Destiny 2 system requirements, launch time, controls and app compatibility: everything the PC crowd needs

Destiny 2 is coming to PC, looking more beautiful than ever. When can you play? Will your gaming rig run it? What’s up with it and Discord? We have the details you need.

The Destiny 2 PC beta swayed the hearts of many a fence-sitter by being utterly gorgeous, performing well, and not looking like a half-arsed port – as we are unfortunately all too used to.

As such, we’re all looking forward to seeing the shared-worlds shooter arrive on PC, and have frantically gathered up pertinent details as part of our Destiny 2 guide series. This page should have everything you need to know if you’re thinking of buying in.

Let’s start with Destiny 2’s system requirements, move on to global launch timing, and finish up by detailing Bungie’s approach to third-party communication and capture apps – something streamers in particular will want to check out closely.

If you’re a PC player looking for tips on how to play rather than tech stuff and have arrived here through Google’s confusion, try our intro to levelling up and growing your power in Destiny 2, or our glossary of Destiny 2 Activities. Otherwise? Onwards!

Destiny 2 PC system requirements

While we previously only had access to the beta system requirements and some “guidance” for those planning on upgrading before Destiny 2’s PC release, Bungie ahs recently published full and final system requirements.

Check them out below; there’s nothing too worrying there, especially as we know Destiny 2 scales really well on lower-end PCs, but if you do have something from the upper end of the scale you can look forward to Destiny 2 running in 4K at 60fps.

Destiny 2 minimum PC system requirements

• CPU: Intel
  Intel Core i3-3250 3.5 GHz or Intel Pentium G4560 3.5 GHz
• CPU: AMD
  AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz
• GPU: Nvidia
  Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB or GTX 1050 2GB
• GPU: AMD
  AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
• RAM
  6 GB
• OS
  Windows 7 64-bit or Windows 8.1 64-bit or Windows 10 64-bit
• Storage
  68 GB

Destiny 2 recommended PC system requirements

• CPU: Intel
  Intel Core i5-2400 3.4 GHz or i5 7400 3.5 GHz
• CPU: AMD
  AMD Ryzen R5 1600X 3.6 GHz
• GPU: Nvidia
  Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 4GB or GTX 1060 6GB
• GPU: AMD
  AMD R9 390 8GB
• RAM
  8 GB
• OS
  Windows 10 64-bit
• Storage
  68 GB

Destiny 2 PC global launch times

Bungie has confirmed the PC version of Destiny 2 will release simultaneously around the globe, rather than a staggered release as we saw with consoles.

Destiny 2 goes live on PC at the traditional time of 10am PT on October 24, which works out as 1pm ET/6pm UK/7pm CEST.

Bungie put together a handy visual guide which you can check out above, and supplied a time conversion link for those of you in other timezones.

PC controls, comms, capture and overlays

As you’d damn well hope, the PC version of Destiny 2 supports mouse and keyboard controls. You can absolutely rebind these as you see fit, but Bungie’s default settings anre shown above.

Destiny 2 has built-in communications tools, so even if you don’t have a third-party app set up already you can chat with your fellow Guardian testers. Here are the details:

• /f: fireteam chat (party only)
• /w: whisper (friendslist only)
• T: cycle chat visual modes

By the way, Bungie intends to add a Team channel to chat, similar to voice chat, as well as whispers to clan members – but details on that are forthcoming.

Those of you who do use third-party communications need to be aware of a few limitations, which also pertain to capture and performance tools. Basically, Destiny 2 won’t play nice with overlays – whether they’re related to performance or capture. Bungie has said this is to guard against certain cheating methods.

But hey – there’s good news too. As detailed in the links in the preceding paragraph, Destiny 2 allows you to set an upper frame rate limit or go uncapped – so some of those tools you want to use are built right in, natively.

The links above also give a list of precisely which apps are incompatible, and which modes you can use to avoid triggering Destiny 2’s cheat detection. Most of you probably won’t find it too inconvenient, but if you’re a streamer or YouTuber you’ll definitely want to double check.

Bungie has said that PC players are day one first-class citizens in Destiny 2, which is reassuring. Certainly the settings and options available to PC players look pretty promising.

Destiny 2 will release for PC on October 24.