastered, Miles Morales, and Ratchet and Clank," explains Mike Fitzgerald, Director of Core Technology. "And as our fourth game for the PS5, we were able to truly leverage everything we've seen while developing those games. Our Performance mode for this game has ray tracing enabled by default. We've significantly expanded ray-traced reflections throughout the game. They are present in water and oceans, providing a more realistic depiction everywhere."

There is no game mode in this game where ray tracing is turned off, it is not necessary. We have truly figured out how to deliver the right Spider-Man visuals, and we want to ensure that every player gets to see that.

Spider-Man was already one of the best-looking titles we currently have on the PlayStation 5. Therefore, it is definitely a welcome bonus that those who prefer a higher frame rate do not have to sacrifice nice features like ray tracing. In fact, shortly after the release of Miles Morales, an updated Performance RT mode was added, allowing users of the Performance mode to enjoy ray tracing. So, it's nice that this feature will be integrated from the beginning this time.

As for the other new information that has emerged in recent days, we now know that Spider-Man 2 will feature some subtle references to characters from the Spider-Verse films. Additionally, we have learned that Gwen Stacy should not be expected to make an appearance in the game, as narrative lead Jon Paquette has stated that she is "not part of their story."