New Mod Lets You Experience Red Dead Redemption 2 in VR

Red Dead Redemption 2 is, without a doubt, one of the most immersive games ever created. Be it story beats, character mechanics, NPC behavior or even animal physics, the game pulls no punches in creating an environment that feels as real and authentic as the one you are experiencing around you right this second. And now, thanks to a mod, you can make the game even more captivating by playing it in VR.

The mod comes courtesy of Luke Ross, who is best known for his GTA 5 R.E.A.L. VR mod which takes players a level deeper into Los Santos. On his Patreon page, Ross cites the strong reception to his mods for GTA 5 and No One Lives Forever 2 as the reason for beginning work on something “even more ambitious”. And one could say that the RDR2 mod fits the bill.

As Ross outlines on his Patreon, RDR2 is much more advanced than GTA V from a technical point of view, and the graphics API it supports (Vulkan and DX12) are similarly more complex than DX11, on which GTA V was based. To accommodate these high-end specs, Ross had to create a whole new framework for VR injection from scratch as everything that he had built for the GTA V mod was now useless.

The mod took over six months of full-time work to make which is why Ross decided to shift to Patreon. Players will need to become Patrons at a $10/month fee for which they will get full access to the RDR2 mod which is still in Early Access; Ross’ previous mods will remain free of charge. In the near future, Ross plans to work on VR mods for other AAA titles including Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, to which Patrons will also get access.

The mod isn’t just an accomplishment for Ross but for the modding community as a whole. In the footage linked below, you can see how seamlessly the mod has integrated into the entire game barring the camera hijacks during cutscenes. However, there is one drawback: the mod still isn’t compatible with any VR controllers. So, players will still have to perform actions in-game using either a gamepad or mouse and keyboard set up. 

So, if you have a high-end PC set up with a functional VR set handy, now is the time to experience the Wild West like never before. If you want access to the mod, head to Ross’ Patreon page, pay the fee and the instructions for installation and usage will be shared with you.

About Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2, prequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption, is an action-adventure game produced and released by Rockstar Games in 2018. The story, set in 1899, follows outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang.

Red Dead Redemption 2 portrays the Wild West, while being set in the fictional Western and Southern United States.