Despite recently becoming the third greatest-selling video game in history, Red Dead Redemption II has yet to receive a current-gen update, even almost eight years post-launch. Current-gen console owners therefore have to rely upon backwards compatibility to play RDR2, meaning gameplay is locked at 30 FPS on all consoles. The situation is even worse on PS5, which still suffers from the inferior checkerboard rendering of RDR2's PS4 Pro version that produces a blurry image relative to Xbox One X (and therefore Xbox Series X), which impressively runs at native 4K.
Rumours of a current-gen version capable of 60 FPS have been circulating for quite some time but, disappointingly, have yet to come to fruition. Based on Rockstar Games' track record with re-releases of their games, a simple, free patch that increases frame rates is highly unlikely compared to an entirely different edition that can be charged for (e.g. GTA V Expanded & Enhanced).
As the wait continues, we've compiled a wishlist of some of the potential improvements that could be included in such a version of RDR2 if it ever materialises...
Performance and Visual Improvements
As we've already mentioned, the obvious starting point is 60 FPS. Whilst Rockstar's implementation of motion blur and solid frame pacing still provided a highly enjoyable experience at 30 FPS, this console generation's shift to most releases targeting 60 FPS reinforces the need for a higher frame rate version of RDR2.
You might wonder how difficult reaching 60 FPS would be. The answer is pretty simple... not at all. Based on this video by Digital Foundry, the modded removal of RDR2's frame rate cap on base PS5 allows the game to hit a locked 60 FPS via the PS4 Pro app, even in St Denis, the game's most CPU-demanding area.
On PS5, obviously the key issue here is that this relies upon the unappealing image quality of the PS4 Pro version of RDR2, and we'd argue that shipping a new version that simply hits 60 FPS but retains this graphical presentation would be far from ideal.
The next challenge would therefore be to simultaneously improve image quality, ideally bringing it in line with as close as possible to what exists at present on Xbox. Whilst a performance mode providing 60 FPS at native 4K might be too big an ask, we'd expect significant improvements upon the PS4/5's current image quality. Digital Foundry were able to reach 60 FPS consistently whilst at 1800p (and note that introducing dynamic resolution scaling could help further), which would look drastically better when upscaled to 4K than at present.
Just how satisfactory the resulting image quality of a performance mode would be could also determine the merit in still providing an optional native 4K fidelity mode on both consoles for those that favour image quality. Within such a mode, there'd also be plenty of scope to bump up most graphics settings as per the PC version whilst maintaining a 30 FPS target.
GTA V's Expanded & Enhanced edition features a 30 FPS fidelity mode whose major improvement is its inclusion of ray-traced reflections alongside a native 4K image. Whilst RT is becoming an extensive feature in Rockstar's proprietary game engine (RAGE) and will be everywhere you look in GTA VI, we'd say the implementation of any RT features into the world of RDR2 would be nice but not game-changing given its lack of shiny surfaces and its already fantastic lighting system and attractive shadows.
PS5 Pro Enhanced?
Another question lies in whether Rockstar would bother with any dedicated improvements for users with the PS5 Pro. GTA V Expanded & Enhanced lacks any dedicated Pro enhancements and, given the console's far smaller player base relative to all other current-gen consoles, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect the same for RDR2.
That being said, if attention was given to the Pro version of the game, we'd primarily like to see the implementation of the superior PSSR2 for any upscaling. In a case where Rockstar did not opt to utilise the Pro's dedicated machine learning upscaler, the option to unlock the frame rate and gain a boost relative to base consoles would instead be ideal. In theory, the additional GPU power of the Pro could also be utilised to further increase key graphics settings whilst still targeting 60 FPS, but how worthy an upgrade this would be is debatable.
New Features
In addition to improvements to the game's visuals and performance, we'd love to see the addition of support for DualSense controller features on PS5 consoles. For a game that grounds you in its world as well as RDR2, improved haptics would be a welcome addition, bringing to life key elements such as rainfall and the motion of your horse. Additionally, adaptive triggers could add tension to drawing back Arthur's bowstring as he lines up a shot at a deer, or to pulling the trigger on another O'Driscoll, adding another layer of immersion.
We'd also love to see the introduction of a Director's Mode, similar to that in GTA V, to let the imaginations of RDR2's highly creative player base run wild. Given the lack of support for Red Dead Online, the 'sandbox' experience of GTA V's Director Mode would also provide much-needed content and gameplay freedom.
On this topic, one of the biggest disappointments with Red Dead Online was that it was left in a state that didn't even allow players to take control of the creation of new content. GTA Online's mission creator is an extensive toolset that allows players to develop their own missions or mini-games- if a similar infrastructure had existed in Red Dead Online before Rockstar dropped its support, the game would likely be in a much healthier state.
Outlook
Now that we're so close to the highly anticipated release of GTA VI, it is unlikely that any attention will be given to Red Dead Redemption II for quite some time. Hopes that a current-gen version could release this year have practically evaporated, and we wouldn't imagine it happening until at least later next year, given GTA VI and its subsequent online mode will still likely be dominating the gaming scene. With next-gen consoles not too much further away at this point, it somehow isn't impossible that Rockstar skips this entire console generation for RDR2 (we can't believe we're writing that given how successful the game is).
Due to the relative ease with which Rockstar could at least simply uncap the frame rate of the backwards compatibility versions of RDR2 to allow us to experience the game at a smooth 60 FPS, their unwillingness to do so is immensely frustrating. We can only imagine their refusal is a result of some plan to release a more comprehensive, enhanced version at some point - but your guess as to when is as good as ours.
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