Fans are giving Red Dead Redemption PC port a “hard pass” due to $49.99 asking price
Rockstar is Dutch and we've all become Arthur
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Fans of the popular Red Dead Redemption are likely going to wait for a sale before diving back into the game, as the $49.99 price tag is seemingly too high for most players
Last year, Rockstar decided to port 2010’s Red Dead Redemption to the Switch and PS4, but it didn’t receive a positive reception—and for good reason. The game was essentially a basic port of the original PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, added nothing new, and came with a $50 price tag. The most baffling part was that Rockstar skipped a PC release entirely.
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We finally got good news a year later: Red Dead Redemption is now coming to PC with several enhancements. However, with just hours left before the official launch, fans aren’t happy to see the $50 price tag still looming. What’s even more insulting is that the hit sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, is priced lower than this 14-year-old game from the Xbox 360 era.
Fans are giving the game a “hard pass” due to its high price tag
Red Dead Redemption PC port is said to come with several enhancements over the Xbox 360/PS4/Switch versions, including; ultrawide, HDR, DLSS, and high refresh support. However, that’s the bare minimum you would expect from a modern PC port and doesn’t quite justify the $50 price. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called the price “commercially accurate,” and even that the bundle of RDR1 with its Undead Nightmare expansion was “a great value for consumers.”
But how can you charge more for a port that took over a decade to reach modern systems than for its five-year-old sequel and call it “great value”? Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently just $34.99 until November 4 ($15 cheaper), and it’s the Ultimate Edition, which includes extra story content and multiplayer items.
Previous PC ports of 2010 classics typically cost around $20—less than half of what Red Dead Redemption is being priced at. For instance, Bayonetta, Arkham City, Alpha Protocol, and Mass Effect 2 (as part of the $60 Legendary Edition) all go for $20. So, there’s really nothing that justifies the $50 price tag Rockstar is asking for.
Red Dead Redemption will work on Steam Deck if you plan on getting it
Amid the sea of bad news, there’s one silver lining, at least for Steam Deck users. The game is expected to be compatible with the Steam Deck, and we have solid evidence to back it up. Rockstar recently updated their Rockstar Launcher specifically to improve compatibility with the Steam Deck. Another Reddit user pointed out;
Considering all their games pretty much run flawlessly on the Steam Deck, and the fact that the Switch can run this game, it’s very likely this game will run fine on the Steam Deck.
Red Dead Redemption arrives today (October 29) on Steam, Epic Games, and the official Rockstar website along with the Undead Nightmare expansion. However, with fans already disappointed by the high price, it will likely come down to Steam sales to rescue the game from its backlash, or PC players might skip out on what is otherwise a fantastic classic for the older generations.
