With nearly five million copies sold, Pearl Abyss has “started research” for a Crimson Desert Nintendo Switch 2 port

If you’ve been playing Crimson Desert since launch, you’ll know it hasn’t been the smoothest experience. Between plentiful performance issues, bugs, and endless online debate, Pearl Abyss’s RPG is certainly a conversation starter. However, the developer’s rapid patches and responsiveness to feedback are working, with sales approaching the five million mark. Now, in a recent shareholder meeting, the studio addressed whether a Crimson Desert Nintendo Switch 2 version is possible.

As someone who’s been checking out Crimson Desert on PlayStation 5, I’m seriously intrigued to see if it could even run on the Nintendo Switch 2. Despite being released almost a year ago, we’re still in the early stages of seeing how far the handheld can be pushed. Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil Requiem are pretty good benchmarks, though, so it’s certainly possible. According to Yonhap News Agency, Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young says that “since the [Nintendo] Switch [2] still has lower specifications compared to other console devices, there are parts we have to give up on.”

However, plans to bring the RPG to the Nintendo Switch 2 are underway, as he adds, “We have taken an interest and [have] started research and development.” While Pearl Abyss is exploring this option, it isn’t a complete guarantee. In the months since the console launched, acquiring Switch 2 developer kits has proven to be difficult. Studios such as Digital Extremes encountered issues getting hands-on with Nintendo’s tech. In this studio’s case, that problem is resolved, as we’re seeing with the recent launch of Warframe’s Switch 2 port.

On Nintendo’s developer portal, though, it’s another story. “At this time, we are not accepting requests for access to the development environment for Nintendo Switch 2. We will post another announcement when we are ready to begin accepting requests. Thank you for your patience,” the company iterates. If Pearl Abyss is truly intent on getting Crimson Desert on the Switch 2, then it’s likely at least two years away from release, unless progress is further along than we know.

Speaking about the game’s future, Heo expresses that “we will quickly inform shareholders of the achievement of five million units in sales, and our employees will strive to achieve the best results by the end of the year.” The CEO adds that “Crimson Desert has continued to achieve solid results since its launch, recording the number one spot in Steam sales, 240,000 concurrent users, and selling three million copies in just four days.”

Have you been checking out Crimson Desert? Let us know what you think in the Pocket Tactics Discord server.