For a while now, I’ve been throwing my head against the wall in Crusader Kings 3 (CK3), trying to reform the Holy Roman Empire and conquer the entire map. Now, this is already a feat I’ve accomplished on the PlayStation 5 port of the game, but the console port of the game is a far inferior product due to its lack of content post-launch and its abysmal performance.
For those of you who aren’t obsessed with strategy games, Crusader Kings may sound unfamiliar. It’s essentially a medieval-ruler simulator, filled with political intrigue, domain expansions, and a tiring amount of wars (particularly peasant revolts if you’re a fellow conqueror), with mechanics that blend RPGs and RTSs to create a truly unique experience. You can choose from three starting years: 867, 1066, or 1178(as of the release of the DLC Roads to Power in September of 2024) and from then perform a litany of tasks until the year 1453, all with the goal of becoming the best tribe, kingdom, or empire in the world.
Now, when you’re a fan of strategy games, you eventually face a decision: Am I going to get a PC so I don’t have to wait for a mediocre port, or am I going to hope that the company does a superb job and elevates the game on console? Let me just tell you that, from my experience, PC gaming is absolutely the way to go, and Crusader Kings 3 was a major reason for my switching to PC.
The PlayStation 5 port of Crusader Kings 3, to this day, is still missing over half the content provided in the PC edition of the game. I was completely unaware that there was an entire plague mechanic provided by a free update and DLC called Legends of the Dead. This mechanic alone can shift entire playthroughs if you’re not paying attention, possibly resulting in the death of your current player character and sending your entire empire into a massive succession crisis that leads to a 10-year civil war (I’m not at all speaking from experience here).
To add to this, performance on console is often worse during large battles, especially with any crusade you engage in (whether fighting as or defending against the Christians). Framerates can drop by around 50% (at points, I was experiencing less than 20 fps) during these massive wars on PlayStation 5, resulting in a frustrating experience. The PC edition of CK3 is easily able to maintain a solid framerate with well over 100 armies on screen. When compared to the console version, which stumbles during any large-scale rebellion, let alone the ridiculous amounts of units seen in the crusades, it is clear which player has the advantage.
If you are at all interested in Crusader Kings 3, I must strongly implore you to buy the PC edition of the game. It has far more content and is far less buggy than its console counterpart. There is some bright spot to be seen, however, for those of you who remain zealous in the console wars. In April of 2024, Paradox Interactive, the creator of CK3, announced a new partnership with Dragon Lake, a studio under Room 8 Group to assist in fixing the issues of the console port of our beloved game. Room 8 Group is a videogame development company that has worked with large brands such as Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Only time will tell if this partnership will help the game, as it will still be another year or two before any meaningful changes will be seen in the port.