Crimson Desert Console Specs Announced, Bad News for Xbox Fans

Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss has announced specifications for each console version of the game.

I’m usually used to seeing these kinds of charts for PC games, but I guess with how many different console variations and performance targets we have now, it makes sense to release a similar chart for consoles.

The new chart released by Pearl Abyss breaks down different performance modes, and which console will feature these different features. It’s actually a pretty great breakdown, even if there’s one platform which is a clear winner.

As seen in the chart, which I’ve embedded below, Crimson Desert’s Performance Mode targets 1080p, with 60fps and above and low raytracing on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Quality mode, on the other hand, gives upscaled 4K from 1440p and high raytracing, but reduces the framerate to 30fps. A balanced mode is also offered, giving 40 fps and upscaled 4K from 1280p, but also lowering the raytracing and graphical details.

PlayStation 5 Pro And Xbox Series S Will Demonstrate Crimson Desert's True Power

Meanwhile, PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series S also have their own specs too, and it looks like Series S owners are going to be in for a rough time.

PS5 Pro users can expect 4K across all three graphical modes, with native 4K, 30fps, and ‘ultra raytracing’ available on Quality mode, upscaled 4K, 40fps, and high raytracing on Balanced, and upscaled 4K, 60fps, and high raytracing on Performance mode.

Obviously, there’ll be other differences here in terms of exact graphical details, but those are the important things to know regarding PS5 Pro performance.

On the other hand, Xbox Series S only offers two graphical modes: Quality and Performance.

Quality mode gives you 1080p with 30fps, while Performance mode features 720p with 40fps support. Neither mode uses raytracing either.

The weaker hardware of the Xbox Series S proves the true power of Crimson Desert's graphics, as the game seems to be barely be holding it together. I'd be curious to see more performance benchmarks when the game launches later this month.

A bit of a shame to see 720p still being a target in the year of our lord 2026, but Microsoft’s insistence on having parity between both versions of the Xbox Series consoles has led to some issues with console ports in the past.

For example, games like Black Myth: Wukong and Baldur’s Gate 3 had delayed their Xbox releases due to working around the weaker hardware on the Series S.

Still, I suppose a weaker experience on Series S is better than no experience on Xbox at all, but I have to wonder if this is going to continue to be a trend for the Xbox Series S in the future.