Red Dead Redemption 2 is now available on the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers. Sony confirmed the addition on May 13, 2026, alongside Star Wars Outlaws, Bramble: The Mountain King, The Thaumaturge, and several other titles, the same day that many people were expecting to hear something about the next Grand Theft Auto.
As per the official announcement, the game will be playable on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 via backward compatibility with Red Dead Online also included.
If you have PlayStation Plus Extra ($13.99/month) or Premium ($17.99/month), you can download and play the full game right now.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made. It holds a 97 on Metacritic. It has sold over 75 million copies. It features a 60-plus hour story campaign set in the dying days of the American frontier in 1899, following Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they attempt to survive a world that has decided they no longer belong in it. The writing, the world design, the environmental detail, and the character work are at a level that most games released in 2026 still cannot match, making it a personal favorite among many, including Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser.
Unfortunately, Red Dead Redemption 2 also runs on PS5 at 30 frames per second with no native current-gen upgrade despite the persistent rumors.
Here is everything you need to know about the PS Plus version:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| PS Plus tier required | Extra ($13.99/mo) or Premium ($17.99/mo) |
| Available on | PS4 and PS5 (via backward compatibility) |
| Includes Red Dead Online | Yes |
| Native PS5 version | No (runs PS4 version via backward compatibility) |
| Frame rate on PS5 | 30 FPS (locked) |
| Resolution on PS5 | Up to 4K (checkerboard) |
| HDR support | Yes |
| File size | ~116 GB |
| DualSense features | None (PS4 backward compatibility) |
| Download or stream | Both options available (streaming for Premium only) |
The PlayStation 5 launched in November 2020. It is now May 2026. This means Rockstar has given us five and a half years of RDR2 running on PS5 hardware through backward compatibility at 30 FPS, with no DualSense haptic feedback, no adaptive triggers, no faster load times beyond what the SSD provides passively, and no 60 FPS performance mode.
Grand Theft Auto V received a native PS5 upgrade in March 2022. Red Dead Redemption (the first game) received a remaster in 2023 with 60 FPS support on PS5. Red Dead Redemption 2, the game between them, the soon-to-be third-best-selling video game of all time, the game that is arguably Rockstar’s greatest technical achievement, has received nothing.
The PlayStation Plus addition does not change this. The rest is identical to what PS4 Pro owners experienced in 2018.
Here is how RDR2‘s PS5 situation compares to other major Rockstar titles:
| Game | Original Launch | PS5 Native Version | 60 FPS on PS5 | Time Without PS5 Upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V | September 2013 | March 2022 (Expanded & Enhanced) | Yes (Performance Mode) | 16 months after PS5 launch |
| Red Dead Redemption (Remaster) | 2023 (remaster) | Yes (native) | Yes | N/A (launched as native) |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | October 2018 | None | No (locked 30 FPS) | 5.5 years and counting |
| GTA 6 | November 2026 | Yes (launching native) | Expected (Performance Mode) | N/A (launching native) |
With the Red Dead Redemption physical editions launching on May 7 and RDR2 hitting PS Plus on May 13, Rockstar is keeping the Red Dead franchise visible.
Whether that means it has plans for it or not remains unclear, but Red Dead Redemption 2Â at 30 FPS in 2026 is definitely not ideal. It’s one of the best games ever made, after all.
But, hey, at least it’s free now, and at least we aren’t taking hours playing through what should’ve only taken minutes, like this guy.
