Developed and published by Bungie, Destiny 2 is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooting game where the world is as dynamic as the players.
The game was launched in 2017 on the PC, while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X were released in November of 2020.
Despite the game being years old, it still remains in the list of top 10 most played games on Steam. This is because Bungie regularly updates the game with new exciting expansion packs, events, weapons, and balance changes.
Naturally, the game has had a few hiccups with some bugs and issues affecting players from time to time. For example, a recent bug resulted in Xur missing from his intended location.
Having said that, it looks like a new issue is making the game unplayable for many. Lately, many Destiny 2 players are complaining that they are experiencing FPS drop on the PC version of the game.
Gamers say they have tried everything from reinstalling the humongous game to verifying files and updating their graphic drivers, but nothing helps.
It seems that the FPS drop is prevalent in some areas while other areas seem to be just fine. Even people with high-end systems are reporting frame drops, which indicates that the issue lies with the game.
Many say that the FPS drops are getting worse with every update.
Destiny 2 fps drop issue on PC-
If you’re one of the gamers with FPS drop issues while gaming Destiny 2, then here are the things you should do:
Fix 1: Force stop Destiny 2 and reopen it
Before anything else, you have to make sure that the FPS drops aren’t due to a minor technical issue with the game. So try force stopping it first, and then reopen it to see if the drops won’t occur anymore. Here’s how it’s done:
Press the CTRL, ALT and Delete keys at the same time.
Click Task manager.
Look for Destiny 2, click on it and then click the End task button at the lower-left corner of the window.
After that, reopen the game and see if the problem is fixed.
Fix 2: Make sure you have a stable Internet connection
The FPS drop and stuttering can also be due to an unstable or slow Internet connection. After doing the first solution and Destiny 2 continues to have the problem, then make sure to check your Internet connection.
To do so, log on to SpeedTest.net.
Click Go and wait until the test is finished.
Compare the results to your plan. If the Download and Upload speeds are way lower than what you’re supposed to be getting, then try rebooting your router or modem. You may also call your Internet Service Provider if the problem persists.
Fix 3: Try updating your graphics card driver
There are also times when an obsolete graphics card driver will cause problems like this. So after doing the previous solutions and the issue continues, make sure that the drivers on your PC are all updated. Here’s how you update your GPU driver:
Click the Start icon, type “file explorer” and click the File Explorer app.
On the left panel, right-click on This PC and click Properties.
Click Device Manager.
Expand Display adapters, right-click on your GPU and click Update driver.
Click Search automatically for drivers, and wait until your PC finishes the update.
After doing that, try to see if the problem is fixed.
Fix 4: Delete the game’s cache
Corrupted game cache will also result in performance issues. That might be the reason why Destiny 2 has FPS drops. So what you have to do next is to delete its old cache so that it will be replaced with a new one. Here’s how you do that:
Press the Windows and R keys on your keyboard.
Type %appdata% and click OK.
Look for the Bungie folder and double-click it.
Now look for the DestinyPC folder and delete it.
Most of the time, this will fix minor gaming issues, so try running Destiny 2 and see if the problem is fixed.
Fix 5: Verify the integrity of the game files
Lastly, if all else fails, then you have to let the Steam client fix the problem for you. As long as it’s not due to a hardware or connection problem, you should be able to fix it using the client. You simply have to verify the integrity of the game files and the Steam client will fix any issue it can find during the scan. Here’s how you initialize it:
Launch the Steam client.
Navigate to the Library tab, right-click on Destiny 2 and click Properties.
Navigate to Local Files and then click Verify integrity of game files.
Wait until the verification is finished.
That should take care of the Destiny 2 FPS drops and stuttering issues.
How to fix Destiny 2 frame drops? Here are 8 top methods
Method 1: Adjust Video Settings in Destiny 2
For buttery smooth gameplay and higher FPS, you can try the recommended video settings listed below. If you don’t want to change your video settings, you can skip this method and move on to the next one.
Window Mode: Full Screen. Then boundless or windowed screen might offer other benefits, but full screen can help maximize the frames per
Resolution: 1920 x 1080. If you have a 4K monitor, you can increase the resolution a bit, but you will need powerful hardware to make sure it works properly.
Vsync: Off.
Field of View: 60-90. You can adjust the field of view according to your personal preference. You can get some additional peripheral views without sacrificing mid-screen clarity by expanding the value. But for a relatively stable frame rate, you’d better set it to a lower value.
