The breakout hit of 2026, Crimson Desert is drawing a lot of attention for its open world gaming, leveraging some fascinating technology in the form of Pearl Abyss’ BlackSpace engine. What immediately grabs you is the range and depth of its systems-based world: every city, hilltop and valley is vividly realised and alive with roaming NPCs, wildlife, guards and more – all interacting to create memorable, emergent moments. All of this is backed by an extensive ray tracing system that’s scalable across all current-gen consoles – with the notable exception of Xbox Series S – something we’ll discuss in our next piece of scheduled content. Due to the sheer scale of the task alongside various title updates, we’ll be confining our testing to PS5 and PS5 Pro here.
Beyond the tech, there are a number of gameplay friction points to highlight. First, prepare for a steep learning curve with the game’s controls, which are often convoluted – particularly in its Zelda: Breath of the Wild-style puzzle segments. There’s also a degree of input lag on the controls, seemingly down to a heavy priority on animation – especially noticeable in combat and when negotiating the various platforming sections. There’s also a somewhat strange loading sequence, where the screen transitions into a cave, forcing protagonist Kliff to walk a considerable distance before reaching the actual save point you selected.
Getting into the presentation proper, both base PS5 and PS5 Pro offer three graphics modes: 60fps performance, 40fps balanced and 30fps quality. There are also separate toggles for 120Hz and v-sync, which better serve VRR support. In 60Hz mode, the 40fps balanced mode actually runs at 30fps instead, effectively serving as a semi-hidden fourth graphics settings. And finally, the March 29th title update added a “fixed 4K output” toggle, using FSR3 to upscale to 4K, fixing the blurriness of the presentation. This is a big deal for base PS5’s performance mode.
Talking on resolution specifics, base PS5’s 60fps performance mode pushes a blurry, native 1080p. There’s no intelligent upscale included at launch for this mode (ie. FSR 3), so the upscale does look rough – and it has a 1080p HUD to boot. Balanced mode runs at a native 1280p instead, while quality mode runs at native 1440p – a clear winner in terms of the quality of the presentation. This latter brace of modes do in fact use FSR3 to upscale to 4K, which is great. It’s easy to recommend the balanced or quality modes over performance in terms of image quality here – it’s a night and day improvement in reconstructing a convincingly sharper 4K frame.
Thankfully developer Pearl Abyss has swooped in to try address the performance mode’s image quality. Prior to the recent patch, the performance mode lacked FSR3 and used a flat, rudimentary upscale from 1080p to 4K. The “fixed 4K output” toggle simply does this: it renders natively at 1080p as usual, but now with an FSR3 upscale to 4K as with PS5’s other two modes. It definitely looks a lot better, but when performance drops from a typical 50-60fps range down to the mid-40s, it’s not a great trade off really – especially when it takes you out of the VRR window. Neither option is particularly compelling then.
The 30fps quality mode looks best, applying the equivalent of PC’s high settings to a majority of its visual features. The biggest improvement comes from model quality, which adds vastly improved displacement mapping, giving elements like the rocks and the soil at Kliff’s feet greater 3D depth. Lighting and RT also improve, with extra bounce lighting in dark, shaded areas. Key elements like foliage density and water quality are fixed at the equivalent of PC’s medium settings, leading to obvious shimmering across water bodies with extra ghosting from the FSR3 upscale. Balanced mode adds some compromises, but it’s your best bet in playing Crimson Desert with the closest thing possible to a consistent 30fps lock.
|
PS5 Perf |
PS5 Pro Perf |
PS5 |
PS5 Pro |
PS5 |
PS5 Pro |
|
|
Model Quality |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Texture Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Shadow Quality |
High |
High |
High |
High |
High |
High |
|
Ray Tracing |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
|
Lighting Quality |
Medium |
High |
Medium |
High |
High |
Ultra |
|
Reflection Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Advanced Weather Effect |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
|
Water Quality |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
Foliage Density |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
Volumetric Fog Quality |
Low |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
Effect Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Simulation Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Post-Processing Effect Quality |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
The performance mode frame-rates we’ve discussed so far account for GPU-limited situations but be prepared for CPU limitations as well. We’ve already talked about “Bug Hill”, an area near Demeniss, that puts you in the middle of a massive battle with ludicrous enemy counts. This is where hopes of a locked 60fps go to die: all three base PS5 modes push identical sub-30fps numbers at the nadir.
Crimson Desert on PS5 Pro takes a leap forward, offering palpable upgrades in every mode – thanks in no small part to the use of the newly upgraded PSSR, which delivers radical image quality upgrades over FSR3. The 60fps mode now targets settings closer to the PS5’s quality mode, while the 30fps mode itself goes further, enjoying ultra-quality RT and lighting quality, rendering at a true, native 4K. Curiously, the balanced and quality modes visibly soften, possibly due to the ultra quality post-processing setting adding a form of lens distortion. The clarity hit is a shame, as even the base PS5’s 1440p/FSR3 presentation can appear cleaner in distant detail, so we’d hope for some kind of option to address this in future patches.
Performance-wise, the Pro’s more powerful GPU makes the 40fps balanced mode the best pick overall, providing a much tighter lock to the frame-rate target than the other options. The 30fps quality is perhaps overly ambitious and doesn’t always lock to its target, making it one to avoid.
The performance mode typically runs with a 10fps advantage over the base PS5 equivalent when CPU isn’t a factor, which makes it a viable option, especially for those with VRR panels. Just remember that at CPU-limited spots like Bug Hill, frame-rate dives to a circa 30fps minimum – and VRR can’t save you here. That said, for VRR users, disabling v-sync on a 120Hz screen is the best way to extract maximum frames: the performance mode can surge up to 105fps, and balanced mode can hit the mid-50s.
