Sony's Mighty PlayStation 4 Pro Can't Run Destiny 2 At 60 FPS

If you're a Destiny fan who's been dreaming of the day when you'd be able to play Destiny 2 at a smooth 60 frames-per-second, you're going to be hugely disappointed to learn that's not going to happen - unless you play on the PC. #PCMasterRace? Not so fast... 

As baffling as it is, Bungie has admitted that Destiny 2 even on the PlayStation 4 Pro would be hard locked to 30 FPS. This is despite the fact that games like Battlefield 1 look better than the original Destiny, yet manage to exceed 30 FPS on the original PS4. Rocket League? 60 FPS. The just-released Injustice 2? 60 FPS. But Bungie's epic adventure that pulls in millions of fans? A meager 30 FPS.

As someone who bought a PS4 Pro in anticipation of a 60 FPS Destiny 2, this news is a bit disappointing. It seems likely that Bungie doesn't want the game to run beyond 30 FPS on the PS4 Pro simply because the original system (and Xbox One) wouldn't be able to exceed 30 FPS. Given Destiny can be a competitive game, 30 vs. 60 FPS matters.

Bungie's excuse is that the Pro's CPU is simply not powerful enough to run the new adventure at 60 FPS, given all of the physics demanding resources. But again, when Battlefield 1 looks better than the original Destiny and runs at up to 60 FPS on the original PS4 (which can involve matches with dozens of players), we have to call bollocks on that. As we've seen on the PC, developers can utilize the GPU for physics as well, and in some cases, that's the better choice.

Some of our skepticism would melt away if Bungie decided to release a 60 FPS version on Project Scorpio, which is roughly 50% more powerful (graphics-wise) than the PS4 Pro. But let's be honest: Destiny 2 doesn't look hugely different from the original. In fact, it looks like the same game, just with some graphical upgrades. Graphics upgrades which could be sacrificed on the original PS4 and Xbox One in order to hit that lucrative 60 FPS. 

Here's another thing to consider: Bungie has made it evident that in all likeliness, the PC version of Destiny 2 will not be releasing at the same time as the PS4 and Xbox versions. At this point in time, we don't know why that's the case, but given the fact that the PC version is unlocked as far as framerates go (and will support PC niceties like ultrawide monitors), and the console versions are locked - and the fact that Sony is locked into a partnership to launch exclusive content - it's not outside the realm of reason to believe that the delay could be deliberate.

WTF?

Deliberate or not, it would be really unfortunate for PC gamers to not be able to start their Destiny 2 adventure at the same time as everyone else. Hopefully the delay wouldn't extend to a point where PC gamers miss the launch of the game's first DLC, but it would be frustrating for PC gamers to endure the deluge of information to hit the web after launch and not be able to jump in and discover it for themselves.

There's so much hype around Destiny 2, it's the kind that makes other developers and publishers jealous. But at the same time, Bungie seems to be shooting itself in the foot, or at least is willing to anger a big portion of its fanbase. Gamers wanted 60 FPS in Destiny and never got it, and many just assumed 60 FPS would be a given in Destiny 2. It's a sour situation all-around.