Game Settings
Introduction
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of all settings available in Marvel's Spider-Man (2018 original and Remastered). Whether you’re playing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, or PC (Remastered), understanding each option allows you to tailor the experience to your hardware, preferences, and accessibility needs. We cover Graphics, Audio, Controls, Accessibility, Language, Network, and Gameplay settings. For each category, we recommend optimal configurations for Performance (higher frame rates) and Quality (higher visual fidelity), and highlight common pitfalls.
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Graphics Settings
Platforms & Global Variations
- PS4 / PS4 Pro: Fixed hardware; limited options (resolution, HDR, brightness).
- PS5 (Remastered): Offers Performance (60fps, lower resolution) and Fidelity (30fps, ray tracing) modes.
- PC (Remastered): Full range of graphics presets and individual toggles.
#### PS5 Graphics Modes (Remastered)
| Mode | Resolution | Frame Rate | Ray Tracing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | Dynamic 4K (1800p-2160p) | 30fps | Yes | Visual screenshots, single-player story |
| Performance | Dynamic 2160p (1440p-2160p) | 60fps | No (or reduced) | Smooth gameplay, high response |
| Performance RT | Dynamic 1440p-1800p | 60fps | Yes | Balance of smoothness and ray tracing |
#### PC Graphics Settings (Remastered)
| Setting | Recommended for Performance (60fps) | Recommended for Quality (4K 30fps) | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Mode | Fullscreen (dedicated) | Fullscreen | Borderless can introduce input lag. |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 or 2560x1440 | 3840x2160 | Use native display resolution. |
| VSync | Off (use FreeSync/G-Sync) | On (if no adaptive sync) | Off reduces input lag; screen tearing may occur. |
| Upscaling Method | DLSS / FSR 2 Quality | DLSS Quality or Native | DLSS/FSR improve FPS with minimal quality loss. |
| Anti-Aliasing | TAA (or DLSS handles it) | TAA | SMAA can soften but is less effective. |
| Texture Quality | Medium (4GB VRAM) or High (6GB+) | Very High (8GB+) | VRAM heavy; use high only if you have enough VRAM. |
| Shadow Quality | Medium | High | Shadows are performance intensive. |
| Ambient Occlusion | SSAO | HBAO+ | Hard HBAO+ can reduce FPS 10–20%. |
| Ray Tracing | Off | On (medium/high) | Drops FPS by 30–50% even with RT cores. |
| Field of View (FOV) | 70–75 | 70–75 | Wide FOV increases peripheral vision but reduces performance. |
| Motion Blur | Off | On (Personal) | Can hide low frame rate judder but may cause dizziness. |
| Depth of Field | Off | On | Subtle effect; little performance impact. |
| Bloom | On (low impact) | On | Adds visual flare; negligible performance. |
| Chromatic Aberration | Off | On (subjective) | Can degrade image clarity; many turn off. |
| Film Grain | Off | Off or subtle | Often removed for clarity. |
- Low (1080p 60fps on GTX 1060/RX 580)
- Medium (1440p 60fps on RTX 2060/RX 5700)
- High (4K 30fps or 1440p 60fps on RTX 3060 Ti/RX 6700 XT)
- Very High (4K 30–60fps on RTX 3080/RX 6800 XT+
- Ultimate (4K 60fps+ with RT on RTX 4090)
- Upscaling Sharpness: Too high (>0.70) creates oversharpened artifacts. Stick to 0.50–0.65.
- VRAM Limit: Setting Texture or Shadow to Very High on a 6GB card causes stuttering. Monitor VRAM usage.
- Ray Tracing Reflections Only: Medium ray tracing provides a huge improvement over low with half the penalty of high.
- Master Volume: Game audio (0–100)
- Music Volume: Background score (0–100)
- SFX Volume: Sound effects (punching, web shooting, explosions) (0–100)
- Dialogue Volume: Character speech (0–100)
- Voice Language: Choose language (affects lip sync if available)
- Subtitles: Off / On + speaker name / On + background
- Closed Captions: For cutscenes only / Always
- Audio Output: Stereo, 5.1 Surround, 7.1 Surround (PC/PS5)
- Dynamic Range: Low (night) / Medium / High (Home theater)
- Dialogue Volume > SFX > Music: Especially during busy combat, keep dialogue at 80–100, SFX at 70–90, music at 50–70.
- Subtitles: Enable if you plan to play with ambient noise or have hearing difficulties.
