How the Crimson Desert Xbox Series X version compares to the Series S

A new comparison has revealed how the Xbox Series X and S versions of Crimson Desert shape against each other. Both Xbox versions of the Crimson Desert has multiple performance options that players can choose from, but it's now clear how much impact each option has.

Crimson Desert is the latest RPG from Pearl Abyss. The highly anticipated title was met with decent reviews, but perhaps didn't live up to the pre-release hype. While Crimson Deserts world was heralded as one of the game's strengths, it was met with equal criticism for certain game design decisions and for the perceived weak story. Launched on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, it takes full advantage of the power of these platforms to deliver one of the most visually stunning game worlds to date. How it works is another matter entirely.

Crimson Desert players think they've seen the AI in the game

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Crimson Desert players believe they have found an AI painting in the game

Crimson Desert players debate the game's authenticity and discover some bizarre, potentially AI-painted mishaps that have left many in doubt.

Crimson Desert: Xbox Series X vs S Performance Compared

Crimson Desert confirmed its console performance pre-release, and the game pretty much lives up to what Pearl Abyss promised. Testing for the Xbox Series X and S versions of the game was done in two videos by YouTube channel Fuzion Xbox Testing, confirming how each performance mode delivers on Microsoft's consoles. On the Xbox Series X, gamers can choose between three performance modes: Performance, Balanced, and Quality. Performance mode runs at native 1080p and achieves between 45 FPS and 60 FPS on average. Balanced is 1280p native, but upscales to 4k, and pretty much achieves the consistent 40 FPS target it aims for. Last up is Quality, which runs at a consistently locked 30 FPS, at 1440p native resolution upscaled to 4k. The quality mode is notable for having the High raytracing setting enabled, with only Low available on Balanced and Performance.

By comparison, the less powerful Xbox Series S only has two Crimson Desert performance modes to choose from: Performance and Quality. The Performance option locks the resolution at 720p and manages a consistent 40 FPS. Quality drops to a consistent 30 FPS, but gamers can enjoy native 1080p resolution. Fuzion Xbox Testing notes that the lack of ray tracing on both Xbox Series S performance options “results in less realistic gameplay” and states that the Performance mode “isn't pretty.” As a result, those who are perfectly fine with a solid 30 FPS should probably choose the quality mode on the Xbox Series S version of Crimson Desert.

It seems that all the graphics options on the Xbox Series X and S overall provide a good solid experience for gamers. Of course, the Xbox Series X wins comfortably, but gamers can still have a great time on both versions. On other platforms, there have been very few reports of Crimson Desert performance issues, suggesting that Pearl Abyss has been able to deliver a well-optimized RPG that still manages to deliver in the visual department.

Crimson Desert has already sold millions of copies for Pearl Abyss, making it an instant hit. In the coming weeks and months, players should keep their eyes peeled for more updates to the game, as the developer looks to be taking action on much of the early feedback.