Pearl Abyss has released a free five-hour trial of Crimson Desert Enhanced on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and whatever progress you make carries over if you later buy the game. According to the developer’s official notice, the trial is open to all Xbox players, with no paid subscription required, while on PlayStation it’s limited to PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe subscribers. Eurogamer first flagged the trial as a surprise drop.
Timing and what’s included
The trial arrives alongside Charting the Unknown, the game’s first paid expansion, which launched on 29 October after a delay. XboxAchievements reports the DLC is priced at $24.99/£19.99 and is out on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC. It adds new stories for Kliff, Damiane and Oongka, camp customisation, ocean exploration, expanded housing, romances and stronghold management. None of that is in the trial, though. Pearl Abyss says the trial covers only the Crimson Desert Enhanced base game, and five hours is unlikely to get you to the expansion content anyway.
The limits are strict. The trial is one use per account, and once you’ve played for five hours it ends and can’t be restarted. That rules out wiping the save and starting over for another five hours. The window is generous on PlayStation but tighter on Xbox. PlayStation Plus Deluxe and Premium subscribers have until 29 October 2027, while Xbox players have until 7 January 2027.
Why now
Eurogamer reports that the game sold more than 6 million copies in its first three months and that publisher revenue is up 419 percent. It also reports that the success earned each Pearl Abyss employee a $3,400 bonus. With numbers like that, a trial looks aimed at the holdouts rather than at building initial momentum.
Those holdouts are looking at a different game from the one that launched in March. Pearl Abyss has spent months patching it, starting with the free Enhanced update that gives the trial its name. Later updates added difficulty levels and new storage items, and patch 1.03.00 brought weapon display options and enhanced raytracing. Anyone who bounced off the launch version has plenty of changes to judge for themselves.
What’s next
Eurogamer reports that a Switch 2 version is in development and that the developer has hinted at multiplayer-focused DLC and a sequel. Pearl Abyss hasn’t given dates for any of them in the material we’ve seen.
Can I restart the trial on a new save to get more time?
No. Pearl Abyss says the trial is limited to one use per account and can’t be restarted once your five hours are up, so use them on a save you’d want to keep.
Does the trial include the Charting the Unknown expansion?
No. The trial covers only the Enhanced base game, so you’d need to buy the DLC separately, and only after you own the full game.
I’m on PlayStation Plus Essential or Extra. Can I play?
Pearl Abyss’s notice names only Premium and Deluxe subscribers on PlayStation. We recommend checking the game’s PlayStation Store page for your account before you download anything.
