Fresh PS5 Pro gameplay from Digital Foundry highlights strong performance for Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert, launching March 19, 2026—but a last-minute Denuvo DRM addition on PC has sparked player outrage. A new launch trailer also debuted.
Following its gold status confirmation in January, Pearl Abyss's open-world RPG Crimson Desert is nearing its March 19, 2026 launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, ROG Ally X). On March 12, Digital Foundry published the first console gameplay analysis, focusing on the PS5 Pro version with three modes: optimal (60FPS), balanced (40FPS), and quality (30FPS). All modes hold targets well, with minor drops in large battles described as 'not the norm' by analyst John Linneman. Some PSSR upscaling artifacts were noted, but the team praised the CPU handling, scale, and systems-driven world scaling from high-end PC. Richard Leadbetter noted: "Performance across the three modes is impressive... the high-end PC experience scales well to PS5 Pro."
That same day, the Steam page updated to include Denuvo Anti-tamper DRM (five activations/day limit), announced just a week pre-launch. This drew backlash over potential performance hits, with Steam/Reddit comments like "scummy move" and removals from wishlists. Pearl Abyss assured that Digital Foundry's benchmarks used the final Denuvo build.
A launch trailer showcased Pywel's landscapes, battles, and open world. Base PS5/Xbox performance details remain pending.