Hands On: Spider-Man 2 All in on Ray Tracing for PS5 Pro 1

Given that Insomniac Games only just released Marvel's Spider-Man 2 one year ago with fantastic graphics and options for frame rate enthusiasts, the chances the studio would be able to tap into an entirely new level of visual quality on PS5 Pro were slim. Therefore, it has taken a different route as it looks to officially support Sony's enhanced console: through improved ray tracing effects. The feature is already available on base PS5, but the developer has worked all-new effects into the web-slinging experience when running on PS5 Pro. The end result is something you'd really need to seek out.

When running on a PS5 Pro, the PS5 game unlocks access to two more graphical modes: Fidelity Pro and Performance Pro. The former targets 30 frames-per-second and includes three new ray tracing methods: RT Ambient Occlusion, RT Reflections and Interiors, and RT Key Light Shadows. You can toggle intensity settings to dictate how effective the three features are, which in turn has an impact on the frame rate, especially so if your TV can run games at up to 120fps. They impact the quality of reflections in windows and buildings as well as the overall lighting of a scene, particularly shadows from the sun's rays.

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The second PS5 Pro-specific option is Performance Pro, which retains the image quality of the Fidelity Mode from the base PS5 experience and increases the frame rate to 60fps. The standard suite of ray tracing features is available, but you won't be able to toggle on the bonus options introduced by Fidelity Pro. This is probably the best option to notice any real change over the base PS5 in as it combines resolution with a good frame rate to make for a very smooth and striking experience throughout.

Fidelity Pro does indeed introduce new ray tracing features, but they're the sort of effects you'd really, really need to go out of your way to even spot, and then potentially appreciate. In the examples below, you'll notice how reflections in the Fidelity Pro mode are slightly clearer and more colourful, an effect most significant when you're climbing up the sides of buildings. The rivers running through New York also gain an extra bit of shine in Fidelity Pro... but that's about it.

Please see our PS5 Pro comparison screenshots between Fidelity Pro (left) and Performance Pro (right):

In Fidelity Pro, some street scenes feature increased pedestrian and vehicle density, and the mode is also supposed to improve finer hair details. Again, our PS5 Pro comparison screenshots can be found below (Fidelity Pro on the left and Performance Pro on the right):

While the improvements found in the Fidelity Pro mode offer some benefit, they're so situational and of little impact to the general gameplay experience that the Performance Pro setting seems like the way to go almost all of the time. Unless you're doing a significant amount of wall-crawling and truly want to appreciate the reflective sights around you, the advancements in the ray tracing sphere come at too much of a cost to the frame rate for them to be worth it. Unless you're tweaking the individual settings, the smoother option of 60fps is the right way to go.

Please see more PS5 Pro screenshots below taken in the Fidelity Pro mode:

How have you found Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5 Pro so far? Post your experiences in the comments below.