Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss recently confirmed it has begun research and development for a possible Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game. According to the tech experts at Digital Foundry, the current generation Nintendo console can likely handle the game at 30 FPS with acceptable image quality thanks to NVIDIA DLSS, but it may be similar to The Witcher 3 Switch port, where some changes were required to get the game running on hardware much weaker than the other consoles of the time -PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
As the Xbox Series S is the system closest to the Nintendo Switch 2 in terms of specs, this version of the game serves as a baseline for what to expect on the Nintendo system. "Pearl Abyss has been quite open about PC equivalent settings and it’s like model quality low, texture quality low, shadow quality low, reflection quality minimum, advanced weather effect off, water quality low. Basically, the performance mode on the Series S at 720p, everything is low," the tech experts said in the latest episode of their weekly podcast.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game will likely have to drop the resolution really low to achieve a baseline of 30 FPS. The system, however, can make up for it with NVIDIA DLSS, which is the real advantage the Switch 2 has over the Series S and roughly equivalent handheld gaming systems like the Steam Deck.
The Switch 2 CPU, however, could constitute a real bottleneck for Crimson Desert. "We’ve seen titles that scale fine on the Switch 2 in regards to GPU performance, but then as suddenly as CPU stuff comes around, you kind of hit like a threshold where it can’t go that much faster... you get to places like Bug Hill and there’s not much the developers can do other than stripping NPCs or NPC draw distance."
"The route forward there is simply to reduce the density of NPCs there... it may well be the case that similar to what happened on The Witcher 3 on Switch 1, they actually spent a lot of time optimizing the CPU side of things there just to make it happen," concluded the tech experts. As such, there's a very good chance the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Crimson Desert may have to forego the huge number of NPCs that make the world feel so alive to achieve a 30 FPS framerate, which, given how the game is not a particularly fast-paced experience, should make for an enjoyable experience, especially on the go.
Although reduced visual fidelity compared to other versions of the game will likely affect the experience, I believe Crimson Desert would be more than worth experiencing even with a slightly stripped-down port, as its visuals powered by the Blackspace Engine are only one of the things that make the game compelling. Check out my review to learn why the game developed by Pearl Abyss is such a great experience, even with its flaws, and my guides if you're still struggling as you make your way through Pywel.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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