Comparing load times for Marvel’s Spider-Man: PC, Steam Deck, PS5, PS4

Marvel’s Spider-ManThis is an excellent superhero game that can be played on both PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. And with its recent PC release, it’s available to a whole new legion of Spidey fans.

Since Marvel’s Spider-ManThe game is currently available across three platforms. (And Steam Deck which is essentially a platform itself), so we did some testing. How fast does it go? Spider-ManHow does Steam Deck compare to load on a PC? Is there a PC version that is compatible with the PS4’s original PS4? Is PC able to stand up against PS5?

Let’s set up some tests to answer those questions, and see just how quick Spidey can really go.

Is it possible to travel fast?

Spidey is a fast-moving Spidey who loves to swoop around New York. Marvel’s Spider-Man. But you know what’s faster? Instantly teleporting from one side of Manhattan to the other via the game’s fast-travel system.

To test the program, I created the Remastered Version. Marvel’s Spider-ManMy work computer (Intel E7-10700K CPU, 32GB DDR4 RAM and Nvidia GeForce GTX 3080 graphics cards), my Steam Deck (loading of my Samsung EVO512 GM microSD Card), and my PS5. On my PS4 Slim, I set up the original version.

Fast travel was my test. I traveled between Harlem’s police station and Chinatown’s fast-travel location for FEAST. I started my stopwatch the moment I initiated fast travel (after I’d held down the button to confirm where I wanted to go) and stopped it as soon as I regained control of Spider-Man. I did each test five times to ensure consistent results.

Below are the results from my experiments, fastest to slowest.

• PC: 2.8-3.5 Seconds
• PS5: 33.1 Seconds
• Steam Deck: 6-8 Seconds
• PS4: 17-20 second

These tests were very similar between my PC and PS5, with PS5 showing the best consistency.

But what about the boot up?

To test the speed at which the game can launch me to the open-world from the menu, the second test I did was to check how quick it could do so. I started my timer as I hit the “continue” button and stopped it as soon as I regained control of Spider-Man.

For this second test, I used the exact same equipment as for the previous one. I also made sure that Spider-Man was loaded in the same place (the FEAST roof). Each platform had a menu that I used at least three times. I finally got consistent results with one exception.

Below are the results of my experiments, from fastest to least:

• PS5: 2 Seconds
• Computer: 2.9-3.35 second
• Steam Deck: 7-13 Seconds
• 35 Seconds

This was due to the first load of Steam Deck. It took me 22 seconds just to start the game the first time. It took at most nine seconds longer every time.

What platform does the user use to get there fastest?

Both my PS5 and PC performed well in both of these tests. Both are great options for playing the remastered. Marvel’s Spider-Man. (While they’re both comparable in load times, PC gets the added benefit of Steam Deck’s cloud save functionality. You can take it as you like.

Speaking of Steam Deck — it performed quite well considering just how big Marvel’s Spider-Man is. It’s obviously significantly slower than a good desktop PC or a modern console, but for running off an SD card, I was impressed with how little time I spent waiting.

These experiments clearly show that PS4 is the clear winner. It takes nearly three times as long to load Steam Deck into the same space. Marvel’s Spider-Man is still worth checking out on PS4 — despite aspects that haven’t aged well at all — even if it’s just a springboard to the excellent Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.