New York, May 5, 2026, 15:05 EDT
- Talk of a Red Dead Redemption 2 upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S has popped up again. Still, Rockstar hasn’t confirmed a current-gen native version.
- Take-Two will release its fiscal-year results on May 21, marking a near-term checkpoint for investors and Rockstar fans tracking the company’s pipeline.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 has racked up sales of over 82 million units, according to Take-Two—a straightforward commercial argument.
Speculation about a native Red Dead Redemption 2 release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S resurfaced Tuesday, after ScreenRant highlighted ongoing debate among players over whether Rockstar Games should put a price tag on an upgraded version for the newer consoles. But the official trail is cold: Rockstar’s most recent Red Dead Redemption 2 update still targets PS4, Xbox One, and PC only—no mention of a PS5 or Xbox Series build yet.
This comes into play now as Take-Two Interactive, the parent behind Rockstar, is set to report its fourth-quarter and fiscal 2026 numbers after the bell on May 21. The call starts at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Typically, these earnings calls avoid product reveals, but Rockstar’s fans are watching closely—they see this as a potential inflection point. Grand Theft Auto VI marketing is expected to be front and center in Take-Two’s plans.
Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t some minor backlist game. According to Take-Two’s February investor materials, the Red Dead Redemption franchise has cleared 110 million units in global sales. Of those, Red Dead Redemption 2 accounts for over 82 million. The company also billed it as the top-selling U.S. game by dollar sales over the past seven years.
Evidence at this point is still circumstantial. A job posting from Rockstar Australia seeks a senior gameplay programmer for a “small, talented team” focused on “classic game technology areas”—prompting a round of speculation from gaming outlets about possible remasters or ports. Nowhere in the listing do they mention Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Bully, or any specific title. Rockstar Games
Last week, GameGPU reported the community was hashing out whether Rockstar would go for targeted graphics tweaks, put out a pricier full remaster, or stick to a cheaper upgrade path like it did with Grand Theft Auto V. According to the same piece, a near-term announcement isn’t on the cards—Grand Theft Auto VI remains Rockstar’s main focus.
GamingBible picked up on the renewed Red Dead buzz, linking it to Take-Two’s May earnings call and the title’s accelerating sales. Red Dead Redemption 2 now sits at 82 million units sold, the outlet pointed out, putting it just behind Wii Sports’ tally. As for what Rockstar might do with the series after GTA VI, that’s still up in the air, GamingBible added.
The more relevant precedent comes from the first Red Dead Redemption, not its follow-up. In February, Take-Two’s documents pegged Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 with a December 2025 release date. The company’s forward calendar puts Grand Theft Auto VI on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S for November 19, 2026.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has shed some light on Rockstar’s platform approach. In a chat with Bloomberg, cited by VGC, Zelnick pointed out that Rockstar launches on console first to reach its “core consumer.” He emphasized this has been Rockstar’s usual method—console first—and dismissed any suggestion that Sony had an exclusivity deal tied to GTA VI’s initial console launch. VGC
So there’s a business argument behind the chatter. GTA V has seen updated editions launch for several console generations, and the first Red Dead Redemption recently landed on current-gen consoles. But Red Dead Redemption 2—even with its strong sales—remains available on PS5 and Xbox Series only as a last-gen version, not a true native port.
Still, a job posting doesn’t guarantee a new release. Rockstar might just be hiring for bug fixes, updates to older tech, or even something unrelated to Red Dead Redemption 2. Charging for an upgrade could risk backlash if improvements are minor; a free patch, on the other hand, wouldn’t move the revenue needle much.
Right now, Take-Two is putting most of its focus on GTA VI. Back in February, Zelnick pointed to the game’s scheduled November 19 release as the big catalyst expected to fuel “record levels of Net Bookings in Fiscal 2027.” That figure includes everything from digital and physical sales to licensing, merchandise, and other related streams, according to the company’s own definition. Take-Two Interactive
Rockstar’s games have staying power partly due to years of investment in their own engine tech and painstaking attention to detail, according to Joost van Dreunen, games professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business. That’s a big reason a seven-year-old Red Dead Redemption 2 update can still turn heads. Even so, van Dreunen said, it doesn’t mean any new announcement is right around the corner.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 PS5 upgrade remains stuck—commercially makes sense, fans keep asking, but no official word yet. All eyes shift to May 21: Take-Two’s investor call could bring answers, or just more quiet from Rockstar.
