Red Dead Redemption 3 release date likely to blow right past PS5, Xbox Series X

If you've been following the big gaming news over the last few weeks, you may be aware that we appear to be closer to the end of the current console lifecycle than we'd have hoped.

Last week Sony confirmed the PlayStation 5 has entered the "latter half" of its life, meaning the PlayStation 6 is far closer than any of us would like. Not long after, Xbox started talking up its own next-gen hardware as if the Xbox Series X had said something racist at a dinner party and needed to be quietly escorted out.

Given what both Sony and Xbox are saying, it looks increasingly likely (though unconfirmed) that the next-generation consoles will launch around 2028, maybe 2027. Given this, we can safely assume that a long-awaited sequel like Red Dead Redemption 3 is almost certainly not releasing on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

We already know GTA VI coming in 2025, potentially no later than March 2025. There have also been rumours that the GTA sequel is set to be this generation's only Rockstar Game, which is looking increasingly likely given the time and resources it takes to make an open-world game. Especially one on the scale Rockstar Games likes to make.

Given the multiple reports suggesting Rockstar has cancelled a number of projects to focus on GTA VI, the idea of the next GTA being the only release for the generation isn't too hard to swallow. It's also worth pointing out Red Dead Redemption 2 was the only brand-new game to be released by Rockstar on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, so GTA VI being this generation's only release wouldn't be a huge departure.

We should stress that Red Dead Redemption 3 is, at this stage, little more than a consideration for Rockstar. And while a sequel is almost certainly inevitable, it looks clearer every day that we should not expect the western to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.