Red Dead Redemption may still look like a 14-year-old game, but it's absolutely brilliant on handheld gaming PCs

HardwareRed Dead RedemptionRed Dead Redemption may still look like a 14-year-old game, but it’s absolutely brilliant on handheld gaming PCsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Rockstar)

A screenshot of the PC port of Red Dead Redemption, taken using maximum quality settings

And it’s a really solid port. I’ve experienced no glitches, no weird behaviour, no stutters or long load times. It all just works. There’s even support for ultrawide monitors, plus AMD FSR 3 and Nvidia DLSS upscaling, with frame generation and Reflex on offer with the latter.

It isjusta port, though, so don’t expect high-resolution textures, ray-traced reflections, or even something as simple as a photo mode. Red Dead Redemption is a 14-year-old game and despite the lovely art design and decent lighting and shadows, it definitelylookslike a game from a decade-and-a-half ago.But there’s one great thing about waiting so long for it to finally appear on PC and it’s that it’s absolutely brilliant on ahandheld.

I first jumped into the game on myAsus ROG Ally X, starting off with low settings. That ran absolutely fine so I began to experiment with the options (there aren’t too many of them) and settled on using the high-quality preset with FSR AA, instead of the native FXAA.

(Image credit: Rockstar)

A screenshot of the PC port of Red Dead Redemption, taken on a handheld gaming PC

On that particular gaming handheld PC, the game ran at just under 50 fps at all times. I know itshoulddo, given its age, but with so many releases of late just being awful in terms of performance and bugs, it’s a nice change to be able to just play a game without recourse to messing about with settings.

I then fired it up on a high-end gaming PC (Core i7 14700KF,RTX 4080 Super), whacked every setting to its maximum value, and appliedDLAA(Nvidia’s AA-powered anti-aliasing). RDR hit the 144 fps cap and just stayed there. Firing up Frame Generation pushes it to 200 fps.

(Image credit: Rockstar)

A screenshot of the PC port of Red Dead Redemption, taken using maximum quality settings

Of course, there’s lots to moan about (theludicrous price, the launcher, the requirement for a Rockstar account) but these are separate from the quality of the port itself.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

I am a little surprised that more wasn’t done to improve the assets—while the character and environment meshes are decent enough, the animations do look their age and the textures are from a museum.

And while one doesn’t really need upscaling and frame generation, it’s disappointing to see that the developers didn’t implement Intel’s XeSS upscaler or offer AMD’s frame gen tech (though modders will soon fix this).

But you know what? I don’t think anyone will really care that much. The port is more than good enough and it should run pretty well on older gaming PCs, though probably not ones that are 14 years old.

It’s been a very long time since I last played Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 but now I can enjoy the world and story all over again, this time from the comfort of my bed, thanks to modern handhelds.

Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.

Best handheld gaming PCSteam Deck OLED reviewBest Steam Deck accessories

Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.

TOPICSHardware

TOPICS

More about hardwareIf you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.LatestCruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you deadSee more latest►

More about hardware

If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.

A robot having its face pulled off

If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video

Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics card

Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.

LatestCruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you deadSee more latest►

Latest

Cruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you dead

Cruel

Cruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you dead

See more latest►

Most Popular

This bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spines

18 games the PC Gamer team can’t wait to play in 2025

The Witcher 3’s now 2-year-old bonus quest is our first taste of the ‘vibe’ CD Projekt is going for in The Witcher 4

2024 was the year updates for old games beat out all the new ones for me

Train like you game with this adventure-inspired workout

‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals