Spider-Man 2 physical release owners won't need to download its Day 1 patch in order to enjoy it in full, but Insomniac still "highly encourages" fans who opt to purchase the disc to install patch 1.001.002 before they start playing.
"The disc contained the entire game and is playable from start to finish with no patch or online requirement," Insomniac wrote in a statement posted on X. "But for the best experience, we highly encourage physical/disc-based players to download update version 1.001.002 on launch day — prior to experiencing the opening of the game for the first time."
Keep up with the latest updates for Marvel's #SpiderMan2PS5! #BeGreaterTogether pic.twitter.com/Z8ZDjscyB4
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) October 17, 2023
Insomniac says that the patch will further polish the game's opening while offering "general refinements" to the overall experience. The patch will also include additional accessibility options, though Insomniac did not go into detail on what those features might be.
If you're downloading the digital version of Spider-Man 2, then you're all set. Patch 1.001.002 will be included with the pre-loaded version of the game.
Day 1 patches have become a critical part of the big-budget gaming experience
Insomniac's PSA speaks to a broader trend among big-budget games. While Spider-Man 2 looks to be feature complete, plenty of other games come out of the box broken or lacking features without a Day 1 patch. It's a problem for physical release owners who wish to play without an internet connection.
We wrote in our Spider-Man 2 review, "As a sequel in a spectacular series, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is both blessed and cursed... Insomniac refines a successful formula of combat and web-swinging without revolutionising either in major ways, making them comfy and familiar with just enough new tweaks and abilities to elevate them to fun new heights. The part that feels like it actually needed a radical rethinking is the open world of New York City, which has been made bigger but not better, with an exhausting checklist of mostly repetitious side activities."
Spider-Man 2 launches on PS5 on October 20. In the meantime, check out our Spider-Man 2 PS5 performance review as well as our review discussion on Podcast Beyond.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.