Skip to content

Red Dead Redemption free for millions of players on Xbox and PS5



While rumors were rather pointing to a next-gen edition of Red Dead Redemption 2it is ultimately the very first opus of Rockstar’s western saga which benefits from a facelift. The publisher announced at the beginning of December 2025 a free update for players who already own the game on PS3, Xbox 360 or Switch.This new version, compatible with the technical standards of PS5, Xbox Series And Nintendo Switch 2propose :

  • improved resolution,
  • reduced loading times,
  • better fluidity,
  • and compatibility with current controllers.

All at no additional cost for former owners of the game. A great way to (re)discover the adventures of John Marston in a new light.

Xbox Series: a free update… which is not for everyone

The launch generally went well on PlayStation 5 And Nintendo Switch 2where the free upgrade was installed without major difficulty for the players concerned.

On the other hand, on the side of Xbox Series playersthe situation was much more confused. Many users reported an access issue: instead of being able to download the updated version for free, the Microsoft Store asked them to repurchase the game.

This bug was immediately reported to Rockstar Games And Microsoft. If the two companies avoided publicly shifting the blame, Microsoft technical support suggested that the problem came from Rockstar, while the latter indicated that it was working on a rapid resolution.

Partial resolution: the bug fixed, but not everywhere

From the weekend of December 6improvements were observed. The players on Xbox Series in France and other European countries have confirmed that free access to the game has been restored.

But be careful: this fix is not yet widespread. Certain players, particularly located at Portugalstill claim not to be able to benefit from the free upgrade, the store continuing to display a purchase price.

While waiting for a global fix, affected players can try:

  1. To restart their console,
  2. To clear the store cache,
  3. Or contact Rockstar support directly via their official website.

Netflix: a free alternative not to be overlooked

Another notable fact: Red Dead Redemption is also offered for free via the Netflix appas part of its expansion into video games. Accessible via Android/iOS for Netflix subscribers, this mobile version allows you to relive the full adventure at no additional cost.

Certainly, the experience is far from equaling the console versions in terms of graphics or comfort, but it has the merit of existing and of opening the Rockstar universe to an even wider audience.

In summary: what to remember

  • Yesthe free update of Red Dead Redemption is well deployed on PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2.
  • Noit is not yet accessible everywhere, particularly on Xbox in certain regions.
  • Yesyou can also play for free via the app Netflixif you are a subscriber.