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Best Destiny 2 settings for the NVIDIA GTX 970 (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 970 (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), Destiny 2 runs at roughly 66 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 67FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA GTX 970 is a entry-level graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and Destiny 2 is a moderately demanding game. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs well at 1080p — about 66 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings. That already clears a smooth frame rate on High, so our tuning keeps the visuals as high as possible instead of chasing extra frames.

Across resolutions you can expect around 66 FPS at 1080p and 62 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 49 FPS at 4K. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p6766
1440p4062
4K2349
Recommended settings
Texture DetailHighest-1% FPS
Texture sharpness. Destiny 2 is light on VRAM - keep it High or Highest.
Upscaling — FSR75%+0% FPS
Destiny 2 uses a manual render scale rather than DLSS/FSR. Dropping to 85 percent gains frames with minimal sharpness loss.
Shadow QualityHighbaseline
Shadow resolution. Destiny 2 is well-optimised - High is a safe pick.
Ambient OcclusionHBAO+baseline
Soft contact shadows. HDAO is cheaper than HBAO+ for a similar look.
Depth of FieldOnbaseline
Cinematic blur, mostly preference. Many PvP players turn it Off for clarity.
Motion BlurHighbaseline
Camera and weapon motion blur. Off is standard for competitive play.
Texture Anisotropy16xbaseline
Keeps floors and terrain sharp at angles - effectively free, use 16x.
Environment Detail DistanceHighbaseline
How far world detail renders. Mild pop-in when lowered.
Foliage Detail DistanceHighbaseline
How far grass and plants render. An easy saving in dense areas.
Light ShaftsOnbaseline
God-rays through windows and clouds. Cheap; nice atmosphere.
Anti-AliasingTAAbaseline
Edge smoothing. SMAA is sharp and cheap; TAA is cleaner in motion.

⚡ Fine-tune this for your exact CPU & target FPS →

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 970 run Destiny 2? See the verdict →

Destiny 2 on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 970
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 970 get in Destiny 2?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 970 averages around 66 FPS at 1080p in Destiny 2 — up from about 67 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 970 run Destiny 2 at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 970 averages roughly 62 FPS in Destiny 2 — a smooth experience.

What are the best Destiny 2 settings for the NVIDIA GTX 970?

Use a balanced preset, keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Shadow Quality and Ambient Occlusion down a notch. The full per-setting breakdown is above.

FPS figures are estimates from a generalized model (hardware tier × game load × per-setting weights), not live benchmarks — real performance varies by scene, drivers and game version.