Crimson Desert PS5 reviews unlikely, with sites blocked from access before release date

Ahead of the March 19th Crimson Desert release date, there has been a curious lack of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S footage. Criticism prompted Pearl Abyss to claim it wasn’t concealing performance shortcomings. However, shortly before it arrives, a popular tech site still can’t analyze the open-world game on these consoles.

Crimson Desert PS5 performance is a mystery

Gamers rely on Digital Foundry to reveal how demanding games fare on various hardware. It recently posted a mostly encouraging performance review of the title on the PS5 Pro. Still, on Discord, it told followers not to expect footage of the Crimson Desert PS5 or Xbox versions. John Linneman explained that the necessary activation server remained offline.

The site noted how open Pearl Abyss has been, discussing the technical challenges of rendering the massive open world of Pywel. Unusually, it flew a representative to Linneman with a copy of the game on a PS5 Pro. Yet, limited access blocks testing on less powerful consoles.

This update seems to confirm rumors that most Crimson Desert reviews on its release date would be based on the PC version. Gamers recall the Cyberpunk 2077 launch, where CD Projekt Red had neglected the PS4 and Xbox One. The PS5 and Xbox Series X were new to the market, so many players encountered stuttering.

Signs of trouble for console gamers?

It’s unclear how much of an advantage the PS5 Pro has over the less capable systems. Digital Foundry observed that with Performance mode targeting 60 fps and an upscaled 4K, congested scenes sent frame rates below 40 fps. Sony’s flagship hardware also boasts a more effective PSSR upscaler, with an upgraded version already rolling out.

When comparing specs, the PS5 Pro’s GPU is significantly more potent than its cheaper cousin. On the other hand, there isn’t the same dramatic difference between their CPUs. Digital Foundry highlighted how the Pearl Abyss BlackSpace Engine is often less taxing on CPUs than Unreal Engine 5. That could lead to acceptable performance on lower-end PCs and consoles.

It’s still possible that the studio will share more Crimson Desert videos on other platforms. Nevertheless, while Steam pre-orders have been strong, some console gamers had been awaiting reviews.