Rockstar Games' latest western epic, Red Dead Redemption 2, released to great critical and commercial acclaim. The writing and characters are easily Rockstar's best work yet, all set in an immaculately detailed world that is a true feast for the eyes. The game's noticeably slower pace gives it a lot of personality, and fans are still spending hours trying to find undiscovered secrets almost three years later.
Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One and is easily one of the best games available on the platforms. The game's PC port is a noticeable step-up in the graphical department, which when coupled with mods can make the game even prettier. Red Dead Redemption 2 is also playable on next-gen consoles via backward compatibility, much like Grand Theft Auto 5. While the latter is due for next-gen upgrades later this year, the sentiment doesn't translate to the former. However, there is a multitude of reasons why Rockstar should consider updating the game for next-gen consoles.
Red Dead Redemption 2 On Last-Gen Feels Dated In Some Ways
As mentioned before, Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily one of the best-looking games of the last generation. It's also a testament to Rockstar's excellent understanding of the hardware since it pulls off these gorgeous visuals at almost native resolution on the base consoles. The upgraded consoles also fare extremely well in this regard, with the Xbox One X running at a native 4K resolution.
However, this puts the next-gen console versions in a particularly tough spot. Playing on PS5 can be a bit jarring since the PS4 Pro version uses checkerboard rendering to upscale to 4K which can look a bit muddy at times with the use of TAA. On the other hand, Xbox Series X can still provide a great experience since Xbox One already runs at 4K.
While it's not a deal-breaker by any means, all consoles run at a mere 30fps - with next-gen variants sticking more closely to the ceiling. It's understandable why Rockstar couldn't include a 60fps mode since last-gen consoles - even upgraded models - had pretty weak CPUs which prohibited many games from reaching a 60fps target. The PS5 and Xbox Series X have drastically better CPUs with great single-core and multi-core performance, though, and games are already utilizing the power to push framerates up to 120 fps. The half-refresh rate frame rate cap becomes particularly more aggravating when coupled with pop-in issues that occur frequently while fast traveling. Of course, the game doesn't load as fast as one might hope from next-gen SSDs.
Thus, while the visual quality on a surface level is palatable on next-gen hardware, a number of shortcomings can prove to be disappointing nevertheless. Game development is tough, and upgrading a game to take advantage of next-gen hardware certainly isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Still, developer-friendly toolkits such as Smart Delivery and FPS Boost have made it a lot easier this time around. Given the sheer number of studios under the Rockstar banner, it isn't far-fetched to imagine that it would have the resources and manpower needed to update the game accordingly. However, there is a caveat.
Red Dead Redemption 2 On PS5 and Xbox Series X Probably Won't Be A Simple Affair
Rockstar is certainly a master of its craft when it comes to open-world design, but it isn't without some issues. Much like most big names in the industry, some feel that Rockstar has is becoming increasingly more open to predatory practices. GTA 5's online mode is filled with a number of microtransactions, and many fans consider Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode to be pay-to-win.
Grand Theft Auto 5 has been an unprecedented success for Rockstar and Take-Two, and thus it stands to reason that both want the game's presence on as many platforms as possible. Supporting this sentiment is Grand Theft Auto 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, due to release later this year. At the time of writing, Rockstar has yet to confirm whether cross-gen upgrades will be a free or a paid affair, giving the developer the benefit of the doubt. Of course, it's entirely possible that Rockstar delivers a free upgrade, but it also seems important to keep expectations in check for now. Red Dead Redemption 2 could be a similar affair, and it's not so far-fetched to think that Rockstar has something akin to this in the works already. However, given the lukewarm reception to Red Dead 2's online elements - it isn't surprising that Rockstar would want its other darling franchise to take the lead in this regard.
If such a re-release does happen, perhaps it could take on a popular new format. With the recent announcement of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut as well as Death Stranding, Sony has seemingly sparked a lot of interest in the Director's Cut trend. Unlike movies, Director's Cuts in video games usually include content built after the original release. However, a Red Dead 2 Director's Cut could be different. Given the scale and the crunch-infested development cycle Red Dead Redemption 2 went through, it isn't entirely speculation that a lot of content would have been left on the cutting floor.
This cut content helps make a great case for Red Dead Redemption 2 to be re-released in a Director's Cut form for next-gen consoles. New content could make the upgrade worthwhile, as many fans might want to revisit the game and experience Arthur Morgan's tale of redemption once again. Either way, it seems that it's probably best to keep expectations in check for now. Rockstar is likely hard at work on Grand Theft Auto 6, which diminishes the possibility of the Director's Cut in particular by a great deal. Even if it doesn't, fans shouldn't expect anything to be announced soon. Hopefully, though, Rockstar will eventually give fans on next-gen consoles a better experience.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.