Spider-Man 2 PC Port: Fixing the 21:9 Widescreen Bug

The latest Marvel Spider-Man game on PC promises an immersive gaming experience, especially for those with ultra-wide monitors. However, many players have encountered frustrating bugs when using 21:9 aspect ratios, affecting the overall gaming performance.

These technical issues can cause visual artifacts, performance problems, and even game crashes during crucial moments. Our team has worked to identify the root causes of these display issues and provide step-by-step solutions to maintain visual quality and ensure stable performance across various system configurations.

To address these issues, we will walk you through the necessary settings adjustments to fix the 21:9 widescreen bug in the Spider-Man 2 PC port. By following this comprehensive guide, you can enjoy a seamless gaming experience on your ultra-wide monitor.

Understanding the Spider-Man 2 PC Port and Ultrawide Support

With the launch of Spider-Man2 for Windows, players using ultrawide displays are experiencing a mixed bag of graphical fidelity and performance issues. The game’s settings play a crucial role in determining the overall gaming experience, particularly for those with 21:9 aspect ratio monitors.

The Promise of Ultrawide Compatibility

Ultrawide compatibility promises an immersive gaming experience, offering a wider field of view that can enhance gameplay, especially in action-packed titles like Spider-Man2. The aspect ratio of 21:9 provides a more cinematic experience, drawing players deeper into the game’s world.

Common Issues with 21:9 Aspect Ratio

Despite the promise, several issues have been reported by players using ultrawide displays. Graphical artifacts, sudden drops in fps, and visual glitches such as stretched or distorted image elements are common complaints. Moreover, game crashes during specific sequences, particularly during the introduction and when transitioning between characters, have been noted. These issues highlight the challenges of optimizing the game for ultrawide resolutions on Windows.

What Causes the 21:9 Widescreen Bug in Spider-Man 2

The 21:9 widescreen bug in Spider-Man 2 has been a persistent issue for gamers. This problem arises due to the complexities involved in rendering the game on ultrawide displays.

Technical Explanation of the Bug

The bug is primarily related to the ray tracing feature in the game. Ray tracing creates significantly higher computational demands when rendering to ultrawide displays due to the increased pixel count and wider field of view. The game’s ray tracing implementation must calculate reflections, shadows, and ambient occlusion across a substantially larger screen area in 21:9 mode.

How Ray Tracing Affects Ultrawide Displays

NVIDIA DLSS Ray Reconstruction aims to achieve more detailed ray tracing features by combining denoising of the ray tracing features and upscaling of the entire frame. However, this process becomes unstable when combined with the expanded viewing angles of ultrawide displays. The setting that controls Raytraced Object Distance becomes particularly problematic as it determines how far into the distance the game will render ray-traced elements.

The interaction between ray tracing features and the game’s shadow rendering system can produce visual artifacts, particularly in the peripheral areas of ultrawide displays. Adjusting the ray tracing settings can help mitigate these issues.

System Requirements for Optimal 21:9 Performance

Achieving smooth gameplay in Spider-Man 2’s 21:9 mode involves meeting particular hardware and software standards. Ensuring your system meets these requirements is crucial for an optimal gaming experience.

Recommended Hardware Specifications

For optimal performance in 21:9, your system should have a robust graphics card, sufficient RAM, and a compatible Windows version. NVIDIA RTX 30 and 40 series cards are highly recommended for their excellent ray tracing capabilities in ultrawide mode. Additionally, having the latest Windows version installed is essential for compatibility and performance.

• A high-performance graphics card such as NVIDIA RTX 30 or 40 series or AMD Radeon RX 6000 or 7000 series.
• At least 16 GB of RAM to handle the game’s demands.
• A compatible version of Windows 10 or later.

Compatible Graphics Cards and Drivers

The choice of graphics card and driver version significantly impacts the game’s performance in 21:9 mode. For NVIDIA users, the 566.36 driver version has proven to be more stable than newer releases like 572.16, which can cause issues with frame times and VRAM management. AMD users can benefit from FSR 3.1 upscaling, which helps maintain high fps performance at ultrawide resolutions.

• NVIDIA users should consider using the 566.36 driver version for better stability.
• AMD Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 series cards offer good support for ultrawide resolutions.
• Intel Arc graphics cards can run the game in 21:9 with XeSS upscaling, albeit with limited ray tracing capabilities.

Spider-Man 2 PC Port 21:9 Fix: Step-by-Step Solution

To enjoy Spider-Man 2 on your ultrawide monitor without any issues, apply these fixes to the game’s settings. The 21:9 widescreen bug can be resolved by making a few simple adjustments to the graphics settings.

Accessing the Graphics Settings Menu

First, navigate to the graphics settings menu in Spider-Man 2. This is typically found in the game’s options or settings section. Ensure you’re on the correct tab to adjust the visual settings.

Adjusting Ray Tracing Settings

Next, locate the ray tracing settings within the graphics menu. Disabling ray-traced shadows can help alleviate some of the widescreen issues. Use your mouse to select the appropriate options.

