System requirements

Overview

Crimson Desert's PC requirements are relatively modest on the GPU side for a 2026 AAA release. A GTX 1060 gets you in the door, and an RTX 2080 hits the recommended tier. The bigger asks are the 16 GB RAM floor (no 8 GB option) and the 135 GB SSD storage requirement. An SSD is listed as required, not optional -- this is a loading-speed dependency, not a suggestion.

The game runs on the BlackSpace Engine, Pearl Abyss's proprietary engine. DirectX 12 is required for both tiers. The game also supports Mac at launch.

Minimum requirements

The minimum spec targets 1080p at lower settings. The Ryzen 5 2600X is a 2018 CPU and the GTX 1060 dates to 2016, so the entry bar is low on the processing side. The 16 GB RAM minimum is the main potential upgrade cost for anyone running an older system with 8 GB.

Recommended requirements

The recommended spec targets higher settings at 1080p or potentially 1440p. The RTX 2080 is a 2018 card and the Ryzen 5 5600 is a 2022 CPU. RAM stays at 16 GB for both tiers, which is unusual -- most games that require 16 GB minimum recommend 32 GB. Pearl Abyss apparently optimized memory usage enough that 16 GB handles both tiers.

Storage

The 135 GB SSD requirement is the standout number. An SSD is required, not recommended. Given that Pywel is a seamless open world with no loading screens between regions, fast storage access is likely necessary for the streaming system to keep up with traversal speed -- especially gliding and dragon flight.

PCGamesN noted in their system requirements breakdown that the download size is "another matter" beyond the modest GPU requirements. Budget for at least 135 GB of SSD space, and potentially more with future updates.

GPU context

For a game powered by a next-gen proprietary engine with real-time atmospheric scattering, dynamic weather, and volumetric lighting, asking for a GTX 1060 minimum is lenient. The likely explanation is scalable settings: the BlackSpace Engine appears to have a wide quality range, with lower presets stripping back the more expensive visual effects while keeping the core game functional.

Ray tracing and path tracing are confirmed. In May 2025, Pearl Abyss announced that Crimson Desert will launch with DLSS 4, ray tracing, and path tracing support on Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs. AMD's Ray Regeneration technology is also supported. The recommended RTX 2080 predates these features, so ray tracing likely requires higher-end hardware than the listed recommended spec.

Console and Mac

Crimson Desert launches simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Mac. Console versions do not have user-configurable hardware requirements. The Mac version was confirmed alongside the State of Play release date announcement in September 2025. Specific Mac hardware requirements have not been published separately.

Comparison

For reference, here is how Crimson Desert's recommended GPU compares to other open-world games from the same era:

The recommended spec falls on the lower end for a AAA open-world game, which may reflect Pearl Abyss's experience optimizing large-scale world rendering from over a decade of Black Desert Online development.

See also

• BlackSpace Engine -- The engine powering the game

• Development History -- Full development timeline