Red Dead Redemption 2 For PC Is Now Available, Here's Everything You Need To Know
It may have taken a country minute, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is now available to play on PC. The anticipated release to the best platform for gaming (sorry, console friends) unlocked this morning at 8:00 am Eastern (5:00 am Pacific), after having launched to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles a little over a year ago.
What's Special About Red Dead Redemption 2 On PC
While we patiently awaited RDR2's release to PC, Rockstar Games was busying polishing things up and adding some new bits.
"Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC takes full advantage of the power of the PC to bring every corner of this massive, rich and detailed world to life from the windswept snowy peaks of the Grizzly Mountains to the dusty roads of Lemoyne; from the mud-spattered storefronts of Valentine to the cobbled streets of St Denis," Rockstar Games says.
It's potentially the best looking version (depending on your hardware's capabilities). It also offers support for 4K resolution gameplay at up to 60 frames per second, along with HDR and multi-monitor support.
Outside of the visual enhancements, Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC brings some additional updates. There are three new bounty hunter missions, two new gang hideouts, new weapons and horses for story mode, two new treasure maps, and some other stuff.
Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Requirements And GPU Drivers
The system requirements to play RDR2 on PC are fairly modest, at least to get your foot in the door (or butt in the saddle, if you prefer) to start living that outlaw life. Here's a look...
Minimum Specifications:
- OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (6.1.7601)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB
- HDD: 150GB
- Soundcard: DirectX compatible
Recommended Specifications:
- OS: Windows 10 - April 2018 Update (v1803)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
- Memory: 12GB RAM
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB
- HDD: 150GB
- Soundcard: DirectX compatible
Cranking the settings up will require higher end hardware, and attempting to pay at a 4K resolution will really test your configuration. For example, NVIDIA recommends a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti to play at 4K, with the detail level set at medium-high. To play at 2560x1440 at a high detail level, NVIDIA says a GeForce RTX 2070 Super is your best bet, and to play at 1920x1080, the GPU maker says a GeForce RTX 2060 should be your target.
Both AMD and NVIDIA have released updated GPU drivers with optimized support for Red Dead Redemption 2. If you own an AMD-based GPU, go here to download the Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.11.1 driver release, and if you own an NVIDIA-based GPU, go here to download the GeForce Game Ready 444.12 WHQL driver package.
Where To Buy Red Dead Redemption 2 For PC
If you were hoping to snag RDR2 on Steam, you will have to wait until sometime next month. Rockstar Games confirmed it will be available on Steam in December, but has not yet announced a precise release date.
Outside of Steam, RDR2 is available at a few different locations. They include...
There are three versions, including the Standard Edition ($59.99), Special Edition ($79.99), and Ultimate Edition ($99.99). Both the Special Edition and Ultimate Edition versions come with exclusive content for story mode, additional weapons for free at gunsmiths, a dappled black thoroughbred, and other perks. The Ultimate Edition separates itself will some bonus online content.
