Performance problems with the Red Dead Redemption 2 console provide a strong argument for why the critically acclaimed western requires the necessary updates.
OVERVIEW
- While PC gamers enjoy the ultimate experience, console players have had to put up with seven years of mediocre performance.
- The visual potential of the game is not realized due to technical limitations on the hardware of the PlayStation and Xbox.
- According to recent insider information, Rockstar may finally fix these persistent console problems later this year.
Seven years later, the low-budget version of Arthur Morgan’s journey in Red Dead Redemption 2 is still available for console players.
Owners of PlayStations and Xboxes have been forced to play what feels like a totally different game, while PC gamers have been living their best cowboy life with uncapped framerates and breathtaking visuals.
While those who argue that “it still looks better than most modern games!” are correct, they are failing to see the wider picture. RDR2 should be better, even though it can still leave you speechless during those idyllic sunset moments.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that console gamers should experience in its entirety.
The typical objection to a remaster is along the lines of, “Why fix what isn’t broken?” The problem with that reasoning is that console versions of Red Dead Redemption 2 have been broken since the game’s inception, albeit in ways that don’t damage your save files or cause system crashes.
For seven years, console gamers have had to put up with 30 frames per second while watching PC video that seems to be from a different decade.
The disparity in performance is not minor. It’s embarrassing. Even though console hardware from 2020 should be able to run a 2018 game at 60 frames per second, they are still limited to slideshow framerates in 2025.
Beyond framerate problems, there are other visual differences as well. The improved textures, longer draw distances, and better lighting that make the PC version truly stunning are absent from console versions.
It’s almost as if PC gamers get the real masterpiece while console players get a diluted tech demo. This is where the #PCMasterRace jokes start to come naturally.
With the right optimization, native 4K at 60 frames per second could be easily handled by the hardware of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Instead, console gamers receive checkerboarded upscaling that appears respectable but isn’t as good as what the hardware is capable of. Lack of support for haptic feedback, no Quality/Performance modes, and no practical application of current-generation features.
Ironically, Rockstar produced one of the most technically stunning games ever, but for almost ten years, console players were left with the subpar version. Not only would consoles benefit from a proper remaster.
Even better graphics, support for ray tracing, and contemporary rendering methods that weren’t accessible in 2018 were available to PC gamers.
Nate the Hate validates everyone’s suspicions.
Yesterday, console cowboys everywhere had a glimmer of hope. In his podcast, reliable insider Nate the Hate verified that the long-rumored next-generation update is actually taking place. It appears that Rockstar is finally prepared to accept the existence of console players after years of conjecture and wishful thinking.
From the standpoint of business, the timing is ideal. Rockstar needs something to keep fans interested and money coming in since GTA 6 isn’t coming out until 2026. Although it took them seven years to figure it out, it seems like a no-brainer to upgrade their second-biggest franchise to the next generation.
It’s true what they say. Later this year, Red Dead Redemption 2 will receive a next-generation update and be available on the Nintendo Switch 2.Nate the Hate
Of particular interest is the Nintendo Switch 2 perspective. Rockstar’s disregard for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is even more unacceptable if they can make the game work properly on portable devices.
At least Nintendo fans will receive a version made for their hardware rather than backward compatibility scraps, even though the Switch 2 port is probably going to have compromises.
I mean, I was going to save that for a Nintendo Direct predictions episode because I think Nintendo would want that game to be the Direct’s main attraction. and the PS5 Xbox Series next-generation patch can be mentioned alongside it in the press release. Indeed, those rumors are accurate.
It is unclear, however, whether this will be a free update or another “Enhanced Edition” that costs money. However, don’t expect generosity given Rockstar’s recent monetization tactics.
What are your thoughts on the RDR2 remaster scenario? Does proper performance require console players to wait seven years? Post your comments below!