The upgrade process for Red Dead Redemption on Xbox platforms has been unclear for some time due to conflicting statements from Rockstar Games and Microsoft. Rockstar recently offered a free next-gen upgrade for users who own a digital copy of the game on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. This move raises the question of whether owners of the Xbox 360 version, which already runs at 4K and 30 FPS thanks to backward compatibility on modern Xbox hardware, will also be eligible.
Is the upgrade issue being resolved?
During the process, Rockstar Support clearly stated that Xbox 360 owners were not eligible for the free upgrade. A user responded that the new version was a separate purchase and that backward compatible games were not automatically upgraded unless the publisher offered a special program. However, a bundle listing on the official Xbox store confused some by stating that buyers would receive both the backward compatible version and the new Xbox Series X|S version. This, coupled with the fact that no exclusive version has ever been released for Xbox One in the past, has further exacerbated the uncertainty.
Microsoft’s support team, however, has left the issue entirely to Rockstar. Representatives pointed out that other users were experiencing this issue and directed players to Rockstar’s support portal. Following this confusion, Rockstar Games has released a significant update to reassure players. The company officially confirmed that it is aware of an “issue” where Xbox players are unable to upgrade their digital Xbox 360 versions to the newer version and that it is working with Microsoft to resolve it.
Red Dead Redemption was released yesterday for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and other platforms. Contrary to initial negative feedback, the latest official statement offers hope that Xbox 360 owners will be addressed. So, what are your thoughts on this lack of communication? Do you think game companies are being sufficiently transparent with their loyal players who own older versions? We welcome your comments.