- Auditory Cues: The game uses audio for enemy alerts (e.g., "Spidey!" sound). Ensure SFX is loud enough.
- Headphones: Use surround virtualisation (set output to 7.1) for better spatial awareness when swinging.
- Dynamic Range: If using TV speakers or headphones, select Low or Medium. For a sound system, High compresses less.
- Voice Language vs Subtitle Language: Subtitle language can differ from voice. Verify both under Language settings if you want English voices with French subtitles, for example.
- Audio Output Format: Selecting 5.1 on stereo headphones will cause some channels to be missing. Set to Stereo unless you have appropriate equipment.
- PS4/PS5: Default DualShock 4/DualSense layout; remapping available system-wide.
- PC: Keyboard & mouse fully customisable; supports Xbox, PlayStation, and third-party controllers.
- Controller Vibration: On/Off (affects haptics on DualSense)
- Trigger Effects: On/Off (DualSense adaptive triggers for web swinging)
- Invert Y Axis: On/Off (for camera and aiming)
- Camera Sensitivity: Horizontal and Vertical (0–10)
- Aiming Sensitivity: Separate slider for web shooters
- Swing Assist: On / Off (auto-correction of web swing momentum)
- Swing Camera: Static / Free (camera auto-adjustment during swing)
- Sprint Toggle or Hold: Toggle (press once to run) / Hold (must hold button)
- Crouch Toggle or Hold: Similar
- Quick Gadgets: Pull-up radial menu vs. hold to cycle
Common Misconfigurations:
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Audio Settings
Available Options
Recommended Settings
Easily Misconfigured:
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Controls Settings
Platform-Specific Input
Key Control Options (In-Game)
Recommended Settings
| Setting | Recommendation | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Swing Assist | On (default) | Off makes swinging require precise aim; On is more forgiving for newcomers. Advanced players may turn Off. |
| Camera Sensitivity | 5–7 horizontal, 4–6 vertical | Allows quick turns while fighting, but not too twitchy. |
| Aiming Sensitivity | 4–5 | Easier to precisely target weak points. |
| Invert Y | Off (unless you prefer flight sim-style) | Most third-person games default to not inverted. |
| Trigger Effects | On (if DualSense) | Adds immersion; can be turned off if too fatiguing. |
| Sprint Toggle | Toggle | Easier on hands during extended traversal. |
- Bind web swing to Mouse Button 4/5 (side buttons) for easier access.
- Dodge: Map to a comfortable key like Q or Left Alt.
- Gadgets: Assign specific keys for each gadget (e.g., 1–4) instead of the default Q menu.
- FOV: Increase with a mouse thumb button if you prefer quick zoom toggle.
- Swing Camera set to Static can feel restrictive during vertical dives. Set to Free for full manual control.
- Aim Down Sights (if using a weapon) is not available; instead, web shooters have a separate sensitivity. Adjust separately for sniping puzzles.
Common Pitfall:
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Accessibility Settings
Important for Inclusivity
Marvel’s Spider-Man (Remastered on PS5/PC) includes robust accessibility features.
| Setting | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Subtitles & Closed Captions | See Audio section; also can be set to include speaker name. | Hearing impaired, noisy environment |
| Colorblind Modes | Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia filters | Affect UI elements, enemy highlights, and mini-map colors. |
| High Contrast Mode | Makes enemies, objectives, and interactive objects pop more | Visually impaired, or for better clarity during fast combat |
| Motion Sickness Reduction | Disables camera shake, motion blur, and excessive vignette | Prone to dizziness during swinging |
| Audio Cues for Enemy Alerts | Visual indicator when an enemy is about to attack (icon above head) | Hearing impaired, or as alternative to audio cues |
| Button Mashing to Mash | Turn quick time events (QTE) into single button presses | Players with motor difficulties |
| Auto-Complete Puzzles | Solves environmental puzzles automatically | For those who want story progression without cognitive load |
| Traversal Assistance | Auto-swing, auto-sprint, and reduced fall damage | Younger players or those with coordination challenges |
| Controller Remapping | System-level on console; in-game on PC | Any preference |
| Text Size | Small, Medium, Large (for menus, subtitles, mission text) | Visual clarity |
- Enable Motion Sickness Reduction if you feel nauseous after 15 minutes of swinging.
- Activate Enemy Attack Indicators (under audio cues) even if you have good hearing—they help during chaotic fights.
- Set Button Mashing to Hold or Toggle if you struggle with rapid inputs.
