- First PS5 Pro gameplay footage of Crimson Desert reveals strong visuals and ray tracing
- Performance mode targets 60fps and generally holds steady with occasional drops
- Three graphics modes include Performance, Balanced, and Quality options
- PS5 and Xbox Series X gameplay footage is still yet to be revealed
After months of speculation and PC focused marketing, the first proper look at Crimson Desert running on PlayStation 5 Pro has arrived. The footage, shared through Digital Foundry’s deep dive preview, offers a detailed look at how Pearl Abyss’s ambitious open-world action adventure performs on Sony’s upgraded console.
With the game launching on March 19 for PC and consoles, many players have been waiting to see whether the visually demanding title could hold up on console hardware. Based on early impressions from the PS5 Pro build, the outlook appears promising.
While not completely flawless, the game’s visual fidelity, lighting systems, and performance modes suggest Pearl Abyss has managed to deliver a technically impressive experience on console.
Ray Tracing and Visual Fidelity Impress
Digital Foundry’s preview highlights the capabilities of Pearl Abyss’s proprietary BlackSpace engine, which powers Crimson Desert’s sprawling world and complex combat sequences. According to the analysis, the engine produces striking results on PS5 Pro, with impressive environmental detail, dynamic lighting, and dense crowd simulations.
One of the biggest highlights is the presence of advanced ray tracing features on the console. The PS5 Pro version includes ray-traced diffuse global illumination, a per-pixel lighting solution that allows the game’s environments to react dynamically to changes in light. This creates more realistic shadows, reflections, and overall scene lighting.
The lighting system, combined with detailed foliage, complex animations, and busy environments, contributes to a world that feels alive and visually rich. Despite some minor rough edges and occasional animation quirks, the overall presentation reportedly remains highly impressive.
Digital Foundry’s John Linneman described the game as visually striking across several technical aspects, including animation, lighting, crowd behaviour, and environmental detail. Even on console hardware, the game manages to retain much of the visual ambition previously seen in PC footage.
Three Graphics Modes Across Consoles
Crimson Desert will launch with three graphics modes across PlayStation and Xbox systems, giving players the option to prioritize performance or visual quality.
Performance mode targets 60 frames per second using an upscaled 4K output. Balanced mode aims for a middle ground at 40 frames per second, while Quality mode focuses on visual fidelity at 30 frames per second with higher rendering resolutions.
The base rendering resolutions vary depending on the mode. Performance mode targets 1080p internally, Balanced mode renders at around 1440p, and Quality mode aims for a native 4K presentation. The lower resolution modes use Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology to upscale the image to 4K output.
Although the version tested by Digital Foundry does not yet use the latest upgraded PSSR implementation, the current results are already considered solid. The newer version of the technology, expected to be added later, could further improve image clarity and reduce visual artefacts.
Performance Mode Mostly Hits 60fps
Performance mode appears to deliver a mostly stable 60fps experience on PS5 Pro, which is encouraging given the scale and complexity of the game. Digital Foundry reports that the mode “puts up a good fight” in maintaining its frame rate target.
In most gameplay scenarios, the frame rate remains close to the 60fps mark. However, there are occasional dips in more demanding situations. Busy cities filled with large numbers of non playable characters can cause minor slowdowns, and large-scale combat encounters may push the frame rate down further.
During one early game battle, the frame rate reportedly dropped significantly, briefly entering the 30fps range. Despite this, these drops appear to be relatively uncommon rather than representative of the overall experience.
Balanced mode at 40fps and Quality mode at 30fps appear more stable by comparison. Some players may prefer Balanced mode in particular, as it offers smoother gameplay than the 30fps option while maintaining stronger visual quality than Performance mode.
Console Versions Still Awaited
While the PS5 Pro preview offers a positive first look at the console build, footage from the standard PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions has not yet been publicly shown.
Digital Foundry notes that CPU performance remains one of the main challenges for console hardware. Modern mid range PC processors have a clear advantage in raw processing power, which could affect scenarios involving large crowds or heavy simulation.
Even so, early signs suggest the console versions are well optimized overall. The preview indicates that the PS5 Pro build performs far better than many players initially feared after months of PC focused promotional footage.
With release only days away, players will soon be able to see how the full console versions perform across different hardware platforms.
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