The latest update for Red Dead Redemption 2 is said to have fixed the features HDR and Ambient Occlusion. But does the game really look better now?
Which features are concerned? With the last update for Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar has also addressed graphical features. Especially for the modes HDR and Ambient Occlusion, the current patch is said to have brought some improvements.
HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is a feature that improves the brightness and contrast of an image. Large brightness differences are supposed to be reproduced in detail.
Ambient Occlusion deals with realistic lighting conditions in games. Light sources are supposed to align with the geometry of a room.
What was the problem? In March, some players reported an alleged graphics downgrade in Red Dead Redemption 2. It was said that the feature Ambient Occlusion had been removed with a patch.
Several players complained on social media. However, the allegations could not be confirmed, as there was nothing to read about it in the patch notes, and Rockstar did not comment on the case.
However, players had already experienced problems with HDR when RDR2 was released: Back then, players protested because Red Dead Redemption 2 was advertised as 4K on the PS4 Pro. However, the game does not run in native 4K on the console but is upscaled.
This is said to cause HDR not to make the cowboy adventure look better for some players.
What do the players say? After the last update, players are divided over the improvements. Some are happy about the new settings for HDR, as they can now switch between Cinematic HDR and the new Game HDR modes.
How much the new patch has brought seems to vary from player to player.
Player chrisghi on Reddit states: “It looks 10 times better now, no more blurry nonsense on the PS4 Pro.”
Reddit user YTfionncroke says: “I just tested it. I tried to adjust the settings on my Samsung MU6120 and in the game. Is it just me, or does it still look better when HDR is turned off? I’m pretty disappointed; I stopped playing a while ago and patiently waited for this update.”
raindropthemic writes on Reddit: “HDR looks good in the game during the day. But as soon as it becomes night in RDR2, it looks washed out.”
How about you? Does Red Dead Redemption 2 look better for you after the latest update?
