Crimson Desert has officially gone free-to-play to celebrate the successful launch of its new DLC expansion
The 2026 Game of the Year contender released Charting the Abyss on October 29, adding a whole new area to the game’s already absurdly large map.
Crimson Desert It’s not my cup of tea by any means, but to give credit where it’s due, Pearl Abyss has done a remarkable job with the game’s open world. It’s huge, it’s beautiful, and there seems to be just enough to do if you’re willing to put in the hours.
Its open-world scale is a double-edged sword, however. As impressive as that is, its size was just too much for me with all the other AAAs we’ve had this year; the same goes for other players.
Luckily, if you don’t want to buy a 250+ hour RPG at full price without knowing if you’ll like it first, a five-hour free trial is now available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
How to play Crimson Desert for free on PlayStation and Xbox
Accessing the free trial is simple, but Xbox users will have an easier time.
For PlayStation users, you need a valid PlayStation Plus subscription to play it, while Xbox owners can just play it directly.
Five hours should be enough to determine if the game is right for you, and you’ll also get the most out of it because the playable version is the Enhanced Enhanced Edition.
If you enjoy your time with the game and purchase it, your progress from the trial version will carry over to the full game, so you won’t have to start over. This is a godsend because the early parts of the game can be quite tutorial heavy and you won’t want to play them again.
There are, however, some limitations for the demo. For starters, you can’t replay it endlessly. Once you reach your five year mark, you will either have to abandon the game completely or purchase the full version to continue playing.
It also does not include access to the Charting the Unknown DLC. It’s not a big deal, to be honest, since it’s endgame content anyway. You wouldn’t want to play it for your first five hours.
Overall, this is an excellent and generous taster of Pearl Abyss. Plus, you have plenty of time to play it, as the free trial will be available until next year.
PlayStation users can access it from the time of writing until October 27, 2027, while Xbox users have much less time. Their trial will disappear on January 7, 2027.
Crimson Desert is definitely one of the best games to launch this year, and while it’s an easy contender for game of the year, it still has some strong competition. The Game Awards 2026 is going to be an interesting spectacle.
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