If the latest rumours are to be believed, Nintendo fans may finally be getting two of Rockstar Games’ biggest titles on a handheld system. Many players at one point thought Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) and Red Dead Redemption 2 would never be possible on Nintendo hardware, but developer reports and comments have sparked speculation that they may one day come to the Nintendo Switch 2.
Neither Rockstar Games nor Take-Two Interactive have made any official announcement yet, but the conversation started after Virtuos’ technical director Andy Fong’s comments. The studio has already worked on bringing L.A. Noire to the original Nintendo Switch, so it already has experience in handling Rockstar-related projects on Nintendo systems.
“We’re excited to bring both GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 to Nintendo platforms because we think those games could find a whole new audience there,” Fong said in an interview. That was enough to get the fans talking.
Why the Switch 2 could finally handle Rockstar’s GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2
Many believe the comments were more targeted at the Nintendo Switch 2 than at the current Switch hardware, primarily due to how demanding both games are, technically.
Even though it released back in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 still looks great by modern standards. When it launched, the game’s massive open world, detailed environments, realistic animations and advanced lighting pushed the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to their limits.
This is why many players find it hard to imagine the current Nintendo Switch running the game properly without major visual compromises.
GTA V seems a little more realistic of a possible port as it originally released way back in 2013 during the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era. Rockstar has also kept reworking the game for multiple generations of hardware, showing it can scale fairly well depending on the system.
Across previous ports on Nintendo Switch, the idea also appears less impossible. Games like The Witcher 3, Doom and Alien: Isolation showed that surprisingly demanding AAA games can still work on weaker hardware if developers optimise them carefully.
The Switch 2 is expected to be a massive leap forward in power from the original console, and now fans are wondering if it might finally be powerful enough to play host to Rockstar’s biggest open-world games. That would be a big addition for Nintendo.
The company has always relied heavily on first party franchises like Mario, Zelda, Pokémon and Animal Crossing but better third party support could be one of the biggest advantages of the Switch 2 generation. GTA V would immediately bring over players who normally prefer PlayStation or Xbox systems.
It would also expose Rockstar to a whole new audience, particularly those who enjoy portable gaming.
Even more than a decade on, GTA V remains one of the most successful entertainment products ever made. Thanks to its storytelling, world design, and attention to detail, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a regular topic of conversation about the best games of all time.
However, at this point, fans should take everything with a grain of salt and not confirmation. Andy Fong’s comments hinted at Virtuos’ interest, not Rockstar’s approval for development.
Still, the fact that these conversations are even happening at all says a lot about the expectations for Nintendo’s next console.
Gamers for years thought that games the size of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 would never be possible on Nintendo hardware. Maybe the Switch 2 will be powerful enough to finally change that perception entirely.
Also Read: 5 Best Cars in GTA That Defined the Franchise
