The newly enhanced version of Red Dead Redemption has launched across PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series platforms, marking the first time the 2010 classic has been reissued with native current-generation support. The upgrade is available at no additional cost for players who already owned the older versions, and this has brought renewed attention to how the title performs and presents itself across hardware. The comparison between Switch 2, PS4, and PS5 reveals both technical differences and shifts in overall performance, with the largest gains seen on the Switch 2, which makes a substantial leap over its predecessor.
On PlayStation 5, Red Dead Redemption receives modest enhancements compared to the PlayStation 4 build. The improvements center on higher detail settings, upgraded shadow fidelity, and a longer draw distance that helps environments appear more cohesive during traversal. These refinements reflect incremental gains rather than dramatic visual changes, in part because the PlayStation 4 version already benefitted from stability and resolution improvements through backward compatibility. The most substantial visible shift on PS5 comes from its consistent 60 FPS output, which produces smoother combat, horseback travel, and general exploration across its large frontier.
Switch 2 delivers the most unexpected results in this comparison. Although it operates at a lower rendering resolution than the PlayStation 5, the platform follows the PS5 closely in several categories including environmental detail, shadow settings, and overall scene density. The gap between both versions is not as wide as typical third-party releases, which is notable given that the game must scale to portable hardware. The Switch 2 version also runs at a stable 60 FPS, creating a performance profile that exceeds expectations for a handheld-focused device. For players prioritizing portability, the Switch 2 edition offers a strong balance between visual quality and mobility.
In contrast, the PlayStation 4 version shows the biggest difference when you stack it up against the two newer platforms. While the PS4 build still works, it doesn’t have the higher graphical options available on PS5 and Switch 2, and is also held back by its lower performance goals overall. Both the PS5 and Switch 2 offer a noticeably smoother experience, so their improvements are clear right away.
The context surrounding the free upgrade also plays a role in shaping expectations. PlayStation 5 already had a backward compatible edition running at 4K and 60 FPS, while Xbox platforms could run the Xbox 360 version at 4K and 30 FPS through backward compatibility. With these earlier enhancements in place, the current generation release does not dramatically elevate the visual output for PS5 or Xbox. Instead, the Switch 2 receives the most significant transformation, benefiting from a far more stable frame rate and higher fidelity assets than were possible on the original Switch hardware.
Red Dead Redemption remains one of the most acclaimed open-world Western action adventures of its era, following John Marston in 1911 as he hunts down former gang members to rescue his family. The definitive modern release, launched on December 2, 2025, includes the Undead Nightmare expansion and arrives with performance targets of up to 4K resolution and 60 FPS on platforms capable of achieving those levels.
