Red Dead Redemption 2 players have discovered an image of a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in the game's files, leading to speculation about a possible Red Dead Redemption 2 Switch port. Rockstar released the Red Dead Redemption 2 PC port in November 2019.
The idea of a game with graphics as good as Red Dead Redemption 2's heading to Nintendo's hybrid-handheld system may seem ridiculous, but it wouldn't be the first visually impressive game to make the jump. Bethesda and Panic Button produced a great port of 2016's DOOM on Switch in 2017, and the game's 2020 sequel, DOOM: Eternal, is apparently planned to release on the system as well. CD Projekt Red recently released The Witcher 3 on Switch, proving massive, western open-world games could fit onto the Nintendo's newest console.
Twitter user Tez2 shared an image of a Red Dead Redemption 2 UI-style Nintendo Switch Pro controller which was found in the game's files. Some users replied to Tez2 expressing confusion and excitement about the possibility of a Switch port, but others were more skeptical. A poll on Resetera later asked users on the forum what they thought the image meant, and the majority of voters agreed it most likely had nothing to do with a Switch port. Instead, most thought it simply means Rockstar was or is planning to opt into Steam's Switch controller support.
Even if Steam didn't support Switch controllers, there are other factors which make a Red Dead Switch port unlikely. The Witcher 3 had to receive significant graphical downgrades in order to make the Switch port work - and that game is even older than DOOM. While The Witcher 3 looked great for a 2015 game, 2018's Red Dead Redemption 2 had the benefit of three years of advancements in development. It's possible Rockstar could essentially just crank all the graphics sliders to their lowest settings, but fitting a game that huge and recent onto the Switch would probably mean cutting more corners besides graphical ones.
A last hope for the Red Dead Switch port, however, could be the introduction of a Switch Pro model. Rumors and speculation about the possibility of a more powerful Switch revision have been circulating for some time, and Nintendo's hybrid console appears to be doing so well - having surpassed 15 million units sold by October 2019 - that it only makes sense Nintendo would want to keep the console relevant for as long as possible. Among the possible Switch Pro features, a more powerful CPU and better screen could help make a Red Dead Redemption 2 Switch port look a bit less potato-y.
Red Dead Redemption 2 released for PS4 and Xbox One on October 26, 2018. It later came to PC in November 2019.