The best Rockstar game ever made may be finally headed to PC

Red Dead Redemption art hd
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

What you need to know

  • Red Dead Redemption, a third-person open-world Western game, initially launched for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2010.
  • Since then, the game has been released as a port or through backward compatibility to consoles, but never PC.
  • A new leak through the Rockstar launcher suggests the game may be coming to PC.

Red Dead Redemption holds a special place in my heart, ranking as my all-time favorite game, topping the sequel. I've shared this sentiment with my friends, on social media, in podcasts, and whenever I've been asked about my gaming preferences. This game has framed some of the most memorable moments in my gaming history.

The second installment in the Red Dead series, Red Dead Redemption, delves into the poignant story of John Marston in 1911. As a former gang member striving for a peaceful life, John's world is shattered when the U.S. Government seizes his son and wife. Forced to work as a hired gun and hunt down three of his former gang members, John's journey is a testament to the human longing for redemption, and the lengths one is willing to go to achieve it. Red Dead Redemption is an open-world game that resonates with its players, filled with heart-wrenching decisions, action-packed moments, and unforgettable characters, making it a must-play for any fan of Westerns or great storytelling.

For a long time, the game has only ever been available on consoles. Originally released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the game has seen some life through various backward compatibility programs to current-gen consoles and Nintendo Switch. Now, things might be changing.

For the first time ever, a self-proclaimed Rockstar reporter, TezFunz2, spotted a hard-coded reference to Red Dead Redemption on PC. He noticed that Rockstar had added some promotional text to their PC Launcher, detailing the story and DLC of the original Red Dead Redemption. 

The body reads, "Journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico in Red Dead Redemption, and its zombie-horror companion, Undead Nightmare, now playable on PC."

Oh man, please! Please be true! As I said earlier, the original Red Dead Redemption is an absolute masterclass in storytelling and open-world game design. From the moment the player steps hoof on the frontier, they are led on an unforgettable journey that will leave players clutching their hearts throughout the tale. I cannot wish it harder for more players to get their hands on this game who might have missed it some years ago, in 2010, when it was released.

The original gaming cowboy. (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

What this release entails we can only guess. Last year, PlayStation 4 and Switch owners were given the opportunity to play Red Dead Redemption, but it was merely a port of the original game without and significant upgrades other than a boost to 60 FPS. Something Xbox fans received for free through the backwards compatibility program.

While I would welcome some remastering of textures and more, I'd still welcome a port of the original to PC. A replay with 120Hz support and more would be fantastic! I'd also love to get some of my friends in on the action and dominate the West in the online mode if they saw fit to release it as well. Fingers crossed that this becomes a reality soon - I can't wait to saddle up again!

Michael Hoglund
Contributor

Michael has been gaming since he was five when his mother first bought a Super Nintendo from Blockbuster. Having written for a now-defunct website in the past, he's joined Windows Central as a contributor to spreading his 30+ years of love for gaming with everyone he can. His favorites include Red Dead Redemption, all the way to the controversial Dark Souls 2.