Destiny 2 PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for Destiny 2 lists an Intel Core i3 3250 or Intel Pentium G4560 (or AMD FX-4350) for the processor, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB or GTX 1050 2GB (or AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB) for the graphics card. By our tier comparison, that graphics card sits at the very old entry level, roughly comparable to an AMD Radeon HD 7850, and the processor is also in the old entry band. The minimum asks for 6 GB of RAM and 105 GB of storage, and the publisher does not require an SSD.
The official recommended level calls for an Intel Core i5 2400 or i5 7400 (or AMD Ryzen R5 1600X), and a GeForce GTX 970 4GB or GTX 1060 6GB (or AMD R9 390 8GB). That places it at the older entry level, around an AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB in our comparison. Recommended RAM is 8 GB, and storage remains 105 GB.
The gap between minimum and recommended is mostly about the graphics card and memory. Meeting the recommended tier gives you more headroom for the main scenes and combat, rather than just getting the game to launch. The publisher does not list a higher tier, so how far beyond the recommendation you can push depends on the settings you choose.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players with a tight budget who mainly target 1080p. It pairs an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and 16 GB of RAM. The graphics card clears the official recommended tier, so the game should run comfortably at low to medium settings, though big fights may call for some reductions.
The mainstream build is the choice most players should consider. An NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB or GTX 1660 with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-10400, plus 16 GB of RAM, handles 1080p at medium to high settings well. It is the best starting point for this game and leaves room for upgrades over the next few years.
The high-end build is for players who want high settings, a higher refresh rate, or more demanding effects enabled. Examples include an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i5-12400. Start with 16 GB of RAM and consider 32 GB if you keep many other programs open. The point of this tier is headroom at higher resolutions and quality, not a lower bar for the game itself.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a shooter like this, the settings that usually cost the most are shadows, volumetric lighting and fog, view distance, reflections, and the density of crowds and effects. Shadows and volumetrics stand out in open areas and busy combat, so lower them first. Their visual difference is often less noticeable than their performance cost.
View distance and texture quality mostly affect VRAM use. On a graphics card with 4 GB or 6 GB of memory, pushing textures too high can cause stutter or late texture loading, so a medium-to-high texture setting is a safer choice there. Where possible, keep anti-aliasing and the main material detail intact, since they preserve sharpness.
Upscaling methods such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS work by rendering at a lower internal resolution and reconstructing a higher-resolution image. In general this trades a modest amount of image quality for extra performance headroom. Availability and options depend on the in-game menu and your graphics card, so try them yourself and judge the balance between sharpness and smoothness.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop graphics chips often share a name with desktop parts but deliver noticeably less performance. Reasons include lower power limits, tighter cooling, and large differences in how each manufacturer configures the same chip. When judging whether a laptop meets the recommended tier, check the model's actual power and cooling design rather than the name alone. During long sessions, watch for thermal throttling.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are portable PCs whose performance depends on their built-in integrated or mobile hardware and power settings. These devices usually need lower settings and resolutions, and their built-in performance and power controls are worth using. We have no Steam Deck verification data for this game, so we cannot give a specific compatibility verdict; use general principles to judge it.
Storage and memory
For memory, the official minimum is 6 GB and the recommendation is 8 GB. In practice we suggest at least 16 GB so the system does not run short when a browser or other programs are open. Dual-channel installation, with modules in the matching slots, generally gives steadier memory bandwidth and helps overall smoothness.
For storage, the official figure is 105 GB, but updates may add to that, so leave extra space. An SSD is not officially required, yet it noticeably shortens loading times and scene transitions, which matters most if you often jump back into matches. If your budget is tight, at least install the game on an SSD rather than a mechanical hard drive.
Finally, check that your drive has enough free space before installing, and clear caches and temporary files from time to time so updates and reads stay smooth.