Although it has had something of a tumultuous history, Destiny 2 now seems to be at a point where Bungie knows exactly what it wants from the sci-fi shooter. The developer recently revamped the entire experience with the Beyond Light expansion and has now ported the game to both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. That means for the first time since the original launch of the first title in the series, the PC might not necessarily be the best place to play Destiny 2 thanks to a handful of improvements and enhancements.
Perhaps the most notable change in the Xbox Series X version of Destiny 2 is that the game now supports a frame rate of 60 FPS in normal gameplay and even 120 FPS in the multiplayer Crucible mode. This is something that simply was not possible with the PS4 and Xbox One editions, where gameplay was locked at just 30 FPS. While higher frame rates might not be something that casual players will be that focused on, playing at 60 FPS provides for smoother movement and animation along with more responsive gameplay. Going back to the Xbox One version of the game afterward is incredibly jarring, showing just how much changes by having a consistently higher frame rate.
The graphics side of Destiny 2 has also seen a major boost, taking advantage of the extra power available from the Xbox Series X. 4K support, higher quality textures, and HDR support all make for a vastly improved visual presentation than veteran players might be used to, even those who had previously played on the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. Everything looks notably sharper and the quality of the environments, characters, and weapons are all impressive - Destiny 2 looks way better on Xbox Series X than it ever has on a console before.
Destiny 2 also has a collection of quality-of-life improvements that, while not earth-shattering, do provide some nice options for players, especially in terms of customization and altering the overall experience. One of these is the FOV slider that is now present in the settings, giving players the opportunity to change how wide of an angle can be seen at any one time - it’s a useful addition that mimics the option available to PC players, allowing the field of view to be put down to 55 degrees but also increased all the way to 105. Not only can this help to prevent motion sickness but it also gives users the choice of being able to have a bigger peripheral vision and take in more of the environment at once.
Next on the list of additions is reduced load times, which have been significantly shortened with the enhanced version of Destiny 2 designed specifically for the Xbox Series X. Players could already take advantage of faster load times simply by playing the backwards compatible Destiny 2 on new consoles but the port appears to have improved them even further. Jumping from one area to the next is now just a matter of waiting 20 seconds or so rather than minutes. In a game that requires so much traveling, this is a very welcome change that really removes one of the most frustrating aspects of playing the title on PS4 or Xbox One.
Other areas are also snappier and more responsive, with the UI taking less time to load in and menus opening and closing faster than ever before. Previously, players might have had to wait a few seconds while the items in the inventory loaded or even to preview what different gear would look like with various shaders. Now, these actions are pretty much instantaneous, which ensures sluggish menuing is a thing of the past. The only real shame is that cross-play between PlayStation and Xbox is not coming until next year, although it is possible to play with others across console generations in the same family.
Destiny 2 is one of the better current-gen ports for the PS5 and Xbox Series X that is currently available. Although every alteration is not necessarily a game-changer, the cumulative effect of the various enhancements transforms the overall package to bring it almost on par with what those playing on high-end PCs might expect out of a title. The faster load times and higher frame rates are the most notable upgrades and they definitely make playing Destiny 2 on Xbox Series X the way to go for most users without access to a high-end PC gaming rig of their own.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.