Key Takeaways
1. Limited gameplay footage for Crimson Desert on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S has led to criticism, but Pearl Abyss claims no performance issues are being hidden.
2. Digital Foundry provided a positive performance review for the PS5 Pro version but noted a lack of footage for the standard PS5 and Xbox versions due to an offline activation server.
3. Pearl Abyss has been transparent about technical challenges related to rendering the game’s expansive world, but limited access has affected testing on less powerful consoles.
4. Many reviews at launch are expected to focus on the PC version, raising concerns among console gamers reminiscent of the Cyberpunk 2077 launch issues.
5. The PS5 Pro has a stronger GPU compared to the standard PS5, but the CPU difference is less significant; the Pearl Abyss BlackSpace Engine may offer better performance on lower-end systems.
Ahead of the March 19th release of Crimson Desert, there has been a surprising absence of gameplay footage for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This led to criticism, which prompted Pearl Abyss to state that they weren’t hiding any performance issues. However, just before the game’s launch, a well-known tech site still was unable to review the open-world game on these consoles.
Digital Foundry’s Insights
Gamers often turn to Digital Foundry for insights on how games perform across different hardware. They recently shared a largely positive performance review of Crimson Desert on the PS5 Pro. Yet, on Discord, they informed followers that there wouldn’t be any footage available for the PS5 or Xbox versions. John Linneman noted that the activation server needed for testing was still offline.
Pearl Abyss’s Openness
The site pointed out how transparent Pearl Abyss has been regarding the technical hurdles of rendering the expansive world of Pywel. Interestingly, they even sent a representative to Linneman with a copy of the game running on a PS5 Pro. Nevertheless, the limited access has hindered testing on less powerful consoles.
Concerns of Console Gamers
This update seems to back up the rumors that most reviews for Crimson Desert on its launch day would focus on the PC version. Many gamers remember the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, where CD Projekt Red overlooked the PS4 and Xbox One. Since the PS5 and Xbox Series X had just hit the market, many players faced stuttering issues.
It’s not very clear how much better the PS5 Pro performs compared to the less capable systems. Digital Foundry noted that with Performance mode aiming for 60 fps and an upscaled 4K, busy scenes caused frame rates to drop below 40 fps. Sony’s top-tier hardware also features a more efficient PSSR upscaler, with an improved version already being released.
Comparing Specs
When looking at specifications, the GPU in the PS5 Pro is much stronger than that of the standard model. However, the difference in their CPUs isn’t as striking. Digital Foundry highlighted that the Pearl Abyss BlackSpace Engine is often less demanding on CPUs compared to Unreal Engine 5. This could result in acceptable performance on lower-end PCs and consoles.
It’s still possible the studio might release more Crimson Desert videos for other platforms. Nevertheless, while Steam pre-orders have been robust, some console gamers are still waiting for reviews.
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