Review: Crimson Desert on Xbox Series X Improved by Update – But What’s Up With Series S?
Digital Foundry’s performance review of Crimson Desert reveals a significant divide between Microsoft’s current-generation consoles following a post-launch update. The Xbox Series X delivers performance on par with PlayStation 5’s base version, maintaining a largely similar visual and technical experience. However, Xbox Series S presents a notably more constrained experience, though the outlet notes it remains ultimately viable for players on that platform.
The comparison extends across PlayStation’s ecosystem as well, with the game showing impressive results on PS5 Pro, which features a quality mode running at 30 frames per second with substantial image quality enhancements. Standard PS5 performance has also benefited from post-launch patches that improved the overall experience since the game’s initial release.
The review highlights how Crimson Desert’s performance characteristics vary considerably depending on hardware, suggesting that players’ experience will depend significantly on which platform they choose. The post-launch update appears to have addressed concerns on Xbox Series X, bringing it closer to the PlayStation 5 baseline, though the Series S remains a compromise option despite remaining functional for those on the lower-tier hardware. The stark performance gap between Xbox Series X and Series S underscores the generation’s architectural differences and how demanding modern AAA titles can strain the less powerful of Microsoft’s two current consoles.