Renowned porting studio Virtuos has expressed a desire to bring both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 to the Nintendo Switch 2.
While multiple leakers have claimed that the latter game is coming to the new Nintendo handheld alongside new PS5 and Xbox Series upgrades, there has been no solid evidence for a brand-new port, despite fan excitement.
Nevertheless, Virtuos technical director Andy Fong—who worked with Rockstar to bring L.A Noire to the original Nintendo Switch—put the team’s hat in the ring to bring both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 to the more powerful handheld.
“[The] team is eager to adapt Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 for the Nintendo Switch,” Fong told Pocket Tactics. “We’re personally big fans and believe these games can shine again on the Switch, delighting even more players.”
As one of the original Switch’s most prolific porting studios, bringing games like XCOM 2 to the handheld, Virtuos has proven itself with both Rockstar games and other major properties. The studio is currently handling the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 port of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which is co-developed alongside Bethesda Game Studios.
The studio also has a strong relationship with Nintendo. Virtuos’ Jake DiGennaro explained that the aforementioned port of L.A Noire was arranged by Nintendo itself. “We’d long admired Rockstar. The level of craft, care, and ambition they bring to every title they touch is exceptional. So when Nintendo opened the door to exploring a collaboration, we didn’t hesitate” the developer said.
DiGennaro explained that the team had a “near-instant chemistry with the team at Rockstar” when porting the detective game, and they’re keen to return to that relationship. While Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA 5 are both more intensive games than L.A. Noire, they are last-gen games, and should run flawlessly on the new Nintendo handheld.
Right now, Red Dead Redemption 2 on consoles has not been touched since its initial PlayStation 4, Xbox One and later PC releases. Console players have been awaiting a major current-gen console update since those consoles released, and tying in a Nintendo Switch 2 port of the game alongside new-gen updates would be a great move.
Both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 have already found an audience with handheld gamers in the form of Steam Deck and Windows PCs. The two Rockstar games run remarkably well on even lower-powered PC handhelds, making a Switch 2 version a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, Rockstar’s upcoming GTA 6 also appears to be avoiding the Nintendo Switch 2, at least for launch. While a PC version of the game has been discussed and will inevitably release after the PS5 and Xbox Series version, a Switch 2 version has not been officially discussed.