Ultimately, the PS5 Pro offers a pathway to stable, great results, particularly in its 40fps middle ground, where the visual spectacle remains intact – something that can’t be said for the base PS5. Between all the base machine’s permutations and toggles, you are constantly lumbered with some unwanted drawback or another. The sheer range of graphics modes is nice to have, but can feel like a compromise versus a fully optimal experience. In this respect, it’s a little disappointing because this fascinating game, built on unique engine tech, which should be something to celebrate. It’s just that the final execution is a little mixed.
We’ll be back soon with more on Crimson Desert – based on data provided by Pearl Abyss, the Xbox Series X version is a match for PS5 in terms of its resolution targets and graphics settings selections, so it’ll be interesting to see if there are any performance changes compared to standard Xbox. And what to make of Series S? We’ll report back on this as soon as we can.
60fps performance mode mode, where you’re typically dealt a blurry, native 1080p. Balanced mode targets 1280p instead, while quality mode runs at native 1440p – a clear winner in terms of the quality of the presentation. This latter brace of modes once again uses FSR3 to upscale to 4K. It’s easy to recommend the balanced or quality modes over performance in terms of image quality – it’s a night and day improvement in reconstructing a convincingly sharper 4K frame.
Prior to the recent patch, the performance mode looked pretty rough, lacking FSR3 and using a flat, rudimentary upscale from 1080p to 4K. The “fixed 4K output” toggle definitely looks a lot better, but when performance drops from a typical 50-60fps range down to the mid-40s, it’s not great – especially when it takes you out of the VRR window. Neither option is particularly compelling then.
The 30fps quality mode looks best, applying the equivalent of PC’s high settings to a majority of its visual features. The biggest improvement comes from model quality, which adds vastly improved displacement mapping, giving elements like the rocks and the soil at Kliff’s feet greater 3D depth. Lighting and RT also improve, with extra bounce lighting in dark, shaded areas. Key elements like foliage density and water quality are fixed at the equivalent of PC’s medium settings, leading to obvious shimmering across water bodies with extra ghosting from the FSR3 upscale. Balanced mode adds some compromises, but it’s your best bet in playing Crimson Desert with the closest thing possible to a consistent 30fps lock.
|
PS5 Perf |
PS5 Pro Perf |
PS5 |
PS5 Pro |
PS5 |
PS5 Pro |
|
|
Model Quality |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Texture Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Shadow Quality |
High |
High |
High |
High |
High |
High |
|
Ray Tracing |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
|
Lighting Quality |
Medium |
High |
Medium |
High |
High |
Ultra |
|
Reflection Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Advanced Weather Effect |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
|
Water Quality |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
Foliage Density |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
Volumetric Fog Quality |
Low |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
|
Effect Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Simulation Quality |
High |
High |
High |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
|
Post-Processing Effect Quality |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
Ultra |
High |
Ultra |
The performance mode frame-rates we’ve discussed so far account for GPU-limited situations but be prepared for CPU limitations as well. We’ve already talked about “Bug Hill”, an area near Demeniss, that puts you in the middle of a massive battle with ludicrous enemy counts. This is where hopes of a locked 60fps go to die: all three base PS5 modes push identical sub-30fps numbers at the nadir.
Crimson Desert on PS5 Pro takes a leap forward, offering palpable upgrades in every mode – thanks in no small part to the use of the newly upgraded PSSR, which delivers radical image quality upgrades over FSR3. The 60fps mode now targets settings closer to the PS5’s quality mode, while the 30fps mode itself goes further, enjoying ultra-quality RT and lighting quality, rendering at a true, native 4K. Curiously, the balanced and quality modes visibly soften, possibly due to the ultra quality post-processing setting adding a form of lens distortion. The clarity hit is a shame, as even the base PS5’s 1440p/FSR3 presentation can appear cleaner in distant detail, so we’d hope for some kind of option to address this in future patches.
Performance-wise, the Pro’s more powerful GPU makes the 40fps balanced mode the best pick overall, providing a much tighter lock to the frame-rate target than the other options. The 30fps quality is perhaps overly ambitious and doesn’t always lock to its target, making it one to avoid.
The performance mode typically runs with a 10fps advantage over the base equivalent when CPU isn’t a factor, which makes it a viable option, especially for those with VRR panels. Just remember that at CPU-limited spots like Bug Hill, frame-rate dives to a circa 30fps minimum – and VRR can’t save you here. That said, for VRR users, disabling v-sync on a 120Hz screen is the best way to extract maximum frames: the performance mode can surge up to 105fps, and balanced mode can hit the mid-50s.
Ultimately, the PS5 Pro offers a pathway to stable, great results, particularly in its 40fps middle ground, where the visual spectacle remains intact – something that can’t be said for the base PS5. Between all its permutations and toggles, you are constantly lumbered with some unwanted drawback or another. The range of graphics mode is nice to have, but can feel like a compromise vs a fully optimal experience. In this respect, it’s a little disappointing because this fascinating game, built on unique engine tech, should be something to celebrate. It’s just that the final execution is a little mixed.
We’ll be back soon with more on Crimson Desert – based on data provided by Pearl Abyss, the Xbox Series X version is a match for PS5 in terms of its resolution targets and graphics settings selections, so it’ll be interesting to see if there are any performance changes compared to standard Xbox. And what to make of Series S? We’ll report back on this as soon as we can.