After much hype, Crimson Desert is here. And it works pretty well. The game has sold several million copies, enjoys a healthy following on Steam, and continues to be discussed back and forth on social media. Indeed, Crimson Desert was a bit controversial to say the least. But we are not here to discuss this issue today.
Today we are talking about Xbox. It’s my success, and after a short vacation, I’m still taking in the flood of news from GDC regarding Xbox’s strategy going forward.
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We are aware that some players are experiencing crashes when launching Crimson Desert from the Xbox app on PC. To fix this, open the Microsoft Store, go to Downloads, and check for updates. Or press Win + R and paste: ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHNMarch 21, 2026
Crimson Desert was released as a rare AAA Xbox Play Anywhere release. An ambitious open-world action-adventure game is very cohesive a lot A small list of major titles that have adopted Xbox Play Anywhere without some kind of marketing agreement Xbox Game Pass installment Indeed, Crimson Desert has a marketing deal with rival PlayStation, so the game’s completely voluntary support of Microsoft’s nascent Xbox PC platform is a pretty big deal.
Usually, core developers like it Capcomand others often only support Xbox Play Anywhere as a result of some sort of agreement with Xbox and PC Game Pass. For example, Resident Evil Requiem was annoyingly not included on Xbox Play Anywhere or Xbox PC, even though previous Resident Evil games were part of the program. Anyway, there had to be a moment to celebrate. Unfortunately, I shouldn’t have been.
Crimson Desert just joins the list of games it didn’t work It’s out the door on Xbox PC. Other games like Death Stranding also had notorious bugs and issues in the Xbox PC version and remained unpatched for years. Crimson Desert refused to launch directly on Xbox PC, crashing on startup. Fallout 4The Xbox Play Anywhere update had similar problems at launch and Resident Evil Village also when Xbox hit Game Pass earlier in the year.
I tested Crimson Desert on my gaming PC this morning and found that it was fixed if you updated the game and Xbox app fully. Most Twitter users suggest that this has been fixed as well. However, this cannot continue if the Xbox PC will grow and, perhaps more importantly, if the Xbox Helix will continue the Windows-Xbox merger.
Why is this a problem for Xbox Helix?
The next Xbox is essentially a PC-console hybrid that will use full Windows and decades of legacy content on Windows PC to fully open up the Xbox ecosystem to other stores. This naturally includes external launchers such as Steam, Epic Games, Riot Client and Battle.net, among others.
Exactly how Helix will fill the void for Xbox console users remains to be seen. It’s confirmed to be able to handle your Xbox console games, so everything you own from the Xbox Series X|S and back will be compatible. So how will these games come to Helix?
I suspect that Helix will use Xbox’s Smart Delivery systems to deliver the “best” version for your device. Does this mean you’ll be getting the Crimson Desert PC bundle on the Xbox Helix instead of the Xbox Series X version? If so, does this mean that Crimson Desert will crash on launch along with other games with similar issues?
The entire core principle of the console revolves around ease of use. Consoles provide a carefully curated user experience designed for couch gaming without the need for a mouse, keyboard or desk. If Xbox Helix can’t deliver, we have a problem.
Microsoft has partnered with ASUS to launch the Xbox Ally handheld AMD last year, and it uses the Xbox PC store and Windows 11 as its primary content delivery method. It works fine for the most part, but there have been many situations where it has asked me to reach for the mouse and keyboard. For the hand, it is especially irritating. But I suspect most people buying Xbox Ally at this point know what they’re in for – Windows 11’s quirks on these types of devices are pretty well documented. At the very least, an “early” release like them will help Microsoft address Windows 11’s “console-style” usability issues in preparation for the Xbox Helix.
Whether it’s using the controller on Windows 11-based devices or the occasional weird issues with content delivery on the Xbox PC and Microsoft PC store – millions of Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One owners will likely consider upgrading to the Xbox Helix. Xbox Ally has sold hundreds of thousands of units to enthusiasts, many of whom already have PC gaming experience. But if the Xbox Helix is going to sell millions to mass-market users who expect a fast and easy console experience … the problems we’ve seen with Crimson Desert and others are completely can’t Live streaming is allowed with Xbox Helix.
Poll: Should Xbox have exclusive games?
The debate over whether Xbox should own exclusive content has reignited since new CEO Asha Sharma took the reins. What do you think? Should the Xbox Helix survive, or can the hardware specs and price do the heavy lifting?
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