‘The Series S Version Can’t Be Readily Recommended’ - Digital Foundry Reviews Crimson Desert On Xbox
Digital Foundry has published their technical review of Crimson Desert across Xbox platforms, revealing significant performance challenges—particularly for Xbox Series S. The Pearl Abyss RPG demonstrates mixed results, with the Series S struggling to maintain consistent frame rates despite optimization efforts by the developers.
The Series S offers two rendering modes: a Quality preset targeting 30fps and a Performance mode capped at 40fps for 120Hz displays. To achieve these targets, developers made substantial compromises to visual fidelity and detail. While Digital Foundry stops short of calling the Series S version unplayable, the analysis comes close to that conclusion, instead describing it as “still ultimately viable” as a playable option—particularly when using the more conservative Quality mode.
The review suggests that Series S owners seeking a functional experience should prioritize the Quality mode over Performance, despite the frame rate trade-off. This assessment reflects the broader challenge Pearl Abyss faces in scaling their RPG to Microsoft’s less powerful current-generation console while maintaining a playable experience across the Xbox lineup.