Digital Foundry Reviews Crimson Desert on PS5 Pro: Initial Impressions and Analysis

After a period of anticipation, a video review showcasing how the game Crimson Desert performs on a console has emerged, specifically featuring the PS5 Pro version.

Following recent statements from Pearl Abyss regarding their intention to fully utilize Sony's most powerful console and its enhanced PSSR upscaler, the Digital Foundry team, upon gaining early access to the console version, primarily focused on evaluating the game's performance on the PS5 Pro.

The build provided to journalists, while not final, is very close to the release version. Analysts observed some glitches, minor visual imperfections, and denoiser issues in high-contrast scenes. However, it was noted that these problems are less pronounced than those found in Resident Evil Requiem. Importantly, the tested build utilized the first iteration of PSSR technology.

Nevertheless, ray tracing, implemented across all three graphical modes, is already a key factor contributing to the truly impressive visual fidelity of Crimson Desert on PS5 Pro. The collaboration between Pearl Abyss and Sony has resulted in a game boasting high-quality graphics and stable performance.

The "Quality" mode (30 frames per second) and "Balanced" mode (40 frames per second) offer more stable frame rates. Performance exceeding 60 frames per second is primarily achieved on displays supporting Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which the game already supports.

According to Digital Foundry experts, achieving a stable 60 frames per second even on the PS5 Pro remains challenging due to CPU limitations, which act as a bottleneck even after its overclocking. Nevertheless, journalists expressed admiration for Pearl Abyss's accomplishments with their proprietary engine and eagerly anticipate the implementation of PSSR 2.0, which they predict will significantly enhance the game's experience.