Crimson Desert on PC aims for a generational leap over PS5 and Xbox

The Ultra mode of Pearl Abyss' open-world RPG shows a very notable visual difference compared to console versions.

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The first technical tests of Crimson Desert continue to reveal interesting details before its release. After analyzing the PS5 Pro version, the Digital Foundry team has published a new video focused on the game’s most advanced graphics settings on PC.

The analysis focuses on the Ultra preset, a configuration designed for high-end systems that takes full advantage of the game’s graphics engine.

The Ultra mode on PC offers an experience “on another level”

According to the technical analysis, players with a powerful PC will be able to enjoy a visual experience that clearly surpasses the console versions, to the point where some analysts talk about a “generational leap“ compared to what’s seen on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

Much of this difference is due to new AI-based graphics technologies that improve aspects such as:

• More realistic global illumination

• More precise and stable shadows

• Less visual noise in ray tracing effects

• Scenes with greater depth and detail

These improvements are achieved through advanced ray reconstruction and regeneration systems available on modern NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, allowing for a much cleaner representation of lighting and reflections.

The visual boost also impacts performance

As is typical with such demanding graphics settings, these improvements also come at a performance cost. In tests conducted with high-end hardware, enabling these features can result in a 14% to 24% drop in frame rate.

Still, analysts prefer to wait for the final release to evaluate the game’s actual performance in different configurations.

The highly anticipated action RPG developed by Pearl Abyss will arrive on March 19th for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series, at which point it will be possible to see just how well these technical differences hold up in the game’s final version.