CONTROL Ultimate Edition PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for CONTROL Ultimate Edition is an Intel Core i5-4690 or AMD FX 4350 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 or AMD Radeon R9 280X graphics card, 8 GB of RAM and 42 GB of storage. The publisher does not require an SSD. In our tier comparison, the minimum GPU sits roughly at the GTX 670 level, an older entry-level card, and the minimum CPU is close to an Intel Core i3-3220, which is also very old entry-level hardware. It means the game can start on older machines, but it is not a target for a modern budget PC.
The official recommended specs are an Intel Core i5-7600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM, with 42 GB of storage. Ray tracing is listed separately and calls for a GeForce RTX 2060. Our comparison places the recommended GPU around the RX 580 8GB, a mainstream 1080p-class card, and the recommended CPU in an older mainstream bracket. The main difference between minimum and recommended is the graphics card: at the recommended level you can run the game at mainstream resolutions with comfortable settings instead of constantly trading detail for smoothness.
The publisher does not list separate storage type requirements beyond the 42 GB figure, and no extra targets for high resolutions or high refresh rates are given, so the guidance here is based only on the official tiers. Treat the recommended specs as your starting point and adjust expectations to match your own monitor.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build pairs an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super or GTX 1660 with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500X or Intel Core i5-10400F, backed by 16 GB of RAM. It suits players on a tight budget who mainly play at 1080p. It clears the official recommended tier, but you will need to accept some compromises in graphics settings.
The mainstream build uses a GTX 1660 Super, RTX 3050 8GB or Intel Arc A580, paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-10400, again with 16 GB of RAM. For most people who want smooth 1080p play and an occasional taste of partial ray tracing, this is the best value.
The high-end build uses an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, RTX 3070 or RTX 3060 Ti with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X or Intel Core i7-11700K, and 32 GB of RAM is worth considering. This tier sits well above the official recommended spec. It suits players who want high settings at higher resolutions, full ray tracing, or who stream and record while playing.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In a single-player action-adventure with detailed interiors and heavy visual effects like this, the settings that usually cost the most are ray tracing, shadows and volumetric effects, and the simulation density of particles and destruction. Ray tracing is the largest single load, so if your card only just meets the recommended tier, turn it off first and spend that headroom on resolution and base quality. Shadow and volumetric quality also add noticeable cost, and their visual gain is not always large, so dropping them to medium is a sensible first step.
Texture quality and material detail are worth keeping if your card has enough VRAM. They demand more memory rather than heavy computation, so they cost less performance per step than ray tracing. View distance and general environment detail can be adjusted to taste.
If your GPU supports upscaling, such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR or Intel XeSS, the game can render at a lower internal resolution and scale the image up. This often gives a solid gain in smoothness with only a small loss in sharpness. Results vary by card and setting, so enable it and compare the image yourself to see whether you are happy with it.
Laptops and handheld PCs
A laptop GPU shares its name with a desktop card but usually performs worse, because it runs under tighter power limits and in a thinner cooling design. Even identical model names can differ a lot in practice. When buying or setting up a laptop, check the power rating of its graphics chip and whether the cooling is adequate. Keep the machine plugged in while gaming and switch to the high-performance power mode.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally are low-power devices, best suited to running lighter games at reduced resolutions and settings. We have no Steam Deck verification data, so we cannot give any compatibility rating for it. In general, check that the handheld's memory and storage meet the official specs, then try lowering resolution and graphics settings and enabling upscaling. Real results will need your own testing.
Storage and memory
The official recommendation is 16 GB of RAM, with 8 GB as the minimum. Dual-channel memory gives better bandwidth, so if your motherboard supports it, install two sticks of matching capacity rather than one large stick. A system with only 8 GB may swap data more often during play, and upgrading to 16 GB is the simplest way to a steadier experience.
The official storage figure is 42 GB, and the publisher does not require an SSD. An SSD usually shortens load times and helps when moving between areas quickly, so although it is not mandatory, it is a worthwhile upgrade. A traditional hard drive will still run the game, just with longer loading.
Leave more free space than the official number suggests, because updates and patches take extra room and the system needs space for temporary files. Keeping at least 10 GB free helps avoid failed updates and system slowdowns.