In a rather surprising twist, over fourteen years since its original release, Rockstar Games has announced that one of their best games, the original Red Dead Redemption, will finally be receiving a PC port.
Initially dropping in 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Red Dead Redemption became an instant classic thanks to its emotional story and fantastic-for-the-era graphics, receiving universal acclaim upon release and going on to become one of the best-selling games of all time with over 20 million units shipped.
Set 12 years after the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, the series’ first entry follows John Marston, a former outlaw forced by the government to hunt down his old gang members across the fading, dying Wild West as the time of outlaws falls victim to invention and technology.
Later that same year, Rockstar dropped the Undead Nightmare DLC, which brought a supernatural twist to the game’s Wild West setting.
Since its original release, Red Dead Redemption has in fact been made available on newer platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, the PS4, and the modern Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S ecosystems (via the Xbox Game Store), but PC gamers were never granted an official PC port – until now (albeit at a questionable price).
Its development currently being helmed by the UK and Malaysia-based Prison Architect series Double Eleven, the Red Dead Redemption PC port is set to feature several improvements over the original, including 4K resolution, support for ultrawide and super ultrawide monitors, HDR10, as well as both NVIDIA DLSS 3.7 and AMD FSR 3.0 upscaling technologies.
Players will also have the ability to adjust draw distances, shadow quality, and more, with full keyboard and mouse functionality provided.
However, despite the fact that fans have long been clamoring for such a port, they are far from pleased with its planned $50 price tag as many believe that there is no justification for charging so much more compared to other recent ports – such as Bayonetta and Arkham City – for a game that’s over a decade old, even with its improvements.
(Honestly, it seems like the kind of scheme that series mainstay Dutch van der Linde, the leader of John’s original gang and his mentor, would suggest right after uttering his iconic ‘I have a plan…’ line.)
Once the price was revealed, many fans came together to express their disappointment with Rockstar’s greed.
On Twitter, @SuperTiso spoke volumes to fan frustations with assertion that, in his opinion, “out of their god–n mind with that price”
@Liquid_Sinister likewise declared, “$29 was my sweet spot, Rockstar you’ll make plenty of money with GTA 6. The universal sentiment behind the price is that it is too much and that anything between $20 and $40 would work.”
Another player, @S_h_a_n_e, asserted, “Well that will sit in my wishlist until it hits $30 or less”.
While the thrill behind the PC port is noteworthy, Rockstar asking $50 for a 14-year-old game will certainly lead many to wait for a sale before handing over their hard-earned cash for a ticket west.
The PC port, which will include the Undead Nightmare expansion, is set to launch on October 29th, 2024.
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