Destiny 2: Beyond Light was not the colossal shift that Destiny needed. Despite enjoyable moments, the expansion did little to push the Destiny universe forward as a proper sequel could have. It was also disappointing to see the next-gen versions delayed. Those versions promised to finally bring the Destiny console experience more in-line with the PC version. Unfortunately, new console owners could only play the game via backwards compatibility. Thankfully, Bungie delivered, releasing a native next-gen version on December 8. After spending a week with Destiny 2 on PS5, it's clear that this is a shift the game sorely needed.

Destiny 2's next-gen optimizations arrive at the perfect time, helping negate some of the most nagging PS4 and Xbox One issues. Excruciating load times and frame rate drops have become more familiar with each passing year as Bungie added more and more to the game. The technical problems have piled up for years, forcing Bungie to sunset large amounts of content, which has been met with rage by paying players. While jumping to next-gen doesn't fix Destiny 2's litany of technical issues, it does alleviate many of them.

Probably the most prominent improvement console players will experience right away is loading. The long load times that punctuated the start of every Destiny 2 play session are dramatically scaled back thanks to the power of the SSDs. While not completely eliminated due to its nature as an online game, load times are no longer painful, lasting about 30 seconds on PS5. Considering it could take nearly 3 minutes to load from boot-up on PS4, this is a considerable change. It's also a breeze to open and navigate menus with everything loading in a snap. For the first time, jumping into Destiny 2 on consoles isn't a long slog.

Hopping into the game, Bungie has done an excellent job updating visuals for next-gen. The game runs at a 4K resolution alongside a whole host of graphical improvements. Combined with Bungie's artistic direction, Destiny 2 looks more alive than it ever has on consoles. The game is visually beautiful alongside its artistic merits.

It's not just the visuals that have gotten a facelift, but also the gameplay experience. Hitting 60 frames-per-second on PS5 and Xbox Series X (S runs at 30fps still), Destiny 2 has never felt so smooth or responsive on consoles. For those who want to take it to the next level, a 120fps mode is available when playing in Crucible. Meanwhile, a new field-of-view slider allows you to adjust the screen's horizontal axis so that your gun doesn't take up so much screen space. Some of these features may have been available on PC since 2017, but this is a real paradigm shift for the Destiny experience on consoles.

Destiny 2 on next-gen consoles is an impressive port that almost feels like a whole new experience. The resolution and visual enhancements, high frame rate, and vastly shorter load times combine to significantly update the game. It's not a solution to the current storytelling, content and loot woes, but it is a substantial leap forward for console owners. While Destiny 2: Beyond Light failed to push the franchise forward in significant leaps, the next-gen ports successfully push the technical boundaries of the game. Hopefully, next year's expansion can deliver the major shift forward that Destiny 2 needs.

Destiny 2's next-gen upgrade is available for free for players who own the game on the corresponding platform (i.e., PS4 to PS5; Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S). All your purchases, including the recently released Beyond Light, transfer over at no extra cost.