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| A gameplay scene from Red Dead Redemption, now available on mobile through Netflix Games. |
By Juli Scarr
Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption has been downloaded around 3.3 million times through Netflix since arriving on mobile, highlighting how much reach subscription access can deliver compared to traditional paid releases.
The western launched on mobile in early December, arriving both as a $39.99 USD premium game and as part of Netflix Games for subscribers. Since launch, the Netflix edition has reached around 3.3 million downloads, while the paid version has struggled past roughly 10,750 purchases worldwide, according to estimates from Appmagic.
Netflix Version Delivers Massive Reach
The Netflix Games edition of Red Dead Redemption quickly became one of the service’s most visible new releases, placing it alongside the remastered Grand Theft Auto trilogy that arrived on Netflix in December 2023.
That comparison is notable, especially given that all three GTA titles were eventually removed from Netflix Games. San Andreas proved especially popular during its run, and Red Dead Redemption appears to be following a similar pattern while it remains available on the service.
Premium Console Ports Continue To Face Headwinds
Even with its strong reach on Netflix, Red Dead Redemption highlights the ongoing challenges premium console ports face on mobile.
Capcom’s Resident Evil ports reportedly struggled to reach $100,000 in their first month, while Assassin’s Creed Mirage saw fewer than 3,000 paid downloads on iPhone despite its $49.99 USD price tag. That release was also limited to the latest iPhone and iPad models, further narrowing its potential audience.
More recently, Hitman: World of Assassination arrived on mobile using a free-to-start approach, with a $70 USD unlock required to access the full game. Since its August 2025 launch, Appmagic estimates it has generated just over $130,000 USD from around 226,000 downloads.
Reach Versus Revenue Is The Trade-Off
Stepping back, the pattern is becoming harder to ignore. Subscription access continues to deliver scale on mobile that premium pricing rarely achieves, even for well-known console games.
Netflix Games lowers the barrier to entry and makes it easier to try large, story-driven experiences without committing upfront. For publishers, it offers exposure at a level that paid mobile releases almost never reach, even if that comes at the expense of direct sales.
Red Dead Redemption’s mobile performance puts that trade-off into sharp focus. Millions are playing the game through Netflix, while only a small fraction are paying for it outright.
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