Graphic Quality: Custom.
Anti-Aliasing: SMAA. FXAA might make the game look blurry in some cases. For better gaming experience, you can choose SMAA for the Anti-Aliasing setting.
Screen Space Ambient Occlusion: Off.
Texture Quality: Medium.
Shadow Quality: Lowest. Shadow Quality makes shadows look more realistic but it could influence the
Depth of Field: Off.
Environment Detail Distance: Medium.
Character Detail Distance: Medium.
Foliage Detail Distance: Low. Set this as Low to avoid unnecessary detail to in-game foliage which can affect the performance.
Foliage Shadow Distance: Medium.
Light Shafts: Low. Higher settings could cause frame drops. You can also try Medium if you have frames to spare.
Motion Blur: Off. You can keep this off to maintain clarity while running.
Wind Impulse: Off.
Render Resolution: 100%. Keep this at 100%. Only when you encounter screen tearing or serious frame drops, can you try changing it to 90%.
Chromatic Aberration: Off.
Method 2: Close Unnecessary
Programs
Running multiple programs in the background can interrupt Destiny 2, because some programs might take too many system resources, which could cause Destiny 2 frame drops, game stuttering, or game lags. To solve the problem and improve Destiny 2 performance, you should end the unnecessary programs running in the background.
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager quickly.
Step 2: Under the Processes tab, right-click the program you want to close and select End task.
Step 3: Repeat Step 2 to close all the unwanted programs.
Tip: You can also raise the priority of Destiny 2 to give more resources to your game and improve its performance. You just need to run the game and minimize it. Then open the Task Manager and switch to the Details tab. Right-click the Destiny2.exe and select Set priority > High. After that, click the View menu and change Update speed to High.
Then you can exit Task Manager and restart Destiny 2 to see if the problem has been fixed.
Method 3: Disable Fullscreen
Optimizations
You can also try disabling fullscreen optimizations for your game to improve the performance.
Step 1: Press Win + E to open File Explorer and navigate to the installation folder of your game. By default, it’s in C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Destiny 2.
Tip: If you are using Steam, you can also go to the LIBRARY, right-click Destiny 2, and select Properties. Then select the LOCAL FILES tab and click BROWSE LOCAL FILES to navigate to the target location.
Step 2: Right-click the executable of Destiny 2 and select Properties.
Step 3: Select Compatibility tab and check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
Step 4: Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
Method 4: Update Your Graphics Card Driver
If you are using outdated or corrupted graphics card drivers, you are likely to face low FPS issues. To solve the problem, you need to update the driver. Here are the detailed steps.
Step 1: Press Win + X to open the Start menu. Then select Device Manager.
Step 2: Double-click Display adapters to expand the category.
Step 3: Right-click your graphics card and select the Update driver.
Step 4: In the pop-up window, select Search automatically for updated driver software. Then Windows will search your computer and the Internet for the latest driver software for your graphics card. You just need to follow the onscreen instructions to finish the process.
Tip: You can also visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer or use a professional third-party application to upgrade your graphics card driver.
After installing the latest graphics card driver, you can restart your computer and check if it helps increase FPS for your Destiny 2. If this doesn’t work in your case, you can try the next method.
Method 5: Change Power Options
Another way to solve Destiny 2 FPS drops is to change your power options to High performance plans. You can have a try if you are bothered by the low FPS or Destiny 2 stuttering issue.
Step 1: Press Win + S to open Windows Search utility. Then type control panel and select Control Panel from the search results.
Step 2: Click System and Security category. In the following window, select Power Options.
Step 3: Under Preferred plans section, check High performance. Then click the Change plan settings hyperlink next to the High performance option.
Step 4: In the Edit Plan Settings window, click Change advanced power settings.
Step 5: In the pop-up window, double-click Processor power management. Then set Minimum processor state and Maximum processor state to 100%.
Step 6: Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
Method 6: Change Windows Performance Options
In addition to power options, you might also need to change Windows performance options. You should:
Step 1: Open Control Panel and go to System and Security > System > Advanced system settings.
Step 2: In the System Properties window, click Settings under the Performance section. In the pop-up window, select Adjust for best performance.
Step 3: Click Apply and OK.
