Here's why you might actually use Red Dead Redemption 2's companion app more than once

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RDR 2 app offloads the map and HUD to your phone or tablet

First Red Dead Redemption 2 brings back cowboy boots and scruffy beards, now it's bringing back companion apps too. Rockstar recently unveiled a new iOS and Android app built to be played with Red Dead Redemption 2, and if you're the sort of player who loves turning off as much of the interface as possible so you can be immersed in the game world, you will want to give it a try.

The Red Dead Redemption 2 Companion App's most prominent feature is its interactive map. It works just the same as the in-game map, letting you pan around and zoom in or out to check out your surroundings, and even mark waypoints or other areas of interest. Where it gets really clever is its ability to overlay info and statistics (like how much cash you have) on the map, leaving you free to completely disable the on-screen user interface without losing track of any important details. As someone who has gotten really into turning off minimaps and other such screen clutter recently, I wish more games had this!

The app has a few other features, too: you can read through protagonist Arthur Morgan's journal as he updates it throughout the game, keep an eye on your overall play stats via Rockstar Social Club integration, and peruse a full version of the digital game manual. You can also unlock an "optional digital version of the Red Dead Redemption 2 Complete Official Guide from Piggyback" but it sounds like that will probably require an in-app purchase.

The Red Dead Redemption 2 Companion App will be available for download on October 26, the same day the full game comes out. It would be pretty rad if it works with Red Dead Online too, but we'll probably have to wait until the Red Dead Online beta to find out if that will be the case.

Speaking of immersion, prepare to be immersed in tears when Red Dead Redemption 2 horse permadeath strikes down your trusty companion. 

Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar.