How does Crimson Desert really look and run on base PS5?

There's been a lot of talk about how Crimson Desert would perform on a base PS5 after footage of the game running on the console wasn't shared until a few days before launch - and even then the results were inconclusive.

Crimson Desert has since launched across PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC with gamers online split about how the game looks and performs across platforms.

In relation to base PS5 performance, some say the game looks great but others have taken issue with it.

So, how does Crimson Desert really look and run on a base PS5? I've been hands-on with the game on the console and here's what I've made of it so far.

Crimson Desert is one of the best looking games out there - but how does it look on base PS5? /Pearl Abyss

According to Pearl Abyss, on a base PS5, the game is aimed to run at 1080p resolution with a target of 60fps (frames per second) with low raytracing in performance mode and an upscaled 4K resolution at 30fps with high raytracing in quality.

And, in all fairness, it seems to achieve those aims - but there's a lot more to it than that.

The game defaults to balanced mode which seems to target an upscaled 4K at around 40fps. However, my TV is 60hZ so I actually found balanced and quality modes to be pretty much identical.

So here, we'll be comparing quality and performance modes.

Crimson Desert running on a base PS5 in quality mode / Pearl Abyss

Starting with quality, as you can see in the screenshot above, Crimson Desert looks really sharp and crisp. It runs at a pretty consistent 30fps, even in dense areas and when there's a lot going on screen.

Crimson Desert running on a base PS5 in performance mode / Pearl Abyss

Compare that to the screen above and performance mode vastly drops that sharpness. Colours and lighting are nowhere near as strong either.

To note, 60fps is met the majority of the time with the occasional drop in dense areas or when there's a lot happening on screen. Texture pop-ins are much more frequent here though.

Also, Crimson Desert supports 120hZ TVs but if your screen does not support 4K and 120Hz, turn off 120Hz. To do this, go into PS5 system settings and turn off the 120hZ Output option. You'll need to turn it back on manually for your other games but this seems to stop issues from arising which have been widely posted online.

Now, I'm someone that usually prefers performance mode given the choice - but it feels like a crime to do that with Crimson Desert. It looks so much worse than in quality mode that I will happily put up with the lower frame rate if it means better visuals in this case.

That's because Crimson Desert is nothing short of stunning to look at in all its glory. You're completely robbing yourself of that experience in performance mode.

Better still, if you can, I'd say PC would be your best option for this game. Or perhaps even a PS5 Pro if you'd rather play on a console connected to your TV.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• Crimson Desert review: A game that promised the world and mostly delivered
• Crimson Desert base PS5 gameplay finally revealed ahead of launch

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