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Is rdr2 free on PS? No, but here‘s how to get it at the lowest price

Hey friend! I know you‘re excited to dive into the epic open world adventure of Red Dead Redemption 2. But you might be wondering – can I get RDR2 for free on my PlayStation console?

The short answer is: Unfortunately, there is no way to get the full Red Dead Redemption 2 game for free on PS4 or PS5. It‘s a premium title that must be purchased if you want access to everything it has to offer.

But don‘t worry! In this detailed guide, I‘ll go over all your options for getting RDR2 at the lowest price possible, including sales, deals, and even a way to sample the online multiplayer completely free.

By the end, you‘ll know the smartest approaches for minimizing the cost while still enjoying everything this Wild West masterpiece has to offer. Saddle up partner, let‘s ride into savings territory!

Taking a Quick Glance at RDR2

Before we look at how to get it cheaper, let‘s recap what exactly Red Dead Redemption 2 has to offer across its singleplayer and multiplayer modes:

  • A massive 60+ hour open world story campaign set in the fictionalized Old West of 1899. It‘s one of the most immersive and impressively detailed worlds ever created.

  • Tons of activities like hunting, fishing, horseback riding and more make the world feel alive. There are hours of content outside just missions.

  • Robust character progression systems with abilities like Dead Eye to upgrade. Customize your outlaw your way.

  • Jaw-dropping visuals and performance thanks to the power of PS4 Pro and PS5. It looks downright cinematic.

  • Multiplayer mode Red Dead Online lets you take your cowboy outlaw antics online in a shared world.

  • Continuously expanded online content like missions, character roles to unlock, season passes, and in-game events.

No wonder RDR2 is considered one of the defining games of the PS4/Xbox One generation, scoring a 97 on Metacritic. There‘s almost too much content!

Now let‘s get into how we can get all that content without paying full price…

Strategies for Getting RDR2 at a Discount on PlayStation

RDR2 launched in 2018 for the standard $59.99, and still goes for full price years later because it sells so well. Here are the best ways to get it cheaper than $60:

PlayStation Store Sales

The PlayStation Store runs sales every few months discounting RDR2, usually down to $29.99. Watch for these major sales events:

  • Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals in November

  • Holiday sales in December and early January

  • Sony‘s "Deal of the Week" and "Double Discounts" promotions

  • Summer sales in June/July

Physical Copies on Sale

Check retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target during big sales events and you‘ll often find discounted physical copies as low as $25-30. The savings add up if you opt for physical instead of digital.

Buy Pre-owned at GameStop

GameStop frequently has pre-owned copies of RDR2 for around $20-25. Going pre-owned can offer big savings.

Keep an Eye Out for Bundles/Promos

Very occasionally PlayStation will bundle RDR2 as a promotional freebie. For example, some PS4 Pro bundles included the game for free. While not common, bundles can bring big savings, so keep your eye out!

Estimated Discounted Pricing Breakdown

Here‘s a quick reference table to summarize the average discounted prices you can expect from the various options:

SourceAvg. Sale PriceFrequency
PlayStation Store$29.99Every 2-4 months
Physical Retailers$25-30Major sales events 2-3 times per year
GameStop Pre-owned$20-25Ongoing
Bundles & PromosFREE – $20Rare, inconsistently timed

Following these best practices, you should be able to grab RDR2 for around $20-30 if you have a bit of patience!

Can PlayStation Plus Premium Get You RDR2 Free?

PlayStation Plus has a few different tiers. The highest “Premium” tier includes a catalog of downloadable games.

Previously this included RDR2. But sadly, as of October 2022 RDR2 is no longer part of the PlayStation Plus Premium catalog.

So a PlayStation Plus subscription won‘t get you access to this game for free. You have to look for discounts and sales on the regular game.

But PlayStation Plus does get you some other nice perks and extras for Red Dead Online, which we’ll cover next…

Playing Red Dead Online Free with PlayStation Plus

Red Dead Online is the multiplayer component of RDR2, set in the same open world.

While RDR2 cost money, Red Dead Online is available as a standalone free download, allowing you to hop into multiplayer without the singleplayer story.

Having an active PlayStation Plus subscription unlocks additional Red Dead Online benefits like:

  • Free access to multiplayer roles like the Bounty Hunter to take on unique missions and activities.

  • Free ability cards, weapons, care packages and other member-exclusive bonuses.

  • Special deals and discounts for in-game items that aren‘t offered to non-PlayStation Plus players.

So with PlayStation Plus, you can explore the world of Red Dead Online with your friends and other players without paying for the RDR2 campaign. It‘s a nice way to sample the gameplay for free!

You will be missing out on the entire epic singleplayer story experience. But if you‘re just interested in saddle-upping with friends online, it‘s a great option.

Will RDR2 Ever Be a Free PlayStation Plus Monthly Game?

One question you might have is: could RDR2 be offered for FREE as one of the monthly PlayStation Plus Essential games?

The short answer is it‘s very unlikely anytime soon. Generally, Sony reserves the monthly free games for smaller or older titles.

Offering a huge recent blockbuster like RDR2 for free would be unprecedented. The cynic in me thinks there‘s zero chance we‘ll see RDR2 free via PlayStation Plus Essential in the foreseeable future.

But while it probably won‘t happen soon, never say never! Further down the road in a few more years, it‘s possible. Just don‘t expect it as a free game option right now.

Is Red Dead Redemption (1) Available on PS4/PS5?

You might also be wondering about the original Red Dead Redemption game that came out back in 2010. Can you play that on modern PlayStation consoles?

Unfortunately, Red Dead Redemption is NOT available on PS4 or PS5 at all.

The reason is PS4 and PS5 don‘t have backwards compatibility with PS3 games. So there is zero way to play classic RDR1 on new PlayStation consoles 🙁

If you want to play the original, you‘ll need to dust off your PS3 or Xbox 360 and purchase it on those old platforms where it remains available.

Maybe someday we‘ll get remasters or re-releases. But for now, RDR1 remains trapped on aging hardware. Let‘s hope it eventually gets ported to modern consoles!

Is RDR2 Worth Purchasing at Full Price?

Let‘s recap – while you can‘t get RDR2 completely free, there are ways to get it discounted. But is it worth buying at the full $59.99 price?

In my opinion – absolutely YES! Even at full price, RDR2 offers an insane amount of high quality content and gameplay. Considering you get 60+ hours of story, endless multiplayer, and so much to explore, it‘s absolutely worth the asking price.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those landmark, must-play games of the PS4/Xbox One generation. If you have any interest at all in open world action adventure games and you own a PlayStation, it belongs in your collection.

In Summary: How to Get RDR2 Cheap

Let‘s summarize everything we learned! Here are you best options for getting Red Dead Redemption 2 at the lowest price:

  • Watch for PlayStation Store digital sales every few months

  • Buy physical copies on sale during major events at retailers

  • Consider pre-owned copies from GameStop for big savings

  • Keep an eye out for rare/random bundles that include it free

  • PlayStation Plus unlocks nice bonuses for Red Dead Online

  • But don‘t expect it free anytime soon via PlayStation Plus monthly games

While not free, with the right strategy you can grab this Wild West masterpiece for around $20-30. At that price it‘s an unbelievable value.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow gamer get the best deals. Now get out there and enjoy the epic adventure of Red Dead Redemption 2, partner!

Ride safely,
Your friend

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Michael

Michael Reddy is a tech enthusiast, entertainment buff, and avid traveler who loves exploring Linux and sharing unique insights with readers.