Destiny 2 PC will be coming out on the 24th and this is the first time that PC gamers will be able to experience the world of Destiny. The game has different PvE and PvP gameplay modes that make things interesting and while the first game did not have much of a story Destiny 2 improves upon that. The pre-load of the game has started so you can play the game at launch.
The game is well optimized and that is no surprise keeping in mind how it has been designed from the ground up for PC. Having that said the game features uncapped FPS and 4K 60 FPS with HDR. This is something that enthusiasts will be looking into when the game comes out but if you were wondering how you can get the best performance out of your hardware then you have come to the right place.
For a limited time, you can get the game free with the purchase of an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti or GTX 1080. Destiny 2 PC is well optimized and you can play the game if you have a relatively modern GPU and a decent CPU. The requirements of the game are as follows:
Destiny 2 PC Minimum System Requirements
CPU: Intel i3-3250 3.5GHz, Intel Pentium G4560 3.5GHz, AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz, or equivalent
GPU: GeForce GTX 660, or equivalent
RAM: 6GB
OS: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, 64-bit versions only
HDD: 68GB available space required
Destiny 2 PC Recommended System Requirements
CPU: Intel i5-2400 3.4 GHz, i5-7400 3.5 GHz, AMD Ryzen R5 1600X 3.6 GHz, or equivalent
GPU: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, GeForce GTX 970, or equivalent
RAM: 8GB
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended Nvidia Graphics Cards For Destiny 2 PC
There are a couple of recommendations that you should keep in mind when playing the game and these recommendations will give you an idea of where your GPU stands and how well it will perform.
Graphics Card For Destiny 2 At 1080p
At 1080p the recommended GPU is the Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB. The graphics card is able to run Destiny 2 at 1920×1080 with a minimum FPS of 70 and a maximum FPS of 100. The average comes out at about 87.1 FPS which is plenty for steady gameplay. Keep in mind that this is at the highest preset.
If you would rather play at a higher refresh rate rather than a higher resolution then the GTX 1070 is recommended for 1080p gaming at 120 FPS. You will also need higher CPU power as well so keep that in mind.
Graphics Card For Destiny 2 At 1440p
At 1440p the Nvidia GTX 1070 is recommended in order to play Destiny 2 at the highest preset. The founder’s edition should give you 65 FPS but the custom models will be able to deliver better performance. If you are looking to play the game at 1440p 60 FPS then this is the GPU that you need.
At 1440p you will need the Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti in order to get to 120 FPS and here again you will need a powerful CPU.
Graphics Card For Destiny 2 At 4K
The game features uncapped FPS and support for 4K HDR but you will need a powerful GPU in order to get stable 60 FPS. The Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti will be able to get you 50 FPS on the highest preset but turn that down to high and the FPS shoots up to 95. At such a high resolution you might not even be able to tell the difference so it is recommended that you use the High preset instead.
Destiny 2 PC One-Click Optimization
If you are not interested in tinkering around with the settings then with GeForce experience you can optimize Destiny 2 according to your hardware with a single click. The software will choose the optimal settings for you depending on your hardware specifications.
Destiny 2 PC Graphics Settings
There are plenty of options that you can play with, in the game in order to trade off between visuals and performance. You can always choose between the two or balance them out depending on your preference and hardware performance. Destiny 2 graphics settings are as follows:
Anti-Aliasing
Anti-Aliasing takes care of those nasty edges on objects in the game and makes surfaces smoother. At 1080p FXAA tackles aliasing far more proficiently as compared to SMAA but you will note blurred textures and objects in the background.
If you have a GPU that is recommended for the game then you should be fine running the game with SMAA. You can also increase the game internal rendering resolution. This will reduce the blurring of smaller objects and make the game look better overall. The difference is clearer at 4K where you can see that SMAA looks better as compared to FXAA.
This will have a minor effect on the FPS. If you are running the game on older hardware then you might want to switch this option to FXAA or turning it off entirely to get an additional frame or two.
Character Detail Distance
The difference in presets here is minor and you might only notice the difference when zooming in. This setting has no impact on performance no matter how high or low you set it. If you are running the game with a graphics card that is recommended then you can go all out with this setting and even if you have a weaker GPU, it is unlikely that you will be able to get more PFS with the preset turned down in this case.
Depth of Field
Without getting into the dynamics, let me tell you that setting this to high will cost you around 2 FPS and setting this to very high can cost you up to 7 FPS. If you are running older hardware then I would recommend that you turn this down to low or turn it off altogether.
Field of View
This setting allows you to see more of the world and setting this to high or very high will be taxing on your GPU. This setting will have a drastic effect on performance and if you are running the game with weak hardware then you might want to turn this setting down to low.
Having this setting on high will cost you around 11 FPS. Turning the dial down on this would be a good consideration if you have anything less than a GTX 1060.
Foliage Detail Distance
This setting impacts the viewing distance of plants and other greenery. This setting will also be taxing on your GPU and will cost you up to 11 FPS depending on how high you go. If you have a weaker GPU then you might want to turn down the settings on this preset.
Render Resolution
This is another setting that can cost you numerous frames and this setting will cost you a couple of frames depending on how high you set it. If you are going to go all out on this setting then it is recommended that you have a GTX 1080.
Shadow Quality
Shadow Quality can also affect the game by 12 FPS depending on how high you have set it. If you do not have a recommended GPU then it is advised that you keep this setting on low or medium depending on your hardware.
Destiny 2 PC Recommended Settings Summary
If you need a few FPS in order to get to 60 FPS then these settings are what we recommend you use. Using these settings you will be able to get an additional 20 FPS in Destiny 2.
| Setting Name | Recommended Setting | FPS Saved |
| Depth of Field | High | 4 |
| Field of View | 95 Degrees | 2.5 |
| Foliage Detail Distance | Medium | 4.5 |
| Screen Space Ambient Occlusion | HDAO | 5.5 |
| Shadow Quality | High | 4.1 |
| Total | 20.6 |
Let us know what you think about our Destiny 2 PC performance guide and whether or not you are interested in checking out the game on PC.
