Crimson Desert Patch 1.01.02 Steam Visual Fixes Explained

Patch 1.01.02 is a Steam-specific graphics hotfix released on March 30, 2026. Pearl Abyss says it was prepared to fix an issue on Steam, and the official note is very clear about the target: NVIDIA Ray Reconstruction and DLSS image quality problems.

The important word in the notice is partially. Pearl Abyss did not present this as a complete solution. It is an improvement pass for three specific visual symptoms while related issues remain on the live known-issues list.

Quick answer

According to Pearl Abyss, Patch 1.01.02 partially improves graphics quality when using NVIDIA Ray Reconstruction and DLSS on Steam.

The hotfix specifically targets:

• blurry image quality in certain environments
• flickering where the sky and clouds meet
• flickering when chimney smoke overlaps with nearby objects

What 1.01.02 actually fixes

The official note is narrower than a generic "DLSS fix" headline suggests.

Pearl Abyss does not say that all upscaling problems are gone. Instead, the studio says the patch partially improves:

• environmental blur in some scenes
• sky-and-cloud boundary flicker
• smoke-overlap flicker

That makes this a scene-specific cleanup patch for affected Steam players, especially those running high-end NVIDIA features that were introduced as part of the broader launch support stack.

Why Pearl Abyss still calls it partial

The March 31 Known Issues notice still includes two related warnings:

• using upscaling in certain environments can still cause flickering, visual noise, and rough screen textures
• repeatedly changing NVIDIA Ray Reconstruction and DLSS options under certain conditions may still cause frame drops

So the practical answer is:

• 1.01.02 improves the worst Steam-side visual artifacts Pearl Abyss targeted first
• it does not fully close the book on all upscaling problems

Who this patch matters to most

This hotfix matters most if all three of these are true:

• you play on Steam
• you use NVIDIA upscaling features, especially Ray Reconstruction
• your problem looks like blur or scene-edge flicker rather than a general resolution mismatch

If your whole image looks wrong all the time, How to Fix Blurry Fullscreen and Wrong Resolution in Crimson Desert on PC is still the better first read.

What to do if the image still looks bad after 1.01.02

Use the conservative path:

1. Confirm that your Steam build is updated.
2. Test the same scene with Ray Reconstruction and DLSS changed one at a time.
3. Avoid repeatedly flipping NVIDIA image settings back and forth during the same session.
4. Make sure your GPU driver is at or above Pearl Abyss' recommended baseline.
5. If the problem persists, compare it against the live known-issues wording before filing a report.

That last step matters because Pearl Abyss is already tracking multiple related image issues.

FAQ

Is Patch 1.01.02 on all platforms? No. The official notice says this was prepared to fix an issue on Steam.

Did Patch 1.01.02 fix the FSR4 rain bug? No. That is a separate AMD-side issue and remains its own support topic.

Does 1.01.02 remove all DLSS flicker? Pearl Abyss does not claim that. The note says the improvement is partial.

Should I still update my GPU driver? Yes. Pearl Abyss' FAQ still recommends AMD 25.9.2 or above and NVIDIA 581.29 or above for optimal performance and stability.

What to do next

If you are on PC, pair this hotfix with Best Driver Versions for Crimson Desert on AMD and NVIDIA, Best PC Settings for Crimson Desert After Patch 1.00.03, and Crimson Desert DLSS and FSR Upscaling Changes in Patch 1.01.00. If your issue is specifically rain distortion on AMD, Crimson Desert FSR 4 Rain Bug Status is the more relevant page.