When Rockstar dropped the Expanded & Enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto 5 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S back in 2022, it seemed like a no-brainer. Ray tracing, a 60fps performance mode, and faster load times gave Los Santos a proper current-gen glow-up. But while GTA 5 got all the bells and whistles, Red Dead Redemption 2 — Rockstar’s more recent open-world western — was left in the dust. As of early 2026, it’s still waiting on a similar upgrade, and that stings for fans who consider it one of the best-looking games Rockstar has ever shipped.
Let’s be real: Red Dead Redemption 2 first came out in 2018, a full five years after GTA 5. By all logic, the newer game should have been first in line for a native PS5 and Xbox Series X/S port. Instead, Rockstar re-released GTA 5 for a second time, packed with requested features that Red Dead Redemption 2 still lacks. The fanbase has been openly cheesed off about this for years now, and the annoyance only grew when Rockstar added ray-traced reflections to GTA 5’s Fidelity mode. Admittedly, that feature should have been in the re-release from day one, but it still pushed the open-world title’s visuals to current-gen standards.
Meanwhile, Red Dead Redemption 2 remains available on PS5 and Xbox Series X only through backward compatibility. There’s no native 4K, no unlocked frame rate, and definitely no ray tracing. Last year’s reports suggested a next-gen upgrade for Red Dead Redemption 2 had been canceled. That upgrade could have delivered native 4K resolution, higher frame rates, and even DualSense support on PlayStation 5. On top of that, a current-gen remake of the original Red Dead Redemption — which would have also marked the 2010 game’s first official PC release — was reportedly shelved so Rockstar could allocate resources to the then-upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6.
It’s easy to see why the Red Dead community feels like the red-headed stepchild of Rockstar’s lineup. Red Dead Online was effectively abandoned in 2022, with the developer announcing it would stop major updates and in-game events. That news didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. For years, players had organized in-game protests, dressing up as clowns en masse to express frustration over the lack of meaningful content. Just weeks before the official announcement, the community even held a virtual funeral to mark a year of disappointing updates. It was a creative but grim way to show how neglected the online title had become.
The comparison to GTA Online makes the wound deeper. GTA Online continues to receive regular updates, new content, and events because it’s Rockstar’s golden goose. Red Dead Online, on the other hand, never got the same chance to thrive. The developer’s priorities are clear: when resources are limited, the Wild West takes a back seat to the streets of Los Santos.
Here’s the current scoreboard as of 2026:
| Feature | GTA 5 (Expanded & Enhanced) | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Native PS5 / Xbox Series X version | Yes | No |
| Ray tracing | Yes, in Fidelity mode | No |
| 60fps performance mode | Yes | No |
| Major online updates | Regular via GTA Online | Abandoned |
| Reported current-gen upgrade | Delivered | Canceled / shelved |
With GTA 6 now squeezing even more attention out of Rockstar’s pipeline, the writing’s on the wall. Red Dead Redemption 2 is still a huge franchise, but it will always struggle to compete for Rockstar’s attention while GTA is around. Players shouldn’t hold their breath for a native current-gen port anytime soon. The Old West may be majestic, but Rockstar seems content to keep it riding on old hardware for the foreseeable future.