Crimson Desert Console Gameplay for PS5 Pro finally revealed

It looks like Crimson Desert is dropping a few more things just before the March 19th launch date. Only yesterday we reported that the controversial Denuvo DRM was added to the Steam version of the game. While it won't go well, given the performance issues it's been known to create, we finally got some console gameplay footage of the game.

While fans have been optimistic about the game's graphics and performance, the lack of console footage has many worried about a Cyberpunk 2077-like scenario. Digital Foundry has finally gotten their hands on the console version, and initial reports are looking good. However, it should be noted that it is the PS5 Pro version of the game.

Early signs of Crimson Desert's console version look good

The first thing Digital Foundry noted is that the ray-traced diffuse global lighting, which is the highlight of the PC version, works as intended on the PS5 Pro version as well. All three graphics modes on the PS5 Pro support ray tracing, but it's not perfect.

“The denoiser can sometimes struggle with streaking in high-contrast areas, but it's much less obtrusive than the boiling effect seen in the latest Resident Evil Requiem. Pearl Abyss also picks up the detail by using displacement mapping on a scale I've never seen before to simulate depth in textures, making every stone and brick explode.”

It offers a performance mode, balanced and quality mode, which target 60 fps, 40 fps and 30 fps respectively. While low base resolutions for upscaling have been an issue with recent games, Crimson Desert targets 1080p, 1440p and 4K respectively.

On the flip side, issues were noted with the game's VRR support as there is no support for low frame-rate compensation (LFC). “The game may drop out of the VRR window on the odd occasion, resulting in apparent screen fragmentation. It is this part of the game that I hope to see improved in future patches as there is full LFC support within the PS5 SDK which would resolve this issue.”

“Right now I prefer playing the balanced mode, but if the new PSSR is as efficient as we think it is, base 1080p from the optimal mode can still provide an impressive experience at higher frame rates,” said John Linneman of Digital Foundry. “Beyond that, we've yet to see anything on the base PS5 or Xbox Series consoles. Despite that, the signs look great – and definitely for PS5 Pro owners, Crimson Desert delivers a phenomenal experience.”

Hopefully the game's performance on base consoles isn't too far off.