Is RDR2 better on PS5 in 2023? An in-depth technical and gaming analysis

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on all things Red Dead Redemption, the question I get asked constantly is: "Is RDR2 better on PS5?"

It‘s an important query, but one with a complicated answer. In its current unpatched state – no, RDR2 is mostly the same PS4 Pro experience when played on a PS5. However, glimpsing under the console hoods reveals a world of untapped potential still ready for unlocking!

Here I‘ll provide a detailed technical and gaming perspective to uncover both the current limitations, and possibilities, of RDR2‘s PlayStation 5 backwards compatible edition.

Native 4K Xbox Series X Resolution Advantage

First, let‘s directly compare RDR2‘s current performance profiles across the leading consoles:

As you can see, the PS5 edition provides zero visual or gameplay upgrades over the 4-year-old PS4 Pro. Like Sony‘s last-gen powerhouse, RDR2 tops out at an upscaled faux-4K resolution via checkerboard rendering.

Meanwhile, Microsoft‘s latest Xbox Series X confidently delivers a crisp true native 4K image. This gives Xbox an immediate resolution advantage – RDR2 just looks better on Series X right now, especially on high quality 4K TVs or monitors.

But why is the PS5 version so limited? Let‘s discuss…

The Backwards Compatibility Bottleneck

The critical reason RDR2 remains stuck in a last-gen performance profile lies with backwards compatibility.

When you insert any PS4 disc and play it on PS5, you are loading up a legacy "Pro Legacy Mode" – essentially emulating the PS4 Pro hardware. This means no automatic optimizations for PS5‘s superior CPU, GPU or SSD storage.

While great for convenience, for top PlayStation exclusives like God of War it means leaving a lot of power left untapped!

Let‘s compare relevant specs:

As a leading PS4 title, RDR2 was heavily optimized by Rockstar for the PS4 Pro‘s Jaguar CPU cores and bandwidth-constrained GDDR5 memory pool.

The PS5 smashes these limits with its cutting-edge Zen 2 cores and abundant, speedy GDDR6 memory. But it means little until Rockstar releases an official PS5 native version with rebuilt optimizations targeting Sony‘s latest hardware.

Let‘s explore what a truly next-gen RDR2 patch could unlock…

Projected Improvements from a True PS5 Optimization

While the PS5 lacks graphical settings configs like the PC edition, based on reverse engineering analysis there are clear upgrades Rockstar could enable for a native PS5 version of RDR2:

Higher Quality Graphics Options

• Ultra-level texture quality
• Increased draw distance scaling
• Higher resolution shadow maps
• Further advanced lighting and parallax occlusion

4K Resolution @ 60 FPS Performance

The PS5 GPU clocks up to 2.23GHz with variable frequencies when thermal headroom allows. Combined with the fast unified memory pool, this could reasonably enable:

• Native 4K rendering resolution
• Optimized 60 frames per second performance

This dramatic frame rate boost from 30 to 60 fps could provide significantly smoother overall gameplay, especially during action sequences.

Faster Loading

Sony touts the PS5‘s custom SSD slashes loading times by over 10x for capable native titles like Spiderman Remastered. By eliminating older HDD bottlenecks, RDR2 could see:

• Faster fast travel load times
• Quicker restarts after failing missions

Ray Traced Lighting

The PS5 GPU supports hardware accelerated ray tracing effects for supremely realistic lighting, shadows and reflections. A rebuilt RDR2 could tap into this for:

• More lifelike global illumination and ambient occlusion
• Physical-based rendered materials on characters and structures

And other advanced graphics options PS4 Pro couldn‘t handle like particle effects, tessellation and more.

Of course without an official Rockstar Games patch, these performance gains and visual upgrades remain merely educated guesses rather than guaranteed specs.

But by understanding the advanced PS5 silicon found in Sony‘s box, we can reasonably predict massive untapped potential ready for unlocking!

Now having covered the technical backdrop, what does this all mean for us gamers at the end of the day?

The Gamer Verdict: PS5 RDR2 Not Better Now, But Soon!

Given today‘s current backwards compatible performance, I cannot claim RDR2 looks or runs better on PS5 consoles compared to Xbox Series X. Microsoft‘s powerhouse console confidently delivers higher resolution visuals right now.

However, once PlayStation players finally receive our own optimized next-gen edition I predict this will change dramatically.

Sony packs mighty cutting-edge silicon unseen in any Xbox. Combine this with Rockstar‘s technical wizardry, and a PS5 upgrade should handily beat Xbox‘s current advantaged RDR2 edition.

But will this missing upgrade ever arrive? I speculate yes – Grand Theft Auto V received a new native PS5/Xbox Series X enhancement patch adding up to 60fps, HDR and ray tracing support. It even loads over 4x faster on PS5 thanks to the SSD speed demon!

Surely with the RDR franchise being a critical darling, Rockstar will bless impatient PlayStation fans with our own enhanced version soon enough.

Until then cowpokes, there‘s ultimately minimal incentive to revisit Arthur Morgan‘s epic gun-slinging adventures on PS5 just yet. While functional thanks to strong backwards compatibility foundations, you won‘t find meaningful improvements over playing RDR2 for the 4th or 5th time on a trusty PS4 Pro.

For the best RDR2 graphics and performance keep eyes glued to Xbox Series X for now. But once deep lessons from optimizing GTA V on PS5 hardware trickle down to our outlaw cowboy prequel? Saddle up for some big upgrades PlayStation partners!

What are your thoughts – will next-gen refurbishment ever arrive for RDR2? And what specific visuals or gameplay tweaks would you love to see implemented? Let me know in the comments below!