Pre-Order and Edition Content

Overview

Crimson Desert launched on March 19, 2026, across six distinct retail editions spanning physical and digital formats. Pre-order bonuses and edition-exclusive items are entirely cosmetic, providing no gameplay advantages. Pearl Abyss has confirmed that Crimson Desert will have zero microtransactions at launch, and any future DLC will be substantial paid expansions rather than small cosmetic purchases. Physical distribution is handled by Plaion (formerly Koch Media/Deep Silver).

All pre-order items and edition bonuses are visual variants of equipment types found in-game. They do not provide stat boosts, unique abilities, or any competitive edge over gear obtained through normal gameplay.

Editions and Pricing

Crimson Desert is available in six editions across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, and Mac App Store). The macOS version launched day one alongside console and PC versions, requiring Apple M1 or later.

The Day-One Edition and SteelBook Edition are PS5-only physical releases at the standard $69.99 price point. The SteelBook Edition includes a collectible metal game case. The Physical Deluxe Edition is also PS5-only and costs $89.99, bundling the Deluxe Pack with physical bonus items. The Collector's Edition is a limited-run physical release available for both PS5 and Xbox Series X exclusively through Amazon.

Pre-Order Bonus

All pre-orders, regardless of edition or platform, include the Khaled Shield, a cosmetic shield skin. The Khaled Shield is exclusive to pre-orders and is not available through any post-launch purchase. This applies to PS5, Xbox, and PC pre-orders. The Mac edition does not have a listed pre-order bonus.

PlayStation 5 Exclusive

The PS5 version of Crimson Desert includes the Grotevant Plate Set, a cosmetic armor set exclusive to the PlayStation 5 platform. This set is included with all PS5 editions: Day-One, SteelBook, Physical Deluxe, Collector's, Standard Digital, and Digital Deluxe. Xbox, PC, and Mac players do not receive this set.

The Grotevant Plate Set consists of five individual armor pieces.

Unlike the Khaled Shield pre-order bonus, the Grotevant Plate Set is not limited to pre-orders. It is included with every PS5 copy of Crimson Desert, whether purchased at launch or later.

How to Claim Items In-Game

All bonus items from the Deluxe Pack, the Khaled Shield pre-order bonus, the Grotevant Plate Set (PS5 exclusive), and Twitch Drops can be claimed through the in-game Add-Ons menu. Items do not appear in your inventory automatically; you must manually redeem them.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open the Pause Menu by pressing ESC (PC), the Options button (PS5), or the Menu button (Xbox).

2. Navigate to the Others section. You can also hold the Pause button to open a quick-access list and jump directly to Others.

3. Select the Options subsection within Others.

4. Choose Add-Ons from the menu that appears.

5. A list of all receivable items will be displayed. Select each item and press the corresponding confirm button for your platform to claim it.

Once claimed, items will either be placed directly into your inventory or transferred to a Supply Chest. If the items appear in your Supply Chest rather than your inventory, you will need to visit a physical Supply Chest location in the open world to move them into your personal inventory.

Known Issues at Launch

During the first day after launch, some Steam users reported that their pre-order and Deluxe Pack items were not appearing in the Add-Ons menu. Pearl Abyss acknowledged the issue and released a fix. Affected players were instructed to restart their game, after which the items appeared correctly in the Add-Ons menu. This issue has been fully resolved.

Deluxe Pack

The Deluxe Pack is included with the Physical Deluxe Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. It contains three cosmetic item sets covering shield, armor, and horse tack skins.

The Deluxe Pack is available as a separate purchase after launch for $12.99 USD on all digital storefronts (Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store). When bundled as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition, the effective cost of the Deluxe Pack is $10 USD (the $10 difference between the $69.99 Standard and $79.99 Deluxe editions). Players who initially buy the Standard Edition can upgrade to Deluxe Pack content later without repurchasing the full game.

Kairos Plate Armor Set

The Kairos Plate Armor Set can only be equipped by Kliff, the game's protagonist. The set features a distinctive gold-plated design with red accents on the tassets, helm plume, and cloak. The Balgran Shield included in the Deluxe Pack carries the visage of a wolf on its face.

The Kairos set's stats appear to automatically scale based on player progression, so the gear is not always a strict upgrade over other options found through normal gameplay. The most notable advantages are the Daze Immunity on the Helm and the higher Attack stat on the Gloves compared to other early game equipment. Players can expect to find comparable or superior gear within the first 5 to 10 hours of play.

Exclaire Horse Tack Set

The Exclaire Horse Tack Set shares the same gold-plated aesthetic as the Kairos Plate Armor, accented with red cloth. Unlike the Kairos armor set, the Exclaire Horse Tack is a strict upgrade over all early horse tack available at the start of the game, providing small bonuses to your mount's stats.

The set provides minor bonuses to Health, Health Regeneration, Attack, and Armor for your mount. While these bonuses are noticeable early in the game, they are small and will likely be outclassed by horse tack obtained through later gameplay progression.

Ultimate Pack

The Ultimate Pack is included exclusively with the Collector's Edition. It contains five cosmetic items, including named weapon skins and equipment. The Ultimate Pack is not available as a separate purchase and cannot be obtained through any other edition or post-launch offering.

Collector's Edition Details

The Collector's Edition ($279.99) is an Amazon exclusive available for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. It is a limited run and Pearl Abyss has confirmed it will not be reprinted once sold out. In addition to the game disc, Deluxe Pack, and Ultimate Pack, it includes physical collectibles.

Platform Breakdown

Each platform has different edition availability and exclusive content. The following subsections detail exactly what is available on each platform.

PlayStation 5

PS5 has the widest selection of editions with six total options across physical and digital formats. PS5 is the only platform with three physical standard-price editions (Day-One, SteelBook, and Standard Digital) plus a physical Deluxe and Collector's. All PS5 editions include the Grotevant Plate Set as a platform exclusive.

Xbox Series X|S

Xbox Series X|S has three available editions. The Collector's Edition is available only for Xbox Series X (not Series S) due to the physical disc requirement. Xbox players do not receive the Grotevant Plate Set.

PC (Steam and Epic Games Store)

PC players can purchase Crimson Desert through Steam or the Epic Games Store. Only digital editions are available on PC. PC players do not receive the Grotevant Plate Set.

Mac (Mac App Store)

The macOS version launched day one via the Mac App Store at $69.99. Only the Digital Standard Edition is available on Mac. There is no Deluxe Edition, no Collector's Edition, and no listed pre-order bonus for the Mac version. Mac players do not receive the Khaled Shield, the Grotevant Plate Set, or any edition-exclusive cosmetics.

The Mac version requires macOS 15.0 or later and an Apple M1 chip or later, with the recommended spec being an M4 Pro processor. The game leverages MetalFX Upscaling and takes advantage of M3 and M4 chip ray tracing capabilities. The Mac App Store listing shows a file size of approximately 168 GB.

Black Desert Crossover Rewards

Players who pre-ordered Crimson Desert (any edition) also received bonus items in Black Desert Online and Black Desert Mobile as part of a cross-game promotion. These rewards were distributed after Crimson Desert's launch on March 19, 2026.

The BDO Ashen Crow barding can be equipped by Arduanatt, Mythical Arduanatt, and Krogdalo mounts, and provides stat bonuses including Skill Learning Chance +10%, Horse Max HP +500, Horse Max Stamina +500, Acceleration +2%, Turn +2%, and Movement Speed +1%.

Edition Comparison

The following table summarizes what is included in each edition across all platforms.

Monetization Policy

Pearl Abyss has been explicit about Crimson Desert's monetization approach. The game is a premium, single-player experience with no microtransactions, no in-game store, and no live-service model at launch. This marks a deliberate departure from the studio's previous title, Black Desert Online, which featured extensive monetization through an in-game cash shop.

Any future content additions would come as paid DLC expansions rather than through incremental microtransaction-based content.

Post-Launch Availability

After the pre-order window closes, the availability of edition-exclusive items changes as follows.