Chaos with Red Dead Redemption update on Xbox: doubts over free upgrade on Xbox 360

6. Red Dead Redemption on Xbox: the latest update sows doubts and could leave Xbox 360 without free upgrade.

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What seemed like a simple digital upgrade has turned into a real headache. Since Rockstar launched the new optimized version of Red Dead Redemption for Xbox Series, dozens of players have tried to access the supposedly free update announced last month. The problem is that, to this day, many owners of the digital Xbox 360 version still only see the purchase option with a 50% discount… and nothing more.

The situation is so chaotic that neither the community nor veteran players know if it’s a temporary error, a change of heart from Rockstar, or a technical limitation between old licenses and recent packages.

Who really gets the free Red Dead Redemption update?

• Everything starts with Rockstar’s official message, which stated that users of PS4, Nintendo Switch, or the digitally retrocompatible Xbox One version could update for free to the new edition. On paper, that included those who bought Red Dead Redemption digitally for Xbox 360, since that version is the basis for retrocompatibility.

After reviewing several cases and my own, it seems that reality is quite different:

• Those who bought the RDR + RDR2 package in 2023 (when the PS4 edition was launched) are indeed receiving the free update.

• Those who bought Red Dead Redemption digitally on Xbox 360 years ago, even if they enjoyed the retrocompatible version on Xbox One or Series, are being forced to pay the reduced price of the new edition. (Unless the situation changes in the next few hours).

Important

• That is, everything points to only the re-released package in 2023 having a compatible license to activate the free update, while the original digital purchase on Xbox 360 is not linked to that same identifier.
• The community remains divided: some think it’s a bug that Rockstar will fix soon; others believe the free update was only intended for more recent purchases, aligned with the PS4 and Switch versions.

For now, there is no final, 100% clarifying answer. If you have the old 360 version and still can’t access it for free, the most sensible thing to do is wait. Rockstar should clarify in the next few hours whether this is an error, a design decision, or a silent change in their licensing policy.