A new comparison has revealed how the Xbox Series X and S versions of Crimson Desert shape up against one another. Both Xbox versions of Crimson Desert have 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 did not live up to the pre-release hype. While Crimson Desert‘s world was touted as one of the game’s strong points, it was met with equal criticism for some game design decisions and for the supposed weak narrative. It launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, making full use of the power of these platforms to deliver one of the most visually stunning game worlds to date. How it performs is another matter entirely.
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Crimson Desert: Xbox Series X vs S Performance Compared
Crimson Desert confirmed its console performance pre-release, and the game largely 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 Xbox Series X, players can choose between three performance modes: Performance, Balanced, and Quality. The Performance mode runs at native 1080p, and achieves between 45 FPS and 60 FPS on average. Balanced is 1280p natively, but upscales to 4k, and largely achieves the consistent 40 FPS goal it aims towards. Last up is Quality, which runs at a consistent 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.
Comparatively, 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 players can enjoy native 1080p resolution. Fuzion Xbox Testing notes that the lack of raytracing on both Xbox Series S performance options “results in a less realistic looking game,” and states that the Performance mode “isn’t pretty.” As a result, those who are perfectly fine with a stable 30 FPS should likely opt for the Quality mode on the Xbox Series S version of Crimson Desert.
It seems that overall, all the graphics options on the Xbox Series X and S deliver a fine solid experience for gamers. Naturally, the Xbox Series X wins out comfortably, but players can still have a great time on either version. On other platforms, there have been very few reports of Crimson Desert performance issues, indicating that Pearl Abyss has been able to deliver a well-optimized RPG that still manages to deliver in the visuals department.
Crimson Desert has already sold millions of copies for Pearl Abyss, making it an immediate hit. In the coming weeks and months, players should keep their eyes out for more updates to the game, as the developer looks to take action on much of the early feedback.
- Released
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
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Pearl Abyss
- Publisher(s)
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Pearl Abyss
