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Rockstar veteran says Red Dead Redemption's PS3 version was 'very hard and time-consuming' to make, but it was 'easy to write for the 360'

Red Dead Redemption's map was created before the PS3 version was in development due to the Xbox 360's easier development process compared to the PS3, which required low-level programming and made the PS3 version less favored by players.

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Red Dead Redemption's map was apparently created before its PS3 version was even in development, and a new comment from a former Rockstar Games veteran may have given us some insight into why.

A new DF Direct video from Digital Foundry talks about Rockstar Games' 2010 action-adventure finally arriving on PC, but it also mentions its original development, and the work on its PS3 version apparently coming later down the line than the Xbox 360 version. Clarifying a statement on Twitter, Digital Foundry claims: "Strictly speaking, the comment from back in the day was that the map was created before a PS3 version was in development. So, not exactly 'late in development.'"

Weighing in on the same Twitter thread, former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij – who left the studio in 2009, almost a full year before Red Dead Redemption's launch – explains that working with the Xbox 360 was easier to work with compared to the PS3. He writes: "The Xbox 360 used DirectX. This means the hardware was hidden behind a layer of software. This made it easy to write for the 360. 

"To get good performance out of the PS3, the developer would have to get very low level. Program the graphics chips in their native language. This was hard and time-consuming," he continues. "This is why it made more sense to lead on the 360 for us."

Over the years, many have considered the PS3 version of Red Dead Redemption to be the worst of the two original platforms. Even if it's not bad, per se, the Xbox 360 version is almost always the favorite thanks to it running a bit better, and with Vermeij's explanation in mind, it makes a lot of sense. 

If you're on the lookout for more to play, be sure to check out our recommendations for games like Red Dead Redemption 2.