Optimising Ray-Traced Object Distance

Adjust the ray-traced object distance to a level that balances performance and visuals. This setting can significantly impact how objects are rendered in the game.

Fixing Shadow and Ambient Occlusion Issues

In addition to disabling ray-traced shadows, adjust the standard shadow quality setting to “High” to prevent diffusion issues. For ambient occlusion, select either XeGTAO or HBAO+ to maintain good image quality. These adjustments will help resolve the shadow rendering problems that affect ultrawide displays.

• Adjust the standard shadow quality setting to “High” to prevent blurry or glitched shadow effects.
• For ambient occlusion, choose XeGTAO or HBAO+ after disabling ray-traced ambient occlusion.
• Test the game in areas with complex lighting to ensure the shadow issues have been resolved.

Alternative Graphics Settings for 21:9 Displays

For an immersive gaming experience, adjusting graphics settings is crucial for ultrawide monitor users. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC supports various performance-enhancing technologies, including NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation, as well as Intel XeSS upscaling.

XeGTAO vs HBAO+ for Ultrawide Monitors

When it comes to ambient occlusion techniques, XeGTAO and HBAO+ are two popular options. XeGTAO offers more detailed and nuanced shadowing, while HBAO+ provides a more subtle, less intrusive effect. For ultrawide monitors, XeGTAO may offer a more immersive experience due to its detailed shadowing, but it may also impact performance. Experimenting with both settings can help determine the best balance between visuals and fps performance.

Finding the Right Balance Between Performance and Visuals

Achieving optimal performance in 21:9 resolution requires finding the right balance of settings that maintain visual quality without overtaxing your system. Consider setting a custom resolution scale (85-90%) combined with quality upscaling to maintain sharp visuals while reducing the rendering workload. Additionally, upscaling technologies like DLSS, FSR, or XeSS can significantly improve fps at ultrawide resolutions.

By experimenting with different combinations of settings and monitoring both fps stability and visual quality, gamers can find the optimal configuration for their specific gaming setup.

Troubleshooting Additional Ultrawide Display Problems

While enjoying Spider-Man 2 on PC with an ultrawide monitor is a thrilling experience, some players may encounter additional display issues. Despite the game’s support for ultrawide aspect ratios such as 21:9, 32:9, and even 48:9 with triple monitor setups, certain problems can arise.

Fixing Cutscene Black Bars in 21:9 Mode

One common issue is the appearance of black bars during cutscenes when playing in 21:9 mode. To resolve this, players can try adjusting the game’s aspect ratio settings or modifying the graphics configuration to ensure that the cutscenes are rendered in the correct resolution.

Resolving UI Scaling Issues in Ultrawide

UI scaling problems are also prevalent, with HUD elements sometimes appearing stretched or misaligned at the edges of the ultrawide display. To address this, navigate to the Accessibility options using your controller or mouse and adjust the UI size to suit your resolution. Additionally, if the camera framing feels too tight or too wide, experiment with the Field of View slider to find a comfortable viewing distance. For extreme resolution settings like 48:9, further adjustments to UI positioning may be necessary to keep important information centered on the primary display, ensuring a seamless game experience.

By addressing these issues, players can enjoy a more immersive experience in Spider-Man 2 on PC with their ultrawide monitors, taking full advantage of the game’s action-packed gameplay and nuanced button controls.

Driver Updates and Their Impact on 21:9 Functionality

To fully leverage the ultrawide capabilities of Spider-Man 2 on PC, it’s vital to keep graphics drivers up-to-date. The latest driver updates often include fixes for bugs and improvements in performance, particularly for 21:9 displays.

NVIDIA Driver Recommendations

NVIDIA users should ensure they are running the most recent drivers to support ultrawide resolutions in Spider-Man 2. While sometimes older NVIDIA drivers perform better, the latest versions generally provide the best compatibility and performance enhancements, including support for technologies like DLSS 3.

AMD Driver Considerations for Ultrawide Support

For AMD graphics card users, running the latest Adrenalin driver package is crucial for optimal ultrawide support. The development team has worked closely with AMD to optimize FSR 3.1 specifically for ultrawide resolutions, making it an important feature for Radeon users. Additionally, AMD’s driver control panel offers options for managing aspect ratio detection, which can help resolve issues with the game not properly recognizing 21:9 displays. Enabling Radeon Anti-Lag can also help reduce input latency, providing a smoother gaming experience.

By keeping drivers updated, players can enjoy a more stable and optimized gaming experience with Spider-Man 2 on PC, especially on ultrawide monitors, maintaining higher fps and better overall support.

Conclusion

By addressing the 21:9 widescreen bug, the PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 delivers a more immersive gaming experience. The PC version is a significant improvement over its console counterpart, offering higher frame rates and expanded visual options that enhance the Marvel Spider-Man series.

Players can enjoy the game with Miles Morales and Peter Parker, and unlock special suit options like the Spider-Man 2099 Black Suit. The development team, including Nixxes and Insomniac, have worked together to provide a superior gaming experience. By following the key steps outlined in this guide, players can resolve the most common ultrawide display problems and enjoy the game in all its glory.