This article was updated by Andrea Trama on March 14, 2026 with news about Crimson Desert's Day-One update and cross-save. It was first published on March 13.
It looks like early copies of the highly anticipated action-adventure game Crimson Desert It's already out in the wild ahead of its official March 19 launch, but efforts to launch the game ahead of time have revealed an unexpected limitation with the physical version. According to a report by PushSquare, players planning to buy a physical copy of the game will need an internet connection to fully install it, as it cannot be run directly from disc. Instead, the mandatory day-one update must be downloaded first Crimson Desert All can be started.
The reason, it seems, is that the game requires so much storage that the disk can't possibly hold it all. In fact, just over 60% of the game's data has reportedly been copied from the disc, but players will still need to download an additional 48GB update. Crimson Desertbringing the total install very close to the approximately 150GB footprint expected for the PC version of the game.
So far every feature confirmed for Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert is a huge game, and while the features confirmed so far are only a fraction of everything it has to offer, it's still an extensive list.
Crimson Desert's massive file size leaves its physical version in a strange place
While all of this may sound a bit unusual, it's actually becoming increasingly common for modern AAA releases. Like huge open world games Crimson Desert Now routinely exceeds 100GB in total installation size, which poses a significant challenge to disk storage limitations. In the case of Crimson Desert In particular, early installation footage shows the disc copying only around 76-77GB of data, leaving a decent-sized portion of the game to be downloaded separately before running it.
It was confirmed by Pearl Abyss in a recent FAQ post, that a day-one update will be required to download and while the game is playable offline, an internet connection will be required for all future updates. Cross-save has also been confirmed to be unavailable for the game.
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What this means for Crimson Desert physical copy owners
- A must-have day-one download – The physical console version cannot start without installing a major update first.
- The disc only contains part of the game – Initial installs show around 76–77GB copied from Blu-ray, meaning a large portion of the game must still be downloaded.
- About 48GB extra is required – Players must download an additional 48GB update on launch day to complete installation.
- The full game is great – The total installation size is expected to reach 150GB, similar to the PC version's storage requirements.
- Offline play is still possible – After the initial update and installation, the game can be played without the need to stay connected to the Internet.
The question may be asked, “Why doesn't Pearl Abyss ship the game on multiple discs instead?” After all, some publishers still like big open-world games in particular Crimson DesertHowever, this is quite uncommon these days. However, from a logistical point of view, shipping with as much data as possible on a disk and then finishing the installation is much simpler for the production and distribution of the update required. The downside, though, is that the physical copy alone doesn't include a fully playable build of the game.
For some players, that may not matter much. Most modern consoles are connected to the Internet anyway, and day-one patches are basically regular at this point. As such, for anyone who doesn't insist on an ongoing conversation around these types of issues, they'll have nothing more than a little dirt on their shoulders that can easily be brushed aside. Also, after the required update is downloaded and installed, Crimson Desert The latter can reportedly be played offline without the need to stay connected to the servers, meaning only the internet requirement affects the game's initial setup.
Like huge open world games Crimson Desert Now routinely exceeds 100GB in total installation size, which poses a significant challenge to disk storage limitations.
Still, for others—especially collectors and advocates for game conservation—such situations raise some concerns. One of the biggest appeals of physical game copies is the idea that a game can be played indefinitely without relying on traditional digital storefronts or online services, some of which require a subscription. When a disc cannot start a game on its own, however, a sense of permanence becomes difficult to guarantee and the line between ownership and lease begins to blur.
Finally, status with Crimson Desert Shines a bright light on the limitations of physical media. Game discs can only hold a certain amount of data, and with how increasingly large games are becoming these days, physical copies are becoming increasingly difficult to keep. For gamers who regard physical copies of games as little more than a convenient way to install them, that may seem like a rather trivial deal, but for those who see discs as a way to protect their ownership long-term, cases such as Crimson Desert Serve as another reminder that the definition of a full physical release continues to evolve.
- issued
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, drug references, intense violence, strong language
- developer(s)
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The Pearl Abyss
- Publisher(s)
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The Pearl Abyss
