Crimson Desert launches on March 19, 2026, across Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Mac. With a $69.99 price tag for the standard edition, plenty of players are wondering whether they can skip the upfront cost and play through Xbox Game Pass instead.
Quick answer: No. Crimson Desert is not included in Xbox Game Pass at launch, and neither Pearl Abyss nor Microsoft has announced any plans to add it to the subscription service.
Why Crimson Desert Isn't Part of Game Pass
Crimson Desert is a third-party title developed and published by Pearl Abyss. Microsoft's Game Pass day-one lineup typically consists of first-party Xbox Game Studios releases and titles where a separate deal has been struck with the publisher. No such arrangement has been confirmed for Crimson Desert. The game's Xbox Store listing lists it as a standard purchase with no Game Pass badge, and it is currently available only as a pre-order at full price.
Could It Come to Game Pass Later?
There is precedent for Pearl Abyss working with Microsoft's subscription platform. Black Desert, the studio's flagship MMORPG, was previously available through Game Pass until August 31, 2023. That history leaves the door open for a future addition, but nothing has been announced. Third-party games that eventually land on Game Pass often do so months or even years after their initial release, so anyone hoping to play Crimson Desert through the service will likely be waiting a while.
Xbox Play Anywhere Makes the Purchase More Flexible
While Game Pass isn't an option, Crimson Desert does support Xbox Play Anywhere. That means a single digital purchase on the Microsoft Store grants access on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and compatible handheld devices. Your save files, achievements, and progress sync seamlessly across all of those platforms. If you regularly switch between an Xbox console and a gaming PC or handheld, this effectively doubles the value of a single purchase compared to buying the game separately on each storefront.
Editions and Pricing
| Edition | Price (USD) | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson Desert (Standard) | $69.99 | Base game |
| Crimson Desert Deluxe Edition | $79.99 | Base game + Deluxe Pack |
Both editions include Xbox Play Anywhere support and are optimized for Xbox Series X|S with features like 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, ray tracing, 60 fps+, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X spatial sound.
Where Else You Can Buy Crimson Desert
If you'd rather not purchase through the Microsoft Store, Crimson Desert is also available on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Mac. PlayStation Plus subscribers are in a similar situation to Game Pass members — there has been no announcement about the game joining that subscription service either. Regardless of platform, the game is a buy-to-play title with no free-to-play option.
For now, the only way to play Crimson Desert when it arrives on March 19 is to buy it outright. The Play Anywhere perk at least ensures that Xbox and PC players get cross-device access from a single purchase, which takes some of the sting out of the full retail price. If Pearl Abyss and Microsoft eventually strike a Game Pass deal, it will almost certainly come well after the launch window.