Method 7: Clean Temporary Files
To solve Destiny 2 PC frame drops, you are also recommended to clean temporary files stored on your disk. And you need to:
Tip: If you are asked for permissions, just click Continue to agree with it.
Step 1: Press Win + R to invoke Run window. Then type %temp% and click OK.
Step 2: Delete all the files and folders in the Temp folder.
Step 3: Open Run window, type temp in the box, and press Enter. Then delete everything in the pop-up folder.
Step 4: Again, launch Run window. Then input prefetch and click OK. Delete all the files and folders in the Prefetch folder.
Step 5: Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin.
Method 8: Move Your Game Files to an SSD
As for the types of hard drive, HDDs usually run slower than SSDs. If you are using an HDD, you could receive Destiny 2 frame drops. To increase Destiny 2 FPS and improve gaming experience, you can install or move the game to an SSD. You can also upgrade your HDD to an SSD to improve the computer performance.
Option 1: Move Destiny 2 to an SSD via Steam
If you have an external SSD or have installed a second SSD, you can move your game files to it for better gaming experience. Steam allows you to create a new Steam Library folder on another drive to install new games or move the installed games to it. To fix Destiny 2 PC frame drops, you just need to connect your SSD to the PC and follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open Steam and go to Steam Settings.
Step 2: In the left pane, select Downloads. In the right pane, click STEAM LIBRARY FOLDERS.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, select ADD LIBRARY FOLDER. Then choose a location on your SSD and click NEW FOLDER and OK. By default, the new folder will be named SteamLibrary.
Step 4: Highlight the new SteamLibrary folder and click SELECT to continue.
Step 5: Under LIBRARY of Steam, right-click Destiny 2 and select Properties.
Step 6: In the pop-up window, switch to LOCAL FILES tab and click MOVE INSTALL FOLDER. Then select the SteamLibrary folder on your SSD and select MOVE FOLDER to start the moving process.
After that, you can run the game from the SSD and check if you can play it more smoothly.
Option 2: Move Destiny 2 to an SSD via MiniTool Partition Wizard
If you have stored various types of files on the drive where you installed Destiny 2, it’s a good choice to move your game files via Steam, as you don’t need to move other files on the target drive.
But if you have a specific drive to categorize your game files, it should be easier to move them by copying the involved drive to an SSD with a professional third-party program. Here I recommended MiniTool Partition Wizard, a wonderful application for managing and cloning partitions.
Step 1: Download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Step 2: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard and go to its main interface. Then right-click the target drive and select Copy.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, choose an unallocated space on your SSD and click Next.
Step 4: Configure the size and location for the new partition according to your needs, and then click Finish.
Step 5: When you go back to the main interface, click Apply to execute the pending operations.
Option 3: Upgrade Your HDD to SSD
If your HDD has been used for several years or you want to improve the performance of your PC, it should be a wonderful choice to upgrade your hard drive to an SSD. This could also help you fix Destiny 2 FPS drops and Destiny 2 stuttering.
Tip: If you don’t have an SSD, here are some recommended gaming SSDs and you can take them into consideration: The Best SSD for Gaming 2020 - Pick up One Now.
To upgrade your hard drive, you need to connect the SSD to your PC, clone all your data to the SSD with the following steps, and then install it on your PC.
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Tip: To clone your system disk, you need to upgrade the program to the Pro Ultimate edition.
Free Download
Step 2: Click Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, select Option A to clone all the data stored on the hard drive, and then click Next.
Step 4: Select your SSD as the destination disk and click Next to continue.
Step 5: Change the Copy Options and Target Disk layout as your needs. Remember to check Align partitions to 1MB. Then click Next.
Step 6: Click Finish and then Apply.
After cloning your hard drive to the SSD, replace your old HDD with the SSD and boot your PC from the SSD. Then you can feel free to play Destiny 2 without frame drops.
Improper in-game video settings.
Outdated graphics card driver.
Too many programs running in the background.
Improper power options.
Slow HDD.
Is Destiny 2 hard to run?
Actually, it is relatively easy to run Destiny 2. To figure out whether you can play the game on your PC, you just need to check the system requirements and compare them with your PC specs. If the minimum system requirements are met, you can run Destiny 2.
How do I make Destiny 2 run faster?
Adjust video settings in Destiny 2.
Update the graphics card driver.
End background processes.
Change power options.
Clean temporary files.
Move the game to an SSD.
ads