Red Dead Redemption 2 PC : What You Need To Know!

Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC is out, promising greatly improved graphics and new features and content! However, it has also been hit by launch issues and crashes.

Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC, including known solutions to the issues everyone is facing right now!

 

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC : What’s New?

Red Dead Redemption 2 was one of the best selling games in 2018, and the PC edition with enhanced graphics, uncapped frame rates, new content and a raft of enhancements has just been released!

Improved Graphics

New graphical and technical enhancements for deeper immersion include :

  • support for higher frame rates, HDR, 4K resolution and beyond on multiple monitors
  • increased draw distances for better navigation;
  • higher quality global illumination and ambient occlusion for improved day and night lighting;
  • higher quality snow trails, improved reflections and deeper, higher resolution shadows at all distances;
  • tessellated tree textures and improved grass and fur textures for added realism in every plant and animal.

New Bounty Hunter Missions

  • Herman Zizendorf has been stealing tools from tradesmen – track him down in Blackwater.
  • Ex-Confederate Cavalry Officer Camille de Millemont is wanted dead or alive out by Catfish Jacksons, but his loyal men are never far behind.
  • Bart Cavanaugh and his gang are camping out in Big Valley. Take Bart dead or alive without alerting his gang if you want to avoid a whole mess of trouble.

New Gang Hideouts

  • Take on the deadly Del Lobos gang in new hideouts at Gaptooth Breach and Solomon’s Folly

New Weapons for Story Mode

  • M1899 Pistol – all-new Semi-automatic handgun with clip loaded ammunition
  • Evans Repeater – high capacity repeater (previously available in Red Dead Online only)
  • High Roller Revolver – ornate double-action revolver (previously available in Red Dead Online only)
  • Le Mat Revolver – powerful revolver with the ability to shoot shotgun shells (previously available in Red Dead Online only)

New Treasure Maps

  • Search for treasures across the new Landmarks of Riches and The Elemental Trail maps for gold bars and other rewards.

New Horses for Story Mode

  • Warped Brindle Arabian – a fast and agile mount
  • Few Spot Appaloosa – beautiful and hardy, ideal for cross-country journeys
  • Perlino Andalusian – a healthy, sturdy animal ideal for hunting (previously available in Red Dead Online only)
  • Red Chestnut Arabian – a fleet-footed beast with a distinctive coat (previously available in Red Dead Online only)
  • Plus 3 new wild horse variations – keep an eye out for wild herds featuring the Buttermilk Buckskin Kentucky Saddler, Liver Chestnut Morgan and Gold Palomino Tennessee Walker

New Trinkets with New Effects

  • Hawk Talon – permanently decreases Stamina bar drain speed by 30% when drawing a bow
  • Cat Eye – permanently increases the length of Fortifying tonic effects by 20%
  • Shark Tooth – permanently increases horse bonding experience bonus by 10%
  • Turtle Shell – permanently increases health bar refill speed by 10%
  • Crow Beak – permanently increases looted ammo by 10%

New Mission

  • To The Ends of The Earth – collect requested herbs for a range of rewards

New Photo Mode

  • Its new Photo Mode comes with an assortment of tools to capture images in Story Mode with free form camera movement.
  • You can even add Filters, Stickers or Text, and then upload them to share with the community

 

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC : System Requirements

Here are the official minimum and recommended system requirements by Rockstar

Specifications Minimum Recommended
Operating System Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Windows 10 version1803
(April 2018 Update)
Processor Intel Core i5-2500K
AMD FX-6300
Intel Core i7-4770K
AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Memory 8 GB 12 GB
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770
AMD Radeon R9 280
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
AMD Radeon TX 480
Storage 150 GB 150 GB
Audio DirectX compatible DirectX compatible

However, they appear to be overly optimistic. NVIDIA ran their own benchmarks, and recommended these cards for 60 fps gaming instead :

 

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC : Where To Buy?

Here are some online purchase options for PS4 and Xbox One :

Here are the online purchase options for PC :

We will have more PC purchase links up shortly.

 

Red Dead Redemption 2 Issues + Solutions

Once it was unlocked for the PC, gamers immediately encountered many issues with Red Dead Redemption 2. Let’s look at the most common problems and their solutions :

Problem #1 : Launcher Not Initialising

Details : The launcher refuses to launch, or quits after launching, with the useless error message :

The Rockstar Games Launcher exited unexpectedly

Solution : Upgrade to these new AMD and NVIDIA drivers

Problem #2 : Launcher Says Activation Is Required

Details : The launcher says that Activation Is Required, even though you have a valid licence key.

Solution : Turn off your antivirus software, or add Red Dead Redemption 2 to the white list or exemption list.

Problem #3 : Game Crashes On Launch

Details : The game crashes with the vacuous error message

Red Dead Redemption 2 exited unexpectedly

Solution #1 : Upgrade to these new AMD and NVIDIA drivers
Solution #2 : Run RDR2.exe as an administrator :

  1. Open the Rockstar Games Launcher
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select Red Dead Redemption 2 under My installed games
  4. Select Open under View Installation Folder
  5. Right-Click on RDR2
  6. Select Properties
  7. Under the Compatibility Tab
  8. Select Run this Program as an Administrator and Disable Full Screen Optimization
  9. Click OK
  10. Return to the Games Menu in the Rockstar Games Launcher
  11. Launch the game

For more details and solutions, please read The Red Dead Redemption 2 Troubleshooting Guide!

 

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