Battlefield 6 'Redsack' Mode: A Rigorous Study of Performance on PC and Console
Battlegrounds step into the free-to-play way with 'Redsack', a new and standalone battling arena type for Battlefield 6. What's really cool. It's free for everyone and doesn't require ownership of the base game or an active "Game Pass" or "Playstation Plus" subscription. This article dives into what this mode looks like and, more importantly, how it performs in various kinds of hardware from a console to a high-end PC.
What is Redsack?
Setting up the battlefield: Redsack is a massive, open world battle royale experience in the context of Battlefield, where up to 100 players fought for victory against each other in squad-based combat. On release, the mode has Duos and Quads playlists. One universal piece of feedback so far is that there is no solo queue. So players will have to go to teams for now.
Apart from the pure Battle Royale, the free package offers parts of the Training Ground, such as the shooting range, so new players can learn most of the mechanics of the game.
Getting Started: Download Size & Freebies
Redsack can be downloaded separately from the standalone installation of the main Battlefield 6 game. Generally with the game files, you can exclude things like single player to make it less heavy. Here are the approximate sizes you'll be looking at:
- Xbox Series S: Approximately 34.6 GB.
- Xbox Series X: Approximately 65.7 GB.
- PC (Steam/EA): Approximately between 50-58 GB.
- PlayStation 5: Approximately 58 GB.
And for those on PlayStation, the icing on the cake comes along. With the PlayStation Plus subscription, you can download the Rogue Ops Pack for free and it includes a bunch of cosmetic skins for your character.
Console Performance Breakdown
Optimizing performance on current-gen consoles, it runs quite impressively across the board.
Xbox Series X|S
- Xbox Series S: This console presents a simple "one size fits all" option. Locked at 60 frames per second and rendering remarkably clear visuals at 1080p, the offering is quite incredible on hardware this old (for five years) and very consistent across all titles.
- Xbox Series X: The Series X has two graphics modes:
- Balanced Mode: Dynamic targets set at 1440p and a stable 60 FPS.
- Performance Mode: Aim at higher framerate with unlocked cap. It runs at a lower dynamic resolution (around 1260p) and achieves framerates upwards of 90-95 FPS, though it can introduce some minor screen tearing.
PlayStation 5 & PS5 Pro
- PlayStation 5 (Base): Performance is almost identical to that of the Xbox Series X.
- Balanced Mode: Provides sharp 1440p at 60 FPS. This is the recommended mode to go for maximum smoothness and visual appeal. The haptic feedback in the controller also immersed the player in every footstep and action there is.
- Performance Mode: Targets up to 120 FPS at a dynamic resolution of 1260p. Generally, the FPS sticks somewhere between 80 and 90.
- PlayStation 5 Pro: Definitive Consoles Experience.
- Balanced Mode: Delivers an upscaled, dynamic 4K at almost a locked 60 FPS with very rare, very minor drops from it.
- Performance Mode: Aiming for 120 FPS with a higher resolution of approximately 1440p-1620p. The performance has been consistently above 100 FPS, with some rare benchmarks around the 120 FPS cap, which might create some screen tearing.
Handheld PC (ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X & Similar)
The handheld PC gaming experience is surprisingly accessible and enjoyable. The smaller screen makes even lower resolution look sharp.
- Balanced Mode: Good-looking 1080p at 60 FPS.
- Performance Mode: Drops resolution to about 900p for frame rates up to 90 FPS. Given the small screen, there is virtually no loss in graphics, and the performance gain is extremely significant.
PC Performance Deep Dive
One of the most interesting things about gaming on the PC is how the performance scaling takes up topmost factors. Tests conducted with a cutting-edge CPU (AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D) to isolate GPU performance imply that the game is extensively optimized across a wide range of hardware.
Mid-Range GPUs (e.g., NVIDIA RTX 4060 8GB)
One of the popular GPUs, the RTX 4060 plays Redsack well, but care to adjust settings needs to be taken because of its 8GB of VRAM.
- 1440p Ultra Settings (DLSS Quality): ~77 FPS average. Good, although sometimes DLSS animation may seem weird on fast drops.
- 1440p Ultra Settings (Native): ~60 FPS average. Still playable but would benefit from upscaling.
- 1080p Ultra Settings (Native): ~70 FPS average.
- 1080p Medium Settings (DLSS Quality): Very excited because one can expect well over 100 FPS with that giving a sweet high-refresh-rate experience.
Verdict: Dropping from Ultra to Medium settings gives a huge performance boost for the 4060. 1080p is the sweet spot for high frames while 1440p is very doable with DLSS.
Mid-Range GPUs (e.g., AMD RX 7600 XT 16GB)
Cards of this tier, endowed with 16GB of VRAM, really run no risk of being hindered by texture memory, thus affording great performance.
- 1440p Ultra Settings (Native): ~70+ FPS average.
- 1440p Medium Settings (Native): Smooth ~120 FPS average.
- 1440p Medium Settings (FSR Quality): Further enhancing performance to ~134 FPS average.
Verdict: A high-quality card for 1440p gaming in Redsack, especially at Medium settings, which it can max out with ease on a high-refresh rate monitor.
High-End GPUs (e.g., NVIDIA 4070 Ti / 5070 Ti)
High-end cards are all about performance, providing nothing less than uncompromising functionality at 1440p high-refresh and 4K gaming.
- 1440p Ultra Settings (Native): ~144 FPS average.
- 1440p Ultra Settings (DLSS Quality): ~160 FPS averages buttery smooth.
- 4K Ultra Settings (DLSS Quality): ~100 FPS average is respectable.
- 4K Medium Settings (DLSS Performance): ~140+ FPS.
Verdict: These high-end GPUs eat this game for breakfast on any resolution, offering a true competitive edge.
Final Thoughts
Battlefield 6: Redsack is a fantastic contribution to the genre of Battle Royale. The projections look magnificent, it feels good to play, but foremost, it is well-optimized across all platforms. From the smallest Xbox Series S to the largest gaming PC, you will have a smooth and enjoyable ride.
Whether you are a long-time fan of Battlefield or simply a curious gamer on the lookout for a new free-to-play shooter, Redsack is worth the download.
