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Red Dead Redemption 2: Next-Gen PS5/Xbox Series X Update Possible?

Last Updated: November 6, 2025

Arthur Morgan riding his horse in Red Dead Redemption 2, pondering a possible next-gen update.

Years after the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Rockstar Games' 2018 masterpiece, Red Dead Redemption 2, remains a benchmark for storytelling and world design. Yet, it also remains tethered to the last generation of hardware on consoles. While PC players enjoy high frame rates and graphical settings, console players are still waiting for a native current-gen version.

The conversation, fueled by persistent industry rumors and overwhelming fan demand, continues: is an enhanced return for Arthur Morgan still in the cards?

The Unfulfilled Promise of a New Frontier

For years, the gaming community has been buzzing with rumors of a dedicated Red Dead Redemption 2 update. Insiders have periodically claimed that native versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S "exist" within Rockstar, keeping hope alive. However, as time marches on with no official word, these reports have become less of a breaking story and more a part of the long-running saga of what could be.

The desire is not without precedent. In a surprising move, Rockstar ported the original Red Dead Redemption to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2023. More importantly, a subsequent patch unlocked a smooth 60 frames-per-second mode for the game on PS5 via backward compatibility. This very update is precisely what millions of RDR2 fans have been clamoring for, making its absence for the more modern, technically demanding sequel all the more conspicuous.

What a 60 FPS Current-Gen Upgrade Would Mean

A native current-gen version of Red Dead Redemption 2 would be a transformative experience, finally allowing console players to enjoy a level of fluidity that has long been standard on PC. The most sought-after feature is undoubtedly a 60 FPS performance mode, which would make everything from intense gunfights to leisurely horseback rides feel significantly more responsive and immersive.

Beyond the frame rate, a proper update could leverage the powerful hardware for other game-changing enhancements:

  • True 4K Resolution: While the game looks stunning running on current consoles, a native 4K presentation would bring the incredible detail of the American frontier to life with breathtaking clarity.
  • Instantaneous Loading: The consoles' ultra-fast SSDs could virtually eliminate loading screens, making fast travel and respawning seamless.
  • Enhanced Visuals: Improvements to draw distance, texture quality, shadows, and ray-traced lighting could push the game's already legendary graphics to a whole new level.
  • DualSense Integration: A PS5 version could utilize the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, adding a new layer of tactile immersion to every gunshot, bowstring pull, and horse gallop.

The Ultimate Portable Western: An RDR2 Switch Successor Port?

Original rumors also pointed to a port for Nintendo's next-generation console, colloquially known as the "Switch 2." Bringing a game of RDR2's sheer scale to a portable hybrid would be a monumental technical achievement and a massive selling point for the new hardware. While the original Switch proved its mettle with the impressive port of the first Red Dead Redemption, the sequel is an entirely different beast. The prospect of playing a title this vast and beautiful on the go remains a powerful, if speculative, proposition.

The Colossal Shadow of Grand Theft Auto VI

It's impossible to discuss any other Rockstar project without acknowledging the elephant in the room: Grand Theft Auto VI. With its first official trailer breaking viewership records and a confirmed 2025 release window for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, it is unequivocally the studio's number one priority. The vast majority of Rockstar's global talent and resources are focused on ensuring the next Grand Theft Auto is a landmark release.

This reality places projects like a Red Dead Redemption 2 remaster on a much lower rung of the development ladder. Any significant work on such an update would likely have to wait until after GTA VI has shipped, pushing its potential release even further into the future. For now, the hope for an enhanced trip back to the world of Dutch van der Linde is kept alive by the passion of the community. Until Rockstar Games makes an official announcement, the definitive console version of one of gaming's greatest achievements remains just over the horizon.