Destiny 2 is aiming to be a premier shooter-RPG, but the project’s key creators recently told IGN that the game won’t initially be supporting top-tier hardware like the Xbox One X or high-end graphics effects like HDR. It sounds like something is due in the future, but don’t expect it on day one.
The exact quote arrives from Destiny 2 Project Lead Mark Noseworthy. When asked about how these advanced features relate to the new game, here’s what Noseworthy said.
“As you can see in the D2 Beta, the PS4 Pro is already supporting dynamic 4K resolution. The Xbox One X ships after D2, so we don’t have any announcements for how we’re supporting it right now, but it is something we are interested in. In terms of HDR, we won’t support HDR at D2 console launch. We’re really excited about the feature (I own an HDR TV and want it badly too!) and very much want to see it arrive sometime post-launch. But I can’t promise a date today.”
That statement is pretty direct, so there’s honestly not much to unpack in terms of analysis. Destiny 2 is set to launch about two months before the Xbox One X, so it obviously won’t need to support that console from the start. That being said, it’s no secret that Activision’s extensive partnership with PlayStation is likely compelling Noseworthy to be a bit more coy about the X than he would otherwise be. We already know all console versions of Destiny 2 are locked to 30fps, so the only possible change to the Xbox One X build would be a higher base resolution.
As far as HDR is concerned, it’s a little strange that Destiny 2 doesn’t have support for it yet. Many games have released with those features at launch, so it’s odd that there’s a slight delay for this particular title. Noseworthy was careful to say it won’t be here for the console launch, so maybe it’ll arrive in time for the PC build in late October.
This news was collected as part of a larger AMA to close out Destiny 2’s IGN First promotion throughout the month of July. The rest of the questions, however, aren’t quite as impactful. It was revealed that Destiny 2 won’t have a theater mode or multi-passenger vehicles. Player characters will also be mute for the duration of the game.
For more details on the IGN First reveals, check out our recap of the new Coldheart pre-order exotic, gameplay footage and PvP changes. As we saw during the game’s reveal presentation, it’s clear the sequel’s development team has taken player feedback into account to provide a better experience.
Destiny 2 comes to PS4 and Xbox One Sept. 6 and PC on Oct. 24. Feel free to read our impressions of the open beta right here.
Are you surprised that Bungie has yet to talk about Xbox One X support for Destiny 2? Will you be playing the game on an HDR-ready TV? Tell us in the comments section!
