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Short answer: the existing PlayStation 4 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 is playable on PS5 through backward compatibility, and PlayStation documents transferring PS4 saves for games that run on PS5. That does not confirm a native PS5 upgrade or remaster, nor does it promise that a future remaster would import those saves. No reviewed official source confirms a PS5 remaster of Grand Theft Auto IV or explains how GTA IV story saves would migrate.
What is confirmed for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS5
Rockstar’s clearest statement concerns the game that already exists, not a new PS5 edition. In a November 2020 announcement about the then-new PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Rockstar said that “the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 will be playable on these new consoles via backward compatibility.” The relevant part for this question is the PS4 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2: it can run on a PS5 as the existing last-generation release.
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Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Brand New Factory Sealed | $23.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Nt8yEvQpL._SL160_.jpg)
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Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game] | $25.79 | Buy on Amazon |
Backward compatibility means the PS5 runs the PS4 version. It is different from a native PS5 build, a paid or free upgrade, or a remaster with new technical features. The official statement does not announce a separate PS5 SKU for Red Dead Redemption 2, an upgrade entitlement, a new trophy set, or any remaster-specific save policy.
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What you can do now
- Install or insert the PS4 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 on a compatible PS5.
- Use the existing PS4 game data and saves after moving them to the PS5 through PlayStation’s supported PS4-to-PS5 transfer process.
- Continue playing without waiting for a separate native edition to be announced.
The practical certainty therefore applies to playing the current PS4 release. It should not be described as proof that a PS5 remaster exists or that one is being prepared.
#1 Best Overall
- From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
- The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created
- Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
- Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
- Interact with every character in the world with more than just your gun;Engage in conversation with people you meet. Your actions influence Arthur's honour;Horses are a cowboy's best friend, both transport and personal companion;Bond with your horse as you ride together to unlock new abilities
How existing RDR2 saves can move to a PS5
PlayStation’s system-level guidance allows PS4 saved data to be transferred for games that are playable on PS5. Because the PS4 version of Red Dead Redemption 2 is in that backward-compatible group, an owner can use the normal console transfer route rather than waiting for a remaster-specific importer.
Console-to-console transfer
- Sign in on the PS5 with the PlayStation account used for the PS4 save.
- Keep the PS4 and PS5 available on the same home network and start the PS5’s built-in data-transfer process. The current menu path is Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer; wording can change with system-software updates.
- When the PS5 identifies the PS4, select the saved-data category and choose the Red Dead Redemption 2 save you want to move.
- Allow the transfer to finish before shutting down either console. Then launch the PS4 edition on the PS5 and check its Load or Continue screen.
This procedure transfers data for the playable PS4 game. It does not convert the save into a different format for an unannounced native PS5 release. If Rockstar later publishes a separate remaster, that edition could require its own importer, a one-time migration, or no migration at all; the existing PlayStation guidance does not decide that future policy.
What the transfer guidance does not establish
- It does not guarantee that every future PS5 remaster will accept a PS4 save.
- It does not establish a free upgrade from the PS4 edition to a hypothetical native edition.
- It does not promise that progress, trophies, settings, or downloadable content would map identically between separate editions.
- It does not create a save-transfer rule for another game, including Grand Theft Auto IV.
If the PS5 cannot see the expected save, first confirm that the transfer completed and that you launched the PS4 version rather than looking for a separate, nonexistent PS5 version. The official material establishes the general transfer capability, not a special RDR2 remaster workflow.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIs an RDR2 PS5 remaster or upgrade confirmed?
No. The reviewed official publisher and platform material confirms backward compatibility for the PS4 game, but it does not confirm a native PS5 upgrade or remaster. There is also no official save-transfer specification for such an edition.
That distinction matters because “playable on PS5” can be used loosely to describe two very different situations:
- Backward-compatible PS4 release: confirmed today, with the normal PS4-save transfer guidance available.
- Separate native PS5 release: not established in the official material reviewed, with no announced price, upgrade path, feature list, release date, or save-import rule.
A future announcement could change the answer. Until Rockstar or PlayStation publishes edition and migration details, statements that an RDR2 remaster will definitely carry over story saves are speculation.
