Games

Control: Ultimate Edition Ups the Wow Factor on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5

Time to hit the Bureau.

Control: Ultimate Edition Ups the Wow Factor on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5

Gamers who own the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are eager to get their hands on games that really show off what the consoles can do. While big-name titles that’ll do just that are on the way, the pickings right now are kind of slim. Just a handful of experiences are available that push the hardware, and you might even hard to find a game that gives you that “wow” moment from the visuals alone. The situation may have recently changed though, and in a rather surprising way.


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Jesse Faden levitates through a warehouse section of the bureau.

One good reason to play Control: levitating gun fights.

Performance and graphics

Remedy has just released Control: Ultimate Edition for both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Control had originally released on Xbox One, PS4, and PC back in 2019, and it was certainly no graphical slouch, but you could feel both console platforms were hitting a hard limit compared to their PC counterpart. As pretty as everything was, there was little doubt the game was being held back visually by the aging tech of the last generation. Now with Control: Ultimate Edition, Remedy has given the game a next-gen overhaul, and the results are absolutely stunning.

If you’re playing on Xbox Series X or PS5, Control: Ultimate Edition offers two different graphical settings to choose from. If you’d like a buttery smooth experience, you can go with the Performance Mode option. This mode targets 60 frames per second no matter how much is happening on screen. If you want to step things up with extra bells and whistles, you’ll be interested in the Graphics Mode. This option runs at a steady 30 frames per second, but it also enables ray tracing, which makes the game’s visuals that much more realistic. Lastly, it’s important to note that the Xbox Series S allows for Performance Mode, but Graphics Mode is not available.

Jesse slams a piece of office furniture towards an enemy.

Reason number two: hurling furniture at your enemies with your mind.

Next-gen goodies

The power of the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 make some other improvements possible as well. Not only will you notice the steadier framerates, but you’ll also get to experience vastly improved loading times. The last-gen version of Control did have a few lengthier load screens, but what you get on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will be blazingly fast.  

Finally, there’s one more feather in the cap for those who grab Control: Ultimate Edition on PS5. Remedy put in some extra work to make sure the PS5’s DualSense controller is fully utilized. The controller’s triggers have been adapted to your Pierce Service Weapon, which means you can feel when you’re holding a full charge, as well as when it cools down. You’ll also be able to feel more realistic footsteps through the haptic feedback, which will certainly add to not only your awareness, but the unsettling vibe of the Federal Bureau of Control.

If you plan on getting the digital version of Control: Ultimate Edition, you’ll be happy to know it’s available right now!  You can hop on your platform of choice and download right away.  If you’re more of a physical games fan, you’ll have to wait until March 2nd, 2021 to snag a copy.  Unfortunately, there’s no way to upgrade your PS4 or Xbox One copies of Control to take advantage of the Ultimate Edition content, so you’ll have to pony up the cash for new copies.


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Kevin Cassidy has been covering all things Nintendo for over 15 years now and has been leading the weekly GoNintendo Podcast for just as long. Kevin is also quite passionate about pro wrestling, anime, comic books, and more! Follow Kevin on Twitter via @GoNintendoTweet.