RDR2 on PC: when it came out, what it adds and where to buy it

There is no need to wait for RDR2 on PC: it arrived on computers a year after consoles. The console launch on PS4 and Xbox One was on October 26, 2018, and Rockstar announced the PC version on October 4, 2019.

There has been no new PC edition since, and the next-gen rumors are about consoles - see RDR2 platforms.

The PC version is more than a straight port. According to Rockstar’s announcement as reported by GameSpot and PC Gamer, Story Mode gained:

• new bounty hunting missions;
• extra gang hideouts;
• new treasure maps;
• new weapons and horses.

Graphics differences from consoles:

• 4K and higher resolutions, an unlocked frame rate and HDR;
• ultrawide and multi-monitor support;
• longer draw distance and higher-quality global illumination and ambient occlusion (GTABase);
• a choice of two graphics APIs, Vulkan and DirectX 12;
• DLSS for RTX cards since 2021, and since 2022 FSR 2.0 for any GPU plus NVIDIA Reflex for lower latency.

PC Gamer also singled out mouse controls: aiming in RDR2 on PC is more precise than on a controller. Red Dead Online comes with the purchase, just like on consoles.

RDR2 for PC is sold in three stores: Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Rockstar Store (through Rockstar Games Launcher). We checked Steam prices on November 9, 2026; there was no sale that day.

Standalone Red Dead Online has been on sale on PC since December 1, 2020: it has no Story Mode, but you can buy the story later. If you also want Arthur Morgan’s story, the full game is the better deal. Epic and the Rockstar Store only show prices for the visitor’s country, so compare them yourself. Ultimate differs from Standard only in story and online bonuses - editions and prices in other countries are broken down on the RDR2 price page. “Cheap keys” from marketplaces can turn out to be region-locked or bought with stolen cards, and “free” downloads are piracy with a malware risk.

There is still no native RDR2 version for PS5 or Xbox Series X|S: they run the PS4 and Xbox One game through backward compatibility. That makes the comparison simple:

Consoles win on entry cost: on PS5 the game is in PS Plus Extra and Premium until 11/17/2026. Only PC runs RDR2 above 30 fps; Rockstar recommends a GTX 1060 6 GB, and 60 fps at 1440p or 4K needs a much newer card.

Bought it on Steam or Epic? The game still starts through Rockstar Games Launcher. In practice that means:

• you need a Rockstar Games account; your Steam or Epic account gets linked to it on first launch;
• the first launch only works online;
• the language is changed in Rockstar Games Launcher settings, or for the Steam version in the game’s properties in your Steam library - see RDR2 languages;
• Steam lists controller support as partial: you can play on a gamepad, but you will need the mouse for the launcher menus;
• Steam achievements work in the Steam version; the full list with tips is on the RDR2 achievements page.

A tip for console players moving over: Story Mode saves from PS4 or Xbox One do not carry over to PC, so you start from scratch.

The November 2019 launch was rough: players reported crashes, launcher problems and freezes en masse, and Rockstar apologized and shipped a series of patches. Update 1.14.1 on November 25, 2019 fixed 12 crash causes, including crashes when switching between Vulkan and DirectX 12 and Vulkan instability on multi-GPU setups. Most launch problems have been fixed since, but crashes still happen on some configurations. What to check, in order:

1. Update your graphics driver and Windows.
2. Switch the graphics API in the graphics settings: if the game crashes on Vulkan, try DirectX 12, and vice versa.
3. Verify the game files: on Steam, Properties → Installed Files; in Rockstar Games Launcher, Settings → the game → Verify Integrity.
4. Turn off overlays and GPU overclocking tools while testing.
5. If the game stutters on a powerful PC, enable DLSS or FSR 2.0 and lower the heaviest settings - water quality, volumetrics and grass draw distance. Which is faster in tests, Vulkan or DirectX 12, and which settings cost the most FPS is covered on our RDR2 best settings page.

Valve rates RDR2 “Playable” on Steam Deck: controls fully work and default performance is acceptable, but text is small and the Rockstar launcher is awkward on a touchscreen. Do the first launch and account sign-in on Wi-Fi.

Minimum requirements are Windows 10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-6300, 8 GB of RAM and a GTX 770 2 GB or Radeon R9 280; recommended is an i7-4770K or Ryzen 5 1500X, 12 GB and a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 480. The game takes 150 GB of disk space; an SSD is better. Full tables and laptop tips are on the RDR2 system requirements page. Everything about the game is on the Red Dead Redemption 2 page.