Crimson Desert Nintendo Switch 2 port is under investigation, says CEO, who admits the port will “have to compromise” on some features for the handheld

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March 27 2026

Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert is an open-world game on a scale that many would assume would be impossible on the Nintendo Switch 2. Nevertheless, Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young has confirmed that the studio is looking to bring the massive open world RPG to Nintendo’s handheld if it can actually be achieved.

Speaking in a recent shareholders meeting reported by Yonhap News Agency and translated by VGC, the CEO confirmed that a Nintendo Switch 2 port is currently under investigation at the studio as the game passes 5 million sales across PC, Xbox, and PS5.

The CEO explained that the game’s potential Switch 2 port would have to skimp on some of the more intense graphical features of its PC and home console counterparts. However, it wasn’t explained what features will likely be cut on the handheld.

“While there are some aspects we have to compromise on because the Switch currently has lower specifications compared to other consoles, we have begun research and development internally with a keen interest,” he replied (via machine translation).

Crimson Desert’s console performance has been a hot topic since the game was shown off on both PC and PlayStation 5 Pro. Prior to launch, base console performance was largely hidden, although performance on the system runs better than expected on the game’s 30fps or 40fps mode on base PS5.

However, via testing by Digital Foundry, Crimson Desert’s 60fps performance mode is “not good” with major performance dips across the game from the maximum target to the mid-30s in some areas. Additionally, as the game’s performance mode targets 1080p with TAA upscaling, it’s also incredibly blurry.

In bringing Crimson Desert to Nintendo Switch 2, we should expect major cuts to texture quality, reflection quality, and likely simulation detail—similar to how Ubisoft brought Assassin’s Creed Shadows to the handheld. However, as the console supports Nvidia’s DLSS, a much better upscaling solution than TAA or FSR, the game might be able to boast some decent image quality on the handheld.

There’s currently no release date for a Nintendo Switch 2 port of Crimson Desert, and Pearl Abyss isn’t fully confident that the game can be ported to the handheld. However, if it is possible, it would be one of the most ambitious ports to Nintendo’s newest platform.

About The Author

Lewis White

Lewis White is a veteran games journalist with over a decade in the field. Starting with beloved Xbox website ICXM/XboxMAD, Lewis became the Gaming Editor at MSPoweruser before becoming the Editor in Chief of StealthOptional and Gfinityesports. Lewis later jumped to By Gamers For Gamers where he jumped to become EIC of VideoGamer and the host of the New VideoGamer Podcast prior to the website’s acquisition.

Over the years, Lewis has also seen long-form investigative pieces published in outlets such as Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, Retro Gamer, Nintendo Life, and EDGE. Now, as the Editor in Chief of FRVR Blog, Lewis strives to bring the same level of quality journalism with interview-led content to the site in both written and audio form with the FRVR Podcast.

With a First Degree BA Hons in Games Journalism and Public Relations, Lewis has been a stable part of the British games press for over a decade, and has frequently displayed his love of Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and other games pretty much everywhere he’s worked. And FRVR is no different.

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