Pearl Abyss is officially exploring the possibility of bringing its high-octane action-adventure title, Crimson Desert, to Nintendo’s next-generation hardware. Following the game’s successful multi-platform launch earlier this month, CEO Heo Jin-Young confirmed during a recent shareholders meeting that the studio has initiated research and development to determine if the ambitious open-world epic can feasibly run on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
The announcement comes on the heels of a massive opening week for the title, which has already moved over 3 million units since its March 19 debut on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. While Crimson Desert initially faced some criticism regarding its control schemes and narrative pacing, its technical prowess has remained a central talking point. The game features a world significantly larger than those seen in Skyrim or Red Dead Redemption 2, pushing current-gen hardware to its limits with high NPC density and intricate environmental details.
Transitioning such a demanding experience to Nintendo’s ecosystem presents a significant engineering hurdle. Heo Jin-Young acknowledged that the Switch 2, despite its generational leap, still trails behind the raw specifications of Sony and Microsoft’s flagship consoles. “Compared to other consoles, the Switch still has lower specifications, so there are things we would have to give up,” the CEO noted, signaling that a potential port would require substantial graphical downscaling and architectural optimizations to maintain performance in both docked and handheld modes.
This isn’t the first time rumors of a Nintendo version have surfaced; a premature GameStop listing in 2025 previously hinted at a Switch 2 release before the game’s eventual delay. For now, Pearl Abyss remains focused on post-launch support and refining the existing versions. However, the move toward Nintendo’s platform suggests the developer is keen on capturing a broader market, provided they can successfully condense the game’s massive scale without losing the technical soul that defines the experience.
