Is Red Dead Redemption 2 Cross-Platform? How to Play?

Red Dead Redemption 2, the sequel to 2010’s best seller Red Dead Redemption, remains one of the most played, most popular games in 2022. It is an open-world game set in 1899 America, where you control a former outlaw Arthur Morgan and fight, steal, and kill. In addition to a fantastic story, the game features an Online Mode too. Players get to interact with other players and complete quests that are not part of the story.

But does the online feature have its limits? And is red dead redemption 2 cross platform? Here’s everything you need to know.

Supported Platforms:

The action-adventure game Red Dead Redemption 2 was released on October 25, 2018. It is available on PS4, Xbox, Google Stadia, and PC.

Online Features:

People who have bought the game can play with friends using the new and improved Online Mode. Red Dead Online works a lot like GTA Online, battling against other players and completing missions.

Nowadays, a lot of games feature an online mode because the limited story isn’t enough to keep players engaged. Online modes ensure consistent updates, the addition of new features and player feedback.

Hence the big question arises, is the game cross-platform? What are the limitations of this Online mode? Is it even that great?

How to Join Red Dead Online:

To join the Online mode of RDR2, start up your game and navigate to the main menu. Highlight the online option and enter it. Note that you need to have purchased the original version of the game for Online functionality to work.

Is red dead redemption 2 cross platform? – Support:

This has been a very hotly debated topic in the gaming community, as the craze for cross-platform gaming is at its peak. Has Rockstar been delivering what its fans demand?

Unfortunately, the short answer is no. Red Dead Redemption 2 does not support crossplay. This means PC players can play with PC players only, and the same is the case for consoles. The game is platform-locked, which means players can only match against others on the same platform. This is a big problem for some people and could possibly stop them from buying the game.

Is red dead redemption 2 cross platform? - Support:
Photo Credits: twinfinite.net

Undoubtedly, the demand for cross-platform is very high. People love to play with their friends, and not everyone in a friend group is on the same platform. So why did Rockstar decide not to implement this feature?

What is Rockstar Thinking?

There are numerous reasons why developers choose not to add crossplay to their games. Although there hasn’t been an official verdict on this topic, we can make a guess. Here are the possible reasons behind the absence of such a high-demand feature:

What is Rockstar Thinking?
Photo Credits: editors.dexerto.com

Technical Reasons:

It is possible that Rockstart hasn’t settled on a fully functional, free of bugs cross-platform system for the game. Its development could be underway, but compatibility issues are delaying it.

Hardware Limitations:

Older hardware, such as the PS4, is not capable enough to handle the workload a game sever can throw at it. So to prevent performance issues and lag, Rockstart might not have considered it a viable option.

Game Design:

Certain elements of the game could possibly be designed differently on consoles as compared to PC, and if crossplay was to become a thing, there would be glitches and bugs.

Xbox with a new interface for the library of games and apps

Player-Related Reasons:

When it comes to PC gaming, cheating is very common. Players often use hacks and cheat to give themselves an unfair advantage. If crossplay was added, this would be a major disadvantage for console players since cheats on consoles are not that easily available. Moreover, player toxicity is another major problem that developers want to avoid at any cost.

Legal Reasons:

It is possible that there are legal reasons why Rockstar cannot introduce crossplay to Red Dead Redemption 2. If these issues exist and are resolved, we could see crossplay in a future update.

Is There a Workaround?

Unfortunately, there is no workaround to this. Hence, Red Dead Redemption 2 remains to be platform-locked with no way to bypass this limitation, not at the time of writing at least.

Red dead redemption 2 cross platform – Future Plans:

There hasn’t been any official news regarding crossplay coming to Red Dead Redemption 2 any time soon. Rockstar is busy in developed GTA 6 and the next-gen version of RDR2. This is good news for PS5 players as they’ll be able to experience the world of Red Dead with the enhanced and expanded PS5 capabilities.

For the time being, players are bound to match with people on the same platform. However, we can hope to see things change in the future, even if there’s little of it. That is all for today’s article. Thank you for reading.

Ahmad Rafiq
Ahmad Rafiq
Medical Student from Lahore, Pakistan. Entreprenurial mindset, loves to micromanage. Passionate about technology and video games.

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