The long-awaited arrival of Red Dead Redemption on PC marks a significant milestone for fans of the iconic series. Previously confined to seventh-generation consoles, the game has now made its way to the PC platform, allowing players to immerse themselves in John Marston’s gripping narrative. This transition comes five years after the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, which introduced players to the complex dynamics of Marston’s world alongside Dutch van der Linde.
Technical Insights and Performance
While the PC port of Red Dead Redemption fulfills its primary purpose, it does leave some room for improvement, particularly for dedicated enthusiasts. The inclusion of modern upscaling features such as DLSS and FSR enhances the visual experience, yet certain technical choices feel somewhat outdated. The scalability options offered in this version do not significantly surpass those available in the PS4 edition, aside from a higher frame rate.
On the positive side, the keyboard and mouse controls have been well-implemented, providing a smooth gaming experience. Given that the original game features fewer interactive elements compared to its sequel, the control mapping is straightforward and intuitive. However, the graphics menu is rather limited, allowing adjustments to only four elements: shadows, and detail levels for geometry, trees, and grass. The absence of advanced settings like ambient occlusion or post-processing effects may not be a major concern, as the game retains its classic aesthetic.
Testing the game on a high-performance PC equipped with a Ryzen 7 5700X3D and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 revealed that the game operates comfortably within its frame rate cap of 144fps. At 4K resolution with DLAA enabled, players can traverse the expansive landscapes at over 100fps, with GPU usage remaining below 60% during most gameplay. Interestingly, enabling frame generation resulted in a spike in GPU usage, pushing the output frame rate beyond 200fps. However, certain settings, particularly those related to the level of detail for grass and trees, have proven problematic, leading to performance drops even on high-end systems.
Stability and Community Enhancements
Despite these technical quirks, the port remains stable and free of significant bugs. Testing on the Steam Deck OLED yielded equally impressive results, showcasing the game’s vibrant HDR implementation, which, when calibrated correctly, enhances the visual experience on compatible displays.
As the community rallies around the game, over a hundred mods have already emerged, enhancing both visuals and performance. Coupled with PC-exclusive image filtering options like Nvidia Freestyle, these modifications breathe new life into Red Dead Redemption, liberating it from the constraints of console systems.
Ultimately, while the PC port of Red Dead Redemption may not fully satisfy the most discerning fans, it stands as an excellent option for experiencing Rockstar’s celebrated cowboy saga, complete with improved frame rates and visuals. The game is now accessible on PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, and remains playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility.