A new video shows how the newly-released PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ports of Red Dead Redemption look in comparison to the original PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Red Dead Redemption was released back in 2010 and become one of the defining games of the seventh console generation, earning near-universal acclaim for its rich Western setting and emotionally gripping story of former outlaw John Marston. Red Dead Redemption 2 would follow suit in 2018, but many fans have hoped for a chance to re-experience the original adventure on modern hardware.
While rumors of a full-on remake of Red Dead Redemption circulated across the internet earlier this year, Rockstar would instead announce that PS4 and Switch ports of the original Red Dead Redemption would be released on August 17. This has garnered a mixed reaction from fans wishing for a more drastic update of John Marston’s journeyh, but now players can see just how these new ports stand up to the already impressive graphics of the old version.
This comparison comes from GTA Series Videos, a YouTube channel devoted to Rockstar-developed titles. Their latest video features scenes from Red Dead Redemption as rendered on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. The differences between the original versions and the new ports aren’t that drastic at first, but the PS4 and Switch versions do have clearer textures than those on PS3 and Xbox 360. The color grading on the newer ports also appears to be different, at least during a shot of John walking across town.
The comparison video also highlights different graphical features that the new Red Dead Redemption ports include, such as AMD FSR 2 and FXAA anti-aliasing in the PS4 version. The most graphically detailed version of Red Dead Redemption seems to be Xbox One X through backward compatibility, while the Nintendo Switch port appears to be somewhat blurry in comparison to both it and the PS4. Red Dead Redemption’s zombie-filled Undead Nightmare DLC expansion is included in the new ports, and it was also used to measure their graphical capabilities.
Given that the freshly-released Red Dead Redemption ports are simply upscaled versions of a game that was released in the console generation before it, it might not be too surprising that the differences between them and the classic Xbox 360 and PS3 releases are relatively minor. However, there is indeed a clear graphical improvement in the new Red Dead Redemption ports - though whether it justifies said ports being released at a full $50 is a matter better left to the consumers themselves.
Red Dead Redemption is out now for PS3, PS4, Switch, and Xbox 360.
