Crimson Desert free trial gives you 5 hours

A Crimson Desert free trial is live on PS5 and Xbox: five free hours, with progress carrying over to the full game. Who can play and when it ends.

FireGhost

October 30, 2026, 07:10 PM4 min read

In brief

AI summary

Crimson Desert offers a five-hour free trial on Xbox Series X|S for everyone and on PS5 for PS Plus Premium and Deluxe members.
The trial is limited to one use per account, excludes the Charting the Unknown expansion, and carries progress into the full game.
The trial ends January 7, 2027, on Xbox and October 29, 2027, on PlayStation, with no PC trial announced.

Contents10 sections

A Crimson Desert free trial is now live. Pearl Abyss is letting players try the Crimson Desert Enhanced base game for five hours on PlayStation and Xbox, and your progress carries over to the full game.

The trial arrived alongside Charting the Unknown, the game's first paid expansion. Anyone on Xbox can jump in, while PlayStation players need PS Plus Premium or Deluxe. No PC trial has been announced.

Who can play the Crimson Desert free trial?

Pearl Abyss's official notice sets different rules for each platform. Xbox Series X|S owners do not need a paid subscription at all. On PlayStation 5, the trial is limited to PS Plus Premium and Deluxe members, so Essential subscribers miss out.

Platform	Who can play	Available until
Xbox Series X\|S	All players	January 7, 2027
PlayStation 5	PS Plus Premium and Deluxe members	October 29, 2027
PC (Steam, Epic)	No trial announced	-

The Xbox Wire post also gives January 7, 2027 in its summary, although one line in the body says January 6. Don't leave it to the last day.

A character standing in a meadow of yellow flowers in Crimson Desert Enhanced — Official Crimson Desert Enhanced screenshot (Source: Steam / Pearl Abyss)

What are the trial rules?

Pearl Abyss answered the most common questions in its notice. Here are the key points:

The trial lasts five hours in total.
It is limited to one use per account and cannot be restarted once the five hours are up.
It covers only the Crimson Desert Enhanced base game, not Charting the Unknown.
Your progress carries over if you buy the full game.

Pure Xbox says you should search the Xbox Store for "Crimson Desert Enhanced" specifically. If you open a different version of the game, you may not see the trial prompt.

What is Crimson Desert Enhanced?

According to Xbox Wire, the game received Patch 2.00 in August. The free update added new cutscenes and story moments, plus expanded voice-over and language support. Combined with every post-launch update before it, that version became Crimson Desert Enhanced, so the trial gives you the most up-to-date form of the game.

How much is Crimson Desert, and what does the expansion cost?

Crimson Desert Enhanced is listed at $69.99 on Steam. Published by Pearl Abyss, it first released on March 19, 2026, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Mac.

Pure Xbox lists the Charting the Unknown expansion at $24.99 or £19.99 on the Xbox Store. It is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, the Epic Games Store and Mac.

A character looking down over a town from a high vantage point in Crimson Desert Enhanced — A town view in Pywel (Source: Steam / Pearl Abyss)

Why is there a free trial now?

Pearl Abyss launched the trial to mark the release of Charting the Unknown. Eurogamer notes that Crimson Desert sold more than six million copies in its first three months. The outlet adds that the publisher handed every Pearl Abyss employee a $3,400 bonus.

Eurogamer also reports that a Switch 2 version is in development, and that the studio has hinted at multiplayer-focused DLC and a sequel. None of those has an official date yet.

For the expansion's content and launch time, see our Charting the Unknown story. Looking for more free games this month? Check the PS Plus November 2026 games and this week's Xbox Free Play Days.

Frequently asked questions

Who can play the Crimson Desert free trial?

According to Pearl Abyss, the trial is open to PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe members on PlayStation and to all players on Xbox, with no subscription needed.

Does Crimson Desert free trial progress carry over?

Yes. If you buy the full game, your trial progress carries over.

How long is the Crimson Desert free trial available?

On Xbox it runs until January 7, 2027. On PlayStation it runs until October 29, 2027 for PS Plus Premium and Deluxe members. Each account gets one five-hour trial.