If the wait for Destiny seems unbearable, Xbox One owners may not want to know that they can download the game starting now. Activision today enabled Destiny Xbox One pre-loading for those who order the game digitally from the Xbox Store.
There are a couple of nuances worth noting, one of which is odd. The Destiny release date isn’t until Sept. 9, so although Destiny Xbox One pre-loading is available now, you won’t be able to play the game until midnight. That’s understandable.
However, that release date timing is also where East Coast gamers might feel a bit rubbed. If anyone on the East Coast pre-orders the game from the Xbox Store and begins the Destiny pre-loading right now, they won’t be able to play Destiny at its midnight launch. Instead, they have to wait until 3am.
Apparently this is also the case for PS4 owners who choose to pre-order and pre-load Destiny. So, while a bit odd, it does not indicate any bias or favoritism for one console or the other.
According to the Destiny pre-order info as shown on the Xbox One interface, “Xbox One game expected to release on 9/9/2014. You may download the game from Xbox Live before then, but it will not be playable until 12:01am PDT / 3:01am EDT on the release date.”
The timing difference is a bit odd. Normally “midnight” is “midnight” regardless of time zone. In this case, someone in New York City who pre-loads Destiny will have to wait three additional hours while their neighbors across the hall play the game immediately upon returning from their midnight launch party.
The fact that Destiny Xbox One pre-loading is available at all is somewhat surprising. Originally Xbox One pre-loading was scheduled to launch with FIFA 15 and Forza Horizon 2, both of which hit in late September. The pre-loading function was eventually moved up to the release of Madden NFL 15, which hit this week.
Hearing Destiny has been added to the list is great news, albeit news with a weird timing glitch for East Coast gamers — or any gamer not on the West Coast, for that matter.
If you’re curious how Destiny pre-loading works on Xbox One, here’s what the interface says. “Once purchase is complete, download this game by selecting the ‘Manage’ button on the product details page on your console.”
Again, the download will begin immediately, though it won’t be playable until the appropriate time on Sept. 9.