Destiny becomes PS4′s first game to support preloading

With support for preloading added in the PlayStation 4′s 1.70 system update, Destiny will become the first title to officially support the feature.

As part of this week’s PlayStation Store update, the digital version of Destiny for PS4 became available for preorder. The game’s PSN page notes it will be available to play right at 12 a.m. Pacific on September 9, the day of the game’s release, indicating immediate access for the digital version. A PlayStation.com support page states that Destiny will be the first game to support preloading, stating, “Beginning with Destiny, certain preordered titles can be automatically be [sic] preloaded prior to their release.”

Preloading allows you to download a digital game prior to its release. Doing so doesn’t enable you to begin playing ahead of launch, but it does ensure you aren’t stuck waiting for the game to download on launch day. It’s a common feature on PC, but is not yet supported on the Xbox One–something Microsoft hopes to change.

According to the support page, by enabling the Automatic Downloads and Uploads option (located in the System section of the Settings menu), your PS4 will automatically download any games you’ve preordered that support preloading.

Reports emerged in March that preloading on PS4 would become available in April. The functionality was added in the 1.70 system update released at the end of last month, and it was rumored that Watch Dogs, which lands next week, would be the first game to support it.

In addition to being able to preload the game, preordering Destiny through the PlayStation Store will grant access to the Destiny beta, which is scheduled for launch in July and will be available on PlayStation platforms first. Beta access is also available to those who preorder through retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop.

Does the ability to preload have any effect on your decision whether to buy a digital or physical copy of Destiny or other games? Let us know in the comments.

Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX
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