Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank PS5 Pro updates add PC-like graphics toggles

Sony's first-party developers are currently rolling out PS5 Pro updates to its games so early adopters can take advantage of the new console's hardware on day one. With a GPU featuring 67% more Compute Units, 28% faster memory, new advanced ray-tracing hardware, and AI-powered upscaling with PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), it's set to become the world's most powerful gaming console when it launches on November 7.

With Naughty Dog updating The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 last week with new PS5 Pro modes, it was Insomniac Games' turn over the weekend. The celebrated studio released new PS5 Pro updates for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Surprisingly, the studio is adding PC-like graphics controls beyond the choice of Performance and Fidelity modes.

In Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Version 1.004, PlayStation 5 Pro owners are given new graphical toggles to adjust the game's real-time ray-tracing effects. The game now includes individual controls for RT shadows, reflections, and ambient occlusion - with the ability to turn these on or off one by one and adjust the quality setting.

It's similar in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Version 1.005, where the game adds RT reflections and ambient occlusion toggles. It's strange to see this because it adds a new layer to console graphics customization you'd typically find on a PC. Regarding consoles, games are generally optimized to run on specific hardware without needing to adjust the quality of reflections and shadows to maximize performance.

Adding these additional toggles is the next step beyond having a 60 FPS 'Performance' mode and a 30 FPS 'Fidelity' mode, offering more freedom to those who understand what all these settings mean. Is it a step too far for a style of gaming that is supposed to be simple and pick-up-and-play? Time will tell.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Version 1.004 Release Notes

THE NEW GRAPHICS MODES

PERFORMANCE PRO (Default for PlayStation 5 Pro)

This mode targets a smooth 60 frames per second while retaining the image quality of the standard Fidelity mode through use of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). All ray-tracing (RT) features are on, including ray-traced reflections, ray-tracing on water, and ray-traced window interiors. This mode is recommended for most players.

FIDELITY PRO

This mode targets 30 frames per second for players who want to experiment with new ray-tracing graphical features. These new features can be tuned individually to reach higher intermediate frame rates, especially when using the "VRR" or "120 Hz Display Mode" options. Pedestrian and traffic density may be increased in some areas, and fine hair detail is increased.

NEW GRAPHICAL TOGGLES

RT Key Light Shadows: Off (Performance) / On (Fidelity default)

Use ray-tracing to calculate sun shadows at mid- to far-distance, replacing cascaded shadow maps. This improvement is most impactful on city views. Only available in the "Fidelity Pro" graphics mode.

RT Reflections & Interiors: Medium (Performance) / High (Fidelity default)

Set the quality level for ray-traced reflections and building window interiors. The "Medium" setting ray-traces at half render resolution, and the "High" setting ray-traces at full render resolution. The "High" setting will also improve smoothness of animation in reflections and interiors. Only available in the "Fidelity Pro" graphics mode.

RT Ambient Occlusion: Off (Performance) / Medium / High (Fidelity default)

Use ray-tracing to compute additional ambient occlusion lighting information. The "Medium" setting uses that information to augment screen-space ambient occlusion. The "High" setting also adds a screen-space GI bounce for additional ambient lighting information. The visual impact of this feature will vary greatly based on the scene.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Version 1.005 Release Notes

THE NEW GRAPHICS MODES

PERFORMANCE PRO (Default for PlayStation 5 Pro)

This mode targets a smooth 60 frames per second while retaining the image quality of the standard Fidelity mode through use of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). All ray-tracing (RT) features are on, including ray-traced reflections, ray-tracing on water, and ray-traced window interiors. This mode is recommended for most players.

FIDELITY PRO

This mode targets 30 frames per second for players who want to experiment with new ray-tracing graphical features. These new features can be tuned individually to reach higher intermediate frame rates, especially when using the "VRR" or "120 Hz Display Mode" options. Pedestrian and traffic density may be increased in some areas, and fine hair detail is increased.

NEW GRAPHICAL TOGGLES

RT Reflections: Medium (Performance) / High (Fidelity default)

Set the quality level for ray-traced reflections. The "Medium" setting ray-traces at half render resolution, and the "High" setting ray-traces at full render resolution. The "High" setting will also improve smoothness of animation in reflections. Only available in the "Fidelity Pro" graphics mode.

RT Ambient Occlusion: Off (Performance) / Medium / High (Fidelity default)

Use ray-tracing to compute additional ambient occlusion lighting information. The "Medium" setting uses that information to augment screen-space ambient occlusion. The "High" setting also adds a screen-space GI bounce for additional ambient lighting information. The visual impact of this feature will vary greatly based on the scene.