Is a GTA IV PS5 remaster and save migration confirmed?
No. The reviewed official sources establish neither a PS5 remaster of Grand Theft Auto IV nor a rule for importing its single-player saves. That means there is currently no confirmed upgrade entitlement, release window, compatibility promise, or story-save conversion process to follow.
Do not infer GTA IV support from announcements about other games in the series. A company can support one title’s backward compatibility or online-profile migration without committing to a different title’s remaster. In particular, information about Grand Theft Auto V or GTA Online is not evidence that Grand Theft Auto IV will receive a PS5 edition.
Why GTA Online migration is a different case
Rockstar documents migration of eligible PS4 and Xbox One GTA Online profiles to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Its guidance also says that progress made on different console generations will not sync after migration. Those rules describe an online profile and service, not a single-player save file for Grand Theft Auto IV.
Rank #2
- From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
- The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created
- Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
- Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
The distinction is important:
- GTA Online migration: an account/profile move between supported console generations, subject to Rockstar’s eligibility rules and the stated post-migration sync limitation.
- GTA IV story save: a local or platform save for a different game, for which no PS5 remaster or import specification is established.
Using GTA Online’s migration article as proof of GTA IV story-save support would mix two separate products and lead to the wrong conclusion.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The two practical choices for players
| Situation | Availability certainty | Native PS5 edition required? | Current save access | Separate-edition migration announced? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play the existing PS4 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS5 | Confirmed by Rockstar’s backward-compatibility statement | No | PlayStation documents PS4-save transfer for games playable on PS5 | Not applicable; this is the existing PS4 release |
| Wait for a hypothetical native PS5 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 | Not confirmed in the reviewed official material | Yes, if such an edition is released | Depends on a future publisher specification | No rule announced |
| Wait for a hypothetical PS5 edition of Grand Theft Auto IV | Not confirmed in the reviewed official material | Yes, if such an edition is released | No confirmed PS5 story-save path | No rule announced |
For someone who wants to play RDR2 on a PS5 now, the first row is the only established route. Waiting may make sense only if native-edition improvements matter more than having a confirmed way to play immediately; it should not be presented as waiting for a product with a known release or save policy.
Do not confuse Red Dead Redemption with Red Dead Redemption 2
Take-Two’s 2026 investor presentation records the original Red Dead Redemption, the 2010 game, as released for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 in December 2025. That is not Red Dead Redemption 2. A release for the original game cannot be used as evidence of an RDR2 remaster.
The same presentation says that Red Dead Redemption 2 “sold-in over 85M units.” The slide does not give a separate measurement date for that figure, so it should be attributed to the presentation rather than recast as a dated current lifetime total. Strong sales also do not establish a PS5 upgrade or save-migration plan.
What to check if a future remaster is announced
If Rockstar or PlayStation announces either project, look for explicit answers to each of these questions rather than relying on headlines or forum assumptions:
- Edition identity: Is it a native PS5 game, a remastered package, or simply the PS4 version running through backward compatibility?
- Upgrade entitlement: Do existing PS4 owners receive it automatically, pay an upgrade fee, or buy it separately?
- Save direction: Can a PS4 story save import into the PS5 edition, and is the move one-way?
- Account and region limits: Does migration require the same platform account, game region, or disc edition?
- Content handling: Do expansions, downloadable items, settings, and trophies carry over?
- Post-migration behavior: Can both editions continue to be played, or does moving a save lock progress to one version?
- Online versus story data: Are the instructions for an online profile being incorrectly applied to single-player saves?
Only a publisher or platform support page that addresses those points can turn the current uncertainty into a confirmed procedure.
Bottom line for each game
Red Dead Redemption 2 is playable on PS5 today through its existing PS4 edition, and PlayStation supports transferring PS4 saves for compatible games. No reviewed official source confirms a native RDR2 PS5 remaster or says that a future remaster would import those saves.
Grand Theft Auto IV has no confirmed PS5 remaster or story-save migration rule in the reviewed official material. GTA Online’s separate profile-migration documentation does not change that answer.
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