This article was updated by Andrea Trama on March 14, 2026, with news regarding Crimson Desert's day one update and crosssave. It was first published on March 13.
It seems like early copies of the highly anticipated action-adventure game Crimson Desert is already out in the wild ahead of its official launch on March 19, but attempts to pre-launch the game have revealed a rather unexpected limitation with the physical version. According to a report by PushSquare, players planning to purchase a physical copy of the game will still need an internet connection to fully install it, as it cannot be run directly from the disc. Instead, a mandatory day one update must be downloaded first Crimson Desert can be launched at all.
The reason seems to be that the game requires so much storage that the disc likely can't hold it all. In fact, just over 60% of the game's data is reported to be copied from the disc itself, but players will still need to download an additional 48GB update on Crimson Desertlaunch, bringing the total installation much closer to the roughly 150GB of space expected for the PC version of the game.
Every feature confirmed for Crimson Desert so far
Crimson Desert is a huge game, and while the features confirmed so far are only a fraction of everything it offers, it's still an extensive list.
Crimson Desert's massive file size leaves its physical version in an odd place
While all of this may sound a little unusual, it's actually becoming increasingly common for modern AAA releases. Massive open world games that Crimson Desert now regularly exceed 100GB in total installation size, posing a significant challenge to disk storage limitations. In the case of Crimson Desert Specifically, early installation footage shows that the disc only copies around 76-77GB of data, allowing a decent-sized portion of the game to be downloaded separately before it can be run.
This was confirmed in a recent FAQ post by Pearl Abyss, which confirms that a Day-1 update must be downloaded and that an internet connection will be required for all future updates, despite the game being playable offline. Cross saves are confirmed to be unavailable for the game as well.
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What this means for Crimson Desert Physical Copy owners
- MANDATORY DOWNLOAD DAY ONE – The physical console release cannot be launched without first installing a major update.
- THE DISC ONLY CONTAINS PART OF THE GAME – Early installs show roughly 76-77GB copied from Blu-ray, meaning a large portion of the game still needs to be downloaded.
- APPROXIMATELY 48GB EXTRA REQUIRED – Players must download an additional 48GB update on launch day to complete the installation.
- THE WHOLE GAME IS MASSIVE – The total installation size is expected to approach 150GB, similar to the PC version's storage requirements.
- OFFLINE PLAY IS STILL POSSIBLE – After the initial update and installation, the game can reportedly be played without the need to be connected to the internet.
The question may be asked, “Why wouldn't Pearl Abyss just ship the game with multiple discs instead?” After all, some publishers still make especially large open world games that Crimson Desertalthough it is quite uncommon these days. But from a logistical standpoint, it's much easier for manufacturing and distribution to ship a disc with as much data on it as possible and then require an update to complete the installation. The downside, however, is that this means that the physical copy alone does not contain a fully playable build of the game.
For some players, it may not matter that much. Most modern consoles are connected to the internet anyway, and day one patches are basically routine at this point. As such, for anyone unaware of the ongoing conversation surrounding issues like this, there will likely be nothing more than a bit of dirt on the shoulder that can be easily brushed off. Plus, once the required update has been downloaded and installed, Crimson Desert can reportedly be played offline without having to be connected to servers afterwards, meaning the internet requirement only affects the initial installation of the game.
Massive open world games that Crimson Desert now regularly exceed 100GB in total installation size, posing a significant challenge to disk storage limitations.
Still, for others—especially collectors and conservation advocates—situations like this raise some concerns. One of the biggest appeals of physical game copies has traditionally been the idea that a game could remain playable indefinitely without relying on digital storefronts or online services, some of which even require a subscription. When a disc can't start the game on its own, that sense of permanence becomes harder to guarantee and the line between ownership and leasing begins to blur.
In the end, the situation is with Crimson Desert shines a bright light on the limitations of physical media. Game discs can only hold up to a certain amount of data, and with how big games are getting these days, physical copies are having a hard time keeping up. For gamers who treat physical copies of games as little more than a convenient way to install them, this may seem like a fairly minor trade-off, but for those who see discs as a means of protecting their ownership in the long term, cases like Crimson Desert serve as another reminder that the definition of a full physical release continues to evolve.
- Released
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, drug reference, intense violence, strong language
- Developer
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Pearl Abyss
- Publisher
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Pearl Abyss
