Red Dead Redemption Is Quietly Killed Off On PlayStation
Rockstar Games has taken another beloved classic out into the desert and put a bullet in its skull like a lame horse. This time, it's 2010's Red Dead Redemption being walked to the hangman's noose, as the cowboy caper is unplayable on modern PlayStation consoles.
2022 has been a bit of a kicker for Rockstar. While we've had the mega announcement of GTA 6, the fallout of the GTA Trilogy's critical and commercial panning means rumoured remakes of GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption have been kicked to the curb. If this wasn't enough, we've also had murder of Red Dead Online this year. Now, there's another casualty.
Can You Play Red Dead Redemption On PlayStation?
In a worrying turn against video game preservation, the 2010 game has been delisted from PlayStation Plus/Now for the first time in six years. Rockstar is no stranger to rotating its games on and off subscription services, but this is a major blow when you look a little deeper.
As Red Dead Redemption and the lauded Undead Nightmare zombie DLC were only ever released on PS3, it means they're incompatible with PS4 and PS5. Although Rockstar gets a lot of flack for releasing GTA V on three whole generations of console, at least it means everyone is able to play the 2013 title.
Some are sure to use this as ammo in the ever-expanding console wars. With Sony and Microsoft going head to head over THAT Activision Blizzard deal, you can currently play Red Dead Redemption on both the Xbox One and Xbox Series. Better yet, it's also got the enhanced editions in all their 4K glory.
Is Red Dead Really 'Dead'?
In June, Sony's revamped PlayStation Plus service included a "last chance to play" section. Although Red Dead Redemption wasn't included, a search of the game individually confirmed it was playing its last tune on the piano this month. It's true that you can play on PS3, but with some having given away their console years ago - and scratched discs/disc rot being a worry - it's not as simple as dusting off your old console.
You can head over to RPCS3 to legally emulate the PS3 version over to PC, but it's not quite the same. It's never been explicitly stated why, but Rockstar opted not to release Red Dead Redemption on PC. For now, Red Dead Redemption has been resigned to the digital dustbin. Much like John Marston himself, death is coming for Red Dead Redemption.
