You’re standing on top of the Chrysler Building. The wind is howling in your headset, and below you, a digital recreation of Manhattan stretches out in terrifyingly crisp 4K. You want to dive. But before you press R2, you realize you might be doing this all wrong. If you’re trying to play the Spider Man games in order PS5 style, you aren't just looking at a list of release dates. You're looking at a narrative web that Insomniac Games has spun across two console generations, various "remastered" editions, and some very specific DLC requirements that most people completely skip by accident.
It's easy to get confused. Between the 2018 original, the Miles Morales spin-off, and the massive 2023 sequel, the timeline is actually pretty tight. If you jump straight into the second game because the graphics look shinier, you’re going to be incredibly confused when a guy in a bird suit starts talking about "reforming" or when you see a giant tank of green goo in a post-credits scene.
The Foundation: Starting With the 2018 Epic
Technically, the journey begins with Marvel's Spider-Man. Now, if you’re on a PS5, you shouldn't be playing the PS4 disc unless you’re really strapped for cash. You want the Remastered version. Why? Because Peter Parker’s face literally changes. Insomniac swapped the original face model (John Bubniak) for Ben Jordan to better match the facial capture of voice actor Yuri Lowenthal. It was a whole "thing" on Twitter for months. People were livid. Honestly, though? You get used to it in about twenty minutes.
This first game sets the board. You aren't playing an origin story. Thank God. We’ve seen Uncle Ben die enough times to last three lifetimes. Instead, you're Peter Parker eight years into his career. He’s tired. His suit is ripped. He’s behind on rent. This is the "Gold Standard" of superhero storytelling because it treats the man behind the mask as a priority, not an afterthought. You're dealing with the fall of Wilson Fisk and the subsequent power vacuum that allows a group called the Inner Demons to start blowing up City Hall.
But here is where people mess up the order.
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Most players finish the main story, see the credits roll, and immediately eject the disc. Don't do that. You need to play "The City That Never Sleeps" DLC. It’s a three-chapter expansion (The Heist, Turf Wars, and Silver Lining) that introduces Black Cat and, more importantly, sets up the emotional stakes for the side characters who become massive players in the sequels. Without the DLC, the transition to the next game feels jagged. It’s like skipping the middle thirty minutes of a movie.
The Bridge: Miles Morales and the Power of the "Spin-off"
Next up in the Spider Man games in order PS5 timeline is Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
It’s shorter. Some call it a "glorified DLC," but those people are wrong. It’s a standalone story that focuses on Miles while Peter is away in Symkaria helping MJ with a journalism assignment. This game is essential because it introduces a completely different mechanical feel. Peter is a scientist; he uses gadgets and physics. Miles is raw energy. He has bio-electricity (Venom Power) and invisibility.
If you play this after the first game, you’ll notice the PS5-specific upgrades immediately. The haptic feedback on the DualSense controller makes the web-swinging feel "thicker." You can actually feel the tension in the line. The story is more intimate, focusing on Harlem and a conflict between a high-tech army called the Underground and a massive energy corporation. It’s a Christmas-time game, which makes the vibe completely different from the sunny, autumnal feel of the first entry.
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The Heavy Hitter: Why Spider-Man 2 Changes Everything
Then we get to the big one. Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Released in late 2023, this is the first game in the series built exclusively for the PS5. It doesn't run on the PS4. It can't. The "Web Wings" feature allows you to glide through the city at speeds that would have literally crashed an older console’s hard drive. It uses the PS5's SSD to load the entire city in seconds. You can fast-travel to the other side of the map instantly. It feels like magic.
Story-wise, this is the culmination of everything. You play as both Peter and Miles. The narrative centers on Kraven the Hunter coming to New York to find a "Great Hunt," and the eventual introduction of the Symbiote. This isn't just a fun romp. It’s dark. It deals with addiction, grief, and the burden of being a hero. Peter gets the Black Suit, and his personality shifts. He becomes aggressive. He scares his friends. It’s heavy stuff for a "comic book game."
The Technical Reality of Playing on PS5
If you are looking to buy these, the smartest move is often buying the Miles Morales Ultimate Edition. It usually includes a voucher for the 2018 Remastered version. It’s the most cost-effective way to get the full experience.
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Wait.
There is one more thing. If you’re a completionist, you might be tempted to look at the older games. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie tie-in? Forget it. It’s not part of this universe. The "Insomniac-verse" is its own distinct Earth (Earth-1048 in the Marvel Multiverse). Sticking to the order of 2018 Remastered -> Miles Morales -> Spider-Man 2 is the only way to ensure the character arcs actually make sense.
A Note on Playtime and Burnout
If you marathons these back-to-back, you might get "open-world fatigue." The Ubisoft-style map cleaning—finding backpacks, taking photos of landmarks, clearing out enemy bases—can get repetitive.
- Spider-Man (2018): Roughly 20 hours for the story, 35 for the Platinum.
- Miles Morales: 8 hours for the story, 15 for the Platinum.
- Spider-Man 2: 15-18 hours for the story, 25-30 for the Platinum.
I’d suggest pacing yourself. The combat evolves significantly between games. In the first game, you're doing a lot of button mashing and dodge-timing. By the third game, you’re juggling parry windows, specialized abilities, and mid-air dashes.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
To get the most out of your PS5 experience, start by checking your library for the Remastered version of the first game rather than the standard PS4 version; the 60fps Performance Mode is non-negotiable for a game about speed. Once you finish the main story of the first game, go directly into the "The City That Never Sleeps" DLC before moving to Miles Morales. This ensures you understand the character shifts in Silver Sable and Yuri Watanabe. Finally, when you hit Spider-Man 2, dive into the settings and turn on "Film Grain" and "Chromatic Aberration" only if you like that cinematic look—most pro players actually turn these off to see the suit textures more clearly.
Ensure your PS5 system software is updated to enable VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) if your TV supports it, as Spider-Man 2 utilizes this to smooth out the frame rate during intense combat encounters. Setting your swing steering assistance to a lower level (around 2 or 3) in the sequel can also provide a more physics-based, challenging movement experience that makes the traversal feel earned rather than automated.