- High Contrast Mode can be turned on temporarily during stealth sections.
- In-Game Text Language: Menus, subtitles, dialogue text
- Voice Language: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, etc. (varies by region)
- Subtitle Language: Independent of voice language
- Audio Description: Available for cutscenes in some versions (narrates on-screen action for visually impaired).
- Decide before starting the game; changing voice language mid-playthrough may reset the audio database on console.
- If you are learning a language, set voice to that language and subtitles to your native language.
- On PC, you may need to install additional language packs via Steam/Epic (usually as free DLC).
- Changing subtitle language only affects text, not voice. If you want English voice with Japanese subtitles, set Voice to English, Subtitle to Japanese.
- Some PC versions default to system language; verify in the launcher or settings menu.
- Photo Mode sharing (uploading photos)
- Leaderboards for challenge scores (PC/PS5)
- Automatic updates & DLC downloads
- Fake news collectibles (easter eggs that rely on current real-world events, minor)
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Language Settings
What You Can Change
Setup Advice
Common Misconfiguration:
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Network Settings
Online Features in Marvel’s Spider-Man
The game is primarily single-player with no multiplayer mode. Online connectivity is used for:
Recommended Settings
| Setting | Recommendation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Photo Mode Upload | On (optional) | No impact on gameplay; can be disabled if data privacy is a concern. |
| Automatic Updates | On | Ensures you have latest patches. |
| Online Connection | On | Required for leaderboards (optional). |
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Gameplay Settings
Immersion & Difficulty
- Difficulty: Friendly Neighborhood (Very Easy), Amazing (Easy), Spectacular (Normal), Ultimate (Hard) – changes enemy damage, aggression, and health.
- Automatic Healing: On / Off (if On, health regenerates after not taking damage).
- Quick Time Events: Auto-Succeed / Normal / Disable (auto-completes).
- Hint Frequency: Frequent / Occasional / Rare / Off (tips during combat and traversal).
- Mission Waypoints: Always Show / Show on Map / Off (on-screen arrow to objective).
- Combat Notifications: Show damage numbers, combo count, finisher prompts.
- Photo Mode Access: Map once you unlock it (no setting).
Recommended Gameplay Tweaks
| Setting | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Spectacular (Normal) for first playthrough | Balanced challenge; not frustrating. |
| Automatic Healing | On for beginners; Off for challenge | Off forces you to dodge more and use gadgets. |
| Hint Frequency | Occasional | Avoids constant hand-holding but helps when stuck. |
| Mission Waypoints | Show on Map | On-screen arrows can clutter; checking map is immersive. |
| Combat Notifications | Numbers On, Combo On | Provides feedback on performance. |
- Quick Time Events are used in boss fights and dramatic moments. If you have slow reflexes, set to Auto-Succeed to avoid repeated failures.
- Automatic Healing can make the game too easy; if you want to conserve resources, turn it off to use suits with healing mods more tactically.
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Summary of Optimal Presets
| Category | Performance Focus | Quality/Immersive Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics (PC) | High FPS (60+): Reduce RT, Shadows, Reflections. Use DLSS Performance. | 4K 30fps with RT, Very High textures, HBAO+. |
| Audio | Dialogue priority; subtitles off (if not needed) | Surround output, subtitles on, music up. |
| Controls | Turn off Swing Assist for full control; high sensitivity | Leave Swing Assist On; lower sensitivity for precision |
| Accessibility | Disable motion blur, enable enemy attack indicators | Enable all assists if needed; otherwise minimal. |
| Gameplay | Spectacular difficulty, auto-heal Off for challenge | Friendly or Amazing difficulty, auto-heal On for story |
Final Tips for Setup
1. Adjust Audio Before Starting: Many players miss the subtitles toggle and then miss story beats. Check it in the first loading screen.
2. Swing Sensitivity: If you overshoot corners, lower camera sensitivity by one point.
3. Disable Film Grain and Chromatic Aberration: These post-process effects degrade clarity at little performance cost. Turn them off for a cleaner image.
4. On PC: Run the built-in benchmark tool after changing settings. Aim for at least 45fps minimum for playability.
5. For PS5 with VRR: Leave VSync off in-game and rely on system VRR. Set Fidelity mode with 120Hz output for smoothest 30fps.
By carefully tuning these settings, you can ensure that Marvel’s Spider-Man runs beautifully on your hardware and presents the story in the most accessible and enjoyable way possible.