A new Red Dead Redemption 2 release has almost made the mere idea of a next-gen remaster of the game redundant. Fans have long clamored for Red Dead Redemption 2 to come to the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, but after seeing this release, that may not be the case for much longer.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as one of the best video games of all time. Rockstar’s 2018 masterpiece takes players back to the final days of the Wild West, when the time of the outlaw was beginning to come to an end. Its critical success was matched by its commercial performance, becoming one of the best-selling games ever, too. In the age of remasters, many expected Rockstar to release a next-gen version of the game, but that has yet to come to fruition. As it turns out, it might not need to thanks to this new release.
Red Dead Redemption 2 DLSS 5 Release Shows Off Incredible Graphics
Last week, NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 technology leaked online, and in the days since, users have been implementing it into any game that supports it. Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception, with players clamoring to see how the game looks using the AI tech. A YouTube video by Ruaninho BR has shown it in action, and it looks excellent. With their settings, the lighting changes are more subtle, avoiding some of the uncanny valley effect often found in the DLSS 5 demonstrations so far. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a stunning game as it is and holds up incredibly well for a 2018 game, but it’s hard to deny that DLSS 5 makes small improvements that almost make the idea of a remaster redundant. It should be noted that this remains an unofficial leak, and the technology has not officially launched for RDR2 – or any game – just yet.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 is pretty controversial technology. When it was unveiled in March 2026, it faced plenty of criticism from gamers, many of whom dismissed it as “AI slop.” Some of the criticism came down to the fact that it seemed to change the art direction of characters and struggled to break away from the uncanny valley when rendering humans. It also has a big impact on performance, making it unviable for many to use. NVIDIA has persevered, but the tech remains divisive, and whether it sees widespread adoption upon its eventual release remains to be seen.
While DLSS 5 can clearly make a difference to Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC, that doesn’t mean there won’t eventually be native versions of the game coming to the current-gen consoles. There were rumors earlier this year to suggest that an enhanced version of RDR2 was on the way for a 2026 launch, but that seems unlikely at this point, especially as the launch of GTA 6 draws closer. However, a current-gen release of the 2018 title has long been rumored, so much so that it feels inevitable at some point.
Right now, Rockstar’s main priority is on Grand Theft Auto 6, which seems locked in on its November 19, 2026, release date. It has been a long time coming, and any potential Red Dead Redemption 3 seems to be years away yet. Rockstar has yet to confirm whether it will ever return to its Western setting, but the sales of the previous game means it would make a lot of sense post-GTA 6.
- Released
-
October 26, 2018
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
