Summary
Despite the huge level of success thatRed Dead Redemption 2faced, many fans have long been disappointed at the lack of a current-gen port for the title. The release wowed fans with its bustling world and attention to detail, but was limited as its 2018 release came just before the likes of the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S. With many fans believing that the game could soar to even greater heights on current hardware, it is clear to see where the demand for a current-gen port came from.
With Xbox and PlayStation releasing their most recent consoles in 2020, a desire for current-gen ports ofRed Dead Redemption 2has been present in the game’s community for almost four years. As there is still no real news or concrete developments forRed Dead 2ports and with fan attention turning elsewhere, it seems that Rockstar may have missed the prime opportunity to deliver a current-gen experience to fans.
RELATED:The Case for Red Dead Redemption 3 to Break the Franchise’s Most Defining Tradition
Of course, the perfect time to have releasedRed Dead Redemption 2for modern consoles would have been at their launch in 2020, but Rockstar chose not to jump on the opportunity at the time. Some high-profile leaks in May 2022 suggested that such ports were in the works at Rockstar, although it was then later claimed that work for a current-genRed Dead 2was scrapped entirely. Many have theorized that this would have been due toRockstar needing as many resources as possible forGrand Theft Auto 6, and it seems unlikely that work onRDR2ports will continue at any point beforeGTA 6releases.
Aside from Rockstar needing the resources elsewhere, the fact remains that there is simply not as much interest in ports forRed Dead Redemption 2anymore. While these ports would have generated huge amounts of anticipation a few years ago,many players have exhaustedRDR2and are now very familiar with modern hardware, taking away the mystique behind a current-gen version of the game.
The potential reception of current-gen ports forRDR2would now be even worse thanks to the fiasco behindthe Nintendo Switch release ofRed Dead Redemptionthat was recently confirmed. This particular project was long thought to be a full remake or remaster of the 2010 title for all platforms, with the comparatively disappointing reality of a simple port causing a lot of frustration within the franchise’s community.
Five years have now passed since thelaunch ofRed Dead Redemption 2, and news of current-gen ports for the game could easily fall as flat as the aforementioned Nintendo Switch announcement. At this point, Rockstar would most likely be better off waiting untilGrand Theft Auto 6has settled to begin work on a remaster of the game for the next generation of consoles further down the line.
At one point,new ports forRed Dead Redemption 2would have been extremely well received by huge portions of the game’s community, although it is clear that this time has now passed. As the game ages along with the current era of consoles that fans once demanded ports for, it only seems sensible that Rockstar should focus on larger-scale projects instead. While rumors around these ports persist to this day, the final product would only find disinterest within huge portions ofRDR2’s fanbase.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE:Funny Red Dead Redemption 2 Image Shows How Much Better Arthur is Than John At One Thing
