The wait is over! Control Ultimate Edition is out now for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. The Ultimate Edition consists of the base game, The Foundation (Expansion 1), AWE (Expansion 2), Expeditions mode, and all the updates released to date. That includes a Photo mode and the improved in-game map!
But that’s not all. The new consoles also support “Performance” and “Graphics” modes. The latter enables improved resolution and 60FPS and the former enables ray-tracing at 30FPS. Simply put, the best version of Control out to date!
Fridge Duty
We’ve been playing Control Ultimate Edition on PS5 for a few days now. Remedy was kind enough to provide access to the game before release. Whether you’re a new or returning player, we’ve lined up some of our content that might help you go in the right direction.
- Control review – Would you like to read our review of the base version of Control (PS4)?
- The Foundation review – Looking to delve into the Foundation? Click the title to read the article we wrote at the time of release.
- AWE review – With AWE, Remedy is officially kicking off their shared universe. The infamous light wielding hero, Alan Wake, makes his appearance in The Oldest House.
- Why my second playthrough of Control is even better – Wondering if you should replay Control for a second time? Wonder no more, for I will tell you your second playthrough will be even better.
A Merry Chase
With that out of the way, allow me to share more about my experience with playing Control Ultimate Edition on PS5. Yes, the load times are better and yes you can recollect all the trophies. However, graphically there are differences! By default, the game enables Performance mode. 60FPS is a big deal for Control. There can be situations where a lot is happing on-screen; multiple enemies, flying objects, and heavy use of particle effects. The increase in framerates makes sure your experience remains solid even during the most hectic of situations. It’s a night and day difference.
If you own a 4K TV, you’ll also instantly notice a bump in resolution and texture sharpness. It’s only due to the stark contrast drawn here that the PS4 edition comes out blurry in comparison. On the previous generation of consoles, Control also tends to suffer from stutters when entering or exiting the menu. No more. On PS5, those stutters are barely noticeable, if noticeable at all.
Right of the bat, the game also sounded a lot better. I’m not sure if the improved audio hardware of the PS5 is causing this, or if the developers included better quality audio. However, it was apparent to me the game sounded a lot crisper and more spatial. I realize this is a bit strange as neither 505 nor Remedy has commented on this. So for now, let’s state that the best way to experience Control’s audio is to crank it up to eleven!
Take (the) Control(ler)
With all that said, one of the biggest game-changers is the support for the DualSense controller, exclusive to the PS5 version of the Ultimate Edition. The haptics and adaptive triggers add a whole new layer to the game. You can now feel Jesse’s footsteps when she’s running, you need to squeeze the trigger to fire the Service Weapon but most importantly, you can feel the destruction of Jesse’s powers. These effects manage to add some more of that “oomph” I didn’t even realize was missing. These effects manage to surprise you when you first experienced them, you get accustomed to them quickly, but once absent (when going back to PS4 for example) they are instantly missed. The DualSense controller alone justifies a visit to The Oldest House for a second or third time (if even for a few hours).
Old Boys Club
Usually, when a game is remastered or re-released we like to assess the value proposition. However, it was recently announced Control Ultimate Edition is coming to PlayStation Plus and thus will be free to play for as long as you’re subscribed to the service. It goes without saying but you will need to add this game to your library. As for Xbox, the standard edition without the expansions and visual upgrades is available on Game Pass. The Ultimate Edition should be your go-to version, though. It’s the better deal considering the graphical improvements and inclusion of the expansions. Keep in mind your savegames between the standard edition and Ultimate Edition are not interchangeable. Either way, Control is a great game and if you haven’t played it before, you’re missing out – no matter the edition!
