Destiny 2 beta for PS4, Xbox One, PC and pre-orders: how to redeem codes, start times, and more

By Brenna Hillier

Destiny 2 offers players on all platforms a chance to try out the second shared-worlds shooter – and incidentally test Bungie’s network infrastructure, which the studio worries may melt under launch demand.

The Destiny 2 beta kicks off on PS4 and Xbox One next week, with first access going to PS4 pre-orders or early access codes.

When you can begin playing the Destiny 2 beta depends on platform and whether you’ve pre-ordered, so consult the information below to get the times relevant to your situation.

We’ve listed the Destiny 2 beta start times in PT, which is Bungie’s own timezone and the one it always refers to. If you click the time links in the Destiny 2 start times details below, you’ll open a new tab showing the exact time in major cities in every time zone with daylight savings differences accounted for, making it easy to be certain you’ve got the correct information for your region.

Activision Blizzard sent along the time and dates for the Destiny 2 beta during E3 2017, so we had all the details you’re after well in advance. No excuses for not having booked time off or planned a sickie!

Destiny 2 beta end times

Bungie and Activision Blizzard have not yet confirmed exact end times for the Destiny 2 beta. However, we do know the Destiny 2 console beta is scheduled to end on July 23, US time.

The first Destiny beta was extended and expanded after its initial success, so keep your fingers crossed the Destiny 2 beta end time will be pushed back, too. With any luck we’ll get another few days out of it, although at six days we’re already looking at a pretty generous amount of time. You should have plenty of opportunity to see and do everything in the initial offering by then. Speaking of which…

Destiny 2 beta download size

The download size for the PS4 beta is 15GB, and 13GB on Xbox One. On Xbox One, you only need to free up 13GB, but on PS4, you’ll need at least 30GB of free space. This is needed for the download to start, after which the system should automatically release the remaining space.

Destiny 2 beta content

Having initially only vaguely sketched out its plans, Bungie revealed the full Destiny 2 beta content two weeks before kick off.

Playing solo or in co-op, Destiny 2 beta testers can try out the Homecoming mission shown at the Destiny 2 reveal event, matchmake or group up for the Inverted Spire strike, and check out two Crucible (PvP) modes, Countdown and Control, on two maps, Midtown and Endless Vale.

Here are the full details from Activision:

The strike, and both Crucible modes support matchmaking, but the story mission is only playable in single-player.

Destiny 2 went down for extended maintenance a few weeks before the Destiny 2 beta. Since we know there will be no major updates to Destiny moving forward, this suggests Bungie is preparing its technology for the onslaught.

We expected to see a few more busts of downtime before the beta, and indeed Bungie has announced another outage on July 13 – this time for two hours between 8:00am PT and 10:00 PT. We may see further windows of Destiny downtime before the Destiny 2 beta kicks off – and almost certainly a few after it closes.

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Destiny 2 beta code redemption

There’s been some confusion around Destiny 2 beta codes. Here’s the deal:

  1. If you pre-ordered Destiny 2, you should receive a beta code before the test kicks off. If not, reach out to your retailer!
  2. Log into (or join) Bungie.net with your console ID and use the menu in the top right to find the code redemption screen.
  3. If you are not redirected, open your profile via the menu in the top right. Look for the Codes section in the menu along the top of your profile.
  4. Once on the Codes screen, you’ll see a section devoted to the Destiny 2 beta. Select your platform and region, and you’ll be given a console network code.
    • Note: if you live in Australia, New Zealand or another PAL territory and are playing on PS4, be sure to select “Europe” when choosing your region.
  5. Redeem your consoel code on the PlayStation Store or Xbox Live Marketplace
  6. Download the Destiny 2 beta

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Destiny 2 beta known issues

Bungie released a list of problems that you may encounter in the beta. It’s not a big list, but it’s worth taking a look at.

When announcing the Destiny 2 beta times and dates during E3 2017, Activision Blizzard also confirmed Destiny 2 releases September 6 on PS4 and Xbox One, two days earlier than anticipated. The PC version of Destiny 2 will release on October 24, the publisher added.

As ever, our Destiny 2 guide is freely available if you want to learn more about Bungie’s next big thing. It’s got subclass guides for the four we’ve seen so far, details on Exotics, and explanations of the new ammo and weapon systems. Bone up before the Destiny 2 